ATC Says Trail Magic is Bad for the Trail

[Sarcasm the elf]

interesting, if i was ever aware of that ive long since forgotten.

i wonder what in 2007 started an upswing? when did a walk in the woods (the book, not the movie) become popular?

I would venture to guess it was a combination of the economic downturn, increased exposure due to the internet/facebook and the release of the movie Into The Wild.

I came close to quitting my job and trying a thru hike in 2008 at least partially due to those reasons.

[tdoczi]

I would venture to guess it was a combination of the economic downturn, increased exposure due to the internet/facebook and the release of the movie Into The Wild.

I came close to quitting my job and trying a thru hike in 2008 at least partially due to those reasons.

the economic downturn sent people on vacation? i'm not saying thats not true, it likely is, but its odd never the less.

was into the wild that popular a movie? much like the aforementioned a walk in the woods i generally think the books they are based on has a deeper and more lasting impact than a movie few saw and then quickly forgot.

though into the wild is, it would seem (i havent seen a walk in the woods) a much better movie.

[Seatbelt]

FWIW the Walk in the Woods book was released in 1998, and Wild was released in 2012(book), 2014 movie.

[TNhiker]

FWIW the Walk in the Woods book was released in 1998, and Wild was released in 2012(book), 2014 movie.

no---into the Wild book came out in 1996 and the movie in 2007...

[HooKooDooKu]

FWIW the Walk in the Woods book was released in 1998, and Wild was released in 2012(book), 2014 movie.

You left out that 'A Walk in the Woods' was also released as a movie in 2015.

[tdoczi]

no---into the Wild book came out in 1996 and the movie in 2007...

my point exactly.

the film into the wild, much like a walk in the woods, as hardly some cultural phenom that sent people out hiking.

[TNhiker]

no---into the Wild book came out in 1996 and the movie in 2007...

sorry---yes Wild is 2012...

[HooKooDooKu]

Here's the time line (with links to Wikipedia... if we can trust that for dates):
1996 - Into the Wild - Book
1998 - A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - Book
2007 - Into the Wild - Film
2012 - Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail - Book
2014 - Wild - Film
2015 - A Walk in the Woods - Film


[Updated to include 'Into the Wild']

[Seatbelt]

You left out that 'A Walk in the Woods' was also released as a movie in 2015.

You're right, I was mainly referring to Sarcasm's statement about what influenced him to hike 2008. just reference timeline info.

[Seatbelt]

I think I got "Into the Wild" mistaken for "Wild" - initially I guess. My wife would not be surprised. lol

[TNhiker]

I think I got "Into the Wild" mistaken for "Wild" - initially I guess. My wife would not be surprised. lol

Yeah....

thats what was thinking and went back a few comments to see which one was being talked about but got sidetracked looking at the mooch news of the day...

[Starchild]

It's sad to hear people argue that only those most worthy deserve help/trail magic/hiker feeds. The basis of kindness and charity extends to all people, even those who don't appreciate it and those who don't deserve it.

Once limits are placed on kindness, you lose your humanity.

Who says to limit or only be kind to certain people? Be kind to thru hikers and let people provide trail magic to them (karma - if you expect it for you when you make your 'thru hike'). Don't take what is gifted to someone else, and accuse them of unkindness, that is limiting kindness (actually stealing it).

[JPritch]

you speaking of the positive effects of "lifting spirits" with a hiker feed.
my response is, if your spirts are in need of lifting, then why are you out hiking?
even as someone who hikes regularly, if i'm out hiking and realize i dont want to be there, i pack it in and go home. i dont see how someone offering me a free hamburger has anything to do with it one way or the other.

So every single moment you're out hiking is a pleasurable nirvana? Your marriage...always 100% going just grrreatt? If not, then according to your logic, if I hit a low point hiking or in my marriage, then I should just quit.

Come on. I f'ing love backpacking, but when it's 90 degrees out and high humidity and gnats are bombing my eyeballs....it sucks. But I continue, and I come back, because it's overall still a pleasurable experience for me and I'd rather do it than many other things. And yeah, I love some trail magic. And so has everybody else I've ever seen at one. If people have a problem with it, then move on. But why so many negative Nancies out there?

[tdoczi]

So every single moment you're out hiking is a pleasurable nirvana? Your marriage...always 100% going just grrreatt? If not, then according to your logic, if I hit a low point hiking or in my marriage, then I should just quit.

Come on. I f'ing love backpacking, but when it's 90 degrees out and high humidity and gnats are bombing my eyeballs....it sucks. But I continue, and I come back, because it's overall still a pleasurable experience for me and I'd rather do it than many other things. And yeah, I love some trail magic. And so has everybody else I've ever seen at one. If people have a problem with it, then move on. But why so many negative Nancies out there?

marriage, to my mind is different. you agree to something and ostensibly acknowledge you wont walk away from it no matter how badly it ends up sucking.

hiking is not nearly like that.

it has its ups and downs, but my point is two fold- if the downs are consistently outweighing the ups. just stop. seriously. it makes no sense otherwise.

second, my sore feet or bad weather or whatever is not going to be changed by a beer and a hot dog. i'm going to enjoy a break from it, but then im back on my sore feet in bad weather, so i better be enjoying that.

see, the thing about all of this, why we like it, why it "lifts spirits" i would reckon is because it is a break. its, for a moment in some capacity, getting to not be out in the woods. its a taste of civilization, normal life, whatever.

and what i'm saying is, if thats what you want then go have it. you dont need to be in the woods.

said differently- hiking so that at the end you can say you did it, as if it was some badge of honor and/or ordeal to be overcome and triumphed is, to my mind, foolish.

