View Full Version : What trail stories are you the most tired of hearing?
If you're a thru-hiker on the A.T., there are some stories that get told, re-told, and embellished. And this can become a problem because if you're hiking in any kind of "bubble", you're hiking with mostly the same hikers while new people are catching up to you and others are passing you.
So eventually your trail family will get sick and tired of hearing the same stories over and over again getting told to new people in the group.
Some stories I never get tired of hearing, like the infamous "Baltimore Jack, Death, Decay, and the Doyle" story where he discovered a corpse in Duncannon, PA. Or the various Grandma Gatewood stories, which are still fascinating to me no matter how many times they are re-told. Or maybe it's a story about a famous place or establishment on the trail, or about a crazy person encountered on the trail.
What trail stories are you sick and tired of hearing on the trail and wish would be retired permanently?
TJ aka Teej
11-03-2022, 08:38
Gatewood.
20 years ago she was considered just this nice lady who hobo'd town to town along the AT.
Now, thanks in no small part to a spam campaign by "A Mighty Girl," she's a super hero.
chknfngrs
11-03-2022, 09:14
I’m tired of aggressive bears.
Captain Blue
11-03-2022, 09:30
Any story that mentions Bill Bryson's book "A Walk In The Woods"
LittleRock
11-03-2022, 11:04
I quickly tire of hikers who talk endlessly about their gear.
GoldenBear
11-03-2022, 22:05
I want the "joke" that ends "I only need to outrun YOU" to never be repeated again. People in a panic HAVE used its "advice," resulting in the first documented bear fatality in New Jersey history.
https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/09/22/bear-suspected-of-killing-22-year-old-hiker-in-new-jersey/
Staying together in a group and NOT running will pretty much guarantee a non-fatal encounter with a black bear, no matter how aggressive it is*.
It's a simple case of, "It stops being a joke after somebody gets killed." The latter has happened, so let's stop spreading this advice.
* I'll also note that, once you learn of an aggressive bear nearby, you should NOT decide to get closer to that bear -- particularly if nobody has bear repellent ready for use.
"Bill Bryson is a candy ass!" ~ The Baltimore Jack cheer, with trekking poles raised
I hate the made up stories about good weather and trail magic, all BS.
The stories of those out adventuring on others dimes!
HotCrotch
11-04-2022, 11:39
BS about hiking through the mud puddles. Clearly we should minimize erosion by not splashing, not stirring up mud, and not making the low spots lower.
The best thing to avoid erosion? Do not hike during or shortly after rain. But trail policy limits time spent in any one place, with no exceptions for weather.
LazyLightning
11-04-2022, 12:29
Stories about people digging a cat hole with their boot or trekking pole. Like an older guy on my thru hike said "anybody who says they dig a cat hole with their boot or pole is probably full of **** in more ways then one."
atraildreamer
11-04-2022, 12:55
Gatewood.
20 years ago she was considered just this nice lady who hobo'd town to town along the AT.
Now, thanks in no small part to a spam campaign by "A Mighty Girl," she's a super hero.
You should read the book(s) about her. She was not just some senile freeloader that was stumbling down the trail.
She put up a lot lot abuse, both physical and mental, in her marriage and family life, and was able to surmount it all and go on to hike the AT, and other trails.
She was one tough woman.
TJ aka Teej
11-04-2022, 14:47
She was not just some senile freeloader that was stumbling down the trail.
Who are you responding to?
i based my comment on hearing from, and talking with, her family who held a panel discussion at an ALDHA Gathering in Hanover. They agreed Gatewood's journeys wouldn't be considered a thru-hike by contemporary standards. She was a nice lady who hobo'd town to town along the AT. I agree with the old-timers, Dorothy Laker was the first woman to solo thru-hike the AT.
The recent hagiography, endlessly promoted by a spam campaign, seems to be the sole reference many have to the early days of thru-hiking, and that's a shame.
Patrickjd9
11-04-2022, 17:01
The stories of those out adventuring on others dimes!
I don't object to legitimate work-for-stay, but doing a long-distance hike without the money for basic needs and having to rely on the generosity of fellow hikers and trail neighbors isn't something to be praised.
1. whining about the crowd that the whiner is a part of
2. "I survived {fill in the blank for something stupid the writer managed to get into}"
TwoSpirits
11-05-2022, 09:06
I don't think there are any "stories" that I tire of hearing -- or jokes, legends, or myths. But there are definitely some "character types" that tire me quickly!
The type that defines HYOH as "I can do whatever I darn well please, and everyone else can kiss my arse."
The type that talk too much and too loud; who have poor boundaries and little respect for others -- not to mention for the natural world.
