View Full Version : Trail Legends
Rockhound
08-27-2009, 18:21
I've heard a lot of talk about trail legends lately. I was just wondering what qualities you all thought someone needs to acquire legend status and who y'all think are deserving of such an honorable title.
Can't wait to see what the answer is on this one................
Big Dawg
08-27-2009, 18:44
Yea... where's the popcorn!
Rockhound
08-27-2009, 18:48
I'm serious here. There should be some sort of criteria in place to be used to measure legendary status.
Earl V. Shaffer .... The Crazy One !!!
Rocket Jones
08-27-2009, 18:52
I'm serious here. There should be some sort of criteria in place to be used to measure legendary status.
Why should there be criteria? That takes away from the legendary status and becomes a checklist of things to accomplish.
One should not want or wish it.
Time and/or Times should matter.
One should not want or wish it.
Rockhound
08-27-2009, 18:54
But without criteria in place any idiot can just start handing out bad advice and call themselves a legend.
sheepdog
08-27-2009, 18:55
A legend should have a good cable connection, over 5,000 posts, outstanding typing skills, and a good quality pc.
Survivor Dave
08-27-2009, 18:55
Earl V. Shaffer .... The Crazy One !!!
Gene Espy.
The last time I checked, none of the Trail legends have ever signed on here.:D
Rocket Jones
08-27-2009, 18:57
There's a difference between a true legend and someone who's a legend in their own mind.
johnnybgood
08-27-2009, 19:04
Before anyone can be given that elite status they first must be good stewards of the trail (ie: abiding by LNT protocol, helping maintain the trail near where they live, ect.) and also be a superb role model in ones own community , volunteering time for worthy endeavors.
Also an extensive knowledge of backpacking through many years of experience while consequently being humble of ones accomplishments.
Not knowing any of you personally I can't possibly say who I might consider worthy of legend status.
I'm sure there are many here that might fit my criteria.
I think it's great there are trail "legends" many of us have never met but they are near and dear to those who are family, friends and those who have met them down the line.
A legend should have a good cable connection, over 5,000 posts, outstanding typing skills, and a good quality pc.
http://www.radicalcareering.com/assets/images/img-clapping.jpg
(Oh crap...I just realized my post count.. Er..I'll shut up now)
Two old threads sum this up: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3721&highlight=%22trail+legends%22 and http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3011&highlight=%22trail+legends%22
The last time I checked, none of the Trail legends have ever signed on here.:D
How about Warren Doyle.
He has hiked something over 30,000 miles on the AT (over 4 decades) and slums around here on occasion.
His contributions go beyond his own walks, of course.
I will note that some of those miles were supported by a van (as he led groups north with an amazingly high completion rate) so one of this web site's more prolific posters won't feel compelled to chime in, simply at the mention of Mr. Doyle's name.
He had a bathtub on the Trail named after him once, until the bureaucrats decided it wasn't in keeping with the spirit of the AT. A fitting memorial, to be sure, for a real Trail legend.
Wise Old Owl
08-27-2009, 19:29
Well Gee a few come to mind wait uhhh is this a pop quiz and are Governors involved? ones that were actually were in Argentina? or does this include folks that really hiked the trail from start to finish like Bill (I didn't do it) Bryson?
Hey pass the damn Jiffy Pop!
sheepdog
08-27-2009, 19:32
Well Gee a few come to mind wait uhhh is this a pop quiz and are Governors involved? ones that were actually were in Argentina? or does this include folks that really hiked the trail from start to finish like Bill (I didn't do it) Bryson?
Hey pass the damn Jiffy Pop!
trail legends not tail legends
Wise Old Owl
08-27-2009, 19:35
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg275/MarkSwarbrick/Image1.jpg
Jack Tarlin
08-27-2009, 19:46
What a fun thread.
I've always maintained that the only Trail legend I ever heard of was the late, great Earl Shaffer.
And sorry, I normally resist trolling, but I can't resist: Rickb, the famous bathtub you refer to above wasn't removed from the Trail by bureaucrats, not was it deemed out of touch with the "spirit" of the A.T. It was instead removed by local people, icluding trail officials and caretakers, who were acting in response to repeated complaints that local kids were discovering and subsequently drinking beer from it.
