"The trail life is going to pot" says the Colorad!!! Puff puff give.....
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"The trail life is going to pot" says the Colorad!!! Puff puff give.....
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't use shelters.
I like to keep my own scedule, and sleep when I want.
Hiking has changed!
When I started, I wore my brothers old clothes or Army surplus. I only purchased my hiking boots (that "dates me") and a REI mountaineering jacket. My first backpack was a discarded canvas pack, removed from a Boy Scouts Yucca Pack.
Now, old clothing or re-purposed hand-me-downs and DIY are called "dirt bagging" and worse, I could look like a homeless person. Blue tarp - "no way".
I like nice gear.
Over the years, I have a lot.
I still DIY a "concept" I have seen offerred for sale, but I purchase the item to have nicer gear. This is because I like to hike and camp in popular areas, for example, National Parks or published scenic spots in the national forests or wilderness areas. I want a nice campsite, with quality gear.
I often see foreign travelers, even tourists near the trailhead.
In some ways, I am an ambassador for hiking: it is not inexpensive, my clothing and gear are the witness and it is not about "homelessness".
I was mistaken for "homeless" once, only by having camping gear in my vehicle. I had an attempted car jacking to get my well cared for "window van". I was jailed - no one would defend me. The van was sold. I did not plead guilty. I had a long list of made up "charges". The Preliminary Hearing was after I had already been jailed more than the Prosecutor asked. It was the morning I was in court for a "committment hearing" changed when we appeared in court to a Preliminary Hearing. There was no "defense discovery" and no defense testimony or defense put on. I tried to have it over-tirned. The judge kept me, in jail, scheduling and rescheduling when she wouldn't be there. The judge arbitrarily changed the judgement after the fact to state crime felony; it was a judged a lesser crime, in court, without hearing the defense. The judge remarked having my registered letter, in court, however it was not placed in the court record. I addressed it to the court, and, I had the case number in the heading.
It was probation, in court, changed after the fact to parole, although I was in the city jail the entire time. N
Next, that judge would not allow an appeal, by limiting it to a review of "the record" but the public defender had no "defense discovery".
The State of California has the "railroading law" but no one helped. Now, I am branded an ex-felon.
I had never had a misdemeanor.
Now, I get "rough justice" even at home, as in San Francisco, CA.
I have no protected rights, whatsoever, not even a telephone call. I am not making this up. My life has been xxxx-canned. I reported a drug lab and processing drugs for transport here.
Instead of doing anything whatsoever about it, protecting the all-important meth lab income in this small town, I was jailed 225 days, later "dismissed" but I had been sent repeatedly for "evaluation" with the law enforcement and the court saying they had not received the "evaluation" and rather send for the "evaluation" report, sent me back from the city jail two more times for "evaluation".
The "basis"?
The completely false and misleading "record" in San Francisco, CA.
If you think there isn't "reactionary" abuse from law enforcement, you are sadly mistaken.
I had great gear, a very well cared for "window van".
After "tossing" my gear searching the van, it was made to look like I was sleeping in it.
I had only stopped to look at my travel guide for a Motel 6 I thought existed in that city: it did, on Van Ness.
I had pulled off the GG Bridge, and I had parked briefly on Fulton Street.
I was hit front and rear, for an attempted car-jacking. I escaped and I called 911 at a pay phone up in the business district on Clement Street.
I read, in the forum, about the "lifestyle" of some AT denizens of the trail. I think it is "no joke" today.
I never did and drinking or carousing - you couldn't find a more law-abiding citizen.
I have been accused of abusive language, resisting arrest, and driving at high speed rear-ending a big SUV, by a state patrol officer and I was supposedly driving at high-speed on solid ice on the highway. The vehicle was parked on the highway traffic lane, waiting for an accident up ahead to be cleared. The snowstorm was heavy snow at that point. The highway patrol officer was not there for traffic control or a detour. I was not given the tickets he put in the system. I was jailed for failure to appear. I went to the relevant court the next business-day. I had testified at the "day-court". There were witnesses. He refused to appear at the scheduled court hearing. It was dismissed.
However, not before my auto insurance paid out. Now my auto insurance is at a much higher rate.
All this, and abuse from ordinary people looking at the "record". I even have difficulty renting a home, getting only a small house on an alley that had no "primary heat" two winters, in spite of "Montana winter" law.
Big difference, huh, from a $1,399 apartment in San Francisco, CA before I moved to near Glacier National Park and all the recreational areas in Montana, for my "retirement" years.
Hiking and camping in "the great outdoors" has changed.
Now, it is perceived as "homelessness".
I just purchased an iPhone, to look like a tourist for the hiking season this year.
Last edited by Connie; 06-14-2016 at 14:45.
The change in hiking and camping, the perception of law enforcement as "homeless" people.
Here, forum participants act like the AT is a "party" and living the trail is seen as "homeless" "yogi's" either as "a joke" or as a minor annoyance.
Do you think only locals and AT hikers and would be AT hikers read this forum?
It is read internationally.
The thread is about changes. Well, there are changes people need to hear.
There are arrests for a little "pot" for AT hikers, in "trail towns" as well.
I put every abuse I have experienced, because the perception of hiking and camping for recreation has changed.
Last edited by Connie; 06-14-2016 at 14:23.
The list of things that haven't changed since 2005 is a lot shorter than the list of things that has. Why would anyone expect it to be the same?
Now that's a peculiar argument. I'm pretty sure no one expects things (life/the future/etc) to remain the same. It was an observation made by the OP, after he witnessed it himself. It is an observation shared by more than just a few of us; I witness it on most every 14er I've hiked, people staring at the phones, interacting only with a screen.