Whiners...'nuff said.
"Judges, Preachers, and Masters" -- I don't mind talks about gear; I can and always want to learn from others. There are a lot of good teachers out there and I enjoy learning from them. And if someone wants to yammer on and on about their gear, that's okay -- if they're proud and happy with what they have likely spent a lot of time and/or money on, that's fine. I'm sure I can see myself in them if I care to take a hard look. But I definitely do not care for those who judge and preach, versus teach.
And since this suddenly sounds perilously close to whining, I'll just leave it at that.
atraildreamer
11-05-2022, 13:48
Who are you responding to?
i based my comment on hearing from, and talking with, her family who held a panel discussion at an ALDHA Gathering in Hanover. They agreed Gatewood's journeys wouldn't be considered a thru-hike by contemporary standards. She was a nice lady who hobo'd town to town along the AT. I agree with the old-timers, Dorothy Laker was the first woman to solo thru-hike the AT.
The recent hagiography, endlessly promoted by a spam campaign, seems to be the sole reference many have to the early days of thru-hiking, and that's a shame.
My response was a knee-jerk reaction based on a book I read about her. Sorry if I offended you.
Gatewood did complete the AT, but not all in one year.
Dorothy Laker also impressed me with her determination.
Actually I love all the stories, hey sure beat the news.
HotCrotch
11-05-2022, 20:48
Grandma Gatewood hiked four times as many miles as me, and was a founding member of thye Buckeye Trail Association. I am inclined to respect the miles and not quibble over the details.
Odd Man Out
11-05-2022, 22:48
The Gatewood question brings up a bigger issue worthy of being relegated to the scrap heap. That is, what is or is not a thru hike and why it does or does not matter.
TexasBob
11-06-2022, 13:13
Fastest Known Time stories.
I'm aware of the controversy over Grandma Gatewood's thru-hikes, but I wasn't really concerned about that.
I just wanted to know if you're tired of hearing about it at this point.
Yeah, I feel that one. I was googling something else about the A.T. recently and the first page of results was full of FKT stories. I really couldn't care less about that and in fact I think it denigrates the trail. The A.T. is not an athletic marathon and anyway it's crazy to try to do it in 40-something days or whatever the current record is.
TJ aka Teej
11-07-2022, 13:08
Tired of hearing about: Horror stories about Baxter State Park.
Tired of hearing about: Horror stories about Baxter State Park.
When I finished my hike there I was pleasantly surprised by the kindness of the Rangers. I guess if you just follow the rules and have a good attitude things go a lot smoother.
When I finished my hike there I was pleasantly surprised by the kindness of the Rangers. I guess if you just follow the rules and have a good attitude things go a lot smoother.
There have been issues there on both sides over the years, but they're few and far between. The biggest frustration is when people dig those out of the forgotten pile to make sure we all remember them.
Last Call
11-10-2022, 23:13
Whatever happened to Ward Leonard? I recall the did 2 thru-hikes in one year....held the record at one time.....
The Miracle Man
11-11-2022, 18:56
Have been reading around on this forum and some others where I am finding both here and elsewhere the same recurring theme. Many espouse to adhere to the phrase "hike your own hike".
Talk is cheap when one's two-faced doublespeak belies those words.
constructive criticism and genuine support is one thing but open harrasment and belittling is something else entirely.
Majortrauma
11-13-2022, 13:00
This goes at the top of my list of things I'm most tired of reading about; people trying to impose ridiculous LNT standards on the AT that no one is ever going to take seriously. No hiking during or shortly after rainfall which would likely result in an additional 30-60 days for a thru hike. Some of you people treat the AT like it's a deity. Every step we take o the AT leaves a trace; if it's so sacred to you, stay off it.
in the interest of LNT.
BS about hiking through the mud puddles. Clearly we should minimize erosion by not splashing, not stirring up mud, and not making the low spots lower.
The best thing to avoid erosion? Do not hike during or shortly after rain. But trail policy limits time spent in any one place, with no exceptions for weather.
That's kind of a weird application of LNT. I always thought LNT applied to everything that was not the trail, instead of the trail itself. Obviously, it's impossible to LNT on the trail itself because it is a worn footpath.
HotCrotch
11-13-2022, 22:34
Majortrauma, my point was that hiking during or shortly after rain should be optional. My LNT argument was aimed at the policy makers, not the hikers.
Night Train
11-28-2022, 11:54
Stories, whether true, embellished or false are part of the culture on the AT. Sure, some of the stories and the storyteller get old rather quick but it is what it is.
Odd Man Out
11-28-2022, 15:16
Stories, whether true, embellished or false are part of the culture on the AT. Sure, some of the stories and the storyteller get old rather quick but it is what it is.
