A Walk on the Wild Side

[+Holtie22]

For those of you who are close enough to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, here is a story about a volunteer opportunity that involves many of the same techniques, but over much more challenging terrain. Another similar story recently ran in the local paper, and I was surprised to notice that the lead photo featured a monument with my LS number on it!

I set this marker almost 20 years ago on the boundary of the AT Corridor just north of Pico Peak in Vermont. Now, volunteer crews from the Green Mountain Club are walking these lines to recover boundary monuments, repaint blazed lines, and replace boundary signs.

Check out the ATC website to learn more about volunteer opportunities on the Appalachian Trail.

[+genegene]

Sorry but I'm a Geocacher and we are not allowed to Geocache on National Park Lands.

 

If they want to PAY me to do it then that's one thing, but to volunteer to do something for them and then have them tell me that I'm not welcome to use it, they can do it themselves...

 

By the way there getting ready to expand there boundaries to .25 mi here in Massachusetts from what I understand. They are going to archive more caches and I'm not a big fan of that idea.

[+Holtie22]

I am sorry that you apparently do not feel that the Appalachian Trail is a national resource worth protecting. While I do not support the Park Service's stance regarding geocaching, I do understand some of the reasons for it. But, at any rate, my post was not about geocaching. I am not aware of any prohibition against benchmark hunting on National Park lands.

 

Sorry but I'm a Geocacher and we are not allowed to Geocache on National Park Lands.

 

If they want to PAY me to do it then that's one thing, but to volunteer to do something for them and then have them tell me that I'm not welcome to use it, they can do it themselves...

 

By the way there getting ready to expand there boundaries to .25 mi here in Massachusetts from what I understand. They are going to archive more caches and I'm not a big fan of that idea.

[glorkar]

If I lived even remotely close I would jump on that. Sounds like it would be a great adventure.

[+genegene]

I am sorry that you apparently do not feel that the Appalachian Trail is a national resource worth protecting.

 

I'm sorry that the NPS doesn't understand that Geocaching could be boost to there trail as we (Geocachers) would use it more and be able to help keep an eye out for problems and maybe even want to volunteer to help with trail maintenance. Geocachers got blamed for a lot of new trails and garbage on the trail. 99% of the time it had nothing to do with us but they blamed us anyways with out even looking into the matter further.

 

I have seen some really good caches that did not hinder the trail or make new trails on the AT that were archived for no reason.

 

These are just my views and do not represent the view of anyone else. Everyone is entitled to there own opinions.

 

Gene G.

[mloser]

I'll bite...

 

Your statement that geocaching would be a "boost" to the AT is without any factual basis at all and the statements you use to back it up are also anecdotal at best. We have no idea how many geocachers would "use" the AT, what percentage of them would "keep an eye out for trouble".

 

On the reverse side, you didn't mention how many would "abuse" the trail or "cause trouble", but I would think there would be some of that. I have read enough of the geocaching forums to read of actual damage done by geocachers, so it is not hard to understand why a business or government might not see it as the wonderful thing it is within your mind. It takes just one bad incident to discolor a reputation (ever hear that one "aw sh*t is worth 10 attaboys?).

 

Although I am in no way opposed to geocaching I admit that my picture of how it would occur on the AT is that people would traipse up and down the first mile of trail from a parking area, their kids running off the trail and making general nuisances of themselves, to grab the easiest caches. That last one is just my opinion and not anyone else's.

 

I am a benchmarker, and only a benchmarker. I have used the AT a number of times to look for triangulation stations in my area and have been grateful it existed, or my 3 mile walk through the woods would have been pretty tough. (I have even searched along the "old" AT, which was moved at some point to avoid the Indiantown Gap Military Reservation and now runs along the top of a different mountain ridge.) I have also nearly missed the blue blaze on a few occasions, so maybe I will volunteer to help mark the trail in my area.

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

On the reverse side, you didn't mention how many would "abuse" the trail or "cause trouble", but I would think there would be some of that. I have read enough of the geocaching forums to read of actual damage done by geocachers, so it is not hard to understand why a business or government might not see it as the wonderful thing it is within your mind. It takes just one bad incident to discolor a reputation (ever hear that one "aw sh*t is worth 10 attaboys?).

 

The NPS out here in the west had earned so many "aw s" the their nickname became the National Park Circus.

 

Maybe the NPS should remember that the parks were meant to be for everyones enjoyment.

