View Full Version : Gatorgump
Williston
09-04-2007, 16:53
Looks like Gatorgump may have finished. Someone signed his guestbook on Trailjournals today and spoke of something on his restaurant marque that would seem to indicate that he summitted. His last entry was 9/1 from White House landing.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-04-2007, 17:00
::: Dino does cartwheels for the Gator :::
Congrats Gatorgump! He perservered and made it inspite of a heart condition, diabetes and a really unique sense of humor.:D
aaroniguana
09-04-2007, 18:09
Good on ya Gump! I think he kinda grew on all of us, even the ones who had issues with him (myself included).
ShakeyLeggs
09-04-2007, 18:15
That is great news. Hope we can get it confirmed. That is indeed an accomplishment to be proud of. Congrats Gatorgump.:banana
Hope his hike was awesome, really enjoyed reading his entries at TJ.
Way to go!
:)
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-04-2007, 18:34
I believe his family is in Maine and one of his relatives was planning to summit with him. Last I heard, Weebles was planning to bring him home on the 6th so a summit today would make sense.
he was due to summit yesterday, I am friends with the ridgerunner is Baxter State Park and she told me he was in the park yesterday, with the intentions of summitting today, still recovering a little from Giardia, he is due to be at the AT lodge in Millinocket tonight.
Kirby
TYPO: He was due to summit today, that first sentence is false.
Kirby
Congratz to Gator! I've enjoyed reading his journal.
ms doolittle
09-04-2007, 21:43
Awesome news! WTG Gator! Can't wait to read about it. :)
RockyBob
09-05-2007, 06:58
Congrats to the Gumpster!!!!!! I was just wondering, did his bear follow him all the way to K??
Gray Blazer
09-05-2007, 07:14
::: Dino does cartwheels for the Gator :::
What will your volunteers think?:eek: Dino, you've got class. :sun
Congrats to GG!
oldfivetango
09-05-2007, 08:40
What I liked about the Gator was his writing style.Never too wordy and
mostly interetsting.Didn't always care for the sense of humor but if the
guy wrote a book,I would buy it.
Also,no matter what your opinion of the man is,you got to give
him credit for not giving up and for dealing with illness and pre-
existing conditions that had to be a factor.
Anyone notice how much WISER he looks in the photos?
Looks like a mountain man for sure! Congrats GATOR.
Oldfivetango
Williston
09-05-2007, 16:37
He has posted several great updates on Trailjournals today. He is in Baxter and from what I can tell is waiting for his family to arrive and then will summit. The weather here in New England right now is perfect: 70's, dewpoints between 45 and 55 and beautiful clear skies. This weather should continue until Sunday so he should have a fantastic view from the top.
Old Grouse
09-05-2007, 16:45
I believe that boy has mellowed some.
Jack Tarlin
09-05-2007, 16:48
I met him briefly in Glencliff and he seemed like a perfectly nice fella.
Congratulations to him and best wishes.
Update from TJ GatorGump has not yet summitted. He is waiting in Millinocket for his family. Perhaps tomorrow?
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=204157
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-05-2007, 20:32
::: Dino rushes up Katahdin to be under sign should a bare bum present itself for biting :D :::
::: Dino rushes up Katahdin to be under sign should a bare bum present itself for biting :D :::
Given the intestinal problems he has suffered of late, that might not be a good idea...
Marta/Five-Leaf
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-05-2007, 21:36
Given the intestinal problems he has suffered of late, that might not be a good idea...:::: :eek: Dino reconsiders :D ::::
Alligator
09-05-2007, 22:03
:::: :eek: Dino reconsiders :D ::::Spit don't swallow;) .
:::: :eek: Dino reconsiders :D ::::
Stick to toes! ;) A little toe jam is probably easier to handle than what Gatorgump has to offer. :eek:
Toolshed
09-06-2007, 10:18
He was refreshing to read about. I like his style - I think we kinda think alike a bit, so he cannot be all bad :D
Rhodo and I camped with Gator at Abol Bridge and saw him in Baxter the day before we summited on the 4th. He was planning on summiting the next day on the 6th with his son. Many congrats to him and all the other hikers out there. I hadn't seen him happier than the last couple days.
GG
He was refreshing to read about. I like his style - I think we kinda think alike a bit, so he cannot be all bad :D
He does seem to be a free spirit. I have to admit that I like his writing style, too. Not many people would post a journal entry like this one:
It is pouring rain...again.
