Carl Goodman has patrolled a section of the Appalachian Trail where听it passes through听the Great Smoky Mountains听for 15 seasons. Five days a week, he chats with hikers about how to lessen their impact,听and each day he cleans up the messes they leave听behind.
Goodman, 76,听hails from Louisville, Kentucky, and his white beard is practically the only sign of his age; thousands of miles logged in the backcountry have helped keep him fit. This year听he鈥檚 one of more than 50 trail stewards and ridgerunners,听hired to help maintain the 2,190-mile trail as hordes of hikers make their way north or south.
Throughout the 1970s, about 800 people walked the length of the AT鈥攁 huge jump听from just 37 the decade before. Last year, a record 3,839 hikers set out from Georgia alone,听a 14 percent increase over 2016, and about 40 percent more than 2015. So far this year, roughly 2,800 people have registered their hikes with the (ATC), and that听figure is sure to rise once peak season arrives. As the number of hikers has exploded, so has trailside litter, overcrowding at shelter sites, noise, and the general sense that what is supposed to be an epic journey through the solitude of this great American trail is increasingly听being ruined by听people鈥攍ots and lots of people.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen a major change in the usage of the trail in recent years,鈥 says Goodman, who first thru-hiked the AT听in 1999. 鈥淭he more crowded it gets, the more it needs to be managed and taken care of.鈥
The ridgerunner听program started in the 1980s. It鈥檚听a seasonal job that usually begins in early spring, depending on the location, and is听funded mainly by government agencies, the ATC, and local clubs. Goodman patrols approximately 16 miles of trail. He鈥檚 skilled in wilderness first-aid and the tenets of , and he can offer information on everything from weather conditions to how to hang a bear bag. More than knowledgeable docents,听the ridgerunners consider every hiker they meet听a chance to preserve the AT and reduce human impact. Last year,听ridgerunners听in Georgia听interacted with more than 10,000 people. They also dismantled 245 fire rings and packed out 486 pounds of trash.
In the past few years, there鈥檚 been a big push听by the ATC to educate听new hikers before they ever set foot on the trail. The reason: inexperienced hikers have the worst environmental impact, says Chloe de Camara, a former ridgerunner who thru-hiked the trail听in 2015听and is now the ATC鈥檚 trail-education specialist. Trail managers often find that human waste hasn鈥檛 been buried the recommended six to eight inches, and some people even defecate near water sources. There are more messes left behind at shelters these days, and when those spots are overcrowded, hikers sometimes camp in the wilderness and trample vegetation. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to reach people well in advance, and we鈥檙e trying to engage with them and ensure they know the right steps to take before they go out hiking.鈥
And听the hikers the ATC isn鈥檛 able to听teach beforehand? The ridgerunners must听educate them on the trail.听The hope is that hikers encounter at least one ridgerunner along the way. Indeed, the program has been so effective听that, three years ago, the (GATC) created a trail-ambassador听program to patrol a听76-mile section of the AT. The 38 ambassadors are like听ridgerunners in every way except they’re volunteers. Other groups have adopted听the听system,听including the in North Carolina, the in Virginia, the near Washington, D.C., and听the in New Hampshire鈥檚 White Mountains.
The ridgerunners are just one small component of听a much larger plan to manage听and train the surge of new hikers. Last year, the AT rolled out an online program called听,听hoping that hikers would sign up for periods when campsites are available in greater numbers. It鈥檚 too soon to tell if the initiative will work; if it doesn鈥檛, the ATC may need to take more drastic measures, like听permitting, something the Pacific Crest Trail instituted in 2015. The ATC wants to avoid that, so for now it鈥檚 up to the ridgerunners to control the crowds.鈥淲e鈥檙e encouraging year-round patrols, because there are so many people on the trail who are unprepared,鈥 says Jay Dement, president of the GATC.
Overcrowding has already prompted a big push from听the ATC to get hikers to plan alternatives to the usual northbound route听with either the southbound option, or a flip-flop route in which hikers start in the middle.听The ATC is also听collecting more data, using infrared counters along the path for instant traffic numbers.
There are a few spots where the AT hikers need听permits, including along听Mount Katahdin in Maine, and to camp听in听Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But the goal is to avoid a听permitting system like the one in use on the PCT, which听allows only 50 registrants per day.听鈥淲e would love the Appalachian Trail to be as pristine and unmarked by humans as possible,鈥 says Morgan Sommerville, the ATC鈥檚 southern regional director. 鈥淚t鈥檚 supposed to provide a primitive, natural experience.鈥
Some believe the bump in hikers on the Appalachian Trail will wane, as it has in the past. The ATC is doing everything in its power to ensure it鈥檚 experienced exactly as intended鈥攁s a wilderness retreat. For now, the听ridgerunners听may be听the best hope.