View Full Version : Attitudes you came across that you didnt like from other hikers
Please share a few with us, so we know what to avoid and how not to have them.
Examples like certain hikers attitudes towards hikers asking for room at a shelter when its full.
Thanks
chknfngrs
04-13-2005, 07:58
was on a quick loop in SNP two days ago, came across a gent hiking northbound (I was SOBO) in the N. District of the Park. I greeted him with a nice "Good Morning" to his reply "Fecken Fecker F..." or something like this. I think I ruined his wilderness moment, but it ticked me off to hear such a reply.
SGT Rock
04-13-2005, 08:51
When their dogs get aggressive and they act like it is your fault their dog is going off on you.
Tramper Al
04-13-2005, 09:09
To be honest, by far the worst attitudes I have encountered among 'hikers' has been here on Whiteblaze. Just a few bad apples, mind you, but still far more offensive or unkind than anyone I have ever encountered on the trail.
As for the vast majority of you here, well thanks for your help and kindness - praise be to Whiteblaze.
I agree.
Definitely anyone who tells me not to worry about the dog running at me me full speed because, "he wont hurt you".
Given what I can look like in the woods, some of those people probably have an even bigger beef with my attitude when I've responded with exacty the same line, but in the first person.
When their dogs get aggressive and they act like it is your fault their dog is going off on you.
I always encounter those dog owners that are "TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS" to their pet's mis-behavior.
Hey Tramper AL...
NO "BAD APPLES" on WHiteBlaze....just different, unique, & sometimes highly opinionated personalities here! hehehehhehehehehehe :D
see ya'll out there: APR 28-May 20 Hot Springs,NC-Pearisburg,VA
Kerosene
04-13-2005, 10:01
1) Hikers who pass without offering any form of greeting.
2) Folks who stop to greet you and won't stop talking!
3) People who have a problem with moving their gear to give you room when you arrive at the shelter.
4) People who arrive at a shelter well after dark when everyone else is asleep and make a racket cooking and bedding down.
5) People who insist on shining their flashlight in your eyes well before dawn as they break camp.
Of course, I've never let any of this bother me for more than a few minutes!
Stoker53
04-13-2005, 10:02
Elitist behavior by more experienced hikers toward those w/less experience causes me issues. I have seen it countless times.....the newbie sits fumbling with his brand new stove...wet and shivering while the "pro" sits on his shelter bunk, with a hot drink watching the newbie with a smug smile.
I really believe that those with the most experience are tasked with the "gentle" education ( not delivered from a soapbox ) of their fellow hikers. A simple offer of assistance / guidance can do wonders. Your advice may not be wanted or taken but at least you made an effort.
Share what you have learned....as often as you can.
Youngblood
04-13-2005, 10:15
Elitist behavior by more experienced hikers toward those w/less experience causes me issues. I have seen it countless times.....the newbie sits fumbling with his brand new stove...wet and shivering while the "pro" sits on his shelter bunk, with a hot drink watching the newbie with a smug smile. ...You may be looking at his all wrong. First, the smug smile may be because this is bringing back memories of when they were the ones wet and shivering. Second, the newbie may be doing just fine and going through the learning experience just like everyelse does. Third, the experienced hiker probably would say something or jump in if the newbie was in danger or wasn't able to take care of it himself (or herself). Fourth, the experienced hiker may not know anything about the stove the newbie is using.
Youngblood
Stoker53
04-13-2005, 10:31
YB....you make very valid points. I sure remember the wet and shivering myself. ;)
Letting folks figure things out for themselves is prefered. The last thing a newbie needs is an overbearing shelter/camp mate .....but I have witnessed many GSWNP shelter occurances that did not fit into situations you describe.
Most occurances have been in the winter. It is not common but it does happen.
Youngblood
04-13-2005, 10:39
YB....you make very valid points. I sure remember the wet and shivering myself. ;)
Letting folks figure things out for themselves is prefered. The last thing a newbie needs is an overbearing shelter/camp mate .....but I have witnessed many GSWNP shelter occurances that did not fit into situations you describe.
