Why does the AT in Maine goes over mountain rather than along old logging roads?
Nice article - great that Mr. Field is being recognized. Thanks for the link, Tom.
The more miles, the merrier!
NH4K: 21/48; N.E.4K: 25/67; NEHH: 28/100; Northeast 4K: 27/115; AT: 124/2191
Dave is great person to work with. Many don't realize that in addition to hiking the trail itself he personally located the boundaries of the NPS sections and walked them. When I am walking my boundary section and get in a tough spot or cant find a monument, he can usually pull up his field notes from when he visited it last time and fill me in. I can not imagine how much it would cost to replace what he does for the club with a paid manager. Due to the trail being on the ridge line, many of the boundaries are on the side slopes of some pretty gnarly mountains.
Cool thanks for the info!
Thank you Dave Field !
So Dave is responsible for Earl Schaffer complaints about how much harder the trail was during his anniversary hike
The original trail routing was done in a rush and more importantly, campers were not allowed to kindle fires on private property without the owners permission so the trail had to be routed to allow camping on state lands or at private lodges.
Old Hillwalker who posts on occasion also is a key part of why the trail could be relocated to the ridgelines
Best guess ......
Politics
Money (taxes)
In PA for instance some of the Trail was moved from a path beside a river to a rocky ledge walk with no water --- because real estate developers could sell & townships could tax the land near the rivers & streams & the rocky ledges were uninhabitable and didn't bring in revenue ---- add a few politicians and BINGO --- State works out a "land swap." (See the 1950's maps of PA AT I donated to the ATC Museum for documentation of "original" AT.)
Best guess for elsewhere as well --- although some areas were already National Land or used as Tax Write-offs and "for other purposes" --- but Politics and Money are usually at the bottom if you dig deep enough.
Cynic - Coosa
Now I know who to blame! I asked myself that question a few times on my Maine hikes...
David thanks for the butt kicking views in maine-good job
Hillbilly
That horrible, horrible man...Originally Posted by Red Hat
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