Teen wins photo contest while hiking Appalachian Trail - Press News

[fancyfeet]

Or a wannabe boyfriend?

[weary]

Or a wannabe boyfriend?

Of course. If we put our minds to it, we probably could think of any number of people who might want to carve the kid's name into shelters.

But I tend to think, he did it himself. He probably didn't know any better. Like most hikers, he probably never bothered to read all those Leave No Trace messages.

Weary

[bfitz]

Jeez weary, between the Thoreau references and the descriptions of the noble trail maintainers fighting the savage wilderness for the Good Of All Hikers I almost lost sight of the fact that some kid is being lynched here for tagging a shelter. Seriously......

[darkage]

Somebody call a whaaaaambulance!

[rickb]

Of course. If we put our minds to it, we probably could think of any number of people who might want to carve the kid's name into shelters.

But I tend to think, he did it himself. He probably didn't know any better. Like most hikers, he probably never bothered to read all those Leave No Trace messages.

Weary

The individual named in the article was identified as an Eagle Scout. If that is true, I can't imagine him being unaware or carving up shelters

If someone else defaced the shelters with his name, Mr. Warrick should be made aware of that fact.

My suggestion is that anyone with first hand knowledge of the damage, and the extent of the damage, get in touch with the ATC and the MATC so that they might contact with Mr. Warrick and look to understand where the responsibility lies. Or doesn't lie. If Mr, Warrick asked for a 2,000 Miler patch, they may have his name on file.

This really needs to be followed up on by responsible organizations, not individuals. I would hope that individuals with direct knowledge of the damage push the ATC and MATC to do so.

[TJ aka Teej]

Cubby '08 hit the sign on Baxter Peak too.
Nice photo he won with though.

[fiatspider2000]

I never stayed in a shelter, I sleep well in my hammock. But every time I passed a shelter in northern Maine, there was a big name CUBBY 08 at almost every shelter.
Maine has a law that forbids billboards on the highways and you are able to see the unlittered landscape as you travel. It would be nice for hikers for hikers to show the same respect at the shelters.
Popeye

[briarpatch]

Nah, it was all just a silly misunderstanding. See, someone told him to sign the registers at each shelter. He misunderstood and thought he was supposed to sign each shelter, so he did.

[sherrill]

Let me suggest, John, that you think about how you would feel if you had built yourself a house -- or had one built for you. How would you feel if you came home one day and found it sprayed with paint? Would you consider it just a friendly juvenile prank? Or would you quickly call the cops?

Weary

Appes and oranges.

Your house is your private property. Shelters are community.

Post friggin cops at shelters if you don't want them carved in or painted on. Otherwise, it's gonna happen.

[Lyle]

This is similar to another recent thread debating the value or destructiveness of graffiti. No consensus was reached and I doubt one will be reached here.

I do not contribute to graffiti, but I can appreciate some of the good-taste humor. "Cubby 08" doesn't really fit what I would consider entertaining, but to each their own.

I guess my position is that Weary and the others who put the long hours in on building shelters should do themselves a favor and just expect that graffiti will be a part of it sooner rather than later. Kinda like a clean slate, somewhere to be "the first". It will save you all a lot of personal grief and anger if you just accept that graffiti will be a part of your new shelter. History seems to confirm this.

I'm not necessarily condoning it, just resigned to reality. It won't really do any good to become upset about it. For the most part, simple, good-taste (or even no taste - as long as it's not poor taste) graffiti does not hinder the benefits and most folk's enjoyment of the shelter.

By the way, I am a very active trail volunteer. Particularly on the NCT here in Michigan and Nationally. While we don't have but two shelters on the entire 4600 mile route, we do have many bridges and turnpike that are subject to graffiti. Give some folks a canvas and they will fill it. Our much bigger problem is the ATVs and Horses that literally destroy the puncheon, or drag it out of their way. That is real destruction as far as I'm concerned.

[weary]

Jeez weary, between the Thoreau references and the descriptions of the noble trail maintainers fighting the savage wilderness for the Good Of All Hikers I almost lost sight of the fact that some kid is being lynched here for tagging a shelter. Seriously......

Not a shelter but allegedly 15 shelters. Not one violation of the law, but 15 violations -- in Maine alone. We haven't heard as yet how many other shelters he may have defaced.