There is a 6 week horse show in this town (who the hell can watch horses for 6 weeks?) and I had reserved the last room in town. The only problem was that there were five of us, all encased in mud.
Four hid around the corner while I obtained the room key. It was unavoidable, no one can trash a motel room faster than five wet, slimey, hikers. Packs, tents, boots, and dirty clothes were spread everywhere when the knock on the door came. The owner was foreign, Polish I think, with broken English. "How many you got here?", he said.
I had my head in the door crack, blocking his vision of the destruction behind me. "You said on the phone that I and my wife could sleep here for the same rate", I replied. "Let me see your wife", he demanded on his tiptoes trying in vain to see over my head. "Well to be honest with you", I lied, "I am here with my gay lover." "You're not anti homosexual are you?"
I opened the door just wide enough for him to see "the beave" in his underwear.
The ruse did not last long as he staked out my room and nabbed the whole lot of us with beer and snacks in hand. I ended up paying extra plus a cleaning fee.
LESSON 20 Future thru hikers. My appologies but if you re-supply in Manchester Center you may not want to stay at the Toll Road Inn, might not get the warm welcome you were hoping for.
Williston
09-08-2007, 12:04
An entry in his journal today confirms he has finished his hike at the summit of Katahdin. There was a news crew waiting for him when he got back to the bottom. Wish I could have been there for that!
Wow. Nothing like cheating an AT service provider, and turning him off to future thru-hikers. Sorry, I just don't see this as funny. Good thing his initials are GG and not WD, or we would have about two thousand rabid posts by sunset. :D
He does seem to be a free spirit. I have to admit that I like his writing style, too. Not many people would post a journal entry like this one:
It is pouring rain...again.
There is a 6 week horse show in this town (who the hell can watch horses for 6 weeks?) and I had reserved the last room in town. The only problem was that there were five of us, all encased in mud.
Four hid around the corner while I obtained the room key. It was unavoidable, no one can trash a motel room faster than five wet, slimey, hikers. Packs, tents, boots, and dirty clothes were spread everywhere when the knock on the door came. The owner was foreign, Polish I think, with broken English. "How many you got here?", he said.
I had my head in the door crack, blocking his vision of the destruction behind me. "You said on the phone that I and my wife could sleep here for the same rate", I replied. "Let me see your wife", he demanded on his tiptoes trying in vain to see over my head. "Well to be honest with you", I lied, "I am here with my gay lover." "You're not anti homosexual are you?"
I opened the door just wide enough for him to see "the beave" in his underwear.
The ruse did not last long as he staked out my room and nabbed the whole lot of us with beer and snacks in hand. I ended up paying extra plus a cleaning fee.
LESSON 20 Future thru hikers. My appologies but if you re-supply in Manchester Center you may not want to stay at the Toll Road Inn, might not get the warm welcome you were hoping for.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-08-2007, 12:28
::: Disappointed toothy Dino notes he did not bare-arse the Katahdin sign :::
~Sorry, I just don't see this as funny. Good thing his initials are GG and not WD, or we would have about two thousand rabid posts by sunset. :D
The majority of which would be posted by one WB member.
It's not all that uncommon for an individual hiker to rent a room and then invite all his hiking buddies to share. It's not right but it sure happens and I'll bet the motel operators are on to it and just accept it.
There will probably be several posts proclaiming ' I've never done that' and several times that number who won't post because they have. :D
aaroniguana
09-08-2007, 18:16
I've done that many, many times, though never in a trail town. Usually in tourist traps like Cocoa Beach, FL, Ocean City, MD, Monterey, CA or Lewes, DE.
Jack Tarlin
09-08-2007, 18:22
In a few cases, it's OK, as Lug says.
In most cases, tho, there's a set and finite number of folks that are allowed in any one motel room, and there's usually an "Each Additional Person Fee" for having more than two people in a room. This covers extra towels, hot water use, linens, wear and tear on the room, etc. What is never acceptable tho, is to just fill up the room with scads of folks that the proprietors don't know about.
This is theft of services, and it tends to turn business owners against hikers.
Sharing a room with one's hiking buddies is fine.
Assuming of course, that everyone is paying the correct ammount for their stay.
eArThworm
09-08-2007, 18:26
An entry in his journal today confirms he has finished his hike at the summit of Katahdin. There was a news crew waiting for him when he got back to the bottom. Wish I could have been there for that!
