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Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-18-2007, 21:41
Has anyone ever stayed here?
From the ALDHA Companion: Smith Gap Road in PA (918.5 from Katahdin - 1255.5 from Springer) —For northbounders, it is the first road after the Stempa Spring side trail. West 1 mile to a water spigot at the rear of the house of Linda “Crayon Lady” and John “Mechanical Man” Stempa, (610) 381-4606; free cold shower, hiker’s register, and camera for self-portraits. Pets welcome. Homemade alcohol stoves, windscreens, and methyl fuel available; shuttles to area trailheads by arrangement; parking for a small fee.

The Mechanical Man
12-18-2007, 21:45
Thanks for the posting Dino, I haven't started a tread yet, but if I did, that's what I would have said.

Thanks again

BTW,.......... I stay a the Dome every night!:welcome

hopefulhiker
12-18-2007, 22:26
Yes I stayed there in 05. They are wonderful people.. They let me use their phone and take a shower. It was not too far off the trail. But the biggest bear I have ever seen lives in the woods near by...

The Mechanical Man
12-18-2007, 22:34
Hello friend, good to hear from you again,..........................
I am looking at Hopefulhiker's entry from my register now,........ it was on 7/20/2005 he signed in.
Jellybean and Bisbee, Goodspeed, BigFoot, on the same day too.

The Mechanical Man
12-19-2007, 00:40
Hey Chocolate Bandito, You spent the night here at the dome, remember???:welcome

take-a-knee
12-19-2007, 00:49
MM, you started that pistol range yet? High Dino!

The Mechanical Man
12-19-2007, 00:58
Pistol range is open year round, ......outside free cold shower however is closed for the season.

Anyone want to use my free outdoor cold shower before I shut it down??

Chocolate Bandito
12-29-2007, 23:31
Aw yeah! Just found this thread. I had a great time with you guys! Definitely won't ever forget staying there. Wandered in at dark all tuckered out and ended up getting to stay in a hiker's paradise :D

The Mechanical Man
12-30-2007, 19:27
Aw yeah! Just found this thread. I had a great time with you guys! Definitely won't ever forget staying there. Wandered in at dark all tuckered out and ended up getting to stay in a hiker's paradise :D

We won't forget you,.................................... here is your picture with my son "The Blur", and Tank "The Dober-Man".

Enjoyed your visit, good luck, and Have A Safe Hike!

THEmapMAKER
12-30-2007, 19:39
How close are you to the Blue Mountain ski reosrt? How close does the AT get to the ski reosrt?

The Mechanical Man
12-30-2007, 20:07
How close are you to the Blue Mountain ski reosrt? How close does the AT get to the ski reosrt?

I live 8 trail miles from Blue Mountain Ski area.
I can hear the snowguns making snow, and I can see the orange glow of the sodium lights too.

The AT corridor runs very close to Blue Mtn Ski property, they parallel each other for approx 1 mile, North of Little Gap.

dmb658
10-07-2008, 00:29
MECHANICAL MAN!! I stayed at your house this year during the heat wave and you saved my life with your water, shower, ice cream, soda, a place out of the rain storm, and a ride back up to the trail!!

thank you so much, i will never forget the time i had at your house!

The Mechanical Man
12-04-2008, 03:42
A good time here, NO POSSIBLE WAY. :D

There is no way you could have possibly enjoyed your stay here at the BLUE MOUNTAIN DOME ,............What about the COLD friggin SHOWER? :banana

stumpknocker
12-04-2008, 09:25
Hey Mechanical Man....met you and your family as I crossed the gravel road by your house this year. Just wanted to say hello and it was good meeting you. :)

The Mechanical Man
12-04-2008, 15:28
Hey Mechanical Man....met you and your family as I crossed the gravel road by your house this year. Just wanted to say hello and it was good meeting you. :)


Stumpknocker.................. good to hear from you again. :sun

Yeah, I wish we would have had more time that day.
We were taking my son BMX racing that day, and as it turned out, he is now a State Champion, and Rookie of the year, NJ State Series!

Make plans to stop down next time, and good luck on all your future adventures.

MedicineMan
05-20-2009, 13:44
Mechanical Man, Nemo, and Family!
A lot of people talk the talk but The Mechanical Man does it all:
provides water
a place to camp
a place to leave a car
discovers new water sources for the hiker (Stempa Spring)
provides a run down of the local history
maintains the trail
maintains the trail corridor boundary

My timing was good and providence allowed me to eat dinner with the family twice. I had backpacked 8 days and the Mechanical Man slacked me the last 3 days-it was like a vacation!

All AT hikers will, if they hike long enough, find various types of providers along the trail. Ultimately you'll wonder of their motivation. In short time you'll know the Mechanical Man truly love the AT, it's hikers, and the purist tradition.
Thanks for having me and all your support.

The Mechanical Man
05-26-2009, 02:14
Mechanical Man, Nemo, and Family!
A lot of people talk the talk but The Mechanical Man does it all:
provides water
a place to camp
a place to leave a car
discovers new water sources for the hiker (Stempa Spring)
provides a run down of the local history
maintains the trail
maintains the trail corridor boundary

My timing was good and providence allowed me to eat dinner with the family twice. I had backpacked 8 days and the Mechanical Man slacked me the last 3 days-it was like a vacation!

All AT hikers will, if they hike long enough, find various types of providers along the trail. Ultimately you'll wonder of their motivation. In short time you'll know the Mechanical Man truly love the AT, it's hikers, and the purist tradition.
Thanks for having me and all your support.

MedicineMan
It was our pleasure helping you enjoy your final AT in Pa. miles, thanks for staying with us on your "Vacation".

You were an outstanding guest, with great dinner conversation, you loved our puppy Nemo, and you have a great sense of humor.
MedicineMan is forever and always, one of our family of good friends.

And thanks again for the free hammock demonstration, especially during the thunderstorms Saturday night. :eek:

In the purist tradition, I took your picture just to PROVE you were here. :)

TOW
05-26-2009, 06:34
I hope to meet you next year MM.....

The Mechanical Man
05-28-2009, 00:48
I hope to meet you next year MM.....

I will be here, and I look forward to meeting you too. :)

pachysandra
07-31-2011, 13:07
Hi John and Linda and Little Boy!

I visited you on my thru-hike in 2001. I'm writing a book about my hike, and just got to the part where my Thru-Hikers Handbook said, Left 1.0m-to Blue Mountain Dome: where you can get water from an outside spigot at rear of the house..
Thirsty and walking the road to your spigot, you gave me a ride to your house. Linda and your little boy(what is his name?) were picking vegetables in the garden. When your little boy saw me, he said, FEED DE HIKA!, FEED DE HIKA!

Being from the south, I remembered my aunt saying, Yankees are no damn good.

That was hard to believe when Linda laid out a 4th of July banquet and grilled me a cheeseburger on the patio. Or when John handed me a stack of towels to take a shower. And a stack of videos to pick from.

While I was sleeping under your roof on a rainy night with a full belly, I wrote in your register, John and Linda just extinguished one more fire that the Civil War started.

I know the war started a long time ago, but it ended for my family when ya'll brought me in.

Thank you for the water.

Pachysandra
Charleston, South Carolina