I'll try my best to get this one right:

A couple of years (+/-) ago, a north bound hiker set off from Overmountain Shelter, alone, just after those African Longhorn Cows were brought up to Hump Mountain. (He didn't know about this by the way.) The mist was so thick that it was difficult to see very far ahead (i know the feeling) as he made his way up.
The mist moved around and allowed some views form time to time. Onward he went and as he neared the top, he looked up, to see only the head and horns of a big bull......no body.......no other sight......just the big head of this bull. They say he "turned and ran" back to overmountain shelter where some other hikers remained. He was asked what in the world had happened. He replied: "I have just seen the devil himself and i think he's after me". I was told he didn't go back until the mist had cleared and he was with the other hikers.....;)

There is a large plastic bucket in the laundry room at Kincora that was being used by a 'not too swift' hiker to carry all his gear. Bob, being the considerate person that he is, convinced the guy that he really needed that bucket and would be more than willing to trade him a surplus backpack for it. The guy gladly traded and continued his trip with a real pack and Bob got a really nice bucket!

Wow, what a great idea for a thread. I love the bucket story!

As you know, Bob is always out doing trail maintenance. A lot of times hikers will come by and ask what he is doing. One of his standard answers is, "Oh, the ATC determined this section of the trail doesn't have enough PUDs. So, I am doing my best to add a few more." He said usually that would give the hikers a good laugh. But occasionally a hiker would think he was serious and get very upset.

-Tank

...Bob says he really had the fella going on the bucket deal. Seems Bob had advance notice he was coming in and had procured a backpack ahead of time. When bucket guy showed up and asked if he could stay, Bob said he needed that bucket (i think before ever saying he had a bunk or not..). This confused and alarmed him, especially after Bob repeated that he really needed that bucket. Before the fella bolted (thinking Bob was off his rocker) Bob said he'd trade him a backpack for that bucket...and he did just that. Bob still has the bucket and I believe the guy made it to Maine and sent Bob a card that year.
:)

The bucket belonged to Screamer(hiked in 2000), it held his food. He really was homeles, not just "hiker" homeless. A good guy. Other hikers told Bob about Screamer before Screamer got there, left a "guard" at the crossing to make sure Screamer got to Kincora. The bucket was exchanged for the pack and a lot of work done around the place. He collected beverage cans in Hot Springs for the Jesuits. I know another hiker that gave him his extra pair of socks at a shelter around Hot Springs, since he had none with his sneakers. Before Bob gave him the pack he carried his belongings rolled up in a plastic sheet.
Screamer was also an example of how little you need to carry on the trail and it's still possible to hike in cotton clothes like blue jeans.

That's the beauty of the AT, the colorful characters you meet on it! It's why I like it.

..............

I followed "Ramkitten's" journal in 2000, along with a few other journals, and really got hooked on her writing. She has a way of pulling you into the trip with her and her hiking friends. Anyway, she wrote a short story about Screamer and her experiences with him. It's quite a good story on the "total trail experience" and she was awarded second prize in the 2003 Arizona Literary Contest for "Screamer". In her journal in TJ 2000, she first met him in the Smokies. You can read her story at, www.debralauman.com/screamer.shtml (http://www.debralauman.com/screamer.shtml) Enjoy.
Rancid

Rancid,


Thanks for sharing the link to the "Screamer" story. Good read, exemplary of the AT community.

Amazing. Brought tears to my eyes. Guess there is more than one way to be homeless, yet rich in other ways. Little Bear 2 CT

Bob told us of an interview (at Kincora) in which the interviewer asked hikers why they hiked the Appalachian Trail. One of (or maybe the) first questioned replied "for the credibility". The interviewer asked him to explain and he, again, replied "for the credibility". Seems the interviewer looked at Bob for help but Bob didn't have a clue. Interviewer went on to others and finished up. Before he left he just had to get an explaination from credibility guy.

He came over and asked him (without camera/mic) just what he meant by the credibility thing....and it went something like this:

"well, I just hiked the PCT and I didn't get the credibility I needed, so I thought I would hike the whole AT and then, maybe, get the credibility I need to convince the Chinese embassy to issue me the visa to go to China to be the first person to hike the Great Wall of China...". I asked Bob if he made it and got his visa. He didn't know if he ever got that visa..........