Hikers behaving badly: Appalachian Trail partying causing headaches

BAXTER STATE PARK, Maine — The sharp rise in the number people using the Appalachian Trail is causing headaches for officials, who say they’re dealing with more problems along the more than 2,000-mile footpath than ever.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says more than 830 people completed the 2,189-mile hike last year, up from just 182 in 1990. At Maine’s Baxter State Park, home to the final summit of Mount Katahdin, the number of registered long-distance hikers grew from 359