homeless on the trail?

**Wonder** · 05-17-2010, 15:49

I ran into a drifter at that shelter about 4 years ago..........he was nice, and just moved on when I got there

**d.o.c** · 05-17-2010, 15:54

fullhardt knob shelter has been frequinted by homeless for as long as i remember..

**sbhikes** · 05-17-2010, 16:44

I can tell you that hiking the PCT is my bag lady back-up plan for sure. Maybe the AT, too.

**Marta** · 05-17-2010, 16:49

Once when I met a homeless guy in a shelter he started talking about how nice people were to him when he said he was a hiker compared to when he was drifting around on the streets of a town or city. He started to cry.

He's got a point.

That said, when I find someone in a shelter who gives me the creeps, I move on as far and as fast as I can.

**Marta** · 05-17-2010, 16:50

Originally Posted by sbhikes

I can tell you that hiking the PCT is my bag lady back-up plan for sure. Maybe the AT, too.

Ditto. It would be a lot cheaper than maintaining a brick and mortar house.

**Graywolf** · 05-17-2010, 16:54

Originally Posted by sbhikes

I can tell you that hiking the PCT is my bag lady back-up plan for sure. Maybe the AT, too.

Thats my thoughts too, I would rather be hiking then hanging out on a street corner anyday...But I may not go to the AT though..I just may cancel my trip this year to and head to the CT... I have some missing teeth so I dont want to be considered homeless and have the authorities called on me when I say Im hiking North...yep, thats what will happen...

Actually, unless the guy is really giving a problem, leave them alone.. they have anough worries to have a smelly hiker come down on them also..The wilderness is a great place to put alot into perspective.. Actually, I have read a lot of journals where someone sells their house, their car, quit their job and decides to thru hike with NO IDEA what to do later.. So wouldnt he be considered homeless too, thank about it....Leave them alone!!

Graywolf

**Mountain Wildman** · 05-17-2010, 17:27

I have been there myself, Lived in a small tent with my girlfriend in Florida for 6 weeks and in my boss's back yard for a couple weeks, Did have a job but making minimal wages. Did have some money so I guess I wasn't really homeless but it felt that way.
If I met a guy as described here I would probably give him some food since he probably hasn't had as much to eat as me or at least share a meal with him and throw him a few bucks and maybe even a couple gear items that I could do without or replace fairly cheaply.
I realize how uncertain life can be and I could be homeless in a year, never know.

**Luddite** · 05-17-2010, 18:36

Originally Posted by sbhikes

I can tell you that hiking the PCT is my bag lady back-up plan for sure. Maybe the AT, too.

LOL

Same here. I would either do that or use the opportunity to live off the land up North.

I read about that dude in Backpacker magazine who nearly hiked the entire trail and usually didn't have any food. Thru-hikers always shared with him. He ended up burglarizing a bunch of houses and now he's in prison.

**Lion King** · 05-17-2010, 18:58

sounds exactly like a guy I met near Duncannon the end of March when I started my section hike to Trail Days...probably is

**hellomolly** · 05-17-2010, 19:43

Originally Posted by Manwich

Good thing nothing forces you to sleep next to somebody you've declared "off"

was there a point to this other than you just being rude?

I apologize for making a judgement call based on my first-hand experience and general gut feeling. Next time I'll post on Whiteblaze and let strangers decide for me.

**hellomolly** · 05-17-2010, 19:52

Originally Posted by Graywolf

Actually, unless the guy is really giving a problem, leave them alone.. they have anough worries to have a smelly hiker come down on them also..The wilderness is a great place to put alot into perspective.. Actually, I have read a lot of journals where someone sells their house, their car, quit their job and decides to thru hike with NO IDEA what to do later.. So wouldnt he be considered homeless too, thank about it....Leave them alone!!

Graywolf

The problem was more that HE wouldn't leave US alone, not the other way around.

**babbage** · 05-17-2010, 21:00

I have a home and all that comes with it. I envy the homeless from time to time. It would be nice to sit in a shelter for 8 days and not have to worry so much. I would try to stay as clean as possible (dumpster diving days excluded). That way real thru hikers might share some food and conversation with me...

and I could touch them inappropriately while they were sleeping.

**hellomolly** · 05-17-2010, 21:04

Originally Posted by babbage

I have a home and all that comes with it. I envy the homeless from time to time. It would be nice to sit in a shelter for 8 days and not have to worry so much. I would try to stay as clean as possible (dumpster diving days excluded). That way real thru hikers might share some food and conversation with me...

and I could touch them inappropriately while they were sleeping.

