#95 | Andy Downs of the ATC on the Mountain Valley Pipeline & Postponing Thru-Hikes During a Pandemic

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are once again joined by Andy Downs of the ATC. For those who might be unfamiliar, the ATC has been under a bit of heat of late for the news of their accepting a very large gift from the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a project they once opposed. Andy gives us a thorough breakdown on the history of the project, why the ATC is no longer actively opposing it, and answers some of the common critical questions being lobbed in the ATC's direction. We also dive into the subject of the ATC making the request for people to yet again postpone their thru-hikes on the AT in 2021, how the decision was arrived to, and some key considerations to make for those who are still dead set on hiking the Trail. Zach also outline why The Trek will not be closing the platform to thru-hikers this year, the duo talk about their ideal marriage partner and/or shapeshifter victims, and listeners are blessed with a trio of poop stories to close out the show. Backcountry discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER15" to save 15% on your "first" purchase at Backcountry.com/backpackerradio . Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Good To-Go discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER25" to save 25% on your order and get free shipping on orders over $100 at Goodto-go.com . [divider] Interview with Andy Downs of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy 00:05:30 - QOTD: Why did Chaunce have to reschedule the show? 00:06:39 - Welcome back to Andy Downs 00:08:00 - You mentioned not being the best thru-hiker can you explain? 00:09:52 - How many times have you been to prison? 00:10:05 - What is your title at the ATC? 00:11:00 - What power line issues were you dealing with yesterday? 00:12:04 - What was 2020 like for you and the ATC? 00:14:18 - What was trail maintenance like on the AT in 2020? 00:16:25 - What is the chain of command with trail maintenance clubs? What exactly does the ATC do? 00:19:20 - Does the ATC provide any funding? 00:20:42 - Does the ATC run the ridge runner program? 00:22:25 - Can you talk about how the Mountain Valley Pipeline history intertwines with the AT? 00:34:16 - Why is this big news all of a sudden? 00:35:36 - What is not being disclosed about the deal and why is that the case? 00:37:54 - Can you speak to the million-dollar bonus you got (joking)? 00:39:47 - Is the money going to go to rerouting in Virginia? 00:44:43 - As someone who fought the pipeline for a while can you understand why people are upset? 00:48:21 - Do you have to advocate for the deal now? 00:49:45 - What is your obligation to the advancement of the pipeline? 00:53:36 - Some people say you are incentivized to help finish the pipeline? 00:55:34 - What are the potential impacts of the pipeline? 01:03:05 - So what are the big downsides? 01:09:35 - Are there large environmental concerns? 01:11:14 - Are the ecosystems around the AT not also considered the ATC's responsibility? 01:18:00 - Can you talk about the ATC's stance on Covid-19? 01:27:24 - Does the ATC have any say in trail days? 01:30:18 - Have you had any feedback from trail towns asking you not to discourage hikers? 01:33:10 - What should people know? Where should they stay up to date? Project Planning Reference Materials SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda Thru-Hiking in 2021, COVID-19, and The Trek's Platform by Zach Davis 2021 Badger Sponsorship: A $20,000+ Gear Giveaway to Benefit the National Scenic Trails Reddit Brain Buster You get to pick one person with a 50/50 chance that in the morning you'll either wake up as them or married to them — who do you choose? Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify , Stitcher , and Google Play . Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon : Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon : Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven. Follow The Trek , Chaunce , Badger , and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.