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Homer&Marje
07-23-2008, 18:06
I am literally walking out the door to go hike the Pemi-loop in Franconia but I figured another social experiment would go well so with that in mind, the thread (also my reading material for when I get back).

So let me tell you of mushroom man. We met him deep in the backwoods of Kings Canyon California. Sitting at about 7k in the Sierras he shared a campsite with us for 2 days. He was a wiry little thing aged about 40 and residing in Berkly California. He was an ultra Veegan he brought with him seasonings and tofu and anything else that didn't cast a shadow and he would search the woods for edible mushrooms to supplement his diet. He does this approx. 2 weeks out of every month and I think he has tested too many varieties. He was off the charts crazy, I remember I was like 14 or 15 and my dad told me to stay away from him on numerous occasions, but I said dad, whats the worry, the guy is 112 lbs soaking wet, looped out of his mind and I was a fully capable 14 year old linebacker 5'10 190 lbs... I thought I could take him:D

Happy trails

Sly
07-23-2008, 18:15
Social experiment? :confused:

Hammock Hanger
07-23-2008, 19:07
other then myself????...

Monkeyboy
07-23-2008, 19:51
My strangest would have to be a guy we saw at Dick's Creek Gap when hiking GA last year. He made a A-frame drag like the indians used to pull behind their horses when moving. He had it full of ladies stuff.....dresses, jewelry, etc....and a case of bottled water. He said it was his wife's stuff, who went into town for beer and ciggies, but never returned. He continued down the trail, tossing it off in the bushes. Very strange indeed.

Needless to say, we informed the authorities when we got out at Deep Gap.

Pacific Tortuga
07-23-2008, 20:16
The character I kept running into was, Crazy Horse. He had so many odd stories, drove a vet blanketed with hiking stickers. He absolutly despised "south bounders" and knew almost everyone. I got along with him, but kept a wide buffer zone on what subjects to talk about, I saw when his buttons got pushed :eek:.

I did find him interesting at times but thought his trail name was perfect :)

Mocs123
07-23-2008, 20:41
I have seen a couple of hikers on the Gregory Ridge Trail in the Smokies with a baby Stroller full of gear (including a big double sided ax) and they had a dog (not allowed in the park). They looked really tired and still had 3K more feet to go till the top.

MagicSFK
07-23-2008, 21:04
It was back in the late 80's or early 90"s, weekend hiking in PA with my brother, that into our camp and lives walked Duffle Bag Tim. Tim was an odd looking character with a full beard and dirty clothes, who apparently lived on the trail (we learned later)...walking north in the summers to pick up odd jobs and south in the winters to keep warm. We were wary of him, with his scruffy looks, and to be honest, we both thought he might steal something from us during the night...and perhaps he might be some crazy axe murderer. :eek: But wary or not, we put aside our fears, cooked some dinner and ended up sharing some laughs and good conversation that night with Tim around the campfire...as well as a nip or two of adult beverages. ;) We were young then, and he taught us how to make "cowboy coffee" over the fire. We let Tim have the shelter that night while we slept in a tent, and in the morning we left him some extra food we had and then said our goodbyes before heading off in different directions.

Over the next couple years, we'd occasionally talk to other hikers and share stories around the evening campfire or read the various shelter registers we came across, and whenever Tim's name came up we always heard what a "lunatic" or "strange character" he was. He's one to beware of, everyone said.

Well, we never bumped into Duffle Bag Tim again, and I heard (here on Whiteblaze) that he passed away on the trail in the mid 90's. But every time my brother & I share stories about hiking, one of us always brings up our visit with 'ole Duffle Bag Tim and we remember the great time we had that night.

So, strangest person? Maybe, maybe not. But oddly enough, we'll never forget him!

Lone Wolf
07-23-2008, 21:11
It was back in the late 80's or early 90"s, weekend hiking in PA with my brother, that into our camp and lives walked Duffle Bag Tim. Tim was an odd looking character with a full beard and dirty clothes, who apparently lived on the trail (we learned later)...walking north in the summers to pick up odd jobs and south in the winters to keep warm. We were wary of him, with his scruffy looks, and to be honest, we both thought he might steal something from us during the night...and perhaps he might be some crazy axe murderer. :eek: But wary or not, we put aside our fears, cooked some dinner and ended up sharing some laughs and good conversation that night with Tim around the campfire...as well as a nip or two of adult beverages. ;) We were young then, and he taught us how to make "cowboy coffee" over the fire. We let Tim have the shelter that night while we slept in a tent, and in the morning we left him some extra food we had and then said our goodbyes before heading off in different directions.
Over the next couple years, we'd occasionally talk to other hikers and share stories around the evening campfire or read the various shelter registers we came across, and whenever Tim's name came up we always heard what a "lunatic" or "strange character" he was. He's one to beware of, everyone said.