If you go to http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=70259 and then click on "Play Video" (just above his photo), and use a browser that the video will work in, you can see that interview.
refreeman
09-09-2007, 13:22
This link is totally in line with Gatorgump's sense of humor.
So I post it in his honor.
Good on ya mate!! Nice to read ya, and know you did the deed!
Now get some meat on those old bones ;)
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/651381/photo_mistakes/
aaroniguana
09-09-2007, 14:01
Someone should invite him to join WB. He's not half the inbred he made himself out to be 5 months ago...
oldfivetango
09-10-2007, 09:45
Someone should invite him to join WB. He's not half the inbred he made himself out to be 5 months ago...
I hope he accepts the invitation.Wonder if the the she Dino could put
together some sort of petition for everyone to sign and send it to him.
I would like to hear his perspective as an active member/poster.
Oldfivetango
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-10-2007, 10:09
She dino has other things on her mind right now. I would like to see GatorGump here as well - he and Weebles are part of the family.
Nightwalker
09-10-2007, 14:46
After all the crap that the "hikers" here gave him early on, I can't imagine him wanting to join.
Ridgerunner50
09-10-2007, 17:00
Congrats Gator! Enjoyed your journal and wish you well in all your future endevors. Put me down for a copy of any book you may persue. Great Job!!!
ms doolittle
09-10-2007, 19:18
Hey GG! I was glad to see you and Rhodo's name pop up in his blog when he went into Millinocket. Congrats to you both as well! Wish Green Hornet and I could have seen you before we left Maine. :)
Rhodo and I camped with Gator at Abol Bridge and saw him in Baxter the day before we summited on the 4th. He was planning on summiting the next day on the 6th with his son. Many congrats to him and all the other hikers out there. I hadn't seen him happier than the last couple days.
GG
After all the crap that the "hikers" here gave him early on, I can't imagine him wanting to join.
Yeah, seems like an ass to me. The kind of guy that gives HYOH a bad name.
Glad to hear he summitted.
Kirby
Johnny Thunder
09-11-2007, 09:19
Yeah, seems like an ass to me. The kind of guy that gives HYOH a bad name.
Really?
Even Twain had the levity to say, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated"
Gump is a tall tail...and a great one at that. The thinking humans we are should be able to distinguish fact from fiction.
Johnny
Johnny Thunder
09-11-2007, 09:20
Really?
Even Twain had the levity to say, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated"
Gump is a tall tail...and a great one at that. The thinking humans we are should be able to distinguish fact from fiction.
Johnny
tail=tale
(If I had any wit I'd claim it was a pun on his run-in with the Springer sign)
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-11-2007, 10:02
Gator hiked the length of the trail and reported on what he was doing honestly. Not many people have the grit and backbone to do that.
Do I agree with everything he did? No, but somehow I don't think Gator needs my permission or approval.
Did he show his 'assets' a time or two? Sure did, but that doesn't make him a total 'asset' IMO.
He is who he is - warts and all - just like the rest of us. On the whole, I feel Gator is a good fellow and I would be pleased if he joined us here.
Lone Wolf
09-11-2007, 10:05
Gator hiked the length of the trail and reported on what he was doing honestly. Not many people have the grit and backbone to do that.
Do I agree with everything he did? No, but somehow I don't think Gator needs my permission or approval.
Did he show his 'assets' a time or two? Sure did, but that doesn't make him a total 'asset' IMO.
He is who he is - warts and all - just like the rest of us. On the whole, I feel Gator is a good fellow and I would be pleased if he joined us here.
some people have a life. i'm sure gatorgump is one of them. i doubt he'll "join" us here. :)
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-11-2007, 10:09
some people have a life. i'm sure gatorgump is one of them. i doubt he'll "join" us here. :)That was kind of what I was thinking as well. Gator hiked the trail as a challenge to himself - not out of a deep connection to the trail nor the trail community. He may well move on to other challenges and completely disappear from the trail community.
We all have the proverbial warts, even Mark Twain, and me, probably more than most. I haven't read his journal except for some excerpts posted here. Twice he seemed disrespectful. Once to the trail itself and another to a trail provider. That he's been honest in writing about it, doesn't absolve him or make himself less than an ass, atleast on those two occasions.
