New York Times article.

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MadRiver

MadRiver

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Ok, I realize that I’m being a tad anal about this, but the New York Times has an article in today’s paper about hiking the Appalachian Trail and the photo they chose to highlight this accomplishment was a hiker standing next to the Mt. Katahdin sign with a camera in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Now I’m an ex-smoker and quit in 2000, so smoking is not so much the issue as the juxtaposition of a smoker next to the terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Sarah Huff, the reporter, couldn’t have picked a different person of all the people who finished that day to represent thru-hikers? Flame suit on!
 
MadRiver said:
Sarah Huff, the reporter, couldn’t have picked a different person of all the people who finished that day to represent thru-hikers? Flame suit on!
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What a weird choice of photos. Maybe in all the other photos the people were urinating on the sign and this was the best she had to choose from.

I get the feeling that the photographer and/or writer may not have necessarily been a hiker and simply viewed it as some kind of celebratory thing. I don't think you'll get flamed for this one!

-Dr. Wu
 
Quite a few AT thru hikers smoke.
Not necessarily a bad choice for a photo.

as always,
Vario
 
Variocana said:
Quite a few AT thru hikers smoke.
Not necessarily a bad choice for a photo.

as always,
Vario
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Good Point. I'd rather not see smokers on Katahdin (I saw a few when I was there on Labor Day Weekend) but that's a personal preference of mine. However, when people flick the cigarette butts on the ground up there, that angers me (as much as it angers me when I see it in Boston BTW). I picked up a few that day. However, to be perfectly fair, I've seen plenty of smokers put out their butts and pack them out.

-Dr. Wu
 
I am a non-smoker, never have been, never will be and can only think that this was a celebatory cigarette at the end of a long walk.

Not that I agree with excessive smoking or drinking but how many people had a drink after finishing a specific list? I had a glass of champagne when I finished the NH4K. Maybe he didn't want to carry an extra 12 OZ?
 
OK, so you guys made me go out and buy today's Times. Here's my take: I don't necessarily think the author (Sarah Huff) picked Mr. Saito so much as Mr. Saito just happened to be the thru-hiker to finish while the photographer (Herb Swanson) was on the summit. Mr. Saito (who incidentally IS Asian) isn't even mentioned until halfway through the article and the only mention of his smoking (a cigarette) is at the very end ... kind of like a cigarette after sex line. Lots of interesting folks are mentioned in the story. I think the reporter and photographer probably went to Baxter for a day and interviewed all the completers on that particular day.

Overall, it was a good story but pretty standard. If the Times had actually picked one person to profile, I think we all know it would have been poster boy!!! :D

EDIT: After re-reading the story, the author and photographer appear to have been with him during the ascent, but I still think his selection was entirely random.
 
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"sure it was a cigarette? "

"kind of like a cigarette after sex..."

Yes, it had to be a regular cigarette, they are for after (Katahdin), the other kind is for before... (Springer) ;)
 
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Not bashing anyone by any means, but I think it is important to keep in mind that citizens in most countries do not share the ani-smoking zeal that many Americans share.
From what I have experienced, in many European countries it sometimes seems like non-smokers are the minority. I recall reading that smoking is very big in many of the asian/asian minor countries, so while the practice of stopping along the trail and lighting up might not be appealing or sacrosanct to us, it is just a normal custom for many others.

I also agree with Mark S. about Mr. S. just happening to be there, but he also looks like a very interesting person to photgraph as well as write about.
Cheers
 
I saw that guy when I was on the way up Sugarloaf and he was on the way down, on the ledgy area above the river. I didn't realize he was a thru-hiker or that he was going to be famous.
 
SteveHiker said:
I saw that guy when I was on the way up Sugarloaf and he was on the way down, on the ledgy area above the river. I didn't realize he was a thru-hiker or that he was going to be famous.
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This is the guy I stopped and spoke to on the way up Sugarloaf with Stevehiker. I was ahead of Stevehiker and Alpinista and spoke to him for a few minutes while I waited for them to catch up. :D

He was very talkative, friendly and seemed like a nice guy. He talked about Vermont and NH, and asked about water depths in the river and the Crockerr cirque camp site. Glad to see he made it all the way. :)
 
How about the guy mentioned in the article who carried a tuba and played it on every summit? What's up with that????? I played one of those things many years ago, and although I assume he had the fiberglas one and not the brass one, those things are heavy!
 
Mad Townie said:
How about the guy mentioned in the article who carried a tuba and played it on every summit? What's up with that????? I played one of those things many years ago, and although I assume he had the fiberglas one and not the brass one, those things are heavy!
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I read that and thought it was BS. But a google search of "appalachian trail tuba" actually showed at least two guys who lugged a tuba the whole way ... one northbounder and one southbounder. I still have my doubts though. Just doesn't seem possible.
 
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