But if Rick thinks that leaving beer out in the woods so it can be discovered and consumed by minors is a "fitting tribute" or memorial to someone, well there isn't much I can say, except that I sorta think most folks would disagree.
Have a nice day, Rick! :D
Jack has an incomplete understanding of the history of the Warren Doyle Memorial Bathtub, which was installed on the AT along a dirt road in the early 1980's.
It was indeed part of the fun of the Trail, and something of an embodiment to modern-day mantra of "Hike Your own Hike", in a day when the nails that poked up, need not be hammered down.
Warren Doyle is a true Trail Legend-- even if it is true that 80% of his AT miles were supported by a van (this figure was pointed out to me in a most unwelcome private e-mail by a poster who shall go unnamed, please feel free to guess).
And not just for the number of miles. But precisely because he did walk the Trail on his own terms, and continues to do so.
When we are all at some AT function in our 90's the names of few participants on this list will certainly be bantered around. But when our great grand kids are at an AT function long after we are dead, my guess is the list may have been whittled down to just one-- Mr. Doyle.
Alligator
08-27-2009, 20:09
Looks like it is time to move this to the correct forum-Hiking Humor.
But without criteria in place any idiot can just start handing out bad advice and call themselves a legend.
Some may say that happens now....
Lone Wolf
08-27-2009, 20:47
Earl V. Shaffer .... The Crazy One !!!
not even close. he just walked the trail
Lone Wolf
08-27-2009, 20:49
How about Warren Doyle.
He has hiked something over 30,000 miles on the AT (over 4 decades) and slums around here on occasion.
His contributions go beyond his own walks, of course.
I will note that some of those miles were supported by a van (as he led groups north with an amazingly high completion rate) so one of this web site's more prolific posters won't feel compelled to chime in, simply at the mention of Mr. Doyle's name.
He had a bathtub on the Trail named after him once, until the bureaucrats decided it wasn't in keeping with the spirit of the AT. A fitting memorial, to be sure, for a real Trail legend.
he justs hikes a lot. there ain't no trail legends
Lone Wolf
08-27-2009, 20:51
What a fun thread.
I've always maintained that the only Trail legend I ever heard of was the late, great Earl Shaffer.
And sorry, I normally resist trolling, but I can't resist: Rickb, the famous bathtub you refer to above wasn't removed from the Trail by bureaucrats, not was it deemed out of touch with the "spirit" of the A.T. It was instead removed by local people, icluding trail officials and caretakers, who were acting in response to repeated complaints that local kids were discovering and subsequently drinking beer from it.
But if Rick thinks that leaving beer out in the woods so it can be discovered and consumed by minors is a "fitting tribute" or memorial to someone, well there isn't much I can say, except that I sorta think most folks would disagree.
Have a nice day, Rick! :D
BS. warren never put beer in that tub. ever. you never saw it. you're a young pup as far as trail history
saimyoji
08-27-2009, 20:57
i think the only real criteria is impressive manhandling of pork chops. all other qualities pale in comparison.
Survivor Dave
08-27-2009, 22:39
trail legends not tail legends
That's funny right there!
Jim Adams
08-27-2009, 23:35
Before anyone can be given that elite status they first must be good stewards of the trail (ie: abiding by LNT protocol, helping maintain the trail near where they live, ect.) and also be a superb role model in ones own community , volunteering time for worthy endeavors.
Also an extensive knowledge of backpacking through many years of experience while consequently being humble of ones accomplishments.
Not knowing any of you personally I can't possibly say who I might consider worthy of legend status.
I'm sure there are many here that might fit my criteria.
Dan Bruce.
geek
Most all the folks that have been mentioned in this thread are internet legends. Most folks on the trail have never heard of white blaze or the repeat hikers that post here. Jack has hiked abunch awhile back but folks not on white blaze don't know him. I would venture to guess even less know Doyle. I think to be a legend you would have to be known outside of your circle. Wingfoot is probably best known because of his book being around so long. Before wide use of the internet, I heard of Earl Shaffer, Wingfoot, John Muir and Bartram. 2 are legends, 1 was a pioneer and one is whatever you want to call him.
