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YaZOO
03-10-2008, 23:17
Fellow thru, section, weekenders, wanderers, hikers....

My name is YaZoo. For the past year or so, I have been reading very intresting posts about the members' experiences and views on life. I must say that I feel at home here with the Whiteblaze community even though this is my very first post.

If you do not consider me a threat:eek: , Id like to tell you more about myself. :D

I have been hiking for about 18 years off and on and have just re-sparked the intrest of getting out into the great outdoors. The one and only philosophy that I hold true is that you should just "hike your own hike" and enjoy the things that the LORD has made for us. I dont consider myself an old fart, just yet... even though I'm a few years from being 40... but, I do feel my knees and legs giving way.... LOL

Since last year, I have been thinking about taking the AT Thru Hikers Plunge :-? and feel very unprepared in terms of mail drops, how much food to carry between towns, what is neeed, and what is overkill. I figure that many of you hammock-ers or tarp-ers out there swear by your philosophies - and scatalogically speaking; wearing one pair of knickers through the full 2000 miles from Springer to Maine is roughing it! I'm not that. Its all about the bare minimum but, still being confortable.

In some form or fashioned you could call me a "soft" core hiker... with my (1)Wally-Mart bought hiking poles, BA Seedhouse SL2, MB U.L.S.S downhugger #3, SnowPeak Ti Cook set / Stove, (2)Wally world poncho, (3) Wally world 3 liter(101.44oz) old Coke water bottle, hand knitted toboggin, TYVEK ground sheet, a few asprin/bandaids, and no I leave the cell phone at home. I still consider myself a humble hiker; havent stepped on Springer Mountain headed north bound and/or went out picking herbs from the wilderness for supper. Even though I have had many daring experiences with freezing my C.O Jones off in the middle of dead winter, I still would not trade those experiences for the world.

I love gear... make-shift, store bought, hand-me-downs.... you name it. Im a sucker for trying new things again that didnt work the first time, second time, well, Sheeeiiiit...

I sending out an APB on hikers that want to thru-hike the AT on 09. In the mean time, I am 2-3 day hiking in places such as Fall Creek Falls, Stone Door, Big South Fork, Chattanoga. If there are any people intrested in joining me on future hikes, and live in the Middle Tennessee area IE (Murfreesboro), let me know. My wife doesnt care too much for vacationing out in BFE so most of the time I am gone SOLO.

Well, Ive said enough. Im going to sit back and watch this post. For those that feel like welcoming me, Nice to meet you. Those who want to yell NOOB or cyber moon me, "good for you".

Thank you.... This has been a message from DON PARDO...... :banana

doggiebag
03-10-2008, 23:26
Welcome YaZoo - the first step in recovery is publicly admitting you have these issues. I myself have found this site both entertaining and sometimes informative at best and shocking and disturbing at worst. Have fun with it. Regards.

YaZOO
03-10-2008, 23:45
Nice to meet you DoggieBag....

Bearpaw
03-11-2008, 00:06
Welcome Yazoo!

I CAN talk gear, seeing as how I've used a LOT in the last seven years of travelling and working part-time for REI. But in the last several months, I've pretty much burnt out on gear, preferring to focus on getting out there. That's why I no longer work weekends with REI, and I DO backpack at least every third weekend. It's been much healthier for me, both physically and especially mentally and emotionally.

If you have any questions about the local area (I'm in Nashville), let me know.

Rain Man
03-11-2008, 10:07
Well, YaZOO, as a fellow middle Tennessee hiker, WELCOME to WhiteBlaze.

Rain:sunMan

.

Tinker
03-11-2008, 11:42
Hey, there, Yazoo. Welcome.
I'm a long-time gearhead who worked at REI a long time ago.
I consider having proper gear and using it correctly to be one of the surest ways to increase the joy of the hiking experience.
Bad gear and incorrect usage can lead to a miserable experience, but some miserable experiences build character. I should have lots of character because I've used some pretty worthless stuff.
I might be able to get away for a week or so next year, but a thru is out of the question until I get my debt paid down.

jersey joe
03-11-2008, 11:45
Welcome YaZoo...2009 sounds like a great year to thru hike!

leeki pole
03-11-2008, 11:54
Wow... to live close to such great hiking areas (Fall Creek Falls is one of my favorites) near the Cumberland Plateau and the AT is truly a blessing. Tennessee is a beautiful state. Wecome, YaZoo.:) Don Pardo, now that right there is funny!

envirodiver
03-11-2008, 12:03
Hey Yazoo...welcome:welcome.