[Starchild]

You want to go on a life changing event? Go overseas on a mission, join the military and defend your country and freedom. Your thru hike IS exactly a vacation. You're not a POW. You're not on some holy mission. Your elitist attitude is everything that paints a lot of hikers in a bad light. I (like many other vets here) can tell y9ou a thing or two about "selfless service". You have none of that. Unless you are out hiking to raise money for cancer/kids/ etc, you are undertaking nothing but a SELFISH journey. A vacation.

Let me also remind you of the fact that the original intent of the AT was to get people to become one with nature and to leave the worry and stress of the cities behind for periods of time, NOT to be hiked straight through, and definitely not to be used as a personal "look at me, look at what I conquered/FKT" challenge.

I love your attempt to marginalize the day/section hikers, but it really falls flat. I really wonder about a couple things: 1) how many former thru hikers are card carrying ATC members, or are active in trail clubs, 2) how many ATC members are "just" day or section hikers, and 3) how many business owners that provide services to ALL hikers have never thru hiked.

Do you even realize the number of thru hikers (and those that attempt) pale in comparison to the amount of people that use the trail that aren't?

You really act as if the trail was specifically built and designed for thru hikers. It wasn't.
You really act as if a thru hiker has gone on some life or death mission. They haven't. They went on vacation. Spend a couple combat tours overseas and then get back to me with all that "for the greater good of mankind" BS.

Many section hikers don't have the time or opportunity to put life on hold for 4-6 months and go on vacation.

Maybe being a little less judgemental as to what qualifies as a life changing experience would be helpful for humanity.

[Traffic Jam]

Who says to limit or only be kind to certain people?

You do, Starchild.

[Puddlefish]

So every single moment you're out hiking is a pleasurable nirvana? Your marriage...always 100% going just grrreatt? If not, then according to your logic, if I hit a low point hiking or in my marriage, then I should just quit.

Come on. I f'ing love backpacking, but when it's 90 degrees out and high humidity and gnats are bombing my eyeballs....it sucks. But I continue, and I come back, because it's overall still a pleasurable experience for me and I'd rather do it than many other things. And yeah, I love some trail magic. And so has everybody else I've ever seen at one. If people have a problem with it, then move on. But why so many negative Nancies out there?

It's not being negative just because we like different things. From my point of view, you're the one being negative. People are stating that they don't like parties on the trail. You're stating "but everyone likes a party!"

No doubt you're happy to have a party break out anywhere, at any time? How about when you're sleeping in your bedroom, at 3:00 a.m.? A bunch of strangers are having a kegger on your front lawn. You open your door to see what's happening, and they tell you, have a beer? What are you upset about? We're inviting you to the party?! Too damned bad that you were expecting peace and quiet tonight! Stop being such a negative Nancy! Look around, everyone is having fun.

There's a time and place for a party, and there's a time and a place for a peaceful walk in the woods. I don't ever like parties, they're not my thing. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just a preference. When I want to escape from crowds of noisy people, I take refuge in the woods. When I head down to my local trail, and I find out the the parking lot is full, and the trailhead itself is clogged with dozens of people in lawn chairs, with pop up canopies, and I have to force my way through them just to get on the trail, I find that annoying as hell.

[Starchild]

It's not being negative just because we like different things. From my point of view, you're the one being negative. People are stating that they don't like parties on the trail. You're stating "but everyone likes a party!"

No doubt you're happy to have a party break out anywhere, at any time? How about when you're sleeping in your bedroom, at 3:00 a.m.? A bunch of strangers are having a kegger on your front lawn. You open your door to see what's happening, and they tell you, have a beer? What are you upset about? We're inviting you to the party?! Too damned bad that you were expecting peace and quiet tonight! Stop being such a negative Nancy! Look around, everyone is having fun.

There's a time and place for a party, and there's a time and a place for a peaceful walk in the woods. I don't ever like parties, they're not my thing. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just a preference. When I want to escape from crowds of noisy people, I take refuge in the woods. When I head down to my local trail, and I find out the the parking lot is full, and the trailhead itself is clogged with dozens of people in lawn chairs, with pop up canopies, and I have to force my way through them just to get on the trail, I find that annoying as hell.

But do you have a right to a uncrowded trail at the expense of limiting other people's use of it? And we are not talking about the trail so much as the trail head.

[Puddlefish]

But do you have a right to a uncrowded trail at the expense of limiting other people's use of it? And we are not talking about the trail so much as the trail head.

In my local circumstance, it's all private land. It's entirely up to the landowners. Given the rules they have in place locally, such as no fires, no bikes, dogs must be leashed, and no overnight camping, I suspect they'd very much be annoyed to find that people were widening the trail head, filling the few parking spaces, and generally blocking access for people who want to actually use the trail.

I, have no rights whatsoever in that circumstance beyond what the landowner and local trail authority gives me. There's a local trail authority, that the landowners have given permission to maintain and set limits for the trail use.

To bring it back to the AT, I'd like to think that if the trail authority makes a suggestion as to the trail/trailhead use, I'd take that suggestion without whining about it.

[egilbe]

I've seen somebody doing a hiker feed on 302 in NH just before Webster cliffs where the AT crosses the last few weekends. I wonder if I stop, will they feed me?