Clyde
The Weasel
08-28-2009, 00:06
This is a topic that's been beaten more than the Detroit Lions. If you're really interested, look it up.
TW
The Mechanical Man
08-28-2009, 01:03
Edward B. Garvey
not even close. he just walked the trail
LW, He may have "just walked", but he is the only one of us with an exhibit in the Smithsonian.
You are right though, he would have hated being called a legend.
I think to be a legend you would have to be known outside of your circle.
Clyde has a point.
But the question wasn't about who is a Legend, it was who is a Trail legend.
The qualifier is important. Nolan Ryan is just a man of course. Many on this list don't know who he is. But he is also a Baseball legend. Even if baseball is just a bunch of grown men playing a game, who would want to argue that point? Some here, perhaps.
Yup. Baseball is only a game and walking the AT 5 miles or 30,000 (and going) is still just walking. Neither activity makes you a saint-- but longevity and records that far surpass your peers do set you apart. Baseball legend. Trail Legend. Why argue the point?
No one is saying that being one is more important than being a good parent, spouse or citizen. Why are so many people (not you Clyde, I am thinking of others) so darn insecure? We should celebrate some of the many different ways people have made the AT parts of their lives, respect their choices and have fun with it in threads like these.
And if you have a a Memorial Bath Tub named for you on the AT, the generations that follow should respect the history and man behind it! Especially if he has walked more of the Trail than any man has before, or likely will again in the future.
jersey joe
08-28-2009, 12:29
To me, a trail legend is someone that is well known by the trail community. I don't think they necessarily need to be well known outside of the trail community. They also need to have done something extrordinary such as; be the first, be the fastest, have hiked the trail a great # of times, have contributed greatly to the trail community.
This is a topic that's been beaten more than the Detroit Lions. If you're really interested, look it up.
TW
if you really don't like it, don't read the thread weasey..:welcome
i would say from what i've heard on the trail this year that this retard named rockhound is a trail legend. but then again, that may have come about by his aspirations to be a tail legend. i swear, if i hear one more sorostitute on the trail gush about this rockhound nutjob, i am absolutely going to freak. "ohmagawd! rockhound! he is SOOO cool!" gag!
Gene Espy.
The last time I checked, none of the Trail legends have ever signed on here.:D
What about Baltimore Jack?
Survivor Dave
08-28-2009, 13:55
What about Baltimore Jack?
Yeah, what about Jack?:D He doesn't think or proclaim he's a legend, only the people here might.
BTW, would someone give Lone Wolf 10 bucks to be a member so he can edit posts please!:D
saimyoji
08-28-2009, 14:38
if you really don't like it, don't read the thread weasey..:welcome
and certainly don't feel the need to poop on it. :rolleyes:
Bulldawg
08-28-2009, 14:40
and certainly don't feel the need to poop on it. :rolleyes:
Speaking of poop........................
Jester2000
08-28-2009, 15:14
Can't wait to see what the answer is on this one................
Although, as already mentioned, you don't really have to wait, as this has been covered and smothered more than Waffle House hash browns.
There's a difference between a true legend and someone who's a legend in their own mind.
If there's a difference between a true legend and someone who's a legend in their own mind, I have yet to figure it out. At least that's what people say about me.
But without criteria in place any idiot can just start handing out bad advice and call themselves a legend.
Well of course I can just start handing out bad advice and call myself a legend. It's as if you think my modus operandi is a bad thing.
modiyooch
08-28-2009, 15:41
I've been hiking awhile, before internet i think, and I seemed to remember a grandmother that hiked the trail in tennis shoes. she was my inspiration. anyone heard of her?
Jack Tarlin
08-28-2009, 17:02
Hey Lone Wolf:
You need to read slower or better.
I'm glad you think I'm a "young pup" in terms of Trail History and you're certainly welcome to think so, but please try and refrain from putting words in my mouth or imputing things to me that I never said. In short, if you're gonna talk about my posts, don't lie about them.
In regards to the famous "historical" bathtub, I never said any particular individual was responsible for filling it or supplying it with beer; I never ascribed this behavior to any one person; I never ever said I witnessed this. Therefore, your outraged "You never saw this happen!" is a little ridiculous. No, I never saw it, but then, I never said I saw it. So don't misquote me. What I said, in a reply to Rick B, who brought the matter up in the first place, is that the "historical" tub we were talking about was removed for good reason by various local authorities who resented people leaving beer out on the Trail for their kids to drink. Whoever left the beer in it is irrelevant. I further commented that this is a sort of unusual monument or trail memorial, tho different folks are welcome to hold different views.