Well, we never bumped into Duffle Bag Tim again, and I heard (here on Whiteblaze) that he passed away on the trail in the mid 90's. But every time my brother & I share stories about hiking, one of us always brings up our visit with 'ole Duffle Bag Tim and we remember the great time we had that night.

So, strangest person? Maybe, maybe not. But oddly enough, we'll never forget him!

i knew tim for years. great guy. he died in the shenandoahs in 93, 4 months or so after leaving springer mtn. he had a heart attack during the winter and when i saw him at stover creek that spring he said he hoped he'd die on the AT cuz he wasn't gonna listen to drs. orders. got his wish

Plodderman
07-23-2008, 21:24
My strangest was hiking in the Smokies and staying at a Shelter near Clingmans Dome. Two guys and a girl who I later found out through conversation were related. They carried in quite a bit of Alcohlol (moonshine, I think) and all got drunk. I learned through converstion with one of them that he was married to his cousin but towards eveing they began to argue and get louder needless to say I got out of there at first light. One of them even asked me what I would do if he took my hiking stick? I have a nice hand carved hiking stick and told him he would have trouble getting it.

Pedaling Fool
07-23-2008, 23:27
Anyone ever meet Ringmaster, he was a little strange, but pretty cool guy.

A-Train
07-24-2008, 00:17
Probably Screamer, in 05'. What a character. Hope is doing well.

camojack
07-24-2008, 00:25
Probably Screamer, in 05'. What a character. Hope is doing well.
I remember someone by that name who was hiking in 2000, I think, and he was the first one that came to mind regarding this topic.

I wonder if it's the same one... :-?

A-Train
07-24-2008, 00:34
I remember someone by that name who was hiking in 2000, I think, and he was the first one that came to mind regarding this topic.

I wonder if it's the same one... :-?

Most likely. I think he had been on the trail in previous years. There was a thread about him on the "old" Whiteblaze.

When I shared a shelter with him in Jersey, he didn't have a stove and was hanging with some questionable couple. He got up at about 4am, started yelling and making a ton of noise and then headed off in search of fried chicken (in the early morning).

Ran into him again and he was somewhat cordial. He carried a big army duffle bag slung on his shoulder and had a big tube of meds.

camojack
07-24-2008, 01:02
Most likely. I think he had been on the trail in previous years. There was a thread about him on the "old" Whiteblaze.

When I shared a shelter with him in Jersey, he didn't have a stove and was hanging with some questionable couple. He got up at about 4am, started yelling and making a ton of noise and then headed off in search of fried chicken (in the early morning).

Ran into him again and he was somewhat cordial. He carried a big army duffle bag slung on his shoulder and had a big tube of meds.
IIRC, the guy that I'm thinking of was basically put on the Trail by the authorities from some town down South.

Maybe he got used to the idea... :-?

Lone Wolf
07-24-2008, 01:07
I remember someone by that name who was hiking in 2000, I think, and he was the first one that came to mind regarding this topic.

I wonder if it's the same one... :-?

yes. same guy. we hiked with him from damascus til around the shenandoahs. loved him

Pony
07-24-2008, 03:05
I met this guy named Jukaza and his dog Nova. He was at the road crossing at Cooper Gap, Ga. He was cooking a black snake over a fire and asked if I would trade for anything else. I declined, but everyone at camp that night gave him food ( he didn't beg). The last I heard, he was at Cloud 9 doing work for stay and had acquired a tent and sleeping bag.

hopefulhiker
07-24-2008, 06:44
I don't know if this is true but I met a guy in Mt Vernon NJ, named Boo, I think, His story was that he was in trouble with the law and the authorities dropped him off with nothing but an empty five gallon bucket and a tarp at the top of Springer and told him to hike the trail. He managed to scrounge up some gear along the way and completed the hike.. I doubt if this is true but it makes for a good story...

