Valleys and Shadows

Valleys and mountains are inseparable, and the Appalachian Trail has plenty of each. As often as you enjoy the views and open sky from a mountain's summit, you also walk through ravines, gulleys, hollows, and valleys, some of which struggle to see sunlight. The social side of the trail also has its peaks and valleys, and yes, a few of its social ravines are cast in shadow.

Take, for example, the life of Nick Grindstaff. He traveled west to win his fortune but was robbed of all his money and beaten along the way. He then returned to Iron Mountain, found along the AT, becoming one of the region's most famous hermits. A chimney-like monument now stands near where he dwelt, made out of the stone from his cabin. His epitaph reads, "Lived alone, suffered alone, and died alone." Aside from the irony of the memorial, it doesn't take long to take pity on the man who chose such a lonely life. In fact, it's hard to imagine him being anything but miserable, to one degree or another.

I also stumbled across an abandoned, half-collapsed tarp shelter tucked away in a thicket of rhododendron. Though nearly hidden from view, I spotted it while fetching water in a nearby stream. Taking a closer look there were old propane tanks strewn about, one still attached to a rusted heater. Sleeping bags also littered the ground, suggesting perhaps that a family tried to find shelter here in the cold of winter. While it's hard to know why the tarp shelter was built or who lived there, it doesn't seem like a stretch to assume that the story around it would be marked by brokeness.

That's not to say the shadow side of the AT is isolated to things past. Day to day, the prevalence of drugs on the trail is at times disturbing, though not surprising. Marijuana is as common as cigarettes, although neither seem to lend themselves toward hiking 2,000 miles. There are older hikers who have never fully let go of their 60's experience, in part reliving that era on the trail. There are also young hikers trying to recreate the "hippie" lifestyle, though I am skeptical that they really understand it as anything more than "free" sex and drugs.

I wish marijuana was the extent of AT drug culture as it's easy to ignore and it's users are typically laid back and easy going. Meth also has a presence on the trail, with rumors of nearby labs tossed about every now and again. The most conspicuous situation I experienced involved meeting two hikers who made me incredibly uneasy. Their dilated pupils were distracting, their mannerisms were abrupt and seemed uncontrolled, and they were barely able to carry on a conversation without offending. I soon found out they were strung out on coke that day, and that is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

A while back I stopped at Standing Bear Farm to resupply and get out of the rain. It didn't take long to realize that a variety product was being moved and sold out of the back of the main house. I suspect that's common at a number of the hiker-oriented hostels.

It's hard to mention drugs without giving a nod to alcohol. Because of its weight, drinking tends to remain in the towns, but it is still part of AT culture nonetheless. Some hike just to get to the next town and have a drink, usually more. Others carry Evan Williams or some other bottom-shelf liquor because the towns don't come quickly enough. Many of the shelters near road crossings and towns have a vibrant night life, and there has been more than one hiker who has found his tent not to be vomit proof, the next day discovering that hiking with a hangover is quite miserable.

All that to say, with all the good that the trail offers, it also has known a dark history and hosts some culture that I would imagine Benton MacKaye never anticipating in his original vision for the trail. Where there are mountains there are valleys, and it is a rare valley that is without shadow.