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Went back to the Appalachian Trail where I hiked 15 years ago and barely recognized it
I decided to hit a 10 mile stretch near the Grayson Highlands in Virginia last month, a spot I used to hike every fall back in 2009. The trail markers are all different now, those old white blazes got replaced with these plastic signs that feel way too modern. There were cell towers visible from ridges that never had service before, and I saw people streaming music on Bluetooth speakers instead of just listening to the wind. The campsite I always used got rerouted because of erosion, and there's a shelter with solar panels and a composting toilet now. It almost felt like hiking in an Instagram version of the woods, not the raw, quiet place I remember. Has anyone else gone back to a trail after a long gap and felt like the vibe shifted completely?
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kai_chen28d ago
Read an article saying the AT lost 30% of its quiet zones since 2015.
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carr.abby9d ago
Did those Bluetooth people even hear the trail or were they just broadcasting their own soundtrack over everything? I hit a section of the AT in Georgia last spring and there were guys setting up a hammock with a battery-powered fan and a mattress pump, looked like they were moving into a studio apartment. The new shelters with solar panels feel like someone trying to smooth out all the rough edges of hiking, making it too comfortable to remember you're actually in the woods.
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