“To Conquer Myself”: The New Strenuosity and the Emergence of “Thru-hiking” on the Appalachian Trail in the 1970s
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Adam Berg, AP Assistant Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: In the early 1970s hundreds of hikers began to traverse all 2,000-plus miles of the Appalachian Trail in a single effort. Spanning from Maine to Georgia, today over 14,000 have trekked across the entirety of the famed “wilderness footpath.” A particular mentality, characterized by perceptions of asocial self-discovery gained though physical activity and “wilderness” recreation led to the initial 1970s “thru-hiker” surge. This sense of autonomous self-discovery, however, was connected to a certain social and cultural context. Indeed, it could be argued that thru-hikers embraced a certain brand of individualism that should be read as a manifestation of a privileged social position as much as the achievement of personal authenticity.
“To Conquer Myself”: The New Strenuosity and the Emergence of “Thru-hiking” on the Appalachian Trail in the 1970s
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Created on 10/12/2017
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Journal of Sport History, 42(1), 1-19
- Language: English
- Date: 2015
- Keywords
- 1970s, individualism, new strenuosity, backpacking, hiking, wilderness