 

John

[+PFF]

If they want to PAY me to do it then that's one thing, but to volunteer......

 

 

Hi Gene,

 

While logging the benchmarks you've found, you may have picked up on the fact that benchmark hunting contains an element of public service. While we enjoy the challenge of looking for marks, our reports are useful to surveyors. Since 2005, our members have submitted 53,000 updated reports to the national data base. Eighty members have submitted over 100 reports, and 200 members have submitted at least 12. Thirteen have submitted over 1,000 reports.

 

Even a casual find without NGS reporting has value. Meanwhile, some benchmark hunters have assisted state agencies by searching for very old survey markers along state lines, or by tracking down monuments of historic interest.

 

A Geocacher likes the challenge of the hunt and enjoys tracking his/her number of finds, Oddly, on the benchmark side of the hobby, there is not much emphasis on numbers. That's probably a good thing. We have folks who will spend hours looking for a single benchmark. (Actually, if it were not for one of our dedicated members who compiles the statistics, we would probably would never look at the totals.)

 

That's not to imply that one aspect of the hobby is "better" or "more important" than another. I just wanted to pass along a perspective which might explain the excitement about the proposed opportunity for service. Finding boundary markers and renewing trail markers is a good "fit" for the mindset already present.

 

-Paul-

Edited November 13, 2010 by PFF

[+PFF]

[Duplicate post deleted]

Edited November 13, 2010 by PFF

[+Harry Dolphin]

I'm not sure that this if the right forum for discussing Geocaching on the AT, but OP did bring it up. There are very strong opinions on both sides, and it was discussed very heatedly on the Northeast (now Mid-Atlantic) forum. And, of course, everyone is entitled to his/her opinions.

It is, however, what lead to my dis-association with the local trail conference. Over a ten year period, I hiked over half of the AT, from Shenandoah, Virginia to Mount Washington, New Hampshire, plus some sections in Maine. So, (in my mind anyway), I think I have a pretty good perspective. Yes, most of the trail is (not sure that pristine is the right word. There are trails and shelters) preserved (?) But, to answer mloser, there are also a large number of places overrun with day trippers, including small kids and dogs. Bear Mountain, New York, Pulpit Rock, Pennsylvania, for example. Then we have Pennsylvania State Hunting Lands. Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania is a very interesting place. The AT takes a 1000' climb up from the river. And there I met six hunters carrying out a deer on the AT. (I'm sure they found an easier way out. But with the zinc pollution, I hope they didn't eat the deer!)

The problem that I (and many others had with NPS banning Geocaching near the AT) is that, in many areas, the NPS does not own the land. It has right-of-way across Pennslvania State Hunting Lands (PA), Worthington State Forest, Stokes State Forest, Wawayand State Park (NJ), Bear Mountain State Park (NY) &c. No one questions the NPS's right to ban Geocaching on land that it owns. The problem is how it can ban Geocaching on land that it does not own. Geocaching has acquiesced to the wishes of NPS (which is its prerogative.)

As I said, opinions are very strong on both sides. It appears that some at the trail conference are strongly opposed to Geocaching. I wrote several e-mails and a few letters expressing my opinion that the trail conference (as maintainers of the trail across two states) should oppose the NPS placing restrictions on lands that it does not own. (Note: there are many Geocachers active in the trail conference.) The trail conference chose not to write back. Not even to say "Thanks for writing, but we disagree." The trail conference completely ignored me. And so, after ten years, spending hundreds of hours maintaining a trail, I dis-associated myself from the conference because the trail conference ignored me. (And it took another two years before the conference noted that I was no longer maintaining the trail, despite several letters to that effect.) (Sorry for venting.)

While not as vehement as other responders, I tend to agree with genegene. Not interested in helping an organization that (discriminates is not the right word) imposes its will on land that it does not own. That is not, however, the reason I stopped hiking the trail. I was section hiking, and Virginia became too far away to drive for a week's hike. And, my sister was 'not having fun' on our attempt at the Hundred Mile Wilderness. Oh, well. I did hike half the trail!

[+Holtie22]

I'm not sure that this if the right forum for discussing Geocaching on the AT, but OP did bring it up.

 

Sorry, Harry, the OP did NOT bring it up. I simply responded to a post that DID bring it up to say that this thread is NOT about geocaching on the Appalachian Trail.