Most occurances have been in the winter. It is not common but it does happen.Stoker... I see where you are coming from... simple little mistakes that we can laugh about in moderate weather are not the same when the weather is more extreme, they can be down right dangerous.
Youngblood
max patch
04-13-2005, 10:41
Thru-hikers telling section hikers in the SNP that thru-hikers have priority to shelter space.
Thru-hikers drinking alcohol in the Church hostels in Manchester and Hanover (sitting in the pews in the sanctuary) despite posted hostel rules that alcohol was prohibited in the premises. No surprise that we lost these facilities.
Thru-hikers sitting and talking (and watching!) while the Preacher swept the floor in the hikers room at the Manchester Church hostel.
Hikers talking about gear (gearheads), especially after a couple hundred miles should have cured them of their delusions.
Hikers who know the True, and only, way to to hike the AT. For example, if you get up at 6 am, you're doing it wrong. If you hike until 8 pm, you're doing something wrong. If you don't pass every white blaze, you're doing something wrong.
Hikers who want me to stop and talk to them. For example, hikers who stopped early at a shelter and are lonely. However, the most common annoyance in this category is usually caused by non-hikers. That is, people who want to know if you're a thruhiker, as if they would be meeting a rockstar or something.
Now, I should say that by the time I reached, say, NJ, last summer I was in front of most of the thruhikers and these things ceased. It was only when I was moving through the main group on my section hike that I found these things common. From NJ on, the people I met were almost all quality.
Youngblood
04-13-2005, 11:11
Thru-hikers telling section hikers in the SNP that thru-hikers have priority to shelter space.
Thru-hikers drinking alcohol in the Church hostels in Manchester and Hanover (sitting in the pews in the sanctuary) despite posted hostel rules that alcohol was prohibited in the premises. No surprise that we lost these facilities.
Thru-hikers sitting and talking (and watching!) while the Preacher swept the floor in the hikers room at the Manchester Church hostel.
Max... how is your sense of humor this morning? Whose definition of "thru-hiker" are you using... are you implying that blue blazers are above such behavior?
See the problem with some of these definitions: its not right to call folks thru-hikers in one statement and then say they aren't really thru-hikers in another.
Youngblood
alanthealan
04-13-2005, 11:17
Elitist behavior by more experienced hikers toward those w/less experience causes me issues. I have seen it countless times.....the newbie sits fumbling with his brand new stove...wet and shivering while the "pro" sits on his shelter bunk, with a hot drink watching the newbie with a smug smile.
Somtimes you just have to do something a few times untill the fingers respond the right way it isn't something you can break down verbaly. Some people have that smug smile becuase thier most likly remembering when they were in the same state. However I hear what your saying some folks just think they are the only one who belong on the trail.
People who repeat what was already said becuase they responed to a post before they read the rest of the thread grate me.:)
I don't think it's just thru-hikers that have the "I am entitled to this shelter" mind set. Seems everyone has this idea. As for being disturbed while staying at a shelter, isn't it self evident that people will impose on each other. Is it that they're waking you up or are you in thier way? Depends who you ask. Try sleeping in a 75 man compartment in racks for six months on a ship, you learn to deal with the close quarters.
BlackCloud
04-13-2005, 11:30
Several years ago I was hiking a spur off the AT in SNP when I saw 2 asians carrying out 2, 5 gallon buckets full of mushrooms; that pissed me off. About a mile later I ran into an older caucasian couple sitting, drinking some water. I asked if they had a cell phone.
"No, why", she asked. I told them that there were two people behind me illegally harvasting mushrooms out of the park & that I wanted to call park dispatch (believe me, some ranger salivate at these kinds of violations).
Well, the man, now angry, got up, threw open his small satchell, and revealed dozens of his own plucked mushrooms.
"You going to call the police on me to?" he demanded.
I informed him that it was illegal.
"Have you ever tasted these mushrooms? Do you know how good they are?
"No"
"Then you don't know what you're talking about!"
I turned and left.......:datz
Footslogger
04-13-2005, 11:52
I agree.
Definitely anyone who tells me not to worry about the dog running at me me full speed because, "he wont hurt you".