Quite a few of us Middle Tennessee folks on here.

Lilred
03-11-2008, 12:07
Welcome Yazoo,

We middle tennesseans like to get together now and then to meet up and hike or just meet up and eat. Either way, watch for our next thread about a gathering and feel free to join us.

HikerRanky
03-11-2008, 12:58
Welcome YaZoo.... As a Mississippi native, I really do like your name there :sun

You'll find that there are several of us out here, and as LilRed stated, we do like to get together.... Hopefully we'll see you out there as well.

Randy

Tipi Walter
03-11-2008, 13:05
If you're ever in the southern Cherokee NF area around the Citico Wilderness, PM me and maybe we could put something together. My stomping ground runs from Cohutta up to the Smokies on both sides of the state line, TN and NC.

YaZOO
03-11-2008, 20:43
Hello Bearpaw, Rainman, Tinker, Jersey Joe, Leeki Pole, Envirodiver, Lilred, HikerRandy, & TipiWalter

Great to hear from you ALL:p. I'm kind of weary about meeting strangers in general since that "Wack Job" from Georgia killed Merideth but, I believe that there's always an exception to the rule. Since I've been a TENNESSEE BLOODED native my whole life, I came here to Whiteblaze in hopes of meeting people that hold the same intrests in the outdoors and.... WOW, what a turn out.

I have noticed that most of you are located near Nashville / Hendersonville area and show enthusiasm toward what is in your hearts; having fun, fillin' your bellies, hiking, and just plain shooting the S. hmmm hmmm T. (censored)

As Phil Valentine uses the phrase "Bovine Scatology", long for "bull sh!$":eek:, I have ran across many of those critters in my time. You guys seem to be real characters who dont judge a hiker based upon how many miles he/she has walked. Since wifey of 7 Years, TOM (cat) live so close to Nash"vegas", Id be more than happy to get together some time in the future just to get to know everyone.

In the next week or 2, Im planning a 3-4 day SOLO trip starting at Stone Door via the connector trail -> stop at Hobbs Cabin -> travel along the North Rim & stop at Savage Falls -> then haul it to Saw Mill Camp site for the 3rd night -> then back to stone door on the last morning. This will start my endurance training for the AT in 09. For those that feel like kicking it in "Two Heeled Drive" hop a' board. Bare with me though, the decrepid body has to warm up since I have taken off for the winter.

Once again, great seeing everyone....
"This is Howard Cosell telling you to tune in next time on the wide world of sports"
NUCK NUCK....

Outrider
03-11-2008, 20:49
Welcome to WhiteBlaze! I am in Murfreesboro also. And like you my wife has no ideas to do anything but car camping so I have been going the solo route.

YaZOO
03-11-2008, 21:03
Outrider;

Im planning an outing in the next 2 weeks (weekender trip) for Stone Door. You are more than welcome to tag along...

Outrider
03-11-2008, 21:09
Not sure I can go here in the next few weeks. I just got back from a trip this past weekend to Fall Creek Falls. I am going to be out of town for most of April. I am trying to put a trip together for May to take my 7 year old daughter out for her first trip. Lets keep in touch. PM me if you want with your email and I will reply back with mine.

Thru Hiker Wife
03-14-2008, 14:21
And :welcome. I'm new here too. Joined WB a few days when my husband started his thru. They've all been very welcoming and supportive.

And fellas, easy on us gals, you couldn't live without us and AT LEAST some of us car camp and day hike. Could be worse...:D

Blissful
03-14-2008, 14:37
Welcome, YaZOO. This is the place to be for all kiinds of useful information, mixed in with the zany at times.

sheepdog
03-14-2008, 14:47
Welcome YaZOO,
I've got family in Murfreesboro. Next time I come down maybe we can work out a hike. I was just down last weekend for the blizzard of 08. :mad: I was hoping for sunny and 60's.:sun:sun

YaZOO
03-19-2008, 21:46
Sheep-ish dog...

Sure, just let me know when. Next week, Im planning a 3 day hike in Stone door, your more than welcome to join me on that excursion......