Twenty years ago, the growing popularity of cellphones began to show up on hiking trails, and emergency personnel became concerned people were setting out for the wilderness unprepared, relying on their phone if they got into trouble.

That concern continues today and along with it, according to some longtime hikers, comes a broader change in the philosophy of some younger hikers on how they approach hiking.

A recent Associated Press article highlights those changes, some of which are causing problems on the Appalachian Trail in Maine and specifically in Baxter State Park, raising the potential for ending the AT in a different location.

Bob Baribeau of Bethel, a member of the Mahoosuc Mountains Rescue Team, has been a hiker for decades and has seen — and rescued — recreationists.

“There has been a shift in the outlook toward the wilderness,” he said. In the past, many hikers sought time in the woods for solitude and to get closer to nature. Today, he said, “It’s morphed into more of a social scene, a hike with a group.”

The social scene on the trails has also moved to social media, he said, as some hikers take frequent “selfies” with their phones to share.

There is also a tendency among some, he said, to navigate using maps on a cellphone, or GPS, a practice that he said can be risky. When hikers do get into trouble, he said, they may be quicker to call for help than in the past. They may also be less likely to follow the basic rules of what to do when lost, such as stay put and wait for help.

“We see incidents today that we never would have seen 15 years ago,” he said.

Baribeau said some of those behaviors may be the result of people who “seize on the idea” of an adventurous hike, buy the equipment and get out on the trail without the necessary experience.

“That’s versus people who started hiking young, with their family, and slowly went through the steps of learning,” he said.

Some of today’s hikers, said Baribeau, “are less experienced and able to make common-sense decisions. They are less aware of what it takes to be self-reliant.”

Whether it’s because of a different attitude or an overall increase in the number of hikers, or perhaps both, Baribeau said there has also been a change in how the AT wilderness is treated. “There’s more ‘stuff’ on the trails, more things left in the lean-tos,” he said.

As for the possibility of ending the AT somewhere other than Mount Katahdin, Baribeau said, “Too few AT hikers cherish Katahdin as we do in Maine. To some it is a sacred mountain, a place of great majesty and power. Although it would be unfortunate to terminate the AT before the summit of this great mountain, that step may be necessary.”

Another longtime hiker, Norm Greenberg of Bethel, echoed some of Baribeau’s observations. He said that in working with Outward Bound, he has encountered young people who have generally spent less time outside than in the past, because of the popularity of computer games and social media. Therefore, he said, when they participate in an Outward Bound program there is more of an adjustment for them.

“But once they do have the experience, because it’s so different, they’re really blown away by it,” he said, and they value the accomplishment of getting to the top of a mountain hike because of the hard work it takes.

He also said some young hikers may need to be reminded to pick up litter.

Greenberg also noted there has been a growing tendency for hikers to travel light and fast to cover more territory, which may leave them less prepared if they encounter difficulties.

Baribeau stresses there are also positives on today’s trails. Despite the changing attitudes among some hikers, he said, the accomplishments of the new generation are just as impressive as those of their predecessors. “You have to give them credit for their stamina,” he said.

And, Baribeau said, those same hikers are often just as willing to help in a rescue situation. “They are most happy to assist,” he said. And many hikers are trained in advanced first aid and provide help to others, he said.

Baribeau also said there have been overall gains in hiker awareness over the years.

“Generally hikers are more informed about conservation and the wilderness in general, subjects that affect hikers like trail closings, trail maintenance, the environment, and public lands both state and national,” he said. “Hikers are organized and vocal about preserving the land and borders of the Appalachian Trail. Also, the ‘Leave no Trace’ ethic is followed by some and catching on with others, and this is a very positive development. I just returned from Baxter State Park and observed many hikers who showed a profound and obvious respect for the park and Governor Baxter’s legacy to the state.”