=========================================
In principle I concur that being charged full speed by a dog that is the size of a small horse and being told not to worry because "he's really friendly" is bad karma.
But this specific example brought back a memory from my thru in 2003 that goes to show you that things aren't always the way they seem. I was hiking along next to the Housatonic on that 4 - 5 mile stretch of trail leading into Salisbury. Easy walking and nothing to jump up and trip me so I was zoning big time. Out of the blue came this enormous dog ...running full tilt right at me. I heard a voice (but couldn't see the person) say ..."don't worry, he's harmless". Regardless, I braced for the attack and had my trekking poles positioned to harpoon the beast at the first sign of aggression.
Long story short, the dog put on the brakes about 3 or 4 feet before he got to me. His mouth dropped open and his tail started wagging. Once my heart rate was back down within normal limits I noticed a lady walking up behind the dog. It was the owner and she apologized profusely. After a brief dialogue about the AT she indicated that her son had hiked the trail in 1996 and she and her husband had always wanted to do something to "pay back" all the courtesies he was shown along the way. She gave me their home phone number and offered me a place to stay (if I was so inclined) when I got to Salisbury. A few hours later, after getting to town and picking up my mail drop I called that number and to my surprise the lady answered. She and her husband drove into town, picked me up and gave me a room in their house for the night.
Now ...am I still averse to being charged by over exhuberant dogs on the trail, with the owners in the background hollering ..."Not to Worry" ??? ...You're damn skippy !! But in this particular case it all turned out for the good and ended up being just one more random act of kindness extended to me during my thru-hike.
'Slogger
Posted tthis on PCT-L, think it applies to all trails.
I think my biggest pet peeve are hikers who think they are entitled to special treatment. All worship the Thru-hiker God! Sorry..being a thru-hiker does not entitle you to special treatment. It is our choice to walk for 5 months or whatever. Does not excuse a lack of manners. (And, to be fair, it is not just among thru-hikers. Seems a common thread nowadays among people who views themselves as "elite". Be it in sports, be it by money, be it by upbringing, etc.) Ok..enough of my pet peeve/rant! :)
**************************************
I'll just say something to all the hikers who are able to enjoy the generosity of people who host on the trails:
Always say "Please".
Always say "Thank you".
If you make a mess at a place, be sure to clean up after yourself.
If the hostel says no drugs, alcohol or pets then please don't use drugs or alcohol or bring in your pet. Places where hikers stay have been closed down because of these abuses. OTOH, if you can drink a beer, well then at least make sure it is a good one. :)
(Sierra Nevada on the PCT, Long Trail Ale on the AT, Fat Tire on the CDT. )
Remember that being able to stay at a person's home or public facility (e.g. a fire station or church) is a priviledge and not a right. Act as a guest, not as "lord of the manor".
At the end of your trek, sending a "thank you" card is always a good thing to do.
Just my .05 worth...
So As for being disturbed while staying at a shelter, isn't it self evident that people will impose on each other. Is it that they're waking you up or are you in thier way?
It is why I generally avoided shelters when I hiked back East. Sledom (as in maybe 5x) used them on weekend trips; avoided them on the LT trips and my AT thru if the shelter was going to be full and/or it was a weekend.
Easier to adjust my behavior (camping away from shelters) than to kvetch about the behavior that I encounter at shelters. Public areas are, well, public! Farting, snoring, partying, noises, people coming and going at all hours...all part of the "fun" of the shelter.
Found it better to eat dinner communally, then head off a 100 meters of so into the woods to sleep. It was all I needed. Get the social experience...get a good night's sleep.
Guess that is an important part of this thread. Sometimes it is easier to complain than to modify your own behavior. I am guilty of this in my daily life from time to time. Guess we all are from time to time. :)
Jack Tarlin
04-13-2005, 12:59
I have received 3 inquiries all ready about the "church hostel" in Hanover and how hikers can find it.
1. There isn't one.
2. The Episcopal Church, on rare occasions, has taken a
few people in, but this happens rarely and is NOT some-
thing to be regularly relied on.
