I find the dichotomy here interesting:
a. Our trails suck and that's the way we want them, so you pansies can just stay away.
b. Why, oh why, can't we get more people outside to appreciate the wilderness and want to preserve it?
Me: I slogged and cursed and trudged and whined and toiled and bitched and plodded and moaned about the NE Trail a LOT. I was convinced the first trail-blazers put the Trail into a place to make it as difficult and dangerous as possible. Yes, dangerous. I was further convinced that the maintainers who came after had no desire to make the Trail any easier than when it was first laid out.
Still am.
BUT I followed each and every white blaze to the end, regardless of Trail placement.