I agree with Dino and L.Wolf. The Gator hiked a pretty honest and courageous hike in his own way, warts and all, and I would be proud to follow him and other someday, though not every footstep. But he does seem to have a life, and I doubt he'll join us here. :)
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-11-2007, 10:14
::: Dino blows Sly a kiss and hopes to get to the gathering to see him. Dino plots to adopt Sly as her brother :::
Lone Wolf
09-11-2007, 10:15
That was kind of what I was thinking as well. Gator hiked the trail as a challenge to himself - not out of a deep connection to the trail nor the trail community. He may well move on to other challenges and completely disappear from the trail community.
i'm here for entertainment not becuz of a deep connection to the trail or the trail community, which i'm not part of. i wish he would come here cuz he is one entertaining mofo. :D
some people have a life. i'm sure gatorgump is one of them. i doubt he'll "join" us here. :)
He has a life other than Whiteblaze? LOL. Hey Wolf, I'm coming up to Bristol this weekend. You going? Some guys I met in a band in CO are playing 3 times. pretty good shyt! ;)
Wayword Sons (http://www.myspace.com/waywordsons)
Johnny Thunder
09-11-2007, 10:17
We all have the proverbial warts, even Mark Twain, and me,probably more than most. I haven't read his journal except for some excerpts posted here. Twice he seemed disrespectful. Once to the trail itself and another to a trail provider. That he's been honest in writing about it, doesn't absolve him or make himself less than an ass, atleast on those two occasions.
His journal would have you believe that he regularly "communes" with animals in biblical fashion...
By reading the FULL TEXT of his Journal I think you'll see the context in which his big claims are made. Instead, you're drawing a conclusion from two "sound bites" posted by those seeking to chastise the Gump.
Ok, so the Springer Sign incident happened and personally I think that it is hilarious and in keeping with the spirit of the trail and HYOH. Who knows about the incident with the service provider?
Johnny
Lone Wolf
09-11-2007, 10:20
He has a life other than Whiteblaze? LOL. Hey Wolf, I'm coming up to Bristol this weekend. You going? Some guys I met in a band in CO are playing 3 times. pretty good shyt! ;)
Wayword Sons (http://www.myspace.com/waywordsons)
was thinkin' about it. some boys i know are playing too
www.specialedshortbus.com/
Johnny Thunder
09-11-2007, 10:28
i'm here for entertainment not becuz of a deep connection to the trail or the trail community, which i'm not part of. i wish he would come here cuz he is one entertaining mofo. :D
...Wolf takes aim at nail and hits squarely...
You can't model yourself after those seeking entertainment because enjoyment is subjective to the individual. But, seeking entertainment and enjoyment is the purpose of the trail. That's why we need more Wolfs. And Gumps. And Jesters.
Johnny
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-11-2007, 10:29
i'm here for entertainment not becuz of a deep connection to the trail or the trail community, which i'm not part of. i wish he would come here cuz he is one entertaining mofo. :D::: Dino bites LainWulf on the paw for saying he is not part of trail community (you are the black sheep of our family :D).:::
::: Dino also gives LW a high five for his comments re: Gator's entertainment value. :::
Lone Wolf
09-11-2007, 10:31
::: Dino bites LainWulf on the paw for saying he is not part of trail community (you are the black heep of our family :D).:::
::: Dino also gives LW a high five for his comments re: Gator's entertainment value. :::
nope. not part of the "trail community". i really don't associate with most hikers. especially thru-hikers.
was thinkin' about it. some boys i know are playing too
www.profile.myspace.com/specialedandtheshortbus
Then maybe I'll see you there. What's your cell number? After that I'm heading up to NYC where another band I heard at the Folks West fest, Ollabella (http://myspace.com/ollabelle) is playing a free concert at the WTC with Donna the Buffalo. EZ's taking me!
Lone Wolf
09-11-2007, 10:33
Then maybe I'll see you there. What's your cell number? After that I'm heading up to NYC where another band I heard at the Folks West fest, Ollabella (http://myspace.com/ollabelle) is playing a free concert at the WTC with Donna the Buffalo. EZ's taking me!
cell? i ain't got no cell. :D
cell? i ain't got no cell. :D
No cell? :-? Then have your fax call my fax! ;)
Rowdy Yates
09-11-2007, 10:49
Update from TJ GatorGump has not yet summitted. He is waiting in Millinocket for his family. Perhaps tomorrow?
