Date: 2015-07-28
From: Dalton, MA

To: North Adams, Massachusets
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: moderate rain

North Adams Post Tuesday July 28, 2015 #1 - on Scott Jurek on Mt KathadinMultiple people have asked me if I saw Scott Jurek, in his record run on the AT. He is from Proctor, Minnesota, just a few miles from my hometown of Duluth, Minnesota. I did not see him.   But I heard about him on the trail. One unfortunate result of his run is a series of summonses and fines for the ¢party¢ he did after his record run.   Below my comments are a couple links, and the text. There seems to be bad blood between the AT thru-hiking community and the park authorities at Baxter State Park/Mt Kathadin.   We speculate that the Baxter State Park authorities will someday soon end the AT 20 miles short of MT Kathadin.   AT thru hikers will still hike to the top of Kathadin, but it will not be a formal part of the AT.   At least that is the current speculation.   The Baxter State park authorities wrote a long letter to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in spring, 2015, outlining their complaints about AT thru-hikers.   The Scott Jurek celebration has not helped matters. I heard today that two Baxter State park rangers accompanied Jurek to the top of Mt Kathadin, and expected the ¢illegal¢ celebration. Then, a few days went by and they fined him. I have not even read the article below myself, but those of you that care can.   Anyways, you should know that Baxter State park authorities and the ATC seem to be at odds over this issue.   It is true that AT thru-hikers tend to not follow simple rules, and that gets them into trouble. Here are the links I quickly found, and some of the texthttp://bangordailynews.com/2015/07/16/outdoors/ultramarathoner-faces-fine-for-corporate-event-atop-katahdin/By Nick Sambides Jr., BDN Staff   Posted July 16, 2015, at 4:42 p.m. Last modified July 17, 2015, at 2:32 p.m.BAXTER STATE PARK, Maine ¢ Ultramarathon runner Scott Jurek was issued summonses by park rangers for creating a corporate media event on top of Mount Katahdin last weekend following his record-setting run of the Appalachian Trail, the park announced Thursday.In a statement posted on the park¢s Facebook page, Jurek, Brooks Running Co. and Jurek¢s other sponsors were chastised for bringing a large media party and alcoholic beverages to Baxter Peak in violation of park rules. That occurred when Jurek celebrated traversing the 2,180-mile trail in 46 days, eight hours and seven minutes Sunday.¢With all due respect to Mr. Jurek¢s ability, Baxter State Park was not the appropriate place for such an event,¢ stated the posting, which went up on Thursday.The posting noted that park rangers issued three summonses to Jurek for bringing champagne, littering and bringing an oversized group to the summit. Commercial media representatives recording Jurek were also cited for violating a permit which prohibited filming within 500 feet of Baxter Peak, the posting said.¢These ¢corporate events¢ have no place in the Park and are incongruous with the Park¢s mission of resource protection, the appreciation of nature and the respect of the experience of others in the Park,¢ according to the posting. ¢We hope for the support of the AT [Appalachian Trail] and BSP [Baxter State Park] communities to help us steer these events to more appropriate venues in the future.¢Jurek could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Derek Lactaoen, a brand communications coordinator at Brooks headquarters in Seattle, declined to comment.Under park regulations, groups are limited to no more than 12 people. Violations of park rules carry a fine of up to $1,000 and violators might be required to leave the park immediately, according to documents available at the park website.The Appalachian Trail is a National Park Service-managed 2,185-mile public footpath that begins at Springer Mountain, Georgia, and ends at Baxter Peak, stretching along the Appalachian Mountains. Baxter State Park is a state-managed refuge overseen by the director of the Maine Forest Service, the commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine attorney general.The Baxter park statement cited the difference and noted that ¢the formal federal designation and authority of the Appalachian Trail does not extend into Baxter State Park.¢The AT within the Park is hosted at the consideration of the Baxter State Park Authority. The Authority is currently considering the increasing pressures, impacts and conflicts that the Appalachian Trail brings to the Park and if a continued relationship is in the best interests of Baxter State Park,¢ the statement read.When asked whether the statement was intended as a warning that the park authority was considering ending the trail at the park¢s boundaries, park authority member Doug Denico, director of Maine Forest Service, said that the authority continually reviews all aspects of the park as part of maintaining the park.¢Everything is always under review. I don¢t think that was meant as a threat. It is something we do all the time,¢ Denico said Thursday.The alleged violations rangers cited with Jurek¢s party are nagging problems that occur partly because a very small percentage of trail hikers don¢t or cannot see that things possibly allowed on the trail aren¢t allowed in the park, Denico said.¢There are some real conflicts there that we would like to resolve,¢ Denico said.Trail administrators are going to visit the park sometime soon to discuss the problems, Denico said. He referred further comment to park Director Jensen Bissell, who did not immediately return messages seeking comment.http://adventureblog.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/12/ultrarunning-legend-scott-jurek-sets-new-appalachian-trail-speed-record/Vegan ultra running legend Scott Jurek just ran 2,200 miles to complete his masterpiece. Powered by plants and fighting through a knee injury and then a severe quadricep strain, Jurek set a new supported speed record on the AppalachianTrail (AT) on Sunday at 2:03 pm ET, finishing in 46 days, 8 hours, and 7 minutes. It was a journey of pure determination to complete the 2,189.2-mile route marked by its famed white blazes. He ran well into the dark each night over the notorious slick roots and rocky scrambles of the world¢s most famous long-distance footpath that passes between Georgia and Maine. ¢You have to eventually inhabit a different world. Imagine living a life time of roots and rocks every day, pretty much a life cycle of dirt and vegetation. And toward the end, it was like 500,000 steps sandwiched between a daily birth and death,¢ says Patagonia ambassador and Paradox Sports co-founder Timmy O¢Neill, who worked on Jurek¢s support crew and paced him on two sections in New Hampshire and Maine....read the rest of the article if you wish online.....