What are some of the dumbest things you have seen or heard on the trail?

[markAT2010]

I was finishing up a day hike at MT Tamany in PA and passed a couple in their 40s. I had a day pack and trekkiing poles. In a super thick Brookly accent, the guy said loudly, "Ohhh! Check out his guy. He's got his ski poles, but he ain't got no skis!" He laughed and laughed. I just turned an waved as I headed down the trail.

[Theosus]

a few years back in the mahoosucs I met a young lady fresh out of college hiking southbound who began a tirade against the evil of all corporations. I asked her if she had made all of her own gear. she looked confused until I told her that her gear was all made by corporations. it really seems to bother her to figure out that maybe not all corporations are evil

Sounds a lot like the "occupy" fools eschewing the evils of corporations and rich CEOs, while using laptop netwoeks and iphone apps to organize and control their demonstrations.
Even if the girl had made all her gear, she'd have to buy her nylon and aluminum from somewhere.

[Wise Old Owl]

Are we talkin just the AT? or can I include one from The Horseshoe Trail?

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[Rasty]

a few years back in the mahoosucs I met a young lady fresh out of college hiking southbound who began a tirade against the evil of all corporations. I asked her if she had made all of her own gear. she looked confused until I told her that her gear was all made by corporations. it really seems to bother her to figure out that maybe not all corporations are evil

Sounds a lot like the "occupy" fools eschewing the evils of corporations and rich CEOs, while using laptop netwoeks and iphone apps to organize and control their demonstrations.
Even if the girl had made all her gear, she'd have to buy her nylon and aluminum from somewhere.

The best one I saw on TV about the "occutards" was a guy screaming that someone stole his Apple laptop which he said cost $4k. The reporter asked him if maybe whoever took it just needed a computer. The guy totally flipped out. Goes to show how stupid some can be.

[rocketsocks]

Are we talkin just the AT? or can I include one from The Horseshoe Trail?

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Squirrel hostel.......

[Rasty]

Are we talkin just the AT? or can I include one from The Horseshoe Trail?

den3.jpg

Squirrel hostel.......

Damn squirrel didn't even leave a donation. Must be an entitled squirrel.

[rocketsocks]

Damn squirrel didn't even leave a donation. Must be an entitled squirrel.

On the horseshoe trail, I thought that was only an AT thing.

[Rasty]

Damn squirrel didn't even leave a donation. Must be an entitled squirrel.

On the horseshoe trail, I thought that was only an AT thing.

Entitled little squirrel gets around. Freeloaded all the way from Europe, did the AT and now on the Horseshoe trail. I gave Zelph a pointer for frogs legs, but the same recipe would work with this guy.

Squirrel
Salt & Pepper
Very lightly dust in flour
Saute in olive oil until 90% cooked
Add chopped garlic and cook
Deglaze with white wine
Maybe add a little chicken stock
Add some fresh thyme
Swirl in some fresh butter at the end

[rocketsocks]

Entitled little squirrel gets around. Freeloaded all the way from Europe, did the AT and now on the Horseshoe trail. I gave Zelph a pointer for frogs legs, but the same recipe would work with this guy.

Squirrel
Salt & Pepper
Very lightly dust in flour
Saute in olive oil until 90% cooked
Add chopped garlic and cook
Deglaze with white wine
Maybe add a little chicken stock
Add some fresh thyme
Swirl in some fresh butter at the end

Spoken like a true Chef, Chef

[Namaste]

I remember meeting a young SOBO at Piazza Rock in ME who said she had been hanging out at the shelter for a few days to rest her knees. Her feet were black from walking barefoot the whole time. I ended up seeing her at several more shelters into NH where she would remove her boots and expose filthy feet from walking around barefoot, including up to the privvies. The oddest thing I noticed from my initial meeting with her was that she was carrying a HUGE plastic container of antibacterial gel that she would use constantly on her hands. It's funny what people carry out there and consider to be a necessity. If I'm gonna carry weight like that it's gonna be a flask of some good whiskey.

