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View Full Version : What's the craziest thing you've seen on Springer?



Johnny Thunder
02-14-2008, 13:33
This morning Matthewski called to remind me that I had 47 days left to go and to impart some more pre-hike advice. Mostly he told me how to avoid some of the usual Springer-area problems...

He said how I shouldn't try to tell other hikers how do do their thing. How someone's going to have to sleep cold before they realize that there's a drawstring in their bag. Or, burn their eyebrows off from overpumping before they figure out how to use their stove the right way. He said something about how if you tell someone how to avoid their problems then they're going to latch on to you. Just like that old Samuri tradition where if you save someone's life you're responsible for them for the rest of their hike.

I didn't really understand that last part but I was eating Crunch Berries and he does talk a little mishpel'd...

So, besides the usual piles-of-abandoned-gear-gas-stove-fireballs-balled-up-Levi's-hidden-under-bushes stuff what amazing things have you seen in those first few miles?

He also told me to find this year's Minnesota. Who's it going to be?

hobojoe
02-14-2008, 13:38
This morning Matthewski called to remind me that I had 47 days left to go and to impart some more pre-hike advice. Mostly he told me how to avoid some of the usual Springer-area problems...

He said how I shouldn't try to tell other hikers how do do their thing. How someone's going to have to sleep cold before they realize that there's a drawstring in their bag. Or, burn their eyebrows off from overpumping before they figure out how to use their stove the right way. He said something about how if you tell someone how to avoid their problems then they're going to latch on to you. Just like that old Samuri tradition where if you save someone's life you're responsible for them for the rest of their hike.

I didn't really understand that last part but I was eating Crunch Berries and he does talk a little mishpel'd...

So, besides the usual piles-of-abandoned-gear-gas-stove-fireballs-balled-up-Levi's-hidden-under-bushes stuff what amazing things have you seen in those first few miles?

He also told me to find this year's Minnesota. Who's it going to be?
Cooking pizza in the registry drawer at the terminus. under the benton macaye plaque.

Dances with Mice
02-14-2008, 14:20
He also told me to find this year's Minnesota. Who's it going to be?This is your Quest. No one can help you.

Wonder
02-14-2008, 14:30
I saw Baltimore Jack sneaking a chicken into The Dudes pack in the parking lot........

Johnny Thunder
02-14-2008, 14:35
I saw Baltimore Jack sneaking a chicken into The Dudes pack in the parking lot........


...his hair was perfect.

the goat
02-14-2008, 14:38
...his hair was perfect.

nice, lmao!:D

great zevon reference!

BR360
02-14-2008, 14:41
This is your Quest. No one can help you.

That is funny!! I spewed Coke!!:banana

Jack Tarlin
02-14-2008, 15:08
Well, it's not like it was a live, uncooked, chicken......

Smile
02-14-2008, 15:19
Presentation is everything :)

GGS2
02-14-2008, 15:20
Well, it's not like it was a live, uncooked, chicken......

I wondered about that... Did you follow him up the trail to help him eat it?

Blissful
02-14-2008, 16:44
I'd tell the hikers this too - not crazy per say but true - the winds at Springer Mtn shelter blow at least 45 mph, right over the tenting area. I didn't believe it when someone told me at Black Gap. Until my tent blew over three times during the night (I was a newbie with a new tarptent). It's a natural wind tunnel for some reason.

briarpatch
02-14-2008, 16:47
Cooking pizza in the registry drawer at the terminus. under the benton macaye plaque.

The registery is under the National Scenic Trails Plaque, not the hiker Plaque. And the hiker on the plaque isn't Benton MacKaye, its Werner Hall - an early GATC member. The hiker plaque was sculpted by George Noble in the early 1930s, and there were originally 3: Springer Mtn., Blood Mtn., and Unicoi Gap. The ones at Springer and Unicoi are the only ones left.

I found the picture of Werner that was used by the sculptor to make the plaque in the club records a couple of years ago. Even the pant's wrinkles and creases match the plaque, its pretty cool looking.

hobojoe
02-14-2008, 17:02
The registery is under the National Scenic Trails Plaque, not the hiker Plaque. And the hiker on the plaque isn't Benton MacKaye, its Werner Hall - an early GATC member. The hiker plaque was sculpted by George Noble in the early 1930s, and there were originally 3: Springer Mtn., Blood Mtn., and Unicoi Gap. The ones at Springer and Unicoi are the only ones left.

