Volunteers hope to bring the Appalachian trail to Alabama - USA Today

[Odd Thomas]

I don't agree. With the very effective media coverage that this "campaign" is generating, I'm sure all kinds of hikers are seeking out the Pinhoti, including day hikers and section hikers.

These people are already a given, as they now know/use the trail weather or not the actual name is changed.

Think about the Pinhoti 5 years ago. Hardly anyone knew it existed. Now it seems most hikers in the SE, and many around the US know about it's existence.

hmmmmm........

The Pinhoti Trail was completed in February 2008, and officially opened to the public on March 16, 2008.

And that's a good thing - cause it's a great trail.

That's what I hear, mainly from these announcements that they're pushing to make it part of the Appalachian Trail. Which proves advertising works, but advertising doesn't necessarily have to be in the form of "we're part of the Appalachian Trail" to be effective.

[MOWGLI]

hmmmmm........

The Pinhoti Trail was completed in February 2008, and officially opened to the public on March 16, 2008.

http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=2761

[Krewzer]

I think extending the AT into Alabama has alot more to do with the Alabama's state tourism department then it does with the AT. The AT should start in Ga (nobo of course) and finish in Ma. Using the logic from one of the articles, if the AT is extended into Alabama, then the AT should be extened into Canada.

So why is this a bad thing? I don't know exactly how the Alabama State tourism board got involved in the first place. But, most likely because these trail builders down in Alabama are really excited about their long distance trail in the Heart of Dixie and told them what a great thing this is and the Tourism Board totally agreed with them. We don't hear near often enough about a state, a city or a trail group that is so excited about their trail.

They've done a lot of work... a lot of hard hard work. You know they have. The kind of work that made the AT what it is today. We don't hear near often enough about a state, community or trail group that's so proud of "their trail". Proud enough to want to share it with everyone and believe it's good enough to be a part of the AT. Which is exactly what it is and should be.

They started from scratch, with nothing but an idea. Just somebody thinking about being in the woods. Which is exactly what Benton MacKaye started with. If Benton MacKaye were here today and said, "let's extend the AT to the end of the Appalachian Mountain Range in Alabama" you can bet your boots somebody would be doing it. It's a shame he already dreamed it, and today some would say "Nah! Not a good idea".

As for extended the AT to Canada, I'm for that too. I'd like to to see it extended to the Florida Keys. What could possibly be wrong with that?

PS: Don't misunderstand my points. I am not in favor of extending the AT. The AT is what it is.

Come on MOWGLI, get on this "Free Bird" band wagon. They're doing exactly what you're doing. You know in your heart you'd like to see this happen.

"Sweet Home Alabama, where the skies are so blue."
... the bugs don't bite, the grits trees grow taller, the good ole boys are just that, football is a religion and it's high temple is the Iron Bowl, fried chicken is the state bird, and there is nothing more beautiful than the sound of a soft Southern accent heard over the roar of the Talledega 500.

Come on you guys, there isn't one good reason why this shouldn't happen.

[tlbj6142]

there isn't one good reason why this shouldn't happen.

Thru-hikers would actually have to hike rather than party for 9 months. Though the hiking season would probably get a bit longer.

[minnesotasmith]

So why is this a bad thing? I don't know exactly how the Alabama State tourism board got involved in the first place. But, most likely because these trail builders down in Alabama are really excited about their long distance trail in the Heart of Dixie and told them what a great thing this is and the Tourism Board totally agreed with them. We don't hear near often enough about a state, a city or a trail group that is so excited about their trail.

They've done a lot of work... a lot of hard hard work. You know they have. The kind of work that made the AT what it is today. We don't hear near often enough about a state, community or trail group that's so proud of "their trail". Proud enough to want to share it with everyone and believe it's good enough to be a part of the AT. Which is exactly what it is and should be.

They started from scratch, with nothing but an idea. Just somebody thinking about being in the woods. Which is exactly what Benton MacKaye started with. If Benton MacKaye were here today and said, "let's extend the AT to the end of the Appalachian Mountain Range in Alabama" you can bet your boots somebody would be doing it. It's a shame he already dreamed it, and today some would say "Nah! Not a good idea".

As for extended the AT to Canada, I'm for that too. I'd like to to see it extended to the Florida Keys. What could possibly be wrong with that?



Come on MOWGLI, get on this "Free Bird" band wagon. They're doing exactly what you're doing. You know in your heart you'd like to see this happen.

"Sweet Home Alabama, where the skies are so blue."
... the bugs don't bite, the grits trees grow taller, the good ole boys are just that, football is a religion and it's high temple is the Iron Bowl, fried chicken is the state bird, and there is nothing more beautiful than the sound of a soft Southern accent heard over the roar of the Talledega 500.

Come on you guys, there isn't one good reason why this shouldn't happen.

=============================================


Bfeely wrote: 18h 34m ago
This sounds like a real no-brainer-do it!! Get the approval of the two Secretaries and lets make some dream come true!! It really doesn't sound that hard.



MinnesotaSmith wrote: 51m ago
It's not that simple, Bfeely. The main umbrella organization that oversees the Appalachian Trail, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, is against it. As the gov't bigshots that would have to be convinced are likely to listen disproportionately to them, the ATC would have to be convinced first.
It's mainly just an emotional resistance-to-change issue at the ATC IMO.

