View Full Version : 19 days in one shelter
I ran into an amazing southbounder last week near Franklin. He is Ron-from-Israel. He hiked through Virginia and Tennessee through the winter and wound up staying 19 consecutive days in the fabulous Partnership shelter near Mount Rogers. Through the worst of the winter, he never built a fire once and was totally alone most of the time. The rangers knew he was in Partnership but eventually turned a blind eye. I say he ranks with the best mountain men of the old West. He admits to being a slow hiker. He started in New York last June!
Did he leave to re-supply...how much food was he packing when he got to partneship...
Yes. He got rides into town and (I think) he used the phone near the shelter to call for pizza. He commented that it was difficult talking on the phone through the hole in his mummy bag. 8-)
RagingHampster
03-31-2003, 11:46
:p HA!
Ron-from-Israel? interesting.. Did he finish his hike? Wonder where he is right now...
Hammock Hanger
04-01-2003, 16:30
I was at Greymoor for his first night out. I hiked several days with him, but lost him when I took a day off in Salisbury, CT. -- He was a riot. A real squeeter magnet. At dusk he would run up the trail trying to get away from them.
He said he was going to hike north to Katahdin and then turn around and head south. Guess he lived up to his word.
HH
Papa Bear
04-01-2003, 17:29
One of his notes was actually very interesting: Instead of just turning around at Katahdin, he said he travelled across through Canada (hope I remember this right) and got to the top of the Long Trail in Vermont, which he then hiked south, and then onward south bound on the AT.
Cool guy.
I think he has some entries on Trailjournals.com but I can't find them just now.
Pb
Edit: Just found Roni's journal Its here (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?ID=27915) It only goes from March 14 to 25th but it gives a summary of his hike.
Hammock Hanger
04-01-2003, 19:26
HOpefully he'll get my email. HH
Miss Janet
04-04-2003, 23:25
Roni is still on the trail and is noe the last 2002 Southbounder as the Britts have passed him now. He is indeed an interesting and entertaining guy. He showed up at my front door in a full paper painters coverall... long sleeved, zipped up with a hood! and nothing else... what a hoot!
steve hiker
04-05-2003, 00:55
Ron sounds like he has the rite idea. Hike your own hike, don't give a **** what others think you should be doing. And southbound!
Jack Tarlin
04-07-2003, 14:15
I met this guy at Neel's Gap; he should be done today or tomorrow.
Interesting fellow, but I kinda thought that somewhere along the way the lunch meat had dropped out of his pita pocket if you catch my drift.
Maybe 19 days in a shelter will do that to a fella.....
Ya, just imagine spending a single day in a shelter surrounded by deep snow with absolutely nothing to do. No fire, no TV, nobody to talk to. Now multiply that by 19. He said he spent most of the time in his mummy bag. I think prison would be much more pleasant!
manzana