Hiker feed issues

[Puddlefish]

Since Mags split up the threads, my opinion is no longer relevant to the discussion.

Actually, I thought you were the one who was first rude in the previous thread. Referring to someone's valid opinion as "dumping."

I did send a PM to Mags asking that he consider appending the forum heading, similar to the dogs forum. Then people would know that forum wasn't the place for dissenting opinions.

[4eyedbuzzard]

..........

[Coffee]

Since Mags split up the threads, my opinion is no longer relevant to the discussion.

Same here. Peace out.

[Don H]

The best Hiker Feed I experienced was the one Quiet Paul did at Sam's Gap (anyone know if he's still doing it?). He did a great breakfast right on the side of the road. I mean he had everything from milk, bagels, fresh fruit, sausage, bacon and eggs! Funny thing was a few months later I'm hiking out of Rausch Gap, PA early in the morning and I see this hiker coming the other way. We stopped and talk, in the mean time I'm thinking that I know this guy. Finally it comes to me, "hey you're Quiet Paul from Sam's Gap, I know you!". We talked some more and I thanked him again. Two memories that I'll never forget. Thanks again Quiet Paul!

I sometimes set up at Old Forge Park by the Antietam shelter water source on the AT just north of Waynesboro. I do a lunch with hamburgers and all the fixings, sodas candy bars etc. Never had anyone complain, in fact I can't recall anyone turning me down. But for those of you who don't appreciate it please feel free to walk on by. Just kinda my way of paying back all the kindness shown me during my thru.

I can tell you that I never felt "preached at" by any church group, and I stayed at church hostels and did church hiker feeds, Mountain Crossing was a memorable one.

Puddlefish, I use to feel like you about the Jehovah's Witness's until one day when I was hiking past one of their halls which is located in CT. I was out of water and saw a group in the parking lot. I went over and asked if I could fill up at a hose on the building. They took me inside, filled up my water containers from the water cooler, offered me some left over food and a Coke. Now when they come to my house I'm very polite to them (although I'm still not converting).

[Puddlefish]

It would be difficult, no, pretty much impossible, to have a forum titled Trail Concerns, Issues & History without people expressing differing opinions. What would be the point?

Same point as the Dogs forum. To give people a safe place to express their single sided opinions, without fear of a dissenting opinion to make them sad.

I personally don't enjoy frequenting forums where one side of a debate is quashed, but some people like that stuff. I think it's a bit fascist myself, but that's just my opinion.

I don't intentionally break forum rules, they run the website, it's their rules, I have no problem with that. A warning would allow rule abiding freedom loving debate fans such as myself notice that the particular forum is a child friendly zone.

[Mags]

A warning would allow rule abiding freedom loving debate fans such as myself notice that the particular forum is a child friendly zone.

Man..and I thought my Mom was passive aggressive.

I am an atheist. But, I don't go into a Mass and start debating the merits of Catholicism.

We are not squashing debate, rather asking people to politely go into the appropriate place on this website to have a debate. You don't post Colorado Trail shuttle questions on the Appalachian Trail shuttle forum by any chance? Same concept.

[Puddlefish]

Man..and I thought my Mom was passive aggressive.

I am an atheist. But, I don't go into a Mass and start debating the merits of Catholicism.

We are not squashing debate, rather asking people to politely go into the appropriate place on this website to have a debate. You don't post Colorado Trail shuttle questions on the Appalachian Trail shuttle forum by any chance? Same concept.

I was going for more of a snarky message rather than passive aggressive. I thank you for not quashing the debate, that part was serious. I just thought that forum description under get togethers invited discussion. Obviously I was wrong.

[Scrum]

When hiking with my kids on the AT in the Whites, we often bring a few chocolate bars and/or some fresh fruit with us to give out to thru hikers - the friendly ones how stop and chat for a minute or two, or sometimes to a hiker that looks like he/she needs a pick-me-up.

It is feeding the hikers, and it is semi planned, so is this a hiker feed and thus frowned upon, or is it trail magic and accordingly acceptable?

[Sarcasm the elf]

When hiking with my kids on the AT in the Whites, we often bring a few chocolate bars and/or some fresh fruit with us to give out to thru hikers - the friendly ones how stop and chat for a minute or two, or sometimes to a hiker that looks like he/she needs a pick-me-up.

It is feeding the hikers, and it is semi planned, so is this a hiker feed and thus frowned upon, or is it trail magic and accordingly acceptable?

The best advice I can give is that you shouldn't change your actions just because you came across some strangers bickering on the internet.

[Offshore]

Man..and I thought my Mom was passive aggressive.

I am an atheist. But, I don't go into a Mass and start debating the merits of Catholicism.