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=204157
I just now checked TrailJournals.com and there is a posting from Gatorgump with a picture of himself & his son at the terminal sign atop Katahdin, so he has officially SUMITTED! Way to go Gatorgump!:p
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-11-2007, 10:52
cell? i ain't got no cell. :D::: Dino grins and thinks to self "Typical member of the trail community" :::
Lone Wolf
09-11-2007, 10:54
::: Dino grins and thinks to self "Typical member of the trail community" :::
huh? MOST hikers have cell phones
Frolicking Dinosaurs
09-11-2007, 10:56
huh? MOST hikers have cell phonesNot according to some of the threads I've seen here :D
I think Gatorgump was very honest and hiked his own hike, as we are all encouraged to do. I don't know about you, but I've met some hikers that are just the finest human beings ever, and then I've met some hikers that I wish would leave the trail, because they are the people I head into the woods to avoid.
I they may head into the woods to avoid people like me.
Hey, he had fun and nobody got hurt. And his journal was a great read. I wish him the best.
Nightwalker
09-13-2007, 20:02
Not according to some of the threads I've seen here :D
Most posters here (seem to) post much more than hike, Figger it out. :)
I think Gatorgump was very honest and hiked his own hike, as we are all encouraged to do.
Being honest is fine and dandy, trashing motels rooms and gloating about it isn't.
Lone Wolf
09-13-2007, 20:09
Being honest is fine and dandy, trashing motels rooms and gloating about it isn't.
gotta agree there
Being honest is fine and dandy, trashing motels rooms and gloating about it isn't.
Good point. I wonder how Gump would feel if someone trashed his business and ripped him off? :D
Best,
G.R.
Most posters here (seem to) post much more than hike, Figger it out. :)
587 miles on the AT this summer, and not one hiker I met mentioned Whiteblaze. :-?
SGT Rock
09-25-2007, 13:27
587 miles on the AT this summer, and not one hiker I met mentioned Whiteblaze. :-?
It is ocassionaly mentioned to me - but then again there is that name recognition. But honestly I get more comments about my own site than this one and I get WAY less business.
I used to ask thruhikers if they were on trailjournals or whiteblaze and most said they had not heard about these until after they started. I don't ask anymore. I guess word of mouth and shelter registers are more convenient. ;)
SGT Rock
09-25-2007, 13:34
I used to ask thruhikers if they were on trailjournals or whiteblaze and most said they had not heard about these until after they started. I don't ask anymore. I guess word of mouth and shelter registers are more convenient. ;)
A lot more of them tell me about trailjournals, but many of them tell me they are not using it because they don't like journaling. But they do know about it - I imagine it is PROBABLY because people that do journal would tend to discuss that more than they would talk about some stupid argument on WB.
A lot more of them tell me about trailjournals, but many of them tell me they are not using it because they don't like journaling. But they do know about it - I imagine it is PROBABLY because people that do journal would tend to discuss that more than they would talk about some stupid argument on WB.
It has been a couple of years since I have asked the question. Maybe we will poll the people we meet next week, but it is late for thrus in NH (we are doing Kinsman Notch to Franconia Notch). Maybe we will see some doing a flip.
SGT Rock
09-25-2007, 13:54
I'll ask at ALDHA (as well as a couple of other questions LOL) and then next year on the trail I will see what is what.
I'll ask at ALDHA (as well as a couple of other questions LOL) and then next year on the trail I will see what is what.
Maybe we could generate some interest in posting ads for websites in all the shelters. This would raise money for the ATC and drive web traffic up, generating ad revenue for the websites. Then LW would come through and make sure all shelter blight was removed once and for all. :D
The Old Fhart
09-25-2007, 14:57
Tin Man-"........Then LW would come through and make sure all shelter blight was removed once and for all.:D" Did LW have anything to do with Don Nelan and Keys Gap shelters?;)
587 miles on the AT this summer, and not one hiker I met mentioned Whiteblaze. :-?Who wants to talk about computer stuff when hiking? :cool:
SGT Rock
09-25-2007, 17:26
Great point.
Lone Wolf
09-25-2007, 17:28
Who wants to talk about computer stuff when hiking? :cool:
you'd be surprised. hikers are always talking about getting to town to find a computer to update their journals. they're always checkin' their cell phones for service or talking on them at shelters.
SGT Rock
09-25-2007, 17:28
Or e-mailing from Charlie's Bunion.
The Old Fhart
09-25-2007, 17:31
Lone Wolf-"they're always checkin' their cell phones for service or talking on them at shelters."You don't know that first hand because you don't stay at shelters.;)
Lone Wolf
09-25-2007, 17:32
You don't know that first hand because you don't stay at shelters.;)
i TENT near shelters
Who wants to talk about computer stuff when hiking? :cool:
Just saying... it would have been nice to meet at least ONE person from WB on the trail. And that didn't happen. As far as I know, there are exactly two people who post on WB that I've met on the trail.