However, no one is lynching the kid. I'm just using it as a way to alert folks that there is a rarely used and even more rarely understood "Leave No Trace" ethic. In my opinion, he should be required to remove his vandalism -- or pay the cost of having someone else do it for him.

Weary

[Pedaling Fool]

I'm not defending the guy, after all he's an artist and I generally hate artist. I just want to know what he did. I understand from these posts that he carved his name in 15 or so shelters. Anyone got pics of his "extraordinary" carvings?fficeffice" />>>
> >
P.S. WEARY, for your health, I recommend you adopt an attitude similar to LYLE’S.>>

[weary]

....I guess my position is that Weary and the others who put the long hours in on building shelters .....

Actually, I personally have only put in a few hours on one shelter, and that only because I was overseer of the section and felt obligated to put in an appearance.

As I've mentioned several times in this and other forums, I would halt the building of new shelters and the replacement of those that deteriorate. Now that all responsible hikers need to carry their own tent, tarp or hammock, shelters are redundant. There are better uses of a maintainers time.

But mine is a distinctly minority view. Most hold to the old traditions. Besides, I recognize it is more fun to build something out of logs, than to cut back the brush when it begins to block a footpath.

My preference, however, doesn't excuse vandalism.

Weary

[mudhead]

Maine has a law that forbids billboards on the highways and you are able to see the unlittered landscape as you travel. It would be nice for hikers for hikers to show the same respect at the shelters.
Popeye

Considerable amount of litter now, compared to @25 years ago.

Seems like more "tagging" as well.

With all the publicity around the Cubby 08 tags, has anyone spoken to the hiker in question?

I don't condone it, but I am glad I never did anything in my youth that I now regret.

[weary]

P.S. WEARY, for your health, I recommend you adopt an attitude similar to LYLE’S.>>

My health has managed to survive worst things than vandals. I just like to call attention from time to time to the total failure of the Leave No Trace message. I mean, the kid's an eagle scout, for God's sake.

But to prove my heart's in the right place, I'll even volunteer to remove his vandalism. For just $30 a day expenses, I'll start at Katahdin next July 1 and continue as far south as the carvings are found. With luck I'll reach Springer by the first snow. If not, there's always 2010.

Weary

[Lone Wolf]

I just like to call attention from time to time to the total failure of the Leave No Trace message.

that and ALDHA's "endangered services campaign"

[Gray Blazer]

He and other SOBO's were also identified as a 'rare bread' of hikers. Roman Meal?

[Lyle]

With all the publicity around the Cubby 08 tags, has anyone spoken to the hiker in question?

I haven't seen his work. Perhaps if it really is exceptionally obnoxious and pervasive, the young man in question should be contacted, to at least let him know his carvings were offensive to many, and unfortunately may encourage others to try to "one-up" him. As a Scout, I hope he just did not think about how his actions may be a cause for future affect.

He's probably a pretty good kid in actuality, just a bit overzealous in his actions in this instance. Peer pressure (his hiking peers) can be used for good.

[Serial 07]

maybe i missed it, but has anyone correctly mentioned the apparently inherint desire humans have to leave their marks on walls, rocks, bridges, trees or caves? we've been doing it for thousands of years...there was one thread that happily talked about some farmer 300 years ago that was carving his name into rocks...so this kid's trying to leave his mark...bad, sure...egregious, probably not...i'm more disturbed by "spray paint on the rocks" than some shelter decoration...but even then, some would call it a tradition and that makes it okay...right?

per lm's post, less hate...

[weary]

maybe i missed it, but has anyone correctly mentioned the apparently inherint desire humans have to leave their marks on walls, rocks, bridges, trees or caves? we've been doing it for thousands of years...there was one thread that happily talked about some farmer 300 years ago that was carving his name into rocks...so this kid's trying to leave his mark...bad, sure...egregious, probably not...i'm more disturbed by "spray paint on the rocks" than some shelter decoration...but even then, some would call it a tradition and that makes it okay...right?

per lm's post, less hate...

I know of at least one couple that was made to remove its graffiti when MATC complained to the National Park Service ranger.

So such carvings are not automatically made okay, despite the "tradition."

Weary