A great organization, a great trail.

Yesterday I finally received my new member packet from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I say finally because I sent it in months ago. I have a sneaking suspicion the postal service had something to do with the delay though, not the ATC.

In any event, I decided to join this organization because they are truly one of the most outstanding organizations in the country. The ATC, along with their local chapters oversee what is regarded by many as the largest volunteer undertaking in the world, the Appalachian Trail.

It all started back in 1921 as Benton MacKaye, a hopelessly out of work widower (his wife threw herself off a bridge and drowned that same year) with a love of the outdoors came up with a fairly ambitious plan. He wanted to connect the two highest peaks in the east, Mount Mitchell in NC and Mt. Washington in NH with a continuous trail.

It seemed like a pretty good idea, but Benton, apparently not one to be considered a self-starter, couldn't get the idea off the ground. It wasn't until he met a man named Myron Avery, and nine years later in 1930, before work began.

The plan called for building the trail entirely with volunteer labor and resources. Local hiking clubs banded together to acquire land and clear forests and in 1937 the Appalachian Trail that MacKaye and Avery dreamed up became a reality.

Though the original plan to connect Mt. Mitchell with Mt. Washington never came about (The trail crosses Mt. Washington, but misses Mt. Mitchell completely), what they ended up with was quite an accomplishment. The trail was expanded north to Mt. Katahdin in Maine and its southern terminus was moved south to Springer Mountain in Georgia, nearly 2,200 miles away. At the time it was considered impossible to hike the entire thing in one continuous stretch. The ATC even published an article to that effect, unfortunately the summer they did, someone hiked it proving them wrong.

The trail gets a little different every year as sections are relocated for various reasons, but it still follows pretty much the same route as the original trail in 1937. It is also still maintained entirely by volunteers, which in and of itself is something to be proud of.

Though not the longest trail in the US and probably not the most glamorous, it's the first and in my opinion, the best. The ATC is in charge of maintaining and supporting it and I am proud to be a new member. It's a fantastic organization and if you get the chance someday, follow those familiar white blazes and enjoy this great trail.

For those of you that want to, I'll be hitting the AT pretty often throughout the next few months. Some of you have already joined me for a day hike and hopefully you're ready for another visit. I'm going to try to go at least once a weekend when I'm in town to help prepare for hiking in Argentina, so if you want to go, just ask.