Mountain Man and Dew

**Mudgrip** · 03-21-2005, 18:18

Has anyone run into a crazy acting hiker in TN or GA who goes by the name Mountain Man and his teenage daughter Mountain Dew ? What is up with them ?

**bulldog49** · 03-21-2005, 18:25

What are you referring to?

**Mudgrip** · 03-21-2005, 18:33

My friend and I ran into them along the trail. Something is not right with their situation. I don't think the girl (Mtn Dew) has ever been in school. I'm a little concerned about her well being. They seem to live on the trail.

**steve hiker** · 03-21-2005, 21:17

I ran into them at the Flint Mountain and Hogback Ridge shelters about a month ago. No, they're not your typical yuppie hikers. No, they're not crazy either. They have very basic gear that they must have gotten at a Wal-Mart, which will automatically generate contempt in most yuppie thru-hikers.

We waited out a snowstorm at Hogback, so I got to spend a fair amount of time talking with them. They're from New Hampshire, and are slowly hiking the trail. Mountain Man told me some interesting things about making maple syrup which I knew little about. Mountain Dew is a sweet little girl and MM claims she's home schooled, but I figured it wasn't any of my business so didn't pry. MM is a little excitable, but they're good folk and friendly.

My take is, leave them alone. They're like a blast from a couple of generations ago, which is refreshing. No need to go poking your nose into everybody's business.

**smokymtnsteve** · 03-21-2005, 21:46

even though we disagree on a couple issues stevehiker we certainly agree that yuppie conformity is not the answer,,

come to AK,,,you'd fit right in

**Smile** · 03-21-2005, 21:48

Thanks Mudgrip for posting. Don't feel like it wasn't your business"...any time a red flag goes up in your head, it can't hurt to mention it here...that's what this community is about, sharing information.

Seems like you'll get some feedback from others who met them (like you just did from Steve hiker who didn't get the same vibe you did)....some good information that may help you feel better about your concerns.

mmmmm. Maple Syrup!

**Badger** · 03-21-2005, 22:05

I remember reading about them in a trail journal from one of this year's hikers. Went back and looked it up, sure enough, a guy by the name of JAWS wrote about them between Feb 10 - 14. Here's a link to the most relevant journal entry:

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=88263

Somewhat sensationalistic, in my opinion, but since you asked I thought I'd pass it on. I've personally met neither JAWS nor Mountain Man/Mountain Dew so I can't vouch for how reliable JAWS' take is.

**Newb** · 03-21-2005, 22:56

My first gut reaction is take a picture of the girl and contact the missing and exploited children's center.

**Tha Wookie** · 03-21-2005, 23:01

Originally Posted by Newb

My first gut reaction is take a picture of the girl and contact the missing and exploited children's center.

Contact the government? For what? Hiking with Wal-mart gear?

**Newb** · 03-21-2005, 23:06

No. Don't engage in hyperbole. I merely expressed a gut instinct...which is to protect children.

**Tramper Al** · 03-21-2005, 23:11

Hiking in Walmart gear is the American way, no problem.

I draw no conclusions from any of the heresay or innuendo in this thread.

However, I may be idealistic, but I believe that one crucial role (and duty) of government is to protect those who cannot protect themselves, particularly children.

**hikerjohnd** · 03-21-2005, 23:14

Originally Posted by Newb

No. Don't engage in hyperbole. I merely expressed a gut instinct...which is to protect children.

Good gut instinct. Too many people look the other way and too many children are missing and in trouble because of that.

**steve hiker** · 03-21-2005, 23:23

Actually, we need to protect MM and MD from the likes of some who are posting in this thread.

**Tha Wookie** · 03-21-2005, 23:33

I agree with "protecting children". But I was just asking "FROM WHAT?"

I mean, this is a real person hiking out on the trail, even if they are wierd, but why report them?

I read the journal from jaws and I still don't see why it's anybody's business.