[Old Hiker]

..................................... The oddest thing I noticed from my initial meeting with her was that she was carrying a HUGE plastic container of antibacterial gel that she would use constantly on her hands. It's funny what people carry out there and consider to be a necessity. If I'm gonna carry weight like that it's gonna be a flask of some good whiskey.

Yer gonna waste good whiskey on yer HANDS ?!?!?!?

[Abner]

Many years ago was leading a group of kids up, up, up switchbacks to a ridgetop in the Southeast. One kid, a recent arrival from Manhattan, asked in all sincerity..."how many blocks is it to the top?"

[Hairbear]

i was off trail backpacking in a state forest making my way around a lake.it was late afternoon and i began to hear voices so i worked my way around where i could see them before they saw me .To my surprise it was two guys and a girl and they were drunk and talking about who could pee the farthest.To my surprise the competition began.The girl did some kind of contortionist move and squeezed something as she peed.She did it i dont know how but managed to pee three times as far as the guys.To add insult to injury she turned and looked at the guys and said you bi..hes couldnt piss out a candle.I laughed inside myself and faded back into the woods circleing them with a ridge between us.When they saw me on the other side of the lake later they yelled and waved i just laughed and waved back

[Sarcasm the elf]

If you haven't already read through it, take a look at this site, it's sole purpose is to document the dumbest things heard whie hiking:

http://ghettohikes.tumblr.com/

[Spokes]

This is an old favorite:

Watching a hiker fixing some Ramen Noodles one night......

"Why are you throwing away the flavor packet?"

"Flavor Packet? I thought it was one of those stay dry things!"

Duh.......

[SunnyWalker]

One year a few years ago my son and I (he was home on vac from USAF) dropped off the south rim of Grand Canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. It was midnight. We made it to the Colorado River and had a grand time for an hour or so. Started back up and got a little over half way up. We stopped at a "station" that had a couple of bldgs and a faucet with running water for people to get drinking water. A Ranger was there, young fellow. Real nice (he did not see us walk up) and he was talking to the crowd about the dangers of the heat and all. We sat for quite a while and rested cuz it was warming up and then got ready to pull out at about 5:00 PM. He told us not to leave as it was so hot and we should wait to go down to the River. We took off and made the top in short order. The shower was real nice that night. Before we left on that trip I had been taking off on 8 mile runs (this was hot summer) in TX, with a camelback on. I remember the only thing that irked me about that day hike was the pesky squirrels that would get into our pack if we did not keep a constant watch on it during breaks.

[SunnyWalker]

Abner, that was a good one!

[WalksInDark]

My younger, but much chubbier, brother thought I was taking too long to break downed limbs for our campfire so he grabbed (what looked to me to be a pretty green) a long tree limb and let me know that the mistake I was making was stomping on only short sections of the limbs....and thereby adding to my work and wasting time.

Putting the tree limb over a two foot rock sticking out of the ground he then jumped straight up and crunched down on the tree limb with a single booted foot at the point were the limb lay almost on the rock. From there on out simple physics took over: 200# of force hitting a pliable lever downward....factor in an equal amount of force traveling upward into his legs...my brother instantly got rocketed upward with a pronounced rearward trajectory...back flipped, and landed almost almost squarely on the top of his head.

I immediately ran over to make sure that he was not dead or severely injured (Said the embarrassed woodsman: "Just my pride is hurt!") and upon confirming he was okay, I asked if he could wait for me to get my camera setup before he gave me my next firewood breaking lesson.

[Papa D]

I just saw a full sized hair dryer with a cord in a hiker box in Glencliff (Hiker's Welcome Hostel) - Phat Chap told me that a SOBO carried it there - that would have been about 400 miles - I really hope he/she makes it because most thru's a) wouldn't consider such a thing and b) would drop out or c) would ditch it at the first possible spot.
I've seen much stupider and heard way much worse - this is just the first thing that popped into my mind.