Date: 2006-02-05
To: Stewardship & Leave No Trace
Miles today: 0.0

For those of us who can persist and not surrender to rain, hunger, falling on our embarrassed butts and edge ever closer to the title of Thru-hiker, we'll be blessed with much grandeur. Most who come to the AT do so with a respect for this miracle creation. Thanks to thousands over the years, we are all blessed with a way to rediscover ourselves and how truly special nature is. Nothing seems to touch us in quite the same way.However, there are some who find their way to the trail who don¢t. It¢s estimated that several million individuals put their foot on the AT every year, most as a day jaunt. They seek many of the same things we few who try to thru-hike desire. Unfortunately, the ignorance they also bring to the trail leaves its mark in litter, damaged habitat and the symbols of urban decay ¢ graffiti. I suppose these ¢Towner¢s¢ find so much elation and joy on their day of wilderness experience, that rational thought disappears like an echo and they feel compelled to scrawl or spray some sophomoric message that ¢they were here!¢ I can understand their feeling of living large, just not their need to deface. My only disappointment in my 2004 thru-hike was confronting a few of these individuals, a task made all the less joyful since they were thru-hikers! Stunned? Yea, me too. I couldn¢t believe that one of my Class of ¢04 would have so little regard for the rest of us who might want to cross a Stateline sign, and all that it means emotionally, physically, and not have the moment tainted by some graffiti defacement that ¢they were here.¢ (Maybe their mother would care, but I assure you the rest of us did not.) Or that another little group had created a hiking logo for their tribe and was now scrawling, carving it into the journey. What, writing it in the shelter registers wasn¢t enough?! But really now, what¢s the big deal about a one-time event of self-expression! In their case, I wish it had been a one-time event. I was starting to get images of reaching Abol Bridge in Maine and having their defacements in the same view with that of the ¢Greatest Mountain.¢ I guess I just expected more from someone calling themselves a thru-hiker. I was not alone in this sentiment; talk around the shelters turned to the topic of these individuals numerous times. I didn¢t go on my adventure to be a graffiti police, but sometimes we must speak up, stand up against individuals who lack the class to see their error in logic. Never fun.Anyone can hike the AT (thank goodness) and paying attention to well intended guidelines like ¢Leave No Trace¢ are voluntary. These meager words arranged into a slogan speak volumes though and pay homage to all those who volunteered to make your adventure possible. Please live large and leave your mark in the registers, regardless of those who came before you who didn¢t. I believe individuals can make a difference, and I assure you, your upcoming thru-hike will be every bit as joyful if you save the pen for the register and stay it from the tree or bench or sign. Please think before you ink. And then if you ever return to the trail at a later time (which you most likely will), it will still be breathtaking. You CAN make a difference.