The point is that the behavior is changing to suit the times (and the technology), and that's what's strangest. We're becoming slaves to screens. "Smart"phones alter our experience with one another, with our surroundings, with ourselves. Few other technological advances have had the effect it has had, especially in the backcountry.
I'm probably one of the hikers always on her phone y'all are complaining about. Sometimes I'm writing (I keep a blog of my section hikes; I have a degree in creative writing; I take it seriously). Sometimes I'm posting to Instagram. Sometimes I'm texting group project team members because my life doesn't stop and they're idiots and just because I'm out hiking doesn't mean they can survive without my guidance. (True story: I was out for 2 days and saved my team from at least 3 stupid decisions.)
I'm not addicted; I have no problem not looking at my phone, and I'd rather be spending time with people. But I know how much I love reading through my entries I've written, and the best ones are written each night. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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A lot of my hiking is in places that entirely lack cellphone coverage. As long as someone isn't making a lot of noise or shining a bright light in my face, I try to live and let live if they're looking at a screen. The same way I would if they were writing in a journal, reading a book, consulting a map, or engaging in sketching or photography. (Gee, I hear that a smartphone can be a multi-purpose device, and the people who are staring at a screen might be doing any of those things, particularly in places where there's no cellphone coverage.)
I don't have any right to demand camaraderie, and nobody has any right to demand it of me. It's lovely when it happens, but frankly, I'm a bit of a loner. Back before smartphones, I was usually that guy who was reading, writing, looking at tomorrow's route on a map, sketching, photographing, or catching some zzz's.
Some people - fortunately, there are a lot more in here than Out There - seem to live to be offended. I've been told online that the fact that I have my PLB or smartphone in my pack - even if I don't take them out - will spoil someone else's Wilderness Experience. I have never once encountered anyone with that extreme an attitude Out There, but I try not to make loud noises or shine bright lights in other people's faces. Since I know some people do find phones offensive, I tend to use my notebook when I'm around others and step away if I'm doing something like turning off GPS logging.
In the unlikely event that I ever thru-hike a major trail, it will likely be in a 'nontraditional pattern' - because I don't want to live in a Terry Coyle video.
Tempora mutantur et nos in ille.
I always know where I am. I'm right here.
A couple weeks ago in MD we had some great converstaions with throughs and sectioners. We were a diverse cross section of engineers in various stages of life and had a lot in common on and off the trail. I will say though, the conversation evolved (devolved) into an analysis of why one person's "tinder" profile was yielding unsatisfactory results....and the requisite redesign for optimum "performance". We had a great time with that one.
Plaid is fast! Ticks suck, literally... It’s ok, bologna hoses off…
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That was my experience at Standing Bear last week. But most of the people were born in the dark ages before cell phones, and reception was hard to get. Normally my phone stays off and in a dry bag, for the completely unlikely coincidence that I can't crawl out, and I just happen to have cell phone service. Or didn't bring a map or compass, but need to look at one. I'd prefer to use my actual camera for photos and video, but it's just so convenient and saves me over 1/2 a pound, at the cost of a little quality.
Yep. I'm in my tent right now as well, and if I'm supposed to feel guilty being on my phone in my tent, guess again. Prior to that, I spent the last 2.5 hours hanging out with other Thru's. No phones. Just bs'ing. Some of us know how to multitask and not impede on another persons wilderness experience.
Given few if any spoke to you, according to your description only one with a brief question, how did you arrive at the conclusion they were all thru hikers? Likely most were short backpacking trip folks and if signal was bountiful at a shelter point, they would be the first to take advantage of it. There have been discussions on trails and here about using cell phones instead of Kindles, so novels could have been part of that mix. Two people can look at the same scene, both seeing something entirely different than what was actually happening. Combine that with little actual information, observations can be rather misleading.
I was with RITBlake on this section hike, we thru-hiked Southbound together back in 2005, and I can back up this post 100%, I've never seen anything like it. I was shocked. A dozen thru hikers all on their phones for hours on end. With giant battery packs and solar chargers so they don't run our of power. (so don't make the ultra light argument, all those cables, chargers, etc. don't weight less than a small pad and a pen, or a small book)
The reason to be out on the AT is to connect with nature, the trail, and your fellow hikers, not be glued to your phone.
I don't think there is any defense for having your face buried in your phone when you are thru-hiking or doing any kind of backpacking trip, it goes against everything that the activity it's self stands for. Sure, if you're in town for a resupply, that's the acceptable time to make calls, send photos, etc., you don't need to constantly be connected, believe me, no one will miss your immediate posts...
It's a sickness, everyone is so "self-important" and their phones are the enabler. You're not special, you're part of the same community, so get over your self and take part in the thru-hike experience.
I'm so glad I thru-hiked when I did, and I missed the smart phone connected generation, to me it's not even close to being the same kind of trip now a days, and I commend those thru-hikers out there who are hiking with their phones turned off and use them only for emergency's. Other than that, put your phone on Airplane mode so you can still take pictures, or listen to music, but don't allow yourself to fall into a spiral of texting, emailing, Instagram, etc... when you get back into regular life you'll wish you had taken a break from all of that, the AT is your chance to reconnect with nature, take advantage.
So now I'm officially the old man on the porch yelling at the neighbor hood kids to get off my lawn.
#AirplaneModeOnTheAT
However bad it may be on the trail nothing compares to everywhere else , At the gym yesterday of the twenty or so people working out I think I was the only not looking at a device - basically it was do a quick set than reach for the phone for everyone.