Max patch folks

1-tonmudder

1-tonmudder

Doin my part to stir the pot.
Joined
Apr 17, 2005
Location
Greeneville TN
Since some parking and access is on the TN side the local radio station told about this on todays news,This apparently happened on the 1st (according to the date on the link) and might be old news.but I just heard about it today.Sounds like a few have ruined it for everybody.
appalachiantrail.org

Pisgah National Forest Issues Two-Year Camping Ban at Max Patch | Appalachian Trail Conservancy

The Pisgah National Forest has issued a two-year camping closure on Max Patch, a popular destination for Appalachian Trail hikers on the North Carolina-Tennessee border.
appalachiantrail.org appalachiantrail.org
 
So now the hikers have made too big of an impact and are getting trails closed? From the article it appears tons of traffic and not regard for marked trails, but is it that bad? I've never been to the area.
 
Junkyard Dog said:
So now the hikers have made too big of an impact and are getting trails closed? From the article it appears tons of traffic and not regard for marked trails, but is it that bad? I've never been to the area.
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Problem is that this area is easily accessible by vehicle and a few hundred yard walk. People want to say they’ve been on the AT and post on social media so it’s being over run by those idiots. There was over a 1000lbs of trash removed from 1 weekend of visitors a couple months ago.
 
Not hikers.

This is why:

1759e9f1-f70c-4422-b401-3734f5f97db1-Max_Patch_tents.jpg
 
I have been on Max Patch maybe a dozen times in the 70's, 80's, 90's....Don't think I have ever seen more than 4 other folks up there at any one time, back then.
 
I understand that people being bad people causes problems everywhere. I also am a firm believer that there is not enough access to or on public land for activities. If some of the tens of thousands of acres of "our" land were opened up for recreation and people could disperse and not be forced to congregate in smaller and smaller areas, things would get better. Have you been to the new hunting areas that have been planted with fruit trees and cover crops that quail, deer, and grouse need? No, they don't exist here. Have you been to the new off-road park system that isn't just a gravel road through the woods? No, WNC has nothing of the kind. What has happened to all (all meaning the scattered few that were available) the places we could "go 4-wheelin" when we were in high school? They had to be closed do to over use and trash that was left behind. Sounds just like this doesn't it? The only thing I can actually see that our state, federal, Pitmann-Robertson Act, Dingell-Johnson Act, National Firearms Act, boat registration, and hunting/fishing license taxes have produced are some stocked trout for the tourist to catch. Oh, and some new boat access points on the French Broad river for the tourist to float down the river. I think that if a game warden needs to visit Max Patch 3 times a day and monitor the situation we've already paid through the nose for that to be done. If a dumpster needs to be available it's been paid for. If the warden needs to write some tickets then do it. I'm sick and tired of everything being restricted and closed for vegetation re-growth. It's not the land of the federal government or the state government, it's our land and it needs to be open for us to enjoy.
 
Loganwayne said:
Tents firewood chairs food trash they carry it up realize what a bitch it is and decide it’s just easier to leave up there
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Me and another guy once toted 7 cases of beer to the top in a single cooler. We were a big hit with the hikers. They'd roll through and we'd toss them a beer. You'd have thought we were the savior of man they way they acted when they saw those beautiful Busch Lattes.
 
I have backpacked many trails and camped in many great places back when I was younger with cartilage. We never left trash and never saw anyone who did.

I think part of that is the strong campaign back then against litter. We were taught to not throw trash down whether hiking or driving down the road. That crying Italian on the commercials was very effective.

Now garbage is all up and down the road. I see blue Bud cans all the time on the main road close to my house So it’s somebody close by. I see garbage all up and down the 4 lanes. Fast food bags and cups.

People just don’t care. They think it’s somebody else’s problem…just like everything else. It’s a symptom of the almost universal lack of personal responsibility.
 
Loganwayne said:
everyone wants to be seen on social media doing and going to cool places
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We watched the move "The Circle" this weekend.....reminded me of this thread and this very statement. And how scary the reality of that movie actually IS with people who think like these twatwaffles
 
ponykilr said:
I think part of that is the strong campaign back then against litter. We were taught to not throw trash down whether hiking or driving down the road. That crying Italian on the commercials was very effective.
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Childhood memory while visiting relatives-
Cousin: "Dad, why is that Indian crying?"
Uncle: "His horse just stepped on his foot."
 
CasterTroy said:
We watched the move "The Circle" this weekend.....reminded me of this thread and this very statement. And how scary the reality of that movie actually IS with people who think like these twatwaffles
Click to expand...
I have seen that. It is frighteningly relevant.
 
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