Letters
Letters
THOROUGHLY ENJOYED READING Niki DiGaetano’s “Pivotal Path” (Trail Stories, Fall 2018). My wife and I are in our mid-seventies and are in the process of hiking on the A.T. in all of the 14 states it passes through. Just last August we hiked in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Our main hike in Massachusetts was up Mount Greylock from the trailhead on Notch Road, southbound to the summit and back. We can certainly appreciate the effort and accomplishment of hiking that last 19-plus miles from Mount Greylock to the Vermont border. The portion we were on is a steep, rocky trek and I can imagine that the rest of the Trail is no easier. We frequently hike sections of the A.T. here in the Georgia and North Carolina area and thought the New England sections would be easy in comparison. We were wrong. The sections we hiked there were every bit as tough, if not tougher, as any we’ve been on in any state. As A.T. day hikers we frequently meet thru-hikers as well as section hikers along the way and are unfailingly impressed by the camaraderie, stamina, courtesy, and genuine pleasure all seem to exhibit as a result of being on the Trail. “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” ~ John Muir
Lee Sneed
Central, South Carolina
I WAS TOLD BY THE WONDERFUL owners of Shaw’s Hiker Hostel in Monson, Maine about a poem explaining how one should enjoy the moments on the Trail, as they are something special and something you will be able to keep for a lifetime. As I entered the 100 Mile Wilderness, I thought about the words he spoke to me, and how true they rang. As I looked back on the 2,190 miles of Trail from the very top of Katahdin, I thought about all the people I’ve met and grown to love, the miles of silence and tranquility provided by the vast wilderness. After all the pain and struggle, I felt nothing but a sense of joy. As I was told on my first night on the A.T. by two ladies known as the “Caboose Sisters,” “No pain, no rain, no Maine!” And they couldn’t have been more correct.
Andrew “Fedex” Harman
Holland, Pennsylvania
Holland, Pennsylvania
THE ARTICLE “ADVENTURE BLOOMS” (A.T. Communities, Fall 2018) states: “At 6,285 feet, Roan is the highest point in Tennessee outside of Clingman’s Dome…” This statement is inaccurate. Yes, Clingman’s Dome, at 6,643 feet is the highest, but there are five peaks that exceed Roan’s 6,285 feet. Mount Guyot (6,621 feet), Mount LeConte (6,593 feet), Mount Buckley (6,580 feet), Mount Love (6,420 feet), and Mount Chapman (6,417 feet) are all higher than Roan. Otherwise, the article was well-written and informative. Roan Mountain is truly a special place. Thank you for the opportunity to set the record straight.
Bryan A. Jackson
Athens, Tennessee
Athens, Tennessee
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Letters to the Editor
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
P.O. Box 807
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425-0807
@dajaguStarting off the new year with new parts of the Trail! Here’s to the first of hopefully many more miles on the Trail this year!
@Karen_Lockhart8
Thoroughly enjoyed my weekend winter hiking in the Green Mountains of Vermont! I spent some much-needed time recharging before the new year.
@fritschya
The MD A.T. was my backyard when I lived in DC. I loved hiking MD and it was a great testing ground for my gear and myself. Before I eventually did the whole Trail.
@DSAArchaeologySometimes you’ve just have to leave the land of WiFi behind for a foggy trip up #McAfeesKnob!
@coddiwomplehikeThru-hiked with my 14 year old. Watching him grow into a young man. Best thing in life.
@sball357Took my kids on the A.T. for the first time this year. We hiked from Woody Gap to Preachers Rock. They loved it!
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