#18 | Andrew Downs on the Future of the Appalachian Trail, Thru-Hiker Entitlement, and Trail Maintenance

Backpacker Radio

What's in store for the future of the Appalachian Trail? This is one of the primary topics in today's episode of Backpacker Radio, as the Cinnamon Connection are joined by Andrew Downs, the Central and Southwest Virginia Regional Director at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. We also talk about the unintended negative consequences of trail magic, thru-hiker entitlement, Leave No Trace, bear canister regulations on the Appalachian Trail, how people can most effectively give back to the AT, and embarrassing chaffing and poop stories.

Subjects discussed include:

• The man who fatally fell off McAfee Knob
• A woman who got mauled by a bear in the Greyson Highlands
• How to manage chafing and ass hair (don't light it on fire)
• The pros and cons of more people hitting the trail
• Thru-hiker entitlement
• Trail angels and responsible trail magic
• Giving back with trail maintenance work
• What the ATC is and what it does
• Local clubs that maintain the trails
• Ridgerunners on the AT
• The biggest challenges the AT faces today
• Potential for bear canisters on AT
• ‘Hardcore’ and connecting current hikers to trail work
• Bob Peoples: the Chuck Norris of the AT
• The spending report for the ATC
• Golden Rules of Thru-Hikers
• The Thru-Hiker's Code of Conduct
• Mt Shasta first official PCT town article

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