That's one reason I like Irish films - They never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Odd Man Out
11-28-2022, 15:21
This goes at the top of my list of things I'm most tired of reading about; people trying to impose ridiculous LNT standards on the AT that no one is ever going to take seriously. No hiking during or shortly after rainfall which would likely result in an additional 30-60 days for a thru hike. Some of you people treat the AT like it's a deity. Every step we take o the AT leaves a trace; if it's so sacred to you, stay off it.
If you are interested, I moderated a LNT thread a number of years ago. Surprisingly, it did not go off the tracks and there was a fair bit of thoughtful discussion on this this issue.
https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/59222-How-Little-Trace-Do-You-Leave-Behind?p=975225&viewfull=1#post975225
jomo1983
12-05-2022, 22:15
I shared a shelter in VT with a thruhiker who had just gone to town the day prior. For dinner he ate a can of Duncan Hines vanilla frosting. If you've hard that story before I can attest to it being true, and you can add it to the list of stories you're sick of hearing.
I can’t believe someone could survive on just one can of frosting, surely he brought two?
Flounder940
12-06-2022, 10:02
Majortrauma, my point was that hiking during or shortly after rain should be optional. My LNT argument was aimed at the policy makers, not the hikers.
Pretty sure hiking during or shortly after rain is optional....
jomo1983
12-06-2022, 13:12
lol, he probably did. One can of that stuff is 2100 calories, not counting the plastic lid which I'm pretty sure he ate as well
No Match
12-06-2022, 17:19
Yes to HankIV, its all part of the magic. Everybody starts somewhere, and I would rather see them start on the AT. Let 'em talk, we learned too. The trail is a type of bootcamp, it all falls off along the way.
Daybreak
12-06-2022, 23:09
lol, he probably did. One can of that stuff is 2100 calories, not counting the plastic lid which I'm pretty sure he ate as well
Vanilla Frosting 140 cal/tablespoon
Nutella 200 cal/tablespoon
Both make great comfort foods on or off the trail. I frequently carry one or the other and it disappears fast.
HotCrotch
12-07-2022, 01:33
Pretty sure hiking during or shortly after rain is optional....
My little rant was inspired by the rules in GSMNP and rules to limit camping on the AT by "homeless" folk. Anyone who ends a lease to thruhike is voluntarily homeless, so the latter rule is based on a dubious definition.
Night Train
12-07-2022, 12:58
That's one reason I like Irish films - They never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
"Mickybo and Me" is one of my favs.
Nutella and peanut butter are great together in summer months.
- Any story or relaying of information that involves fear mongering. Can't tell you how many times I nervously approached a part of the trail (a climb, a mountain range, rock scramble etc...) only to say to myself "that was it?".
- Not really story related, but the fellow hikers who talk about thru-hikers and say "you mean your vacation", or "it's just a long walk". To me it denigrates others' experiences because for many a thru-hike is way more than just a vacation or a long walk, and is a source of lifelong pride. Just rubs me the wrong way to hear it said.
I want to hear stories about slowest known time (SKT)... where a thoughtful, deliberate person stopped where ever there was something to enjoy or learn, and emerged from the trail with incredible knowledge and experience. So many fly by everything (the history, nature, views, people...) so fast as to gain nothing.
If you're a thru-hiker on the A.T., there are some stories that get told, re-told, and embellished. And this can become a problem because if you're hiking in any kind of "bubble", you're hiking with mostly the same hikers while new people are catching up to you and others are passing you.
So eventually your trail family will get sick and tired of hearing the same stories over and over again getting told to new people in the group.
Some stories I never get tired of hearing, like the infamous "Baltimore Jack, Death, Decay, and the Doyle" story where he discovered a corpse in Duncannon, PA. Or the various Grandma Gatewood stories, which are still fascinating to me no matter how many times they are re-told. Or maybe it's a story about a famous place or establishment on the trail, or about a crazy person encountered on the trail.
What trail stories are you sick and tired of hearing on the trail and wish would be retired permanently?
Being that I own a hostel I absolutely get sick and tired of having to listen the same adventure story on a daily basis. Especially with the nobo crowd. Many of these folks have never been on such an adventure and when they arrive in Damascus it is a great accomplishment. Then they are gonna talk about it. And I am going to be one of the first to hear that story. It is going to be the same story I heard years ago that has never changed. I tolerate it though because at one time I was telling anyone who cared to listen a tale of my adventure. I have probably passed a few that have heard my story before but they just put up with my bull****.
wornoutboots
02-11-2023, 10:35
The word "I" in all of the stories