3. The Church Hostel in Manchester Center VT was closed
primarily because they were undergoing an extensive
renovation, and because they were planning to use
their "common space" for other purposes, especially
programs for children. Alcohol use played little or no
role in causing their actions. And as to alcohol forcing
the closure of a church hostel in Hanover, this is also
news to me; I've lived in Hanover since 1996 and was
unaware of there being a "church hostel" in town,
unless this was quite awhile ago.
Nightwalker
04-13-2005, 13:10
Hikers talking about gear (gearheads), especially after a couple hundred miles should have cured them of their delusions.
But some of us really like to talk about toys, er, gear, and don't realize that you don't know how much it matters! :D
Nightwalker
04-13-2005, 13:21
(Sierra Nevada on the PCT, Long Trail Ale on the AT, Fat Tire on the CDT. )
Don't tell me that you haven't heard of the One True westie brew? Gotta have Weinhards Pale Ale.
Of course, it only comes on tap, and as long as you're there, you might as well have a few, and...
That's almost enough reason to go west to hike, but I think that my zero day count and weight-gain-while-hiking index would be really high compared to the AT. :D
stomparound85
04-13-2005, 13:30
Backpacking through the smokies arrive at a shelter with plenty of room but the jerks say it's to compacity. And makes up some other excuse about how the rangers would come through and get us because too many folks were in the shelter. Well it turns out we camped out that night which was better because in the trail journal apparently all they did that night was smoke weed. :banana :welcome :banana
SGT Rock
04-13-2005, 13:32
Shelters suck. I agree with Mags.
Don't tell me that you haven't heard of the One True westie brew? Gotta have Weinhards Pale Ale.
Of course, it only comes on tap, and as long as you're there, you might as well have a few, and...
Oh yes..I've had Weinhards back when it used to come in bottles (not all that long ago). Yum. Yum. Believe it is brewed out of Portand?
So many beers..so little time..so much expanding waist line. :)
For me it's the "My way or the Highway" attitude that is prevelant in a fair number of people. Luckily, most hikers seem not to have this attitude naturally. Maybe that's what makes hikers so cool. But when you do find one, gads it just makes me want to pee on their sleeping bag (something I would never actually do, no matter how big the temptation. I swear! :D ).
Oh yes..I've had Weinhards back when it used to come in bottles (not all that long ago). Yum. Yum. Believe it is brewed out of Portand?
So many beers..so little time..so much expanding waist line. :)
You can buy the Pale Ale in bottles. Or, rather, you can buy "Blue Boar Irish Pale Ale". Not very good though. However, they've got one called "Northwest Trail" which my beer of choice for when I get done exercising.
NICKTHEGREEK
04-13-2005, 16:02
People who say---
Are those Cinnamon Buns I smell?
Are You going to eat all of that?
That ----weighs a ton! I'd never carry one of those, can I borrow it for a few minutes to fix my---?
Well- I never filter my water, but could I have a cup or so just to save me the trip to the stream?
Can you spare some --------- , it's too heavy to carry and besides it's way too expensive.
You must be nuts to pay for one of those-----, I can buy six of these at wal-mart for less than what you paid for that.
Do you know Jesus?
What time is it? I love sense of freedom you get from not having a watch.
Another day, another 28.657 miles. How many miles did you do today?
To be honest, by far the worst attitudes I have encountered among 'hikers' has been here on Whiteblaze. Just a few bad apples, mind you, but still far more offensive or unkind than anyone I have ever encountered on the trail.
As for the vast majority of you here, well thanks for your help and kindness - praise be to Whiteblaze.
I don't think you been out there long enough, just wait and you'll find WhiteBlaze members are the exceptions....wanderer
Rendezvous01
04-13-2005, 16:25
Fortunately these incidents were the exception rather than the rule during my hike, but attitudes that irritated me included:
hostel/lodging owners trash-talking their 'competetion' down the road;
hiker who tried to sneak out of a restaurant bill because he thought he could get away with it;
a hostile/hostel caretaker who berated a hiker who had just arrived at the hostel with his well-behaved dog and hadn't had a chance to read the new sign that dogs were no longer welcome there, meanwhile the hostile caretaker's own mutt was wandering all over the place, including across the top of the dining table.
