Although I have not hiked the entire Appalachian (AT) or Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I have hiked and cross-country skied some 300 miles of the PCT. But the point is not that I or anyone else hiked these magnificent trails in whole or part, but rather that we can.
Far-sighted conservationists made it possible for us to do so. These magnificent, long distance trails do not just happen; they are products of decades of work by visionaries and conservationists. Now it is up to us to keep them viable for present and future generations.
Best-selling books A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and Wild by Cheryl Strayed, along with recent films by the same titles have brought unprecedented numbers of hikers to the the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. Due to the popularity of the two books and movies, long-distance hiking on the two trails is at an all- time high.
An officer at Bridge of the Gods, the crossing over the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington where Cheryl Strayed completed her PCT adventure has seen more than a 300% increase in hiker foot traffic in the past year. Similarly, AT usage has increased by several hundred percent in the past year according to the director of Baxter State Park at the northern terminus of the trail in Maine.
Both the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail are over 2,000 miles long. The PCT at 2,650 miles is the longer of the two. It spans three large western states, California, Oregon and Washington and connects three countries: Mexico, the US and Canada. The trail itself continues north across the border of the US into Manning Provincial Park – a spectacular stretch that Lori I once hiked.
The AT spans passes through 14 states on its 2,185 journey over the spine of the Appalachians from Maine to Georgia. Although more than 3,000 people hike part of it annually, nearly 1,000 hike the entire trail.
These trends are positive. In a time of rampant materialism, obsession with technology and virtual versus real experiences, it is refreshing that some people are opting for the simplicity, challenge and inspiration that a long hike in the wild provides.
Anyone who hikes even a portion of these two amazing trails should pause and reflect on just how wonderful it is that their hikes are possible. We in the US have at least two mostly-protected contiguous trails through astonishing natural areas where anyone can hike thousands of miles. The words found on the Pacific Crest Trail Association website apply equally well to both trails: “The trail is about more than the mountains and geography…it’s about people, and the idea that we as a society, can preserve our most wild and beautiful places.”
How did these wonderful trails come about and who takes care of them today?The AT was conceived in 1921, built by private citizens and finished in 1937. Currently the trail is managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, the AT Conservancy, numerous state agencies and hundreds of volunteers. In other words, it takes a village, an army and lots of inter-agency collaboration to keep this long trail operational so you and I have the privilege of hiking it.
LWCF was created in Congress in 1965 — a bipartisan commitment to safeguard natural areas, water resources, and our cultural heritage, and to provide recreational opportunities to all Americans. It draws upon royalties from offshore oil and gas exploration – a smart and appropriate way to mitigate for the impact of energy development on the environment. In total, the LCWF has resulted in over $17 billion invested in the protection of more than 500 million acres of land ranging from trails, to playgrounds to scenic areas.
On the day I wrote this, the LWCF was in big trouble. It sunset and Congress opted not to renew it despite considerable bipartisan support for its continuation. It is incumbent upon all of us who hike the trails, think about hiking the trails or just appreciate having natural areas and public open spaces available to us, to support the continuation of LWCF. We can do this by voicing our support to our representatives in Congress. Don’t let this outstanding, visionary mechanism for conservation funding die on our watch!
“We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.” — Theodore Roosevelt
