Date: 2005-08-23
From: Carter Notch Hut 9:20pm ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Come Sail Away

To: The Barn (Gorham, NH) 9:30pm ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ The End of the Inno
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: fog

The Barn (Gorham, NH) 9:30pm ¢ The End of the InnocenceAn early start led me to crisp air, steep climbs, and spectacular views. Carter Notch Hut is located, as one might expect, in Carter Notch. It really is a notch cut between Wildcat Mountain and Carter Dome and a sharp deep one at that. The climb down last night was extremely steep and the climb out today was no different. But the view of Washington from the top made it all worthwhile.I continued over Carter and Moriah Mountains, finally finishing up with a few miles of flat trail that led me to Route 2 and a hitch to nearby Gorham. My hitch was quite a character. In three miles he told me his life story of running away at the age of 13, hitch hiking around the country, hiking some of the AT, joining the army, and settling down. He gave me a soda and tried bumming some pot off me but ended up being a bit disappointed.I was dropped at a famous hostel known as The Barn. Origami was the first person I saw when I walked in. As I¢ve said multiple times, he appears and disappears at will. Actually Sam wasn¢t feeling well so they took a side trail and hitch to Gorham. We¢re all at the Barn tonight, but I am now a day ahead of them.I explored the town a bit. It¢s not very scenic but it has it¢s own charm and many wooden moose. There was a mediocre band playing a free concert. I listened for a few minutes but they failed to hold my attention. Eventually I bought a sub and headed back to the hostel to eat dinner. By then Red Wing and his wife Hopeful had shown up and James the Southbounder had emerged from unknown whereabouts. Later on a trio of home schooled kids and their teacher showed up. They are some local trail angels and had donated a lot to the hostel ¢ books, pillowcases, etc. They¢re doing a class project that involves interviewing hikers as they pass through town. They then gave us a post card to mail back when we finish. Most importantly, they bribed us with milk and freshly baked peanut butter cookies. On another note, I mentioned earlier that I have to hitch into Gorham. Years ago I could have walked right into town. However, the trail has since been rerouted to avoid the town. This is a pattern that¢s been repeated in many places ¢ Pawling and Monson immediately spring to mind. Many reasons are given for routing the trail around towns. First and foremost, it is moved from town owned land to a corridor owned by the ATC, thus ensuring that the area won¢t be altered or encroached upon. It is also an effort to increase the wilderness experience, especially for those hiking a shorter section for a few days. I¢m of the opinion that moving the trail out of towns is a mistake. Thru hikers admittedly only comprise a small portion of the trail¢s users. However, having the trail go straight to town is simply much more convenient ¢ no hitching is required. But beyond that I greatly enjoy seeing the character of a variety of small towns up and down the Atlantic states. I think it¢s a wonderful tour of America. By moving the trail out of the towns, one potentially loses the opportunity to interact with such a wide range of small town citizens.Damascus is always rumored to be on the chopping block. It bills itself as the friendliest town on the trail. It is host to Trail Days, a yearly festival that draws 30,000 people over three days. The trail has already been routed off of Main Street onto a less than spectacular stretch of the Virginia Creeper Trail. If it is again rerouted to bypass the town completely, will it still be the hiker mecca that it currently is? What will happen to Trail Days? How will the local economy adjust to the change?There¢s always more to consider than merely increasing the wilderness experience. And let¢s be honest ¢ how wild does a place seem if you spend the night in a wooden shelter with a nearby picnic table? The AT is ¢wilderness lite¢ ¢ and there¢s nothing wrong with an occasional break.