All actions have consequences, each tiny pebble dropped in the pond creates a ripple that spreads. I'm certain that none of these three people who I observed during my hike considered how their behavior colored the experiences of hikers regarding their entire town, or, for the hiker, how that restaurant's staff would view future hiker-guests.
bulldog49
04-13-2005, 16:57
All actions have consequences, each tiny pebble dropped in the pond creates a ripple that spreads.
aka The Butterfly Effect.
In 2000 just north of Harpers Ferry I stopped at a shelter and was greeted by a fellow named Russ. He had started at Springer in March, hiked less than a week and gone home. His wife gave him an awful time about all the planning, all the money he spent of equipment and on and on. It got so bad that in July he came back to the trail determined to finish in Maine. He bragged about spending $65 for expensive hiking boots, They were desert boots with open tops and every drop af water that hit his legs ran right into his boots. He talked all day and all night. The next morning he attached himself to me and hiked right behind me. He talked all the time. I asked him if he would stop talking so he started singing. I stopped for a very early lunch right after he said he wasn't hungry and suggested he go on. He did but waited for me 200 yards up the trail. I started running and damed if he didn't keep up either talking or singing all the time. He didn't have a trail name so I started calling him AM. He must have thought in meant time of day but I meant Annoying Man. I always kept a couple of dollars worth of change in caes I found a soda machine at a road crossing. He begged for all my change at a shelter so he could hitch into town and do a wash. The next day I passed a coke machine and had no change. When all the hikers chipped in to purchase hot dogs one night he had a temper tantrum because "Burley" was 20 cents short and AM had to make it up. I thought I was rid of him when one day he said he was miserable on the trail so at a road crossing I saw a family having a picnic and I walked up to them and asked if they would take AM to a motel in the next town. They did and I hiked all that day and most of the night to get as many miles as I could between me and him. The naxt day he hitch hiked all the way to Pine Grove Furnance just to catch up with me. I don't know why AM stuck to me because by now I was downright rude to him. That isn't my nature but this guy was a beaut. He stayed 10 feet behind me and talked or sang every mile. By Boilling Springs he got a little ahead and rather than go to town I camped in a corn field next to some railroad tracks just to have some time away from him. That night he stayed at Mother Hens without me and was so lonely that he went back to his wife and I never saw him again. I hope his wife enjoys his company but I'm sure that by now even she must have sent him back to the trail again. God, my hike was wonderful after that---I never complained about another thing. Wherever you are AM-----sing it out.:bse
Stoker53
04-13-2005, 18:30
Moxy...sorry I didn't respond sooner but I wet my pants reading your post about AM and had to clean up.
Thanks...I needed to laugh like that today.
:banana :banana :banana :clap :clap :clap
It was a little strange (and mildly annoying) that, because we were early in our sobo thru-hike, a number of the northbounders we met just assumed that we didn't know anything about backpacking or the AT. One evening as I salted my meal, a gentleman shook his head knowingly and told me that I'd be sending that salt and pepper home when I learned how important it was to save on weight...I kept my spices the whole trip and enjoyed my meals thoroughly! ;) Instead of getting to know us and having a normal conversation, a few seasoned nobos insisted on explaining to us (i.e. lecturing us) about what a thru-hike is really like...my boyfriend/hiking partner had already completed 2 thru-hikes! We just smiled and thanked them for their advice. Several people tried to tell us that we'd "never make it!" We didn't really know how to respond to that kind of "encouragemant!" :D
The most annoying thing I've encountered on the trail, though, is the attitude that a few have that a thru-hiker is somehow better or more important than other people. Most of the hikers out there are great to be around, but the few who express that "sense of entitlement" sure do a lot of damage to the reputation of the larger hiking community...
Lone Wolf
04-14-2005, 06:46
Hanover, NH I stayed at the Episcopal Hostel in 1986. They had bunks on the bottom floor of the Student Center. From the 1990 Philosopher's Guide, "Edgerton House Episcopal Student Center: Due to problems with hikers in 1987 and 1988, you can scratch this place from your list of hostels." Alcohol was involved.
