On the Concept of Trails and News Thereof

North America is a hiker's paradise.  We have many trails, some privately built, some government funded, that allow us to experience the continent as those who came before us did.  Even when railroads made rapid travel possible between distant locations, people still tended to walk for most of their local needs and even to neighboring towns if they did not require a more efficient way to convey goods.  They saw their surroundings at a much slower pace, and while there were people then, as now, that just fixed their eyes on the horizon with an agenda of only being concerned with getting to a destination, there were also probably a lot more people paying attention to the forests, prairies, farms, towns, cities, river banks, etc. that they passed through.

Now don't get me wrong, cars are fantastic!  They can speed up trips to enjoy destinations a bit more, and they definitely make crossing dangerous expanses like deserts a safer experience.  I like what a car can do.  On the other hand, walking is getting to be more and more of a lost art in this country, and it shows on the waist line of people like your dear blogger.  I found out just how much regular walking, even to work and school, can do to benefit one's health and perspectives when I lived in London in 2003.  At first I rode the tube, but was tired of eternal darkness and took my chances on the double-decker buses and joined the commuters of the surface world.  Once I had adapted to the fact that I was missing out on a whole lot of interesting streets and neighborhoods, I then started walking everywhere that was within 3 or 4 miles of where I wanted to go.  I found wonderful areas that were untouched by the glitz and glamour of the main thoroughfares, including parts of the city spared by the Blitz, some with a lovely Georgian and even earlier atmosphere.  I would have never experienced such areas had a sense of exploration by foot never kicked in.

Likewise, those of us who go to scenic areas like national and state parks are really missing out when we stick only to a scenic drive.  Yes, some of the drives are absolutely lovely, such as Cactus Forest Drive in Saguaro National Park, and these should definitely be experienced by any visitor to such places.  Nevertheless, restricting ourselves to the easy path means we miss out on a whole lot of what both nature and civilization have to offer.  Driving through a city, for example, can often remove us from the grand scale of urban areas that we would otherwise get by walking beneath towering skyscrapers.  Perhaps this quote sums it up best: 

"Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything."  -Charles Kuralt

So true!  So anyway, what sort of things do we have get around on foot?  Trails!  Trails from Mexico to Canada!  Trails that... some people did not want to see completed?  It turns out that for the last few decades, government officials in Vermont have been adamant about not connecting two of our great trails together, despite a gap of only 40 miles separating walking experiences that could take one from Georgia clear to North Dakota and beyond.  Apparently they have recently relented, and the news can be found here:

 http://record-eagle.com/archive/x1254882057/North-Country-Trail-wants-to-join-up-with-Appalachian-Trail

If things work out for the parties involved, trail organizations might push for even more extensions to the system which can let one freely walk wonderful scenic and historic segments of the continent.

Taken at Island Lake State Recreation Area, Michigan.  Yes, I spend a lot of time there.