Jack Tarlin
09-25-2007, 17:34
Maybe they were out there and just didn't wanna camp with you. :D
Maybe they were out there and just didn't wanna camp with you. :D
Matter of fact, both were friendly and kind.
Appalachian Tater
09-25-2007, 17:36
Well, there are only a couple of hundred people who post on WhiteBlaze regularly. That's one for ever 10 miles or so if they lived on the trail 24/7/365. You wouldn't expect to meet too many unless you specifically went to a gathering like Trail Days.
I met Blue Jay somewhere up north last summer and he asked me if I ever posted on WhiteBlaze and said that he did. You know,
See Ya'll Up The Trail!!!
Sorry, obviously I didn't mention J. Tarlin, L. Wolf, and Ron Haven, who would be more conspicuous on the trail by their absence. There are also several people I met here after I had met them hiking.
Well, there are only a couple of hundred people who post on WhiteBlaze regularly. That's one for ever 10 miles or so if they lived on the trail 24/7/365. You wouldn't expect to meet too many unless you specifically went to a gathering like Trail Days.
I met Blue Jay somewhere up north last summer and he asked me if I ever posted on WhiteBlaze and said that he did. You know,
See Ya'll Up The Trail!!!
Sorry, obviously I didn't mention J. Tarlin, L. Wolf, and Ron Haven, who would be more conspicuous on the trail by their absence. There are also several people I met here after I had met them hiking.
That would actually be Jaybird, not Blue Jay. :)
Just saying... it would have been nice to meet at least ONE person from WB on the trail. And that didn't happen. As far as I know, there are exactly two people who post on WB that I've met on the trail.
It helps (assuming you want to be helped) if you introduce yourself by your Whiteblaze ID. Since my Whiteblaze ID is my real name, I have gotten a "Are you the Marta from Whiteblaze?" response from people when I introduce myself. So far, several of the people I've met while hiking have one name as a Whiteblaze ID and a different name as their trail name, or real name.
It helps (assuming you want to be helped) if you introduce yourself by your Whiteblaze ID. Since my Whiteblaze ID is my real name, I have gotten a "Are you the Marta from Whiteblaze?" response from people when I introduce myself. So far, several of the people I've met while hiking have one name as a Whiteblaze ID and a different name as their trail name, or real name.
I've used the trailname "terrapin" since 1990. Though I expected it to happen once or twice on this hike, nobody asked, "Are you the terrapin from Whiteblaze?" Conversely, nobody that I met identified themselves with a name that I recognized from Whiteblaze. And that's all I'm saying.
Jack Tarlin
09-25-2007, 18:15
Terrapin---
I was kidding with you, that's what the grinning face signifies.
I'm sorry you didn't meet anyone; I met lots of people from Whiteblaze on the Trail this spring and summer, believe me, they ARE out there.
I've used the trailname "terrapin" since 1990. Though I expected it to happen once or twice on this hike, nobody asked, "Are you the terrapin from Whiteblaze?" Conversely, nobody that I met identified themselves with a name that I recognized from Whiteblaze. And that's all I'm saying.
Just goes to show...there are no universal rules. What works for one person totally bombs out for someone else. :rolleyes:
I met lots of people from Whiteblaze on the Trail this spring and summer, believe me, they ARE out there.
I don't doubt what you're saying, Jack. OTOH, you're a bit of a trail celebrity. (BTW, how much of the trail did you hike this year?)
FWIW, of the two WB'ers that I've met on the trail... one of those encounters was in 1990 in TN/NC/VA, the other in 2005 in CT/MA.
Trillium
09-25-2007, 18:26
I met Mash last summer while taking a quick snack break on Lion's Head just north of Salisbury :sun
Who wants to talk about computer stuff when hiking? :cool:
And I think that is why most of the trailjournals journals are short or fade away - too much trouble. It will be interesting to see how, or if, things change once wireless technologies and small-form factor computing devices become more powerful and pervasive.
Just finished reading GatorGump's journal. Very funny, heartfelt, and insightful. You have to admire his honesty, grit, and free spirit. Yea, he did a couple of things he probably shouldn't have but overall he hiked with abandon, hiked his own hike, despite some health issues, and had a heck of a good time and nobody got hurt. He has a funny writing style and it was a good read, I highly recommend it. Also he has some great pics too.