Smooth03
04-14-2005, 13:35
Comment on Not Yet's Post:
I agree with you that I crossed paths with a few NOBOs who were less than cordial in their "advice" to a young whippersnapper like myself who had just started a SOBO. Looking back I realize that it was mainly the first few NOBOs I ran in to that rubbed me the wrong way the most. I chock that up to most of those who are hiking a 90 day hike are your Type A personality types. Not trying to denigrate them, or their hike, but I think the faster ones were a little over confident and quick to share their "knowledge". Out of the estimated 1,000 NOBOs I passed, I'm sure I enjoyed the company of 750 of them, but as in many cases, its the 250 that I didn't really enjoy that I remember.
I had a few NOBOs comment to me on how they thought SOBOs were rude and unwilling to talk. I explained to them it was really because while they had passed only that one SOBO that day, the SOBO had probably passed 15 NOBOs already.
In short, its all in the eye of the beholder.
Tramper Al
04-14-2005, 13:54
I don't think you been out there long enough, just wait and you'll find WhiteBlaze members are the exceptions....wanderer
I don't understand what you are trying to say. I said that a few at Whiteblaze were more offensive than anyone I have met on the trail, and that most everyone at Whiteblaze is really cool.
Do you mean that I have not 'been out there long enough' to find even more offensive people on the trail (than the few at Whiteblaze)? Or that given that folks at Whiteblaze are mostly cool, they are the exception? I don't get what you are trying to say.
The point was that in my years of hiking in New England, on and off the AT, I have yet to experience a racist rant, people threatening other people, or similar crap.
Yes, the internet AT community is a lot more ugly than the real one on the trail. Never met anyone I didn't really like out on the real trail, but behind a computer screen people have a tendency to go a little nuts sometimes.
The Old Fhart
04-14-2005, 14:07
Smooth03-"Out of the estimated 1,000 NOBOs I passed, I'm sure I enjoyed the company of 750 of them, but as in many cases, its the 250 that I didn't really enjoy that I remember."I hope I left a favorable impression when I met you and Waldo (click here) (http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/2319/sort/1/cat/500/page/7) in Crawford Notch at the parking lot just before the railroad tracks. I gave you trail magic even though you were going the wrong way(SOBO). :D
Moxie, face it...you reminded him of his wife.
:datz
Yea Smooth, I enjoyed meeting you and Waldo near Zealand Falls hut (i think) and most of the SOBO's were friendly. I don't think you can categorize any one group. Every group will have a few bad apples and many good ones. In fact, what you say about NOBO's was somewhat true for SOBO's too. The first couple I met rubbed me the wrong way, as they had little regard or interest in what I said and could care less about any information or advice, though that could be the product of having many NOBO's in front of them try to interject their thoughts on them continually.
I always thought it was funny that the closer I got to Katahdin, the more questions the SOBO's asked, the more inexperienced and the shorter the beards :)
Smooth03
04-14-2005, 16:30
I hope I left a favorable impression when I met you and Waldo (click here) (http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/2319/sort/1/cat/500/page/7) in Crawford Notch at the parking lot just before the railroad tracks. I gave you trail magic even though you were going the wrong way(SOBO). :D
You left the best impression!
I remember meeting you very well. You were our first trail magic and we really had no idea what to expect when you beckoned us over to your car. Ha!
A photo of you, the calendar, and myself with your photo in it, is in my photo album. Funny though, I specifically remember regretting drinking that second can of soda as I was quite dehydrated by the time I got to the shelter.
A-Train, I remember meeting you just south of the hut. You were going down and we were coming up. I never knew the first few SOBOs(I believe I was the 16th to finish but only physically met 12 total during my trip) but a few folks have mentioned to me they were a bit abrasive. I enjoyed interacting with the NOBOS quite a bit. For me it was interesting just because a SOBO and NOBO hike are so drastically different in terms of the social atmosphere. So it was interesting to hear so many stories. I'm sure NOBOs felt the same way talking to SOBOs.
