[pct-l] Sec. N (and tax cuts!)

[zoroastr at pioneernet.net (john cain)]

Sticking my nose in the trail maintenance thread:

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about trail construction and
maintenance--I figure I'll learn all about them when I start my
"too-old-to-do-much-serious-hiking-so-I-guess-it's-time-to-volunteer" phase
of life.  But one thing that has never ceased to leave me totally gobsmacked
is the sheer power of unregulated boots to not only create and establish,
but thoroughly maintain some really kewl trails.  Some of the most
challenging and interesting routes in my part of the world [Pacific
Northwest] are those that, according to guide books and Old-Timers'
descriptions, have simply been beaten into existence by generations of
thick-soled nature lovers who apparently had neither the patience nor the
inclination to wait for someone else to build a nice, gentle, G-rated, "take
grandma and the kids" kinda trail to the irresistable lakes, peaks, and
other natural goodies that lay in store for anyone with the gumption to
reach out and take them.  Interestingly, it's these same hiker-made trails
that, because of their intrinsic usefulness and aesthetic appeal, seem to
insinuate themselves into the established order of things; they have a kind
of inevitability that makes you wonder if we really need the level of
official regulation that currently exists.  There's something uniquely
thrilling about a wilderness path unsullied by Forest Service chainsaws,
Power Bar wrappers, poodle crap, and the unworthy steps of ten thousand
weekend warriors.