I found the picture of Werner that was used by the sculptor to make the plaque in the club records a couple of years ago. Even the pant's wrinkles and creases match the plaque, its pretty cool looking.
memory fuzzy at best.....

briarpatch
02-14-2008, 17:17
memory fuzzy at best.....

I know the feeling. ;)

gungho
02-14-2008, 18:24
I will dropping off my wife,Roots at springer in April,I am looking forward to seeing the crazy things people attempt to take on their hike. I have read some doozies on trailjournals.

Nean
02-14-2008, 19:15
I saw a guy "helping" a young lady up the ladder in the shelter.:eek:

Nean
02-14-2008, 19:18
I saw a guy "helping" a young lady up the ladder in the shelter.:eek:

Now that I think about she may of been coming down the ladder:-?....hard to say fer sure!:rolleyes:

fiddlehead
02-15-2008, 01:36
I was with a group of hikers sitting at the plaque one time when a hiker (with a big pack by the way) came up to us and asked if we knew were the Appalacian Trail might be.

Someone pointed out where the last blue blaze was, then the plaque and then the first white blaze. He thanked us and was about to move on when someone asked if he was going to hike to Maine. He said he hoped so and then someone said: "Try to remember that you got lost at the very first blaze"

fiddlehead
02-15-2008, 04:23
Here's a picture from a very memorable day for me on Springer (completion of my SOBO in 02)

Over 100,000 miles of hiking experience in this pic.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=7049&catid=searchresults&searchid=13208

Flush2wice
02-15-2008, 09:26
I saw midgets fighting on Springer a couple years ago. It was crazy- here's a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Wm4DXkcj0

Lone Wolf
02-15-2008, 09:27
that's funny right there :)

Pennsylvania Rose
02-15-2008, 09:30
There was the guy who rubbed his bare a** on the plaque.

Roots
02-15-2008, 09:43
I saw midgets fighting on Springer a couple years ago. It was crazy- here's a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Wm4DXkcj0

OMG...ROFLMAO...I just got choked on my bagel.

hobojoe
02-15-2008, 12:11
I was with a group of hikers sitting at the plaque one time when a hiker (with a big pack by the way) came up to us and asked if we knew were the Appalacian Trail might be.

Someone pointed out where the last blue blaze was, then the plaque and then the first white blaze. He thanked us and was about to move on when someone asked if he was going to hike to Maine. He said he hoped so and then someone said: "Try to remember that you got lost at the very first blaze"
Bahahahahahahahaha

bjj4287
03-04-2008, 18:07
Midget Fight!!!!!

mark.k.watson
03-04-2008, 22:42
Not on Springer but at Hawk Mountain shelter I ran into a couple on Memorial Day weekend who have to be legends in the 2007 season ... uhh that is if they lasted past Neels or even Woody Gap.
I came across them around 11 a.m. with a big ass bonfire going. I informed them of the fire ban. "ohh really"
The guy was about 50, the girl, MAYBE, and I do mean maybe 18.
He was pissed because she forgot something at the last shelter and he had to go back for it.
Ohh yea he also carried a big Rambo knife so he could hunt along the way. They were fully intent to head to Maine. I don't think they carried much for food. But they did carry a BIG bottle of wiskey.
Quite a site.
I think it is easy money to say they were a 30-mile statistic.

ShakeyLeggs
03-04-2008, 22:51
Not Springer but Black Gap Shelter. Here is an excerpt from my journal;

On about sunset a group of hikers wandered up to the turnoff for the shelter. One of the women came into the shelter asking about a bathroom. When told the shelter did not have a privy she asked what she was to do. I replied find a nice tree. She gasped and turned around and headed out picking up her pack and heading back down the trail never to be seen again.

quicktoez
03-05-2008, 11:29
When I came to the Springer parking lot March 07 I met Lone Wolf who was standing next to a hand cart with a few boxes of food. I originally thought LW the great White Blazer he was, was handing out supplies. On my first night out from Springer I meet a 07 hiker who was given the name Kitchen Sink. Not only had he been the hiker who abandon the hand truck but had left a trail of items from smokes, an axe and more food to a 10x20 tarp. You would think this would end the story but no, in Neel’s Gap he decided he did not need his BB gun. I was present when a worker pulled the gun from the hiker box at the gap with only a small look of puzzlement on his face. This is all true and Dogebag and Copperhead (2 07 thru hikers) were at the gap that day. Kitchen Sink and his escapades became a story I hear over and over with many embellishments but I swear to the gods of Kitahdin this is the true story.

eventidecu
03-05-2008, 12:01
Lone Wolf caught practicing magic again? "
Lone Wolf the Magician" Abra Da Crapa!!