NLena
07-24-2008, 09:27
Met a guy in VA who lived in the Glasgow area. I was slackpacking and meeting my fiance at the end of the day. He had hiked in with my fiance and when they met me, he turned around with us and kept hiking right back to where he just came from. We tried to stay behind him for safety so we were subjected to all of his stories on the way to the road crossing. He talked about how his boss makes him so angry, how the trail pisses off so many people in the area because of land rights, how hikers eat like crap (as he offered me some pea pods) and he doesn't know how any of them make it without him around. He was very strange and we couldn't shake him. He just kept saying how his boss made him so mad that he had to come to the woods sometimes. He asked lots of questions about his but we were pretty vague. The next day, I found out two of my hiking partners had later encountered him completely naked in the woods just a few hours after I'd hiked with him. Ew ew ew;

DavidNH
07-24-2008, 09:43
Strangest person I have ever met while hiking?

That's easy. Northbound on AT in July of 2006 going through Williamstown, MA. I came across a guy named Tyvek. He was south bounding the AT. He was barefoot (!!), and seemed to have his whole pack made of tyvek, two waterbottles attached to pack with Tyvek.

I looked back like four times as I walked by and still could not believe it.

I would not say normally that this guy could be for real (I mean hiking the AT barefoot??!!) But newspaper reports I read or heard of later seemed to confirm this.

David

doggiebag
07-24-2008, 09:45
He just kept saying how his boss made him so mad that he had to come to the woods sometimes. The next day, I found out two of my hiking partners had later encountered him completely naked in the woods just a few hours after I'd hiked with him. Ew ew ew;

Was he still frustrated with his boss?

Mags
07-24-2008, 09:48
I was out hiking one time. Saw a deeply tanned man with a sweat and salt stained bandanna. Looked a little crazed from being out by himself and was muttering something about needing real food and a shower.

Then I realized I was looking at my reflection....

;)

Monkeyboy
07-24-2008, 09:49
Strangest person I have ever met while hiking?

That's easy. Northbound on AT in July of 2006 going through Williamstown, MA. I came across a guy named Tyvek. He was south bounding the AT. He was barefoot (!!), and seemed to have his whole pack made of tyvek, two waterbottles attached to pack with Tyvek.

I looked back like four times as I walked by and still could not believe it.

I would not say normally that this guy could be for real (I mean hiking the AT barefoot??!!) But newspaper reports I read or heard of later seemed to confirm this.

David


Met him at Springer Mt. when he completed.......but that was last year ('07). Had a Japanese film crew following him to "capture the moment"

Flush2wice
07-24-2008, 10:50
Met a guy up on Cheoah about 8 or 9 years ago. He had just finished a 5 day drunken binge at Sassafras Gap shelter and was walking north. (he started at Springer). He told me his name was Straydawg, but I later found out that everyone called him Skunk-killer. (Apparently he beat a skunk to death with a stick at Rainbow Springs. Glad I wasn't there to witness that). He was pretty scraggly looking. Half of his gear was old and half was brand spankin new top shelf stuff. He said he re-equipped himself at NOC outfitters store. He was wearing his new gaitors around his knees. I was wary at first- I kept thinking about the Thelma Marks guy. After we talked for about 30 minutes I realized he definitely off his rocker but was probably harmless.

He said he was heading for Fontana Dam shelter that night. It was already about 3 in the afternoon and he had hiked a grand total of 1 mile so far that day. I said "Dude, that's 20 miles from here, you'll never make it". He said he could run it and get there before dark. Off he went.

I tented up on the bald and that night a HUGE thunderstorm and downpour came. Next morning I head north and start coming across things that Skunk-killer dropped- hat, glove, etc. Then about 3 miles north of Cheoah I find a scene that looks like a flock of geese had exploded. There's down all over the trail. The only explanation was that he had cowboy camped there right on the trail and got caught in the rain. Then he couldn't get out of his soaked down bag and had to cut himself out. Later, following a trail of down all the way to Stecoah gap, I found all his other stuff spread out over the picnic table and guard rail drying in the sun. He was nowhere to be found.

Then the next day I get to Fontana and there's a note in the register from Lone Wolf about how Skunk stole a truck at Stecoah and was sitting in the Robbinsville jail.

Years later I got the rest of the story from Wolf: There was a broken down truck at Stecoah gap that Skunk fixed, then hot-wired and drove to Fontana Village. On the way he stopped and picked up a hiker who was trying to hitch into Fontana. Wolf and other hikers were sitting on the porch at the store in Fontana Village when the truck pulled in. The hitch hiker was terrified because the guy was acting so crazy and was driving all over the road. Skunk went in the store and started filling up a shopping cart with random re-supply items- tampons, baby diapers, you name it. He scared the girl at the counter so bad she called the sheriff. They bust him for stealing the truck.

Lone Wolf can verify the story.

