The Writing on the Wall

How do you feel about 'tagging' the shelters along the Appalachian Trail?

Recently this subject has been regarded by some as taboo for hikers and backpackers along trails with shelters, and the Appalachian Trail is no different. DISCLAIMER: I want to state that this post IN NO WAY is reprimanding, or condoning for that matter, this behavior. The names of those in these pictures are IN NO WAY being targeted! They were simply the names tagged in one of the closest shelters (Wildcat shelter, NY) I could reach for some good photos, that’s it! Sorry if your name is in any of these pics!

Part of the intrigue of arriving at one of these glorious backwoods accommodations is checking out the shelter log. Usually a spiral notebook of some sort, thru hikers use these logs for a multitude of reasons ranging from communication with those behind them on the trail to a simple way of logging their presence at the shelter, and even as a way to communicate issues (such as mice intent on filling your gear with holes) to bear sightings, etc. For argument’s sake, this is the perfect avenue for telling the world that “I WAS HERE!” on such and such a date.

There exists a small percentage of hikers who choose to 'tag' shelters, by either inscribing their trail name and date on the shelter walls with a marker or paint, or those who choose to carve the same into the walls (a more time consuming, yet permanent, um… solution?), rather than taking the path deemed acceptable by their peers.

As far as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is concerned, this 'tagging' of shelters is forbidden, or at the very least frowned upon. Not only does it permanently deface the shelter, it goes against the principles of LNT (Leave No Trace) camping. While the argument can be made that LNT refers only to nature, and that the building of shelters themselves does go against LNT principles, I feel as though the majority of hikers hope to experience the shelters as they were built – traditional wooden structures to provide the basic shelter needed whilst traversing the mountainous terrain. To some degree, seeing unnecessary tags on the ancient timber walls just ruins the natural state of the shelter and kills the vibe, if you will.

The argument can be made (and has been) that the 'tagging' of names and dates gives the shelter some sort of backstory, and is a type of living history or tribute to those brave souls who took the same 5 million step journey that some are currently attempting. I have to admit, arriving at a shelter and seeing names which were carved into the walls dating back to the 70’s (and earlier in some cases) does give you a sense of marvel or pure astonishment as you imagine the gear that was trekked down that same path all those years ago. Brave souls, they were, without GPS, Awol, or Crocs…

The true writing on the wall, if you’ll excuse my pun here, is that names and dates are by no means the only things being 'tagged' on shelter walls. This misplaced graffiti ranges from the classic “for a good time call” inscriptions native to rest stop walls across America, to the timeless quotes from Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. Over the entire network of shelters the artwork ranges from absolutely witty (to the degree of bordering on acceptable) to the downright offensive. Many of the volunteer trail clubs up and down the east coast have taken to abrasives, spray paint, or even replacing boards in the shelter walls/floors to remove some of the more offensive tags.

This embattled juxtaposition leaves us asking - where do you stand? Should there be a line drawn at only inscribing trail names and dates for the historical value, or should we put a stop to all shelter tagging, regardless of its level of taste? I venture to say that the safest and easiest solution is to officially “frown upon” the tagging, and spread the word through the community of hikers each year. Will the shelters at some point become so unrecognizable and damaged due to the issue? With the loving, supportive community of hikers surrounding the Appalachian Trail, I doubt we would ever let the issue persist to that degree. Perhaps it will get swept under the rug only to become a simple “smh” moment when brought up around the campfire, too taboo a subject to broach in the presence of the guilty parties.

Your thoughts?