You were still mainly at the front of the pack (not saying you were one who rubbed me the wrong way). By the time I met you we were probably passing 3-4 a day, but that’s nothing compared to the 20+ we were passing in MA and CONN(my record was 50+ yes 50! just outside of Kent. I'm sure that day I gave SOBOs a bad reputation for not being willing to talk to NOBOs). So those SOBOs probably should have chatted it up a bit more. Maybe they had the runs.....you never know.
We started later than most of the sobo "pack"; so we were running into large numbers of nobos very early on in our hike! Most were encouraging, friendly and interesting to visit with.
We'd get to say, "Hey" to somewhere between 15 and 50 nobos a day while reading in the register that the nearest sobo was often a good 3 to 7 days in front of us. For awhile there, at least one nobo a day would exclaim with a slightly exasperated voice, "ANOTHER SOBO?!?!" :eek:
We hadn't lost a lot of weight yet; so maybe the two of us seemed like a big crowd (or maybe we were just scary looking).
as a solo section hiker I have very few problems wit other hikers, I never sign log books so no one knows where I am or when I'm there, but stoker 35 is correct it's not nice to pick on NFG's they are in a learning process.
As for dogs if they become annoying just let the owner know that the dog would cook up really well and my guess is the owner and the dog will head off for the next shelter. and as fo shelters anyhow when you have a good hammock you don't need a shelter. but also Please and thankyou are good words to use if only once in a while, but don't assume that it is always expected.
Rain Man
04-15-2005, 09:51
You left the best impression!.
Okay, Smooth03, here's an impression test for you! You remember meeting two NOBO section hikers at Muskrat Creek Shelter, just before (for you) the Georgia state line? You were having peanut butter on a tortilla for a lunch stop, and chasing Waldo for several days.
:dance
Rain:sunMan
.
"ME & U"
04-15-2005, 10:36
Here's an attitude that hasn't been mentioned...Your "Out of line Mooch-bag"
While humping tons of water thru no water land, this dude comes up from behind hiking at about 90 miles an hour with a 10 lb pack and asks, "Got any water?"
"ahhh, yeah" in reply. (I'll give you the shirt off my back is my way)
Anyway, dude then asks for a smoke... My reply is what you got for trade!!!???
Deal made after downing 3, 20 oz h2o's... (very unfair deal)
Later on down the trail, at a post run, dude's hovering around the supplys like a vulture. Waiting for leftovers!
Further on down the trail, dude's stokin up a java... "ME" asks, "Spare a teaspoon?" "Sorry man, this gallon bag has to last the rest of my trip..."
Avoidance was the rule of thumb from that point!
By the way, dude EMPTIED the hikers box from the hostel we were at and I still wonder if he rifled through our gear that night.
If you'r reading this, you know who you are you SOB, and I hope I offended you! Teaspoon of coffee... gheeese!
Hear, Hear to the people who get ticked at the people who's mommies never taught them to clean their rooms!!!
And last but not the least for sure, who is it that keeps leaving their excrement on the side of the damn trail??? Pee spot next to the tree with a wad of tp, at least pack it out! Take a nice break, have some h2o and a snack, then carry yourself somewhere off the beaten path to do your business. It ain't that hard!
I'm finished!:D
Smooth03
04-17-2005, 19:13
Okay, Smooth03, here's an impression test for you! You remember meeting two NOBO section hikers at Muskrat Creek Shelter, just before (for you) the Georgia state line? You were having peanut butter on a tortilla for a lunch stop, and chasing Waldo for several days.
:dance
Rain:sunMan
.
Sure do. A lawyer from Nashville by the name of Rainman. See him on here quite a bit. Can't honestly recall the other gentlemans name though. I do remember that the trail near there was a highway of hog hunters.
Ha! Just now read that you included their names. Its a small community. I ran in to a couple of people twice. Ran into the Lemon Shelter(just north of Monson) care taker in Tenn/NC. His accent made him stick out like crazy!
I'm offended! I am indeed the caretaker of Leeman Brook LT, but an accent?My impression when down south is that many seem to have trouble talking correctly and most have an accent. I have also noticed few Maine plates and that most cars seem to have out of state (non-Maine) plates. I am heading to Central Virginia in a couple of days and then to Trail Days. While there I will be giving speech lessons in how to talk like a Mainer.