**Lone Wolf** · 05-17-2010, 21:18

these "homeless" are just tryin' to live and stay dry. y'all are on vacation with pockets full of cash. go tent somewhere

**hellomolly** · 05-17-2010, 21:24

Originally Posted by Lone Wolf

these "homeless" are just tryin' to live and stay dry. y'all are on vacation with pockets full of cash. go tent somewhere

wow. read the OP. i did tent elsewhere. and why homeless in quotes? he has no home - he's homeless. he also disobeyed rules by remaining in a shelter in this region for 8 days - 7 beyond what's allowed.

**Bearpaw** · 05-17-2010, 21:32

Originally Posted by hellomolly

wow. read the OP. i did tent elsewhere. and why homeless in quotes? he has no home - he's homeless. he also disobeyed rules by remaining in a shelter in this region for 8 days - 7 beyond what's allowed.

There are almost no rules on staying in shelters. They are typically first-come first-served.

Most thru-hikers are homeless. All my stuff was in storage when I thru-hiked.

This thread is proof that the AT is no wilderness trail. "Suburban" trail would be more appropriate, with all the paranoia some hikers bring to it.

You followed your gut. Good call. And at least you didn't call the police on him as many have posted about others here. But it's sad when there is so much fear of a down-on-his-luck fellow spending some time on the trail.

**hellomolly** · 05-17-2010, 21:42

Originally Posted by Bearpaw

There are almost no rules on staying in shelters. They are typically first-come first-served.

Most thru-hikers are homeless. All my stuff was in storage when I thru-hiked.

This thread is proof that the AT is no wilderness trail. "Suburban" trail would be more appropriate, with all the paranoia some hikers bring to it.

You followed your gut. Good call. And at least you didn't call the police on him as many have posted about others here. But it's sad when there is so much fear of a down-on-his-luck fellow spending some time on the trail.

In this region, however, I believe there IS a regulation that you should only remain in a shelter for one day unless sick or injured. And the difference between your thruhike and what the man at the shelter was doing is enormous - mainly because I highly doubt he is truly thruhiking and I also doubt he has much in storage. If he is the same person that another poster said he/she saw in March, he's been in that region for 2.5 months.

I agree it's sad that the presence of such a person instills fear... but I guess it's hard to describe without being there. It wasn't like he was just eccentric or different... there was something distinctly wrong about him/his mannerisms/etc. Believe me, I'm a bleeding heart liberal if there ever was one, and I'm all for people who are down on their luck receiving assistance... but when you get down to the basics and it's just you and someone who your gut tells you is unsettled in the middle of the woods, it's hard not to be scared.

**DapperD** · 05-17-2010, 22:02

Originally Posted by hellomolly

In this region, however, I believe there IS a regulation that you should only remain in a shelter for one day unless sick or injured. And the difference between your thruhike and what the man at the shelter was doing is enormous - mainly because I highly doubt he is truly thruhiking and I also doubt he has much in storage. If he is the same person that another poster said he/she saw in March, he's been in that region for 2.5 months.

I agree it's sad that the presence of such a person instills fear... but I guess it's hard to describe without being there. It wasn't like he was just eccentric or different... there was something distinctly wrong about him/his mannerisms/etc. Believe me, I'm a bleeding heart liberal if there ever was one, and I'm all for people who are down on their luck receiving assistance... but when you get down to the basics and it's just you and someone who your gut tells you is unsettled in the middle of the woods, it's hard not to be scared.

Don't worry Molly, you did just fine. There is another Whiteblaze member who is currently attempting/thru-hiking who ran into a similar character, became alarmed and attempted to warn others here on the forum, and she also received a lot of flack for the attempt, I believe mostly because herself and other's became truly alarmed and called the authorities. You can read about it here:http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ngerous+person Don't worry, it was your call in the situation, no one else was there to witness his actions. If he is begging for food, repeating things other's say (acting strange) and creeping everyone out, and also beginning to take up residency, then in my opinion he doesn't belong there.

**Tuckahoe** · 05-17-2010, 22:03

I have to say there is so much about this thread that bothers me. I have no issues with folks that are aware of situations around them and listen to their gut feelings. However, the impression that has been made upon me is that you were creeped out because he is homeless.

**hellomolly** · 05-17-2010, 22:11

Originally Posted by Tuckahoe64

I have to say there is so much about this thread that bothers me. I have no issues with folks that are aware of situations around them and listen to their gut feelings. However, the impression that has been made upon me is that you were creeped out because he is homeless.

Well, that's not the impression I meant to leave. I actually did not realize he was homeless until the person I was with pointed it out to me. Before I realized it, I was still creeped out by him, solely because of how he acted/behaved (as I said, repeating things people said to him word-for-word, making strange comments, not entirely making sense, slurring his words, making grand statements about his alleged accomplishments, etc). I've lived in major cities, I've met homeless people... and it wasn't solely his status as 'homeless' that creeped me out. It was the way he acted.

Dapper D, thanks! I hadn't seen that thread... ugh, if I had, I probably would not have posted this one to begin with.

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