Trail Angel Mary's car at the PA Ruck

[StarLyte]

This is long, it's a story about Trail Angel Mary's car. An incident that occurred at the PA Ruck this past weekend.

At 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning we were awakened by Weathercarrot telling us that something happened outside to Trail Angel Mary's car.

I went outside, and there I saw Mary's car at a 160 degree angle; the back wheels in a ditch, the bottom side of the passenger door resting on a short stone pier...what happened?

Mary, smoking on a cigarette like she ain't never gonna smoke again and her Duncannon PA accent says..."I backed the damn thing into the ditch-I didn't see a thing back there, I was just trying to park."

I couldn't even think what we could do now about it...we'll just have to dig you out in the morning...over a hill, out of ditch, out of the ice and snow.

We were in shock, took us all forever to get back to sleep, worrying...wondering.

At 9:00 a.m. I went into the bunk room and woke up the guys sleeping in there and said "Hey have you seen what happened to Mary's car last night?" I walked over to the window and quickly yanked the cord down on the blinds to reveal the "picture" and there standing on Bendersville Road and the Appalachian Trail intersection was 30 people with cameras, taking pictures of the car and all of us....gawking like they've never seen such a thing before-I'm sure picture worthy. They were PA Rucksters on their way up to Pole Steeple.

We never laughed so hard at the people taking pictures. I laughed REAL hard.

Then I heard a knock at the door; it was a friendly Pine Grove Furnace State Park ranger. "Ma'am...do you have any plans on removing this vehicle?

"Yes sir, we have plans, but that's when everyone awakens to help us"....

"Well ma'am just so you know that the Park System is not responsible for towing you out." :) No ticket, or warning nor harsh judgement-whew. ;)

Okay, back to the people standing there....I'm still laughing, got it? I'm still laughing thru all of this, in front of the ranger...walking thru the little house I rent for the Ruck, right over to the couch where Mary was sleeping...."Mary get up....you have to see all the people outside taking pictures of your car"....

Here are two pictures....two CLASSIC photos of Mary's car. Thank you to all who helped lift it out. Mary was a little scared about any damage even if you think she's a tough cookie.

[the goat]

that ditch with the little stone wall is how our very own stonewall got his name.

he pulled the same maneuver at last year's ruck!

[Gaiter]

lol, i know exactly how mary feels, i was pulled out of a ditch once by an el camino, but thats a long non-hiker story.

[Bluez4u]

"Stonewall Mary"

[Blissful]

So sorry to hear it happened but it's great too when these kinds of things bring hikers together in interesting ways.

And she's famous.

[Frosty]

I walked over to the window and quickly yanked the cord down on the blinds to reveal the "picture" and there standing on Bendersville Road and the Appalachian Trail intersection was 30 people with cameras, taking pictures of the car and all of us....gawking like they've never seen such a thing before-I'm sure picture worthy. They were PA Rucksters on their way up to Pole Steeple.I confess to be one of these Pole Steeplers gawking. Took the picture below, but I could see exactly how it could have happened. Mostly I was just glad it wasn't MY vehicle.

My first PA Ruck, and I had an excellent time. Long drive there and back, but well worth it. Thank you and thank everyone for all they did to make this possible.

[1Pint]

I was up on the deck of the hostel looking down on the car in the ditch when I overheard some hikers as they were walking by the car on their way to the campsite:

Hiker 1 - Jeez, what happened to that car?
Hiker 2 - I hope that's not one of our people.
Hiker 1 - Yep, it is. It's got a Billville sticker.
Hiker 2 - Well, that figures. Take a picture of the sticker.

(or some discussion very similar to that)

Glad it all turned out okay. Mary said she thought everything was just fine for her car.:p

[nightshaded]

that ditch with the little stone wall is how our very own stonewall got his name.

he pulled the same maneuver at last year's ruck!

yes...we've decided it should be a new ruck tradition...who's it going to be in '09?

[camojack]

There was an announcement in the hostel to the effect that in 20 minutes we were going to try pushing Mary's car out of the ditch.

15 minutes later I was just stepping out on the porch to go help, just in time to see the mission accomplished.

Apparently my efforts weren't required; "all's well that ends well"...

[Newb]

I just got this PM from an unknown IP address in Pennsylvania:

"Dear Billvillians....stay away from PA or I'll eat another one of your cars...

signed,

The ditch of doom".