For his next trick he turns into the Va chapter Leki rep!:clap

gungho
03-05-2008, 18:19
When I came to the Springer parking lot March 07 I met Lone Wolf who was standing next to a hand cart with a few boxes of food. I originally thought LW the great White Blazer he was, was handing out supplies. On my first night out from Springer I meet a 07 hiker who was given the name Kitchen Sink. Not only had he been the hiker who abandon the hand truck but had left a trail of items from smokes, an axe and more food to a 10x20 tarp. You would think this would end the story but no, in Neel’s Gap he decided he did not need his BB gun. I was present when a worker pulled the gun from the hiker box at the gap with only a small look of puzzlement on his face. This is all true and Dogebag and Copperhead (2 07 thru hikers) were at the gap that day. Kitchen Sink and his escapades became a story I hear over and over with many embellishments but I swear to the gods of Kitahdin this is the true story.


So,does anybody out there know how far he made it?:-?

Trillium
04-08-2008, 20:51
a 07 hiker who was given the name Kitchen Sink. Not only had he been the hiker who abandon the hand truck but had left a trail of items from smokes, an axe and more food to a 10x20 tarp. there were 2 similar guys on the trail last week. they were carrying an axe, a hatchet, camp stools, etc. they couldn't wait to get to Neels to send stuff home. one of them had turned his ankle and was slowly laboring up trail with a gimpy ankle and a humongous pack. the other had 'Maine or Bust' shaved into the sides of his head. lol

notorius tic
04-08-2008, 20:58
Any 1 remember the dude that got dropped off with a WAGON full off food. Trying to stop drinking had A WAGON full of food<: 1 heck of a charecter..

gungho
04-08-2008, 20:58
there were 2 similar guys on the trail last week. they were carrying an axe, a hatchet, camp stools, etc. they couldn't wait to get to Neels to send stuff home. one of them had turned his ankle and was slowly laboring up trail with a gimpy ankle and a humongous pack. the other had 'Maine or Bust' shaved into the sides of his head. lol

Thats too funny. Glad to see you made it back.

notorius tic
04-08-2008, 20:59
2007 year of through HIKE not done yet

notorius tic
04-08-2008, 21:02
:eek:Its TRUE


So,does anybody out there know how far he made it?:-?

notorius tic
04-08-2008, 21:08
Make it much farther than I did lol I had a stupid pack weight.I had 25pnds of food.. Ask any 1 that hiked with me SPAM A CAN ATHON.. Got smart Fast or got SLOW REAL FAST.. Total body weight 160 pdas Base weight on back an ruck sack 200 An GA hurt got smart Quik... Needed the WAGON:rolleyes:

rob123ufl
04-08-2008, 23:08
met a guy on top of springer carrying his sleeping bag and tarp in both arms because "they were too big to fit in the pack." he had been rained on and was afraid he was going to freeze to death in his sleep. the ridge-runner told him to go down to the road and hopefully someone would be there, but he said his legs were "cramping". I left him on top of springer...

same day, down at the next shelter, i approached and was immediately asked if i had a spare pair of pants. not a hello or anything, jsut a request for pants. the downpour that day had gotten many victims. it turns out a group of dayhikers had inadequate rain gear and everyhting they had was soaked. HOWEVER, they enjoyed the cans of dinty-moore stew they cooked over a fire of live saplings that night that they had chopped down with their two axes. gotta love day-hikers...

Wolf - 23000
04-09-2008, 03:18
Midget Fight!!!!!

Was either one SGT Rock?:D

RITBlake
04-09-2008, 10:23
I saw midgets fighting on Springer a couple years ago. It was crazy- here's a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Wm4DXkcj0


hahah that's gold man

Scrapes
04-21-2008, 22:34
Yup the guy, a Michigan guy, had 6 hard cover books, survival fishing gear, big knives, plural. All army gear, cause "they make the best". The books were seized by Many Sleeps at Springer to be mailed home.

ScubaDooba
05-19-2008, 15:16
Approach trail to Springer...

A guy and his girlfriend bought all their gear at Wally-world the weekend prior. His pack was about 90 lbs and hers about 30. The only food they brought were (3) gallon sized Ziplock bags full of plain oatmeal. They set up their 12lb tent inside the 2nd floor of the shelter, resulting in some thru-hikers cowboy camping for the night. But prior to that, he found a fat snake near the shelter and killed it for food.

They had planned on hiking an additional 50 miles. The girl did not like to drink water so was cramping the whole time. They've never even gone camping. They were charming but clueless. LOL

Too bad I never found out how far they got.