Anyway....

Lesley Ann Beck

Ah, the romance of the open trail. The lure of the fern-dotted forest is compelling -- and the mighty Appalachian Trail runs right through our county. I have often dreamed of joining the ranks of those doughty souls who through-hike the A.T. But only briefly.

I have reason to believe that the Appalachian Trail has a lot of bugs. The flying and also the crawling varieties. Also mud, snakes, bears and skunks. I have also heard that there is a distinct lack of amenities along the trail -- clean restrooms, fine restaurants, elegant hotels.

That's the problem with the great outdoors -- lovely scenery is so often ruined by too-close encounters with the wildlife. Is there any view so inspiring it is worth the huge swollen welts caused by vicious Massachusetts mosquitos? Do I want to commune with nature to the extent that I become a black bear's lunch? I think not.

Some enterprising individual should come up with a way for essentially urban types, such as myself, to enjoy the out-of-doors without actually venturing outside. It's a challenge.