I met some weird folks on the AT (but I've met a lot more off the AT) but I wouldn't report them for being weird. There was a couple one year that supposedly stole money from a hostel out of the jar. That could be reported. I've had dogs follow me on trails for days (and I don't feed em). According to jaws, the Forest Service folks were "satisified with their story", and "did identity checks". So the story is there is no story.

Just a bunch of old hags sitting around weaving.

**saimyoji** · 03-22-2005, 00:14

C'mon guys...JAWS clearly stated that the NFS was notified, questioned the pair and was satisfied with their story. Isn't that good enough for y'all? Granted, there are circumstances that we find suspicious (the stolen beagles, why a 13 yr old girl is hiking in the mountains and not in school) but our suspicions don't matter cause WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS. Sorry for shouting.

**Panzer1** · 03-22-2005, 01:40

I do not think it is possible for MM to "home school" a 13 year old on the trail.
Just my opinion. This girl is not attending school.

Panzer

**Mountain Dew** · 03-22-2005, 01:53

Panzer1, Your common sense radar screen is functioning at full capacity. I agree.

**Lugnut** · 03-22-2005, 01:59

I met Jaws a little over a month ago at Ms Janets and he seemed like a reasonable kind of guy - with the possible exception that he was going back to Springer to start over because he had said he had taken too many zero days in Erwin!

**Smile** · 03-22-2005, 09:01

<quote=tramper al>However, I may be idealistic, but I believe that one crucial role (and duty) of government is to protect those who cannot protect themselves, particularly children</quote>

Protecting children is society's job - and fellow parents' job, not the governments job. That's why we all have eyes and ears and instincts....same way hikers all look out for each other and share info constantly with one another...

If they're cool, it'll be cool. If they're not, the majority of folks who meet them have a red flag raised in their head and may or may not act upon it.

I have homeschooled on the road....you can't do it out of pack, unless you are mailing ahead a 50 lb box of books and workbooks, registered with your local public school in your home state or doing it via laptop and forwarding your CD's(about 40 of them) from Post office to post office and finding a place to recharge your laptop,spending about 5 hours a day sitting somewhere dry DOING the schoolwork and then mailing in your tests, having a school official visit once a year to your home to see your set up and read your 'log'.....etc. etc... That much I can tell you from 15 years of homeschooling.

But then again....I'm somebody who thinks that the woods is a much better teacher than the horrible public school system we have in this country so....I don't think it's such a horrible thing to be out hiking.

If the child is hungry, lacking medical attention, being sexually abused, forced to live like this, living in fear for her life, threatened to not say anything to anyone...that's a problem.

But...........my gut would tell me their's trouble if MM is that paranoid about having his picture taken or worse HER picture taken.

**Smile** · 03-22-2005, 09:02

TrAMPER AL: "However, I may be idealistic, but I believe that one crucial role (and duty) of government is to protect those who cannot protect themselves, particularly children"

Protecting children is society's job - and fellow parents' job, not the governments job. That's why we all have eyes and ears and instincts....same way hikers all look out for each other and share info constantly with one another...

If they're cool, it'll be cool. If they're not, the majority of folks who meet them have a red flag raised in their head and may or may not act upon it.

I have homeschooled on the road....you can't do it out of pack, unless you are mailing ahead a 50 lb box of books and workbooks, registered with your local public school in your home state or doing it via laptop and forwarding your CD's(about 40 of them) from Post office to post office and finding a place to recharge your laptop,spending about 5 hours a day sitting somewhere dry DOING the schoolwork and then mailing in your tests, having a school official visit once a year to your home to see your set up and read your 'log'.....etc. etc... That much I can tell you from 15 years of homeschooling.

But then again....I'm somebody who thinks that the woods is a much better teacher than the horrible public school system we have in this country so....I don't think it's such a horrible thing to be out hiking.

If the child is hungry, lacking medical attention, being sexually abused, forced to live like this, living in fear for her life, threatened to not say anything to anyone...that's a problem.

But...........my gut would tell me their's trouble if MM is that paranoid about having his picture taken or worse HER picture taken.

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