Doc
The first words I learned from a Maina were supa shelta!;)
The first words I learned from a Maina were supa shelta!;)
Wicked awesome!
uh...........I would like to apologize to all those SOBO's I met in NY for trying to tell them about the rocks in Pennslyvannia. I didn't know what lay just ahead of me, or I would have kept my mouth shut.
About shelter etiquette. Someone's going to snore, somebody's going to need to pee, somebody might come in late, and somebody most likely get you up early. It's like shootin' craps out behind the barn; you pays your money, you take your chances.
Personally, I sleep better in my tent, but some of my fondest memories and funny stories are about the crazy things that happened in shelters.
hike your on hike,i am tired of other hiker saying what every body else should carry and should not carry,hikers that get pissed off because you dont want thier nasty,smelly wet dog on your sleeping bag,and hikers that act like fools that have resulted in hostel closiers,hikers that think that trail magic is owed t them:cool: neo
one name, CHIP LEONARD.........wanderer
Please share a few with us, so we know what to avoid and how not to have them.
Examples like certain hikers attitudes towards hikers asking for room at a shelter when its full.
Thanks
B Thrash
05-22-2005, 20:46
What ever happen to the church hostel in Hot Springs, N.C..? It has been several years since I stayed there, someone said it was closed.
Shelters seem to be my husbands biggest concern when it comes to hostility on the trail. He will no longer stay in one because of all the bad stuff that happened during his 95 hike. You get all kinds of hikers in them and all sorts of stuff happens. He says it wouldn't hurt his feelings if all where torn down, stacked up and used for fire wood. He claims the bad outweighs the good in the case of shelters. He may be correct. hikerwife
tlbj6142
05-23-2005, 11:54
Rarely stay in shelters, but usually near-by. I find the "story teller" type person the most annoying (though the pot smokers are probably worst, man that stuff stinks). I guess the story teller typically falls into that "won't ever shut-up category", and we all know they can be annoying.
superman
05-23-2005, 14:08
Speaking of story telling...I was hiking the stretch north of Bromley in the pouring rain all day. Around dusk I passed a sign for a shelter and then I met two young guys hiking south. They were like two whooped puppies. They had been turned away from the last shelter buy a thru hiker who went off at them. They thought there had been room but they didn't know how to deal with the irate hiker. I told them that the shelter rule is to not turn anyone away when the weather is bad. They had no tent with them and the light was fading. I told them to go to the shelter I just passed and if anyone gives them any trouble tell them the rule I'd just told them and that I said it was ok for them to stay there. Their spirits were buoyed and they had a plan to work with. I latter talked to one of the thru hikers in the shelter the two went to and they had no problem fitting in and the other hikers were amused that I'd said it was ok. I continued a short way and crossed a stream and a road where there was an empty house trailer, garage and shed. I stayed in the garage and it was great. Those two guys had walked right passed the best place to stay. Latter in the hike I spoke with a couple of the thru hikers in the shelter where the two guys had been turned away. It was one thru hiker who turned the guys away but the other hikers didn't have the nerve to stand up to him. He was known for his severe mood swings.
The thing I find most annoying is when people get annoyed with things. Hikers in a shelter who demand that other hikers be quiet rather than put in earplugs, and complain about various behaviors of other hikers. Like the self-righteous teetotaler who can't stand it when other hikers sip from their flasks, or laugh and joke around irreverently (we are an irreverent bunch!) Those who wish complete silence after 9 pm or can't stand the quirks of other hikers who get up early or snore, or talk incessantly about almost anything, or smoke a little weed or whatever should avoid the "group" type camping situations, carry tents (I hate the guy who says he HAS to sleep in the shelter because he doesn't have a tent and everyone else should understand and share the consequences of his unpreparedness) and avoid the people they dislike. There's all types out here. We should of course show respect to eachother, and try to appropriately encourage others to show respect to eachother, but this trail is about individuality, personal freedom and all that other stuff. If everyone in the shelter is having a good time and carrying on and one surly person can stand the sound of a good time then hike on man, 100 yards will give you complete silence and privacy. Whats the problem?