But in my previous post, I was at pains NOT to cite individuals or particular people, as the post wasn't about THEM. It was about something Rick elected to bring up, a roadside curiousity that eventually became a public nuisance. And that's about it.
Sorry to disappoint, Wolf. :D
Last comment: As recently as a few days ago, in another thread dealing with offering Trail Magic in North Georgia, Wolf was all hot and puffy about terrible people anonymously leaving soda pop in streams in Vermont. Wolf thought this was quite an outrageous thing to do.
But I guess doing this sorta thing in Bland, Virginia doesn't get him so steamed, in fact he doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
I wonder if it has anything to do with WHO is associated with the Trail Magic in question.
Seems that in some circumstances, long-standing "historical" trail magic is OK, but in other cases, it absolutely isn't.
Wanna tell us why that is, Wolf? :D
http://students.cup.edu/hou2669/Iamlegend.jpg
Homer&Marje
08-28-2009, 17:12
I've been hiking awhile, before internet i think, and I seemed to remember a grandmother that hiked the trail in tennis shoes. she was my inspiration. anyone heard of her?
Was that Grandma Kay? Of Kay Wood Shelter in MA near Dalton? Pretty sure that's who you're talking of.
There's a great write up about her in the shelter, she has since passed but her husband I believe Grandpa Jim still maintains the shelter...
Lone Wolf
08-28-2009, 17:13
yes jack :D i wasn't hot and puffy at all :D i was questioning who gave the LT festival director permission to bolt a box to a tree for his own personal log book. :D oh and i never said he was terrible mr. i'll-make-stuff-up to sensationalize :rolleyes::D go have another cocktail :D
i think the only real criteria is impressive manhandling of pork chops. all other qualities pale in comparison.
legendary poo packing posts should qualify, no?
Jester2000
08-28-2009, 17:27
Was that Grandma Kay? ...
I think the question was actually in reference to Grandma Gatewood, unless of course they're the same person, in which case I'm an idiot.
I think the question was actually in reference to Grandma Gatewood, unless of course they're the same person, in which case I'm an idiot.
While we haven't met, I, for one, don't think you are an idiot. But your legendary full-sized, stand-up poster like-ness could be mistaken for an idiot. :D
I think the question was actually in reference to Grandma Gatewood, unless of course they're the same person, in which case I'm an idiot.
If you are an idiot, we must praise you for being an idiot?
Jester2000
08-28-2009, 17:41
If you are an idiot, we must praise you for being an idiot?
Well, we can at least say that I should be praised for the spectacular nature of the kind of idiocy I usually display. In this case, though, it would be the more pedestrian kind of idiocy.
Cookerhiker
08-28-2009, 17:43
We all have our own ideas of who are "Trail Legends." What is a Trail Legend? Is it the same as Trail Hero? To me, Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery are heroes despite their mutual emnity. My other heroes include Ed Garvey, Dave Field, Chuck Rinaldi and Dave Startzel. All of the recipients of the ATC's Honorary Life Memberships (including WB's Weary) are also heroes.
Yet while many others may share my respect for these folks, I somehow suspect they don't make many Legends lists. It seems any WB discussion will result in Legends who are best known by virtue of their posts (i.e. presence on WB) or hikes they lead or books they write or how often they show up at hiker events. Nothing necessarily wrong with that but there will never be consensus on who's a Legend or not. Personally, I consider Earl Shaffer and Gene Espy as legends but again, would they be if they hadn't written books?
I would also assert that a legends list from WBers would differ from a Legends list from ATC members which in turn varies from a Legends list from thruhikers. In each year's thruhiking class, thruhikers attain "legendary" status among their peers but no one else may have heard of them unless they read Trail Journals all the time.
Legendary vacationers. Go figure. :rolleyes:
saimyoji
08-28-2009, 19:13
legendary poo packing posts should qualify, no?