Lone Wolf
07-24-2008, 10:51
Met a guy up on Cheoah about 8 or 9 years ago. He had just finished a 5 day drunken binge at Sassafras Gap shelter and was walking north. (he started at Springer). He told me his name was Straydawg, but I later found out that everyone called him Skunk-killer. (Apparently he beat a skunk to death with a stick at Rainbow Springs. Glad I wasn't there to witness that). He was pretty scraggly looking. Half of his gear was old and half was brand spankin new top shelf stuff. He said he re-equipped himself at NOC outfitters store. He was wearing his new gaitors around his knees. I was wary at first- I kept thinking about the Thelma Marks guy. After we talked for about 30 minutes I realized he definitely off his rocker but was probably harmless.
He said he was heading for Fontana Dam shelter that night. It was already about 3 in the afternoon and he had hiked a grand total of 1 mile so far that day. I said "Dude, that's 20 miles from here, you'll never make it". He said he could run it and get there before dark. Off he went.
I tented up on the bald and that night a HUGE thunderstorm and downpour came. Next morning I head north and start coming across things that Skunk-killer dropped- hat, glove, etc. Then about 3 miles north of Cheoah I find a scene that looks like a flock of geese had exploded. There's down all over the trail. The only explanation was that he had cowboy camped there right on the trail and got caught in the rain. Then he couldn't get out of his soaked down bag and had to cut himself out. Later, following a trail of down all the way to Stecoah gap, I found all his other stuff spread out over the picnic table and guard rail drying in the sun. He was nowhere to be found.
Then the next day I get to Fontana and there's a note in the register from Lone Wolf about how Skunk stole a truck at Stecoah and was sitting in the Robbinsville jail.
Years later I got the rest of the story from Wolf: There was a broken down truck at Stecoah gap that Skunk fixed, then hot-wired and drove to Fontana Village. On the way he stopped and picked up a hiker who was trying to hitch into Fontana. Wolf and other hikers were sitting on the porch at the store in Fontana Village when the truck pulled in. The hitch hiker was terrified because the guy was acting so crazy and was driving all over the road. Skunk went in the store and started filling up a shopping cart with random re-supply items- tampons, baby diapers, you name it. He scared the girl at the counter so bad she called the sheriff. They bust him for stealing the truck.
Lone Wolf can verify the story.yup. all true

Footslogger
07-24-2008, 10:59
The character I kept running into was, Crazy Horse. He had so many odd stories, drove a vet blanketed with hiking stickers. He absolutly despised "south bounders" and knew almost everyone. I got along with him, but kept a wide buffer zone on what subjects to talk about, I saw when his buttons got pushed :eek:.

I did find him interesting at times but thought his trail name was perfect :)
=======================================

I had the occasion to meet Crazy Horse during my 2003 hike. Walked into a shelter area in Va late one afternoon and there was this guy dressed in Viet Nam era fatigues cooking dinner on an open fire. I set up my stuff for the night and started cooking dinner over at the shelter. He wandered over and crawled into the corner with his "stuff" (loads of small electronic parts, headphone wires etc). He never spoke a word and after dinner I settled in for the nite. Next morning I was in the shelter making breakfast and I heard some rustling coming from under the sheet of plastic over in the corner. It was Crazy Horse. He sat up and as the plastic fell off all I saw was the ouline of his head. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and had a dark bandana stuffed under the hood completely covering his face. It was a strange sight at 5:30 in the morning ...that's all I can say.

I saw Crazy Horse one year after my hike at Trail Days in Damascus. I stopped him and asked if he remembered that night. I told him that the whole thing kinda freaked me out and he just laughed.

'Slogger

Nearly Normal
07-24-2008, 11:37
Just before Kelly Knob I met an interesting fellow.
He was coming up from the blue blazed trail where I think there used to be a shelter and still is a water source.
He was very short and about as round as tall. Said he was from Franklin but had never heard of Ron Haven.
I had a hard time following the conversation because of his extremely long and thick nose hairs that kept waving around in the wind. I'm talking long, like below chin level. He could have braded these things.
Really strange looking fellow, but like most hikers, nice enough.
On the other hand, I myself am only.
Nearly Normal

Foyt20
07-24-2008, 11:59
I met a hiker in May named Boots, at the Glen Gray shelter in NJ, about 4 miles from 206 going north bound. Nice enough guy, had a very strange setup (alot of winter gear, trashed tshirts etc). After sitting and talking with everyone that showed up, it turned out he had to stop a thru last year, and had resumed this year.

