Sorry about that WingedMonkey. You should be able to view it now. If not, let me know.
Sorry about that WingedMonkey. You should be able to view it now. If not, let me know.
I remember Steve too. He used to bring free sodas out to give to those he ferried across---a fine chap.
D'accord! He was far too young to leave us...
Bummer.
Hi everyone, my name is Matt Longley—Steve was my uncle. I can’t even begin to explain how much all of your kind words about Steve have meant to me and my family.
Maybe the hardest thing about losing someone is the feeling that they stop growing as a part of you—a person that once represented an infinite, unpredictable, and exciting set of possible shared moments and adventures is immediately reduced to a finite collection of memories. I didn’t get to see Steve very often, but my sister and I were fortunate enough to see him just a few months ago on a short snowshoe hike to Moxie Falls. We were already planning our next adventure this summer, yet another possible moment lost.
But Steve didn’t exist in my memories alone, and over the past week it has been absolutely amazing to stumble across the moments that others have shared with Steve. It’s as if Steve is stubbornly refusing to become finite. Every trail journal crossing of the Kennebec I read is another ride I get to take in Steve’s red Old Town.
I’ve been pulling these memories together to share with my family. It would mean a great deal to me if you would help. If you have trail journal entries about your time with Steve, or have ideas on where to find others, please send them to me at [email protected].
Thank you
Matt
Matt: Thank you for writing us here. I knew your uncle Steve for the better part of twenty years. In all my time up and along the Appalachian Trail, he was about the finest men I ever met or yet expect to. In all the time I knew him, he was never unhappy, never complained, never raised his voice, never spoke ill of another soul, never expressed unhappiness or regret about anything. I never heard an unhappy or an unkind thing come out of his mouth. He took great pride and joy in what he did, material success or acclaim as the world counts it meant nothing to him. He knew what he was doing, why he was doing it, and always seemed content with it. He spent the best years of his life in service to others, giving himself without question or doubt to helping strangers. In the process, he probably saved a lot of people's lives. He was a very private man....both to his Trail friends, and as I now know, to his family, too. But he was very much known and very much loved in the small community of the Appalachian Trail, and I hope you share this with your family. Everyone who was fortunate enough to meet your uncle considered him a friend.
I had the pleasure, like many others, of knowing Steve. He was a great person. I was at one of the WB hiker feeds when I met him the first time. I remember myself and another guy split about a cord of wood for him while we were waiting for the food. Well, in 07 I had 3 friends coming through very late in the season after he had already quit for the season. I gave him a call, he helped them across, and we climbed Katahdin that year. That's just the way he was. I'm very sorry to hear of his demise. He will be missed.
Gypsy 04
A very nice article by Baltimore Jack in the May-June AT Journeys mag. Thanks Jack for doing the honor. I think that every thru-hiker ferryed by Steve will always remember him. I know I will. May he rest in peace,
Grampie-N->2001
If anyone is interested I also wrote this article a month ago about Steve http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php?725.
this is very sad. Steve paddled me across the kennebec when I thru hiked in 06. He was truly a nice guy!