**** no. thats just nasty.
saimyoji
08-28-2009, 19:17
Hey Lone Wolf:
You need to read slower or better.
I'm glad you think I'm a "young pup" in terms of Trail History and you're certainly welcome to think so, but please try and refrain from putting words in my mouth or imputing things to me that I never said. In short, if you're gonna talk about my posts, don't lie about them.
In regards to the famous "historical" bathtub, I never said any particular individual was responsible for filling it or supplying it with beer; I never ascribed this behavior to any one person; I never ever said I witnessed this. Therefore, your outraged "You never saw this happen!" is a little ridiculous. No, I never saw it, but then, I never said I saw it. So don't misquote me. What I said, in a reply to Rick B, who brought the matter up in the first place, is that the "historical" tub we were talking about was removed for good reason by various local authorities who resented people leaving beer out on the Trail for their kids to drink. Whoever left the beer in it is irrelevant. I further commented that this is a sort of unusual monument or trail memorial, tho different folks are welcome to hold different views.
But in my previous post, I was at pains NOT to cite individuals or particular people, as the post wasn't about THEM. It was about something Rick elected to bring up, a roadside curiousity that eventually became a public nuisance. And that's about it.
Sorry to disappoint, Wolf. :D
Last comment: As recently as a few days ago, in another thread dealing with offering Trail Magic in North Georgia, Wolf was all hot and puffy about terrible people anonymously leaving soda pop in streams in Vermont. Wolf thought this was quite an outrageous thing to do.
But I guess doing this sorta thing in Bland, Virginia doesn't get him so steamed, in fact he doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
I wonder if it has anything to do with WHO is associated with the Trail Magic in question.
Seems that in some circumstances, long-standing "historical" trail magic is OK, but in other cases, it absolutely isn't.
Wanna tell us why that is, Wolf? :D
don't worry jack. you got my vote on the pork chop issue. :D
modiyooch
08-28-2009, 19:31
I think the question was actually in reference to Grandma Gatewood, That's it! Grandma Gatewood was the first woman to thru hike the AT in 1955 at the age of 67 wearing Keds.
Gatewood hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1955 at the age of 67, wearing Keds (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Keds_(shoes)) sneakers and carrying an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain which she carried in a homemade bag slung over one shoulder, thus making her a pioneer of Ultralight backpacking (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Ultralight_backpacking).
She hiked it again in 1960 and then again at age 75 in 1963, making her the first person to hike the trail three times (though her final hike was completed in sections).[2] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-Sierra-1) She is also credited with being the oldest female thru-hiker by the Appalachian Trail Conference (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Appalachian_Trail_Conference)
Now, that's a legend!!!
the "historical" tub we were talking about was removed for good reason by various local authorities who resented people leaving beer out on the Trail for their kids to drink.
This is simply not true. This story has been created out of whole cloth.
The important thing with respect to this thread however, is that the Warren Doyle Memorial Bathtub was sited over 25 years ago, in a day when Mr. Doyle had already solidified his historical status in AT lore with a record number of thru hikes.
In the years that followed, his legend only grew as he piled up over 30,000 miles along the AT. This of course eclipses any other hiker that has come before or since. And is likely a record that will never be matched.
Other people have been more important to the creation and preservation of the AT, of course. But when it comes to hiking, there is a Tiger Woods of our woods. And that would be Mr. Doyle.
His record does not diminish that of others in any way. Blind hikers have created their own legendary mark. So have old hikers, fast hikers and hikers who insist that miles only count if you have a pack on your back while making them. Only an idiot would suggest that Doyle's records are the only ones that matter. But it is remarkable, especially since like Tiger, he keeps going. Could Doyle do a thru hike in each of 5 decades? I wouldn't bet against it.
As for the tub, well, that is just a footnote. I can certainly understand why other are jealous. We won't see another one of those again either!
Survivor Dave
08-28-2009, 19:44
I guess the way I look at it is if you have your gear on display like Gene Espy at Amicalola Falls State Park or another recognized Appalachian Trail facility, that would qualify you as a Trail Legend.
It's not how many times you've hiked the Trail, how fast or how old, it's how OTHERS see you as giving back to the Trail.
Like I said, the ones that I consider Legends don't post here, they let there actions speak for themselves. They don't create trouble on web sites, they just hike, give back, and practice a genuine humility.
