Heading off on the Benton MacKaye Trail

Few trails are named after great environmental heroes, and the Benton MacKaye Trail is one of them. McKaye is my favorite environmentalist–the creator of the Appalachian Trail, the first regional planner, and a starch advocate of conservation while also expanding economic opportunities. I often think that if people pay/paid more attention to Benton, we wouldn’t quite be in the conservation mess we’re in right now. I’ll be reading his biography (sadly, despite all his incredible work, there is only one), as I hike.

Even though I’m a Triple Crowner now, I’m apprehensive about hiking the BMT. I’m not concerned about being lost, which seems to be most BMT hikers’ worry, because no matter what, it won’t be anything as bad as getting lost on the CDT. But I am worried about getting wet and about rough terrain. Hiking out west has spoiled me and this mild-3rd class rock scrambling that passes for hiking out East will once again come as quite a shock to me.

I may have a fair share of walking experience under my belt, but I feel more disconnected from traillife than usual. It’s only been 4 months since I was last on trail, but since then, I’ve established a life for myself in civilization and am slightly loathe to exit it. This never bodes well for a new hike. That being said, there is always apprehension before starting a hike, regardless of my experience. I need to jump into the cold pool and get used to the temperature. Perhaps in the process, I can honor my hero Benton for all he has done for large scale land conservation in this country.