My AT Poster Story

[Gambit McCrae]

Back in 2009 when I was in college at Tennessee Tech University I had just begun backpacking and hiking. I had plans of thru hiking after graduation and I knew even less then, then what little I know now. One day I was walking down the halls in the computer engineering building when an older professor stopped me pointing at my Appalachian Trail t-shirt: "Hey I have a poster you may like to have, its been hanging in my office for years. Whenever I'm having a tough day I look up from my desk and look at it, and day dream about hiking the trail. I'll bring it to you next class time." I replied "gee thank you sir" and with a big smile kept walking down the hall. Sure enough next class he came in with a rolled up poster under his arm, walked thru the middle isles and stuffed it as much as he could into my backpack. I couldn't wait for class to be over so I could check it out. Holding 3 thumb tacs in my lips smiling real big I pinned my new poster up in my little college apartment bedroom, standing back I was proud as a peacock looking over my new prized possession. Over the years thru college I moved from place to place, then graduating college and moving to other towns, and then back to the same towns, the old poster followed me quietly. Sometimes staying rolled up in a closet to not get more beat up then it already had, other times being taped to a wall. "I wish I would just go ahead and frame this thing before a catastrophic accident deems it trash." I have said over the years....

About a month ago my stepmom and family came up to see my new house I bought about a year ago. I gave the quick tour and lastly was the guest bedroom. My poster lay on the bed as it had for several months. My grandmother, starting a conversation about my progress of completing the AT, I was able to run my pointer finger up from Georgia thru VA and into PA and talk about the places along the way, I could feel the creases and wrinkles of time in the poster. After the conversation I mentioned to the group how I was planning to have it framed soon to preserve what was left of it. With a smile my stepmom wisped it up in a roll and said "Ill take care of that". I shrugged and thought yea why not, she is probably better at something like then I would be.

Last night, as I met my father for dinner at the ol Cracker Barrel he pulled out of the back of the truck this big box...My poster! I hurried home after dinner and hung it up in the kitchen, stepping back with the same big smile I did 9 years ago as I looked up at it. The frame company ironed it out, and really put a lot of life back into the ol poster.

I have been to many hostels, and atc locations and I do not recall ever seeing this poster before. It has a date, and summary in the bottom right corner(1991) and pictured on each side of the map are iconic locations along the trail, showing the plaque at Springer, Roan highlands, Mcafee Knob, Post Office in HF, A pond in NY, Tyringham Mass, Mt Washington and 2 pictures of Katahdin.

Anyone else ever seen this poster?
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[TNhiker]

yeah....

i think i had a copy back in the late 80's or so.....

cant remember where i got it from----maybe the ATC?

[maptester]

I tried a Google image search and didn't find it. What are the credits at the bottom of the map/poster?

[BuckeyeBill]

That's a really great story. What a motivator to get you out of the house and onto the trail.

[soilman]

I have one that I framed many years ago. Right now it is hanging in my barn.

[OnlyJohn]

I have one like that in my office on my wall. I got it at the NOC. It was made by National Geographic.

Only John

[Gambit McCrae]

I tried a Google image search and didn't find it. What are the credits at the bottom of the map/poster?

I have one like that in my office on my wall. I got it at the NOC. It was made by National Geographic.

Only John

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[Siestita]

After section hiking the entire trail over the course of two years, during the late 1980s, my father obtained that poster and then proudly displayed it for years.. Apparently that same poster map, or one that is very similar, is still printed and sold today.

http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Nation...i13439104_.htm