We are not squashing debate, rather asking people to politely go into the appropriate place on this website to have a debate. You don't post Colorado Trail shuttle questions on the Appalachian Trail shuttle forum by any chance? Same concept.

Seems fair to me. I think part of the problem may be that people click on the what's new icon, see a subject line in the list of threads and jump into the fray without looking at where the message was originally posted.

[illabelle]

We are not squashing debate, rather asking people to politely go into the appropriate place on this website to have a debate. You don't post Colorado Trail shuttle questions on the Appalachian Trail shuttle forum by any chance? Same concept.

To me, it was less an issue of which forum it was in, much more an issue of how we respond to someone posting on WB for the first time. The word you used, "politely", points to the central problem.

[hikehunter]

Last year on my section hike a lady had a trunk full of water jugs at the road crossing. The nearby water was frozen hard as a rock. The 3 other hikers I had grouped with were very happy that we did not need to fight the cold to melt ice and snow for water, or move on to "wetter pastures".
She had a pot of hot coffee and sugar cookiees. it was great.
On my way home after my hike I stoped at Fontana with some cookiees and figg newtons. There were 9 hikers there. I gave 2 of them a ride to get pizza and beer for the whole group. I stayed at the shelter as It was late. We had a good time. They thanked me the next morning and they hiked on into the GSMNP.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Last year on my section hike a lady had a trunk full of water jugs at the road crossing. The nearby water was frozen hard as a rock. The 3 other hikers I had grouped with were very happy that we did not need to fight the cold to melt ice and snow for water, or move on to "wetter pastures".
She had a pot of hot coffee and sugar cookiees. it was great.
On my way home after my hike I stoped at Fontana with some cookiees and figg newtons. There were 9 hikers there. I gave 2 of them a ride to get pizza and beer for the whole group. I stayed at the shelter as It was late. We had a good time. They thanked me the next morning and they hiked on into the GSMNP.

That is more what I remember as old-school "trail magic".

[rafe]

I was grateful for jugs of water by the trailhead in a drought year in PA. I was getting a bit desperate, finding water was a real chore.

I was grateful for the beer handed to me at Unicoi Gap by Lagunatic, way back when (and other favors she did, for many of us.)

I was grateful for cold sodas carefully penned up in a stream bed in Vermont on a hot hike in August.

I was grateful for the many rides I received from strangers, some of whom went out of their way to accommodate me.

I was and remain grateful for all the other random acts of kindness that I encountered from Georgia to Maine.

[RockDoc]

I remember that an old guy in a huge camper covered with AT stickers offered me a root beer on a pull off on the Blue Ridge Parkway in VA. After I accepted it, he hit me up for money. I think I gave him a $5. Most expensive pop I ever drank, but I felt sorry for him. Since then I have given up pop, sugar, and processed foods. Feel much better. We don't need sugar/carbs, we can hike all day on more primal foods and our body fat.

[Harrison Bergeron]

Just a guess, but I would say that the number of people actually hiking the AT who object to free food is probably somewhat less than the number of WB posters who object.

In fact, I'd bet it's approximately the same as the number of actual hikers who walk past the free food without gettin' some (which strikes me as a pretty reasonable solution for those offended by free food).

But since I've never hiked in the bubble, I have no first-hand experience to base this on (which suggests another reasonable solution).

Anyone ever see a hiker walk past free food? Maybe we're worrying about something for nothing.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Since it hasn't been posted yet, here is what the ATC has to say about it.

https://www.appalachiantrail.org/doc...rail-magic.pdf

[mattjv89]

Just a guess, but I would say that the number of people actually hiking the AT who object to free food is probably somewhat less than the number of WB posters who object.

Hit it on the head pretty much. The entire trail I don't recall a single person ever saying, "man I was pissed about that free food."

[soilman]

I am currently reading "The Angling Walker" by Gnu which I downloaded free on my Kindle. It is written by a fellow from Japan who hiked the PCT and part of the CDT. He talks about trail magic on the PCT and how he struggled with showing his gratitude for receiving trail magic. He said he couldn't "draw the line between helping each other and depending on someone." I found this attitude refreshing.

[WingedMonkey]

When hiking with my kids on the AT in the Whites, we often bring a few chocolate bars and/or some fresh fruit with us to give out to thru hikers - the friendly ones how stop and chat for a minute or two, or sometimes to a hiker that looks like he/she needs a pick-me-up.

It is feeding the hikers, and it is semi planned, so is this a hiker feed and thus frowned upon, or is it trail magic and accordingly acceptable?

That's the big difference.

You go hiking.

I'm always saying to folks on here asking where they should "park" to meet hikers, "If you want to meet hikers go hiking".