No one likes hearing that their views (and their thruhikes if they did one in the past, as many at the ATC have done) are obsolete.
The ATC has more than a few [internal] issues of its own already, from not reigning in the Appalachian Mountain Club to perpetually delaying fixing the AT's misrouting between the Shenandoah National Park and Vermont, to not having consistent standards for trail construction/maintenance, to arguably less than fully open elections, etc., so I wouldn't hold my breath on them doing what's best for outdoorsmen in the U.S. over what they see as best for them. It'll take a small version of Teddy Roosevelt, like a Myron Avery on steroids, to get this past them IMO (and I hope it does get done, sooner than later).

[Krewzer]

Thru-hikers would actually have to hike rather than party for 9 months. Though the hiking season would probably get a bit longer.

9 months....that would be a very slow 3 months of hiking/partying on the Pinhoti. Party in Alabama? Nothing wrong with that

Maybe a month at the most for the additional 300 miles of the Pinhoti to Springer. Another month on the AT? That's a good thing.

AT 2170mi + Pinhoti 300mi = 2470mi (avg 6-7 months..my estimate)
PCT = 2650mi (avg 5-6 months)
CDT = 3100mi (avg ?????)
American Discovery = 6800mi (ask ????)
IAT Katahdin to Cap Gaspe = 2870mi (avg ????)
IAT Keys to Cap Gaspe = 4400mi (298 days Nimblewell Nomad)

[tlbj6142]

Thru-hikers would actually have to hike rather than party for 9 months. Though the hiking season would probably get a bit longer.

I meant that today thru-hikers can party quite a bit since the hiking season for the current AT is almost 9 months for a trail that only requires 4-6 to complete. By adding some more distance they might actually have to cut out some partying.

[MOWGLI]

No one likes hearing that their views (and their thruhikes if they did one in the past, as many at the ATC have done) are obsolete.

How in the world can someone's thru-hike become obsolete??? What value does a thru-hike have beyond the value that which the individual thru-hiker ascribes to it?

PS: The trail doesn't exist for thru-hikers.

[Krewzer]

I meant that today thru-hikers can party quite a bit since the hiking season for the current AT is almost 9 months for a trail that only requires 4-6 to complete. By adding some more distance they might actually have to cut out some partying.

Got ya....

[minnesotasmith]

How in the world can someone's thru-hike become obsolete???

Just think of how Wingfoot was viscerally, even comically against the very mention of the ECT, going by the quote he had put in his 2006 trail guide. Then, consider how the bigshots at the ATC are comparably against the AT being extended into Alabama (let alone doing something really extreme like incorporating the IAT), to a degree of touchiness that's obviously emotionally-, not rationally-based. Anyone who thinks like that who's done a thruhike will likely consider any official extension to their AT thruhike to "lessen" it, to "make it not count anymore". Heck, there's no shortage of people on this forum who feel the same way, who're obviously against the whole idea of extending the AT just BC they don't want to have to emotionally grapple with that type of "change".

[minnesotasmith]

On National Public Radio's website and on the site of a TV station in Birmingham. I sent e-mailed both of them my comments on the Pinhoti's prospects for eventual acceptance as part of the AT. I'll let you know what they say, if they write me back.

[Dances with Mice]

PS: The trail doesn't exist for thru-hikers.

Heretic!

The AT terminus points will not be moved unless there is good reason to move them. There is no good reason to move the southern terminus.

[minnesotasmith]

The AT terminus points will not be moved unless there is good reason to move them. There is no good reason to move the southern terminus.

Completing Benton MacKaye's vision for the length of the AT? He did want it to run into Alabama, I understand.

[Dances with Mice]

Completing Benton MacKaye's vision for the length of the AT? He did want it to run into Alabama, I understand.

Uncompelling.

[briarpatch]

Completing Benton MacKaye's vision for the length of the AT? He did want it to run into Alabama, I understand.

Mackaye also wanted work camps/farms along the AT where people could live for weeks or months at a time, growing their own food, etc.

[Dances with Mice]

Mackaye also wanted work camps/farms along the AT where people could live for weeks or months at a time, growing their own food, etc.

Many aspects of today's AT were not part of Mackaye's vision. Thru-hiking, for example.

There is no good reason to move either Terminus.

[double d]

Krewzer, we all have our opinions, and I certainly hold no claim that my opinions means more then anyone else outside of my belief that the AT should start at Spring Mt., but what is the reason for extending the AT into the great state of Alabama? Capitalism? Because politicians in Alabama want it moved into their state? To move the AT "just" for the sake of moving it? Heck, if thats the case, then lets move the AT into northern Illinois, we aint' got jack up here in terms of great American trails and about 300 million years ago we were part of the mountain range, so we are "entitled" to our piece of the AT coming through Northern Illinois.
Also, what about tradition? Why does our society always want something to be new, improved, changed, "made" better, ect..ect.?

[Cuffs]

Because politicians in Alabama want it moved into their state?

Its not even the 'politicians'... its the Chamber of Commerce!

[MOWGLI]

I'll settle for connectivity.

[double d]

Thats even worse Cuffs! Keep the trail at Mt.Springer, people can hike in Alabama during their free time away from the AT.