Cool AT Breeze
08-28-2009, 20:16
That's it! Grandma Gatewood was the first woman to thru hike the AT in 1955 at the age of 67 wearing Keds.
Gatewood hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1955 at the age of 67, wearing Keds (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Keds_(shoes)) sneakers and carrying an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain which she carried in a homemade bag slung over one shoulder, thus making her a pioneer of Ultralight backpacking (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Ultralight_backpacking).
She hiked it again in 1960 and then again at age 75 in 1963, making her the first person to hike the trail three times (though her final hike was completed in sections).[2] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-Sierra-1) She is also credited with being the oldest female thru-hiker by the Appalachian Trail Conference (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Appalachian_Trail_Conference)
Now, that's a legend!!!
Earl said she was a yellow blazer. I still liked her style.
Cedar Tree
08-28-2009, 20:20
i would say from what i've heard on the trail this year that this retard named rockhound is a trail legend. but then again, that may have come about by his aspirations to be a tail legend. i swear, if i hear one more sorostitute on the trail gush about this rockhound nutjob, i am absolutely going to freak. "ohmagawd! rockhound! he is SOOO cool!" gag!
Rockhound is a very cool.
Cedar Tree
This is simply not true. This story has been created out of whole cloth.
The important thing with respect to this thread however, is that the Warren Doyle Memorial Bathtub was sited over 25 years ago, in a day when Mr. Doyle had already solidified his historical status in AT lore with a record number of thru hikes.
In the years that followed, his legend only grew as he piled up over 30,000 miles along the AT. This of course eclipses any other hiker that has come before or since. And is likely a record that will never be matched.
Other people have been more important to the creation and preservation of the AT, of course. But when it comes to hiking, there is a Tiger Woods of our woods. And that would be Mr. Doyle.
His record does not diminish that of others in any way. Blind hikers have created their own legendary mark. So have old hikers, fast hikers and hikers who insist that miles only count if you have a pack on your back while making them. Only an idiot would suggest that Doyle's records are the only ones that matter. But it is remarkable, especially since like Tiger, he keeps going. Could Doyle do a thru hike in each of 5 decades? I wouldn't bet against it.
As for the tub, well, that is just a footnote. I can certainly understand why other are jealous. We won't see another one of those again either!
Seiko hiked about 14 times didn't he. That's 30,000. And he carried a pack. You might want to ease up just a touch. Folks might get the wrong idea about you and Warren.
Clyde
modiyooch
08-28-2009, 21:28
Earl said she was a yellow blazer. I still liked her style.why would he say that?
modiyooch
08-28-2009, 21:51
I actually researched the Earl Shaffer comment about Gatewood. some heard him make this comment when he was 80 something and he said it was based on a hike he did at the same time. My research doesn't show them on the trail at the same time. Grandma Gatewood was 1955, 60 & 63
Earl was 1948, 65 and 98 how many thrus did Earl have?
The article did say that Gatewood's third hike was in sections. Maybe this is what he is referring to. That doesn't make her a fraud, or have anything to do with her accomplishment in 1955 or 1960
With all due respect to Earl, Gatewood is still my hero.
If you did the AT 20 times and only did EVERST 1 time,folks will look at the big E.
warraghiyagey
08-28-2009, 23:22
Lone Wolf is the ONLY trail legend. . . .
I think he would disrespectfully disagree. :rolleyes:
warraghiyagey
08-28-2009, 23:58
I think he would disrespectfully disagree. :rolleyes:
I also think that. . . ;)
If you did the AT 20 times and only did EVERST 1 time,folks will look at the big E. You gotta watch out for those big E lookers! You might forget about the time you did the AT 20 times.:sun
ed,It's the 25# bass in the weeds i lost...plus that 400# bear that stole my food on the AT that get's me mad.:D
The Weasel
08-29-2009, 01:58
It's just fascinating how every time this topic comes up, the same people suggest the same people, and the same disputes end up with the same disagreements.
Builds post numbers, I suppose.
TW
Lone Wolf
08-29-2009, 02:03
This is simply not true. This story has been created out of whole cloth.
