View Full Version : Ranger and/or McDuff??
Mrs Baggins
03-14-2008, 07:37
Last year, on March 15th at Hawk Mt shelter, we met two fabulous guys from Alabama - McDuff and Ranger. I'd put them in their late 50's, early 60's. Ranger was on his 5th attempt at a thru-hike. He hadn't made it and always started over at Springer. We lost track of them after Gooch Mt shelter. They were so friendly and kind and I've wondered ever since if either of them made it to Maine last year. Or are they back on the trail this year for another go at it?
I don't know if it is the same 'Ranger' but during my 04 nobo thru-hike I ran into an older gentleman named 'Ranger' at the NOC. He was my first trail magic, I didn't have a place to stay and he happened to appear out of nowhere and offered to let me stay in the one empty bunk in his room with 2 other hikers at the NOC. He was on his 2nd or was it 3rd attempt at a thru-hike at the time. One thing I remember about him is he was a retired policeman. And like you said very friendly and very helpful. I know he didn't complete the AT in 04 (injured himself) and tried again the following year. I can't help but to think this was the same man. I just happen to have a picture of him, and I'll attach it to this post if I can figure out how to do that.
Mrs Baggins
03-14-2008, 21:40
Yep!! That's him! He had more of white beard when we met him. And McDuff had a long white beard. I so hope he made it last year. We were chugging up Sassafras on a very cold damp windy morning and we stopped for a breather. He said "This is always about the place where I ask myself why I'm doing this again." So I asked him why he always started over at Springer, why not start where he last left off? But he felt it was only right to start over.
Yep!! That's him! He had more of white beard when we met him. And McDuff had a long white beard. I so hope he made it last year. We were chugging up Sassafras on a very cold damp windy morning and we stopped for a breather. He said "This is always about the place where I ask myself why I'm doing this again." So I asked him why he always started over at Springer, why not start where he last left off? But he felt it was only right to start over.
I know him! In fact I talked to him on the phone yesterday, he will be here for Trail day's he tells me. He had dinner here last year with me.
Mrs Baggins
03-14-2008, 22:09
I know him! In fact I talked to him on the phone yesterday, he will be here for Trail day's he tells me. He had dinner here last year with me.
Wow! Small world! He may not remember me and Boomer but he might. I was the only woman at Hawk Mt Shelter for quite awhile after we got there - short, blond, sat by the fire and talked for a long time. It got real dark and we had not brought our headlamps to the fire with us and had to have someone walk us back to our tents in the pitch dark.He might remember that. Please say "Hey" from Mrs Baggins and that she has always remembered his kindness and friendliness and hope to meet him again on the trail someday. I'll be back out there April 1 - 12th on my own this time, and starting all over again at Springer. We had to get off at Hiawasee last year.
picture of Ranger and Miles McDuff : http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=207513&back=1
Mrs Baggins
03-15-2008, 09:36
So the question still stands...........did they make it all the way this time?
Blissful
03-15-2008, 21:09
I believe Ranger did make it, yes.
We saw him at Kincora and also camped with him at Mt Rogers area.
picture of Ranger and Miles McDuff : http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=207513&back=1
yep, that be him!
Update on McDuff and Ranger!
I just got off of the phone with Ranger and he said that McDuff only made it as far as Gatlinburg last year and had to get off of the trail because he has COPD.
And Ranger only made it as far as North Woodstock, NH. He said he had been rained on consistently darn near everyday and broke out with a rash and plus his feet were peeling off because he could never get them dry.
So now he is planning a thru-hike in '09. He also may come and stay with me at TD's this year.
He also told me that he has attempted a thru-hike seven times. One year he had started twice. That's when he had met MYST at NOC. He said he left NOC and returned home and stayed two weeks and then returned to Springer. But he didn't say how far he made it that second time. I believe he said it was in '04.
MYST, he told me to tell you that he was going to get in touch with you and Mrs Baggins I will be sending you a PM with his phone number.
Mother Nature
03-31-2008, 15:43
Ranger Ed hiked as Robocop on his first attempts. Smokestack and I hiked with him for a while in 2004 and have stayed in contact also. We have run into him on the trail several times since 2004.
He is a good friend and I am SURE it thrilled him to learn that you remembered him.
MN
He was thrilled that there was a thread started about him here. He just called and we talked about an hour.
I first met him here at my home last year. We had dinner and have been good friends since.
I hiked with Robocop/Ranger in 99 from Springer to Damascus. I have kept in touch with him all these years and try to meet him somewhere on the trail during his attempts. We talked about possibly hiking in June, 09 from North Adams to Katahdin so we can both finish up the AT. However, I have not been able to get hold of him the last few months. If anyone here has regular contact with him, please tell him to call the Virginia Tortoise.
Thanks.