An article by Grayson Haver Currin that showed up yesterday on the “Outside” magazine web site talks about the important topic of the privilege of pandemic hiking. And, although I only uploaded my previous hiking post at the beginning of the week, I wanted to toss this out there for you to see.

Currin writes about the first two people known to have finished thru-hikes on the Appalachian Trail this year. Like so many other things during this pandemic year, the count of hikers will take a hit in 2020. These two hikers, though, will be part of the final tally.

So far, no big deal. Someone has to be first each year. But the author makes very clear that these hikers pushed through to the end illegally. They walked through parks and forests that the authorities had closed. They did not follow stay-at-home orders in the states they walked through. And they intentionally avoided or disregarded law enforcement officers along the way. These two hikers happen to be young white males. Therein lies the privilege.

Currin tells us that “the pandemic and concurrent protests over racial injustice are timely reminders of entrenched patterns in the thru-hiking community—it remains, overwhelmingly, the domain of educated white men.”

These hikers’ “decision to press on along the Appalachian Trail highlights questions of privilege and pride that have long plagued the outdoor industry. “By hiking now, you have created a narrative that says, ‘My personal needs and desires outweigh a greater societal mission. At the end of the day, what’s really important is what I want,’” says Sandi Marra, the ATC’s president and CEO.”

So, yeah, these two guys spent 4 months walking the 2,000+ miles in 14 states that constitute the Trail. But even out in the woods some things are exactly like they are in the city.

Here’s the article: “The Thru-Hikers Who Finished the AT During the Pandemic“

2 thoughts on “Privilege of Pandemic Hiking”

  1. Really , come on Kurt, this is weak, I’m getting tired of the white privilege being pushed down my throat and now THIS? I have never experienced what some Black and Brown folks have experienced and I try my best to treat everyone with respect but this is becoming reversed racism, I won’t apologies for being white and I won’t kneel for anyone but our Lord. If these folks feel guilts that’s on them don’t push it on me. I have never owned a slave nor did any of my relatives, my mothers family (The German side “Thomas”) fought for the North in the Civil War. WE never heard racial slurs in our house but we were subject to them on the street ( Dago, Wop etc.) Were these guys wrong, yea I guess but white privilege or just arrigance?

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    1. I’m sorry, Harry. What I was poorly trying to highlight was the fact that these two hikers (as well as the others who kept hiking despite the closures) felt empowered or allowed or enabled or permitted to be the exceptions to the rules. I don’t know why they felt that way.

      What I do know is this: There have been long-standing discussions over the years about the ways that some long-distance hikers (a few bad apples?) feel they are the exceptions. They project arrogance and seem to feel entitled, somehow, to bend and break any restrictions along the way. I have heard with my own ears sentences that start with “I have hiked X number of miles and therefore….” or “I’ve been hiking for X number of days and I’ve earned….”

      And I have seen all this along the Trail: “No camping along this stretch? I will anyway.” OR “No campfires at this shelter? Watch me build one.” OR “Wildlife is protected? Look at me as I kill and eat this snake.” OR “No alcohol? Hey guys, we hitched into town and brought back a case of beer.” OR “Carry out all your trash? I’ll just leave this here at the road crossing because somebody will probably pick it up later.” … This year it’s been a rejection of the covid-19 restrictions that are in place for our own good. Next year it’ll be something else (or more of the same).

      Again I don’t know why some hikers feel that they’re above the rules, that any restrictions are too many restrictions. I also don’t know why other hikers abide by restrictions and follow the rules. There are lots of reasons people go either direction, aren’t there?

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