The important thing with respect to this thread however, is that the Warren Doyle Memorial Bathtub was sited over 25 years ago, in a day when Mr. Doyle had already solidified his historical status in AT lore with a record number of thru hikes.
In the years that followed, his legend only grew as he piled up over 30,000 miles along the AT. This of course eclipses any other hiker that has come before or since. And is likely a record that will never be matched.
Other people have been more important to the creation and preservation of the AT, of course. But when it comes to hiking, there is a Tiger Woods of our woods. And that would be Mr. Doyle.
His record does not diminish that of others in any way. Blind hikers have created their own legendary mark. So have old hikers, fast hikers and hikers who insist that miles only count if you have a pack on your back while making them. Only an idiot would suggest that Doyle's records are the only ones that matter. But it is remarkable, especially since like Tiger, he keeps going. Could Doyle do a thru hike in each of 5 decades? I wouldn't bet against it.
As for the tub, well, that is just a footnote. I can certainly understand why other are jealous. We won't see another one of those again either!
i had a soda outa that tub
Lone Wolf
08-29-2009, 02:05
Seiko hiked about 14 times didn't he. That's 30,000. And he carried a pack. You might want to ease up just a touch. Folks might get the wrong idea about you and Warren.
Clyde
no. not true
Lone Wolf
08-29-2009, 02:07
Lone Wolf is the ONLY trail legend. . . .
no. just the biggest a-hole. pithy at that
Rockhound is a very cool.
Cedar Tree
rockhound is a very cool cedar tree??:confused:
no. just the biggest a-hole. pithy at that
no! :D
The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.
Rockhound,
You hiking this year or just working at Standing Bear?
I need another DVD for the hostel !!:D
vonfrick
08-29-2009, 13:07
i would say from what i've heard on the trail this year that this retard named rockhound is a trail legend. but then again, that may have come about by his aspirations to be a tail legend. i swear, if i hear one more sorostitute on the trail gush about this rockhound nutjob, i am absolutely going to freak. "ohmagawd! rockhound! he is SOOO cool!" gag!
you mean THE rockhound???
you mean THE rockhound???
yes! that's the one! he's so cool!
vonfrick
08-29-2009, 13:19
yes! that's the one! he's so cool!
do you know him??? really?? i hope someday i run into him on the trail!!
vonfrick
08-29-2009, 13:39
i heard he hikes nekkid
just through towns in maine
just through towns in maine
with the most legendary nekkid hiker who doesn't really exist, some say
Blue Jay
08-29-2009, 16:02
A legend is an unverifiable popular story from the past. Since I created the entire AT including the Blue Ridge Mountains with my blue ox Babe, I am the Ultimate Trail Legend (alright Lone Wolf helped a little).
Bilge Rat
08-29-2009, 16:03
Like I said, the ones that I consider Legends don't post here, they let there actions speak for themselves. They don't create trouble on web sites, they just hike, give back, and practice a genuine humility.
Agreed............This thread can be closed now........:D
warraghiyagey
08-29-2009, 16:09
you mean THE rockhound???
yes! that's the one! he's so cool!
Is this the same Rockhound that burned down half the Hermitage, stole the Kennebec ferry canoe and hiked last year under the moniker 'Cubby 08' while carving dirty pics in all the shelters in the northeast? That Rockhound?
Is this the same Rockhound that burned down half the Hermitage, stole the Kennebec ferry canoe and hiked last year under the moniker 'Cubby 08' while carving dirty pics in all the shelters in the northeast? That Rockhound?
that would be the one...
just through towns in maine
"maine street" even?
vonfrick
08-29-2009, 19:31
"maine street" even?
you don't become legendary by walking down side streets, that would be too much like blue-blazing, which everyone knows is cheating
That's it! Grandma Gatewood was the first woman to thru hike the AT in 1955 at the age of 67 wearing Keds.
I thought Peace Pilgrim was the 1st woman to thru-hike the trail in 1952?
A little more research....
