Never-Ending Unsupported Hiking

[Wildhorse]

Backpacker.com recently reported the story of an accountant accused of embezzling more than $8 million who escaped law enforcement and lived on the Appalachian Trail for six years - until he was arrested after another hiker recognized him, reported him and may have collected a reward.

http://www.backpacker.com/news-and-even ... ian-trail/

That may be a record for the longest unsupported hike.

Most people who embezzle have never committed a serious crime before and never will again. I suspect that most of them also cannot survive six years hiding in the wilderness. But, I think again, maybe more of us could survive in wilderness than we imagine. Our human ancestors did this for maybe a hundred thousand years, and our prehuman ancestors did it for millions of years.

Backpacker also reported that three hikers were "rescued" in Maine on the Appalachian Trail after they were "stranded" by a rising river in a storm.

http://www.backpacker.com/skills/beginn ... ian-trail/

These hikers did not call for help. The father of one of the hikers notified Maine's game wardens after they did not return when expected. The rescuing wardens told backpacker.com that hikers should carry good communication devices so they can call for help in case unforeseen circumstances trap them like the rising river did in this case. How did our human ancestors ever survive without cell phones, I wonder.

The accountant sits in jail now. The "stranded" hikers are warm and dry now. All have been taken from wilderness into cities where they are watched over by law enforcement officials. We are all prisoners, in a sense.

I dream of being Sasquatch. Wild and free, I would be, and so at home in wilderness, and so elusive that most people would believe my existence is only a legend, and never rescued or captured. Life would again be a never-ending unsupported hike.

[cynthia23]

Love this post, Wildhorse! I too read about the embezzler living on the AT trail for six years, but I never thought about the fact that it was really quite an athletic accomplishment! LOL!

But seriously, you raise interesting points here. Thanks for another thoughtful post.