[D'Artagnan]

You know you're among friends if their first response when you're in trouble is, "Wait, let me grab my camera." :D

[trailangelmary]

On Friday night the most worried attendee about my car was Matthewski. However, on Saturday after lunch when I rounded up some help and we were gathered by the car he calmly announced, "We need a driver because, for obvious reasons, Mary shouldn't drive." Laughter all around. LOL!

More viewpoints and pics from Mary later.

[Johnny Thunder]

Ditches aint S**t but bogs and cricks.

[Two Speed]

lol, i know exactly how mary feels, i was pulled out of a ditch once by an el camino, but thats a long non-hiker story.Surely you mean your car was pulled out of a ditch, right? ;)

[Jan LiteShoe]

Surely you mean your car was pulled out of a ditch, right? ;)

Then there was the time my ox was in a ditch...
Of course, it was Sunday...

[Gaiter]

lol, me and that car were very close

[Panzer1]

luckily, she was not hurt and the car still runs and it only took minutes to get it out of the ditch. You can't ask for more.

Panzer

[Trillium]

yes...we've decided it should be a new ruck tradition...who's it going to be in '09?gee, I was kinda planning on coming next year but now :eek:

[Smile]

Glad she was OK!
It does show off the lovely AT symbol on the top of the car though :)

[jamarshall]

I saw this car at the Sheetz near Marysville on Friday. Knew it had to be someone heading to the Ruck, but no one appeared while we were there. Mystery solved.

[trailangelmary]

It does show off the lovely AT symbol on the top of the car though
The AT symbol and background paint job was painted on my car during the 2007 hiking season by Mountain Mike when he came through Duncannon. It was his work for stay to sand off the remainder of the vinyl roofing that was a mess. We found the spray paint in my apartment and he did the work. Awesome job, I thought. Hikers have been signing the roof since. I love it.

[trailangelmary]

I saw this car at the Sheetz near Marysville on Friday. Knew it had to be someone heading to the Ruck, but no one appeared while we were there. Mystery solved.
So, were you also heading to the Ruck? There was someone in line in front of me that looked familiar. I just had a sense that it was someone in the hiker family. Was that you, Dog Paw? I stopped there to check the air in my tires and grab a bite to eat because I knew I would miss the pasta supper at the ruck.

[trailangelmary]

Oops! Guess it wasn't you. It was a man in front of me that looked familiar. And I see from your profile that J stands for Joyce.

[jamarshall]

Didn't make it to the Ruck, maybe next year. I had to spend the day on the eastern shore while hubby was goose hunting :)

[Patrickjd9]

The AT symbol and background paint job was painted on my car during the 2007 hiking season by Mountain Mike when he came through Duncannon. It was his work for stay to sand off the remainder of the vinyl roofing that was a mess.
Anyone who sands off a vinyl roof has done a hard day's work! I recall doing that with someone while I was in college.

[Stonewall]

http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/skytoproberts/th_CarStonewall1.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/skytoproberts/?action=view&current=CarStonewall1.jpg)http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/skytoproberts/th_CarStonewall.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/skytoproberts/?action=view&current=CarStonewall.jpg)



so i can't figure out how to shrink it so.... but this was the damage to my car in 07 and hence my my now stonewall. but it was a trip to see mary's car and brought back some memories. I am sure someone has a photo somewhere of my car perched on the wall.

[two-step]

THE DIPLOMAT PREVAILS!!! Boy, she is a beaut...and one hell of a driving machine! Stonewall Mary - NO more offroading...OK!?!

[Bare Bear]

Stonewall Mary ....it does have a ring to it. What do you think Mary?

[trailangelmary]

Hey Bare Bear, how are you? Hope all is well. Yes, it does have a ring to it. Weather Carrot called me Stonewall Mary the rest of the weekend and says he always will now! I will answer to either trailangelmary or stonewall mary. LOL

[trailangelmary]

so i can't figure out how to shrink it so
Hey Stonewall. You don't have to shrink the picture. When you attach the picture to your post it shows up at the bottom of the post as a thumbnail and thern when folks click on it it opens to normal size in a seperate window.

[Bluez4u]

On Friday night the most worried attendee about my car was Matthewski. However, on Saturday after lunch when I rounded up some help and we were gathered by the car he calmly announced, "We need a driver because, for obvious reasons, Mary shouldn't drive." Laughter all around. LOL!

More viewpoints and pics from Mary later.

He didn't want to miss breakfast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol.....

[mweinstone]

cool pics of the inner sanctum of the fabulus marymobile.

[trailangelmary]

Okay I finally got a slideshow put together of all of the pics I took of my car. You can go to YouTube.com to see it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUtUx7vvRFc