In 1952, the year before she began the pilgrimage, Peace Pilgrim, then known as Mildred Norman Ryder, set out on another memorable journey. On April 26th of that year, in the company of fellow Philadelphian Richard Lamb, Mildred began the 2050 mile walk north from Mt. Oglethorp in Georgia toward Mt. Katahdin, in northern Maine. By the time she completed the journey in October of that year she would become the first woman to walk the entire length of the Appalachian Trail (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/) in one season. She and Dick also became the first hikers to complete a "flip-flop" transit of the AT - first walking north to the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, then traveling by car or bus to Katahdin and walking south to the point at which the left off. On the way back they made a small 165 mile detour and also hiked the northern half of the Long Trail (http://www.greenmountainclub.org/ltb.htm) in Vermont from the point where the two trails diverge mid state. They then returned to central Vermont and completed their journey south on the AT.
So, even though she hiked the entire trail, and the northern half of the LT to boot, to some (not me) it may not technically be called a thru-hike since she flip-flopped.
Ox97GaMe
08-29-2009, 23:44
If you go back through history, there are few 'legends' that obtain that title while they are living.
There are trail figures that almost every hiker has heard of, like Baltimore Jack, Lone Wolf, Earl Shaffer, Benton MacKaye, Gene Espy. Does this make them legends?
There are folks that are known for their accentuated traits, such as Bob Peoples for diligence to the trail and the hiking community; Bjorn for his ravenous appetite; SnoreBear for rattling the rafters of a shelter (while sleepng in his tent 50 yards away); Squeaky or Flying Brian for pushing the limits of distance over time. Does this make them legends?
There are folks that have hiked tens of thousands of miles on the AT and other trails. Does this make them legends?
The true judge of whether someone is or will become a legend is time. If folks are still talking about you for the same reasons 20 years later, you probably are starting to get to the legendary status.
warraghiyagey
08-30-2009, 00:19
The true judge of whether someone is or will become a legend is time. If folks are still talking about you for the same reasons 20 years later, you probably are starting to get to the legendary status.
Or notorious. . . .
There are folks that have hiked tens of thousands of miles on the AT and other trails. Does this make them legends?
Yes... legendary vacationers. :rolleyes:
no. just the biggest a-hole. pithy at that
Not the biggest.
modiyooch
08-30-2009, 08:02
grandma gatewood vs pilgrim peace
it does sound like a technicality. I guess grandma was the first to do it alone. Anyway, they asked for legends, and this is the first time since I was a kid that I even recalled Grandma Gatewood. She was an insiration for me. There was almost zero resources for me other than backpacker magazine in the late 70s. (I still have these magazine copies)
both fro wiki:
PP: In 1952, she became the first woman to walk the entire length of the Appalachian Trail (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Appalachian_Trail) in one season
GG: (1955) who was the first woman to hike the 2,168-mile (3,489 km) Appalachian Trail (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Appalachian_Trail) from Mount Oglethorpe (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Mount_Oglethorpe) in Georgia (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)) to Mount Katahdin (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Mount_Katahdin) in Maine (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Maine) solo, and in one season.
Jester2000
08-30-2009, 14:51
. . . Like I said, the ones that I consider Legends don't post here, they let there actions speak for themselves. They don't create trouble on web sites, they just hike, give back, and practice a genuine humility.
. . .and while there is truth to that generally, there must be an exception to every rule, and that exception is me.
Earl said she was a yellow blazer. I still liked her style.
why would he say that?
I actually researched the Earl Shaffer comment about Gatewood. some heard him make this comment when he was 80 something and he said it was based on a hike he did at the same time. My research doesn't show them on the trail at the same time. Grandma Gatewood was 1955, 60 & 63
Earl was 1948, 65 and 98 how many thrus did Earl have?
The article did say that Gatewood's third hike was in sections. Maybe this is what he is referring to. That doesn't make her a fraud, or have anything to do with her accomplishment in 1955 or 1960
With all due respect to Earl, Gatewood is still my hero.
This was covered in a previous thread on the same topic. I was there at Ironmasters when Earl made this comment. He never claimed that it was based on a thru-hike he was doing at the same time.
He referred to hiking around her in the same direction, being ahead of her, and having her arrive in town before him numerous times. Whether it is true or not is open to speculation, I suppose. But what is not in doubt is how hilarious the stunned silence in the room was when he said it.
As an aside, he didn't bring it up himself. He was asked what female thru-hiker he respected the most, and someone suggested Gatewood. It was at that point that he called her a fraud and explained why.