[Cdt-l] Gentle Reminder

[Michael Zehnpfennig]

Since it's been mostly thru-hikers chiming in so far, I just wanted to
respond to the numerous discussions about this as a normal guy.  I live in
Butte, MT -- only a few miles from the CDT, and although I've hiked for
years, I've never gone out for more than 4 days or done a stretch over 60
miles.  Even though I'm a young, healthy guy, I hike 12-15 miles/day, and I
doubt I'll ever double that.

I really don't like the idea of marking up the CDT though.  I love the
unadulterated beauty of the trail in this area between here and Helena, and
westward in the Pintlars.  I have recently been doing some winter camping
on back-country skis, so none of the trail tread is evident.  I have gotten
myself out of sticky situations with a topo map and compass before (not on
the CDT), but I've found Jerry Brown's waypoints and my GPS are all that I
really needed to follow the local trail even when it was completely
obscured by 4 feet of snow.  The benefit of GPS waypoints is that nobody
has to see them or use them if they don't want to.

And in my opinion GPS waypoints would make casual hikers much more likely
to use the trail than surveyor tape. Most casual hikers will go out with an
80-lb pack, the three top-rated 3 GPS devices from Backpacker Magazine, and
a GPS capable phone with a topo app or two loaded on it.  They'll hike
seven miles on well-established trail tread, wipe their brow, set up camp,
and call it a day.  And that's okay with me.

If my goal was to open the trail up to the every-day casual hiker, I would
push to make a consistent set of CDT waypoints the top hit for Google
searches like "CDT GPS," "CDT GPX".  Most people are relatively concerned
with self preservation, and most casual hikers are not going to drive by a
trail-head, look at some surveyor tape, and think "I'll be okay if I just
follow this tape for a while."  Instead, if they read about a trail mapping
program on a site where dedicated individuals used professional GPS gear to
accurately locate the trail, they'll feel much more confident to go out and
enjoy the trail with a $60 hand-held GPS using those waypoints.

I think the idea of surveyor tape forces something (viewing an eyesore) on
everyone who wants to enjoy the trail -- thru-hikers and day-hikers alike.
 A lot of people vehemently object to that, just like they might object to
being forced to wear seatbelts or forced to pay for medical insurance.  If
there is a reasonable alternative to navigation that does not force this
upon them (GPS waypoints, maps/compass, etc) they'll consistently object to
the idea of taping up the trail.

I agree with most of the rest of the replies to this idea posted on the
CDT-L.  As a casual local hiker and CDT user, I agree with the hardiest of
the thru-hikers, and I feel more at ease carrying a GPS and referencing an
invisible ribbon of well-established waypoints than leaving the GPS at home
and following piece of tape laid down by God-knows-whom.

-Michael

On Mon, Mar 19, 2012 at 7:36 AM, lynne whelden <lwgear at juno.com> wrote:

> Progress is being made, for sure. My "offensive" comments are now only
> "fantasies" and "messianic" visions.
> That's okay with me.
> The CDT isn't the PCT or the AT. Nevertheless, it is a trail designated by
> Congress to be a long-distance hiking trail. It wasn't intended to be so
> rustic that only a choice few dozen each year would manage to finish.
> What's the point of investing millions and millions of dollars, from the
> government's point of view, into a trail so few might use?
> Yes, the CDT will always suffer from towns not being close to the trail,
> thus not spawning clubs that feel a connection and a responsibility to its
> maintenance. That's a hurdle but not a deal-breaker. As more people get
> educated about the trail's existence over time, clubs may spring up.
> (That's why I've made videos, as a means of educating people about
> long-distance hiking.)
> There's a certain momentum that's needed to get any project off the
> ground. The CDT has never had that crucial momentum. Consequently, (now
> don't get offended, I'm trying to be funny), the inmates have been running
> the asylum. Hard core hikers have taken over the trail with their mindset
> that it should remain "forever wild," "forever un-blazed." To them, getting
> lost daily is the way it should be.
>
> I'm struggling to break free from that small but vocal crowd mentality.
> I'm willing to take the hits on this forum by speaking out for the 99% (of
> which I include myself, even though I've done all three trails). But like I
> said before, the "forever wild" folks are presently in control and will be
> in control for the foreseeable future. That's because there's no club with
> money and broad support to establish a different vision.
>
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