My father and I hiked out the next morning, and boots would pass us, and then we would pass him all the way to 206. When we got to Joe 2 Go on the highway (another strange place for another thread), we hooked him up with some food and he was on his way. My Dad and i both laughed and shrugged it off. Have no clue where he is now though.

Tin Man
07-24-2008, 12:10
September 2001 just out of Sheffield, MA, we encountered Bear. The first thing we noticed was the smell, from about 50 yds shy of actually meeting him. I am talking major hiker stench times ten. Then we noticed his pack was canvas, his pack frame was wood and he had an odd collection of junk hanging off his pack and frame.

We were headed north and he was SOBO looking for Tom Leonard lean-to. We tried to point out that he passed it by about 2 miles. He appeared very confused even after we showed him on the map where we were and where the shelter was. He then mumbled something about hating when that happened and sounded like it was a regular occurrence. He then asked us if we were headed there and we were kind of vague in response. He just did not give us a good feeling and that stench was enough to wilt the greenery around us. So we headed out.

Well, Bear wanted to join us and shouted about waiting for him. We said we wanted to beat darkness that was setting in and just hi-tailed it out of there to beat the darkness and get away from that smell. We arrived at the shelter about 30 minutes after dark, set up our tent, and never did see Bear.

Bulldawg
07-24-2008, 21:47
I met this guy named Jukaza and his dog Nova. He was at the road crossing at Cooper Gap, Ga. He was cooking a black snake over a fire and asked if I would trade for anything else. I declined, but everyone at camp that night gave him food ( he didn't beg). The last I heard, he was at Cloud 9 doing work for stay and had acquired a tent and sleeping bag.



This year? I think I met him at Cloud 9 the first week of May this past spring.

Hikerhead
07-24-2008, 23:23
Nicksarri, that sounds like it could have been the same group we came across on our group hike a few weeks ago.

We had just left Gravel Sping Hut on the AT and here comes a large group of about 20 asians. They were all very polite. The leader was a older short guy, no poles but wearing weightlifting gloves wth the fingers cut off.

All the girls were at the back of the pack, and here's why.

NJH was in front of us a good little ways. When we all met back up on top of the next mtn she told us this...

After a good many had passed her going north, we were hiking south, she came around a turn. There in the middle of the trail were about 7 of the women. All with their pants around their knees, taking a group pee on the trail.:eek:

Marta
07-25-2008, 07:04
... i noticed that they had left during the night, leaving trash in the campsite. god punished them.

Did you report them to the rangers? A detailed description of the group along with a report on the trash left behind would certainly be appropriate. If they had done their paperwork and gotten a backcountry permit, the rangers might be able to add monetary punishment to divine retribution.

Two Speed
07-25-2008, 07:36
You're still on the site, aren't you?

FWIW the moderator with edit authority for this forum may or may not be online. I'm sure they'll deal with it when they see it.

Lone Wolf
07-25-2008, 07:43
You're still on the site, aren't you?



i'm not cussing or slurring

Two Speed
07-25-2008, 07:45
Which we deeply appreciate.

Pedaling Fool
07-25-2008, 09:15
...There in the middle of the trail were about 7 of the women. All with their pants around their knees, taking a group pee on the trail.:eek:
Now that's Trail Magic!
>
>
>
I know, I know... I'm a sick SOB.

middle to middle
07-26-2008, 14:52
Came across a guy carrying a road atlas folded under his arm, in a suede coat. Seemed to be challenged in a lot of ways. I had a lot of bread at the time and gave him half a loaf and he was very happy. Met some people ho saw him further along the trail and he had made it several days further. Don.t know the end of the story.

sofaking
07-26-2008, 16:55
settle down now lone wolf, he is just a kid...little punk kid, but still a kid...

ed bell
07-26-2008, 17:23
OK, lets try it again....:rolleyes:

woodsy
07-26-2008, 19:13
OK, lets try it again....:rolleyes:
OK,
Last fall an older hiker passing through Maine heading north, had a artificial wolf head(beheaded from a stuffed animal) attached to the top of his staff.
I won't say where he was from cause it might stir up some dust.
Anyway, strange acting loner, maybe a bit woods queer (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=woods%20queer) from too much time in the woods. He leaned his staff up against a tree and when walking away turned back, pointed at it and commanded it to "stay!" LOL

saimyoji
07-26-2008, 19:22
OK,
Last fall an older hiker passing through Maine heading north, had a artificial wolf head(beheaded from a stuffed animal) attached to the top of his staff.
I won't say where he was from cause it might stir up some dust.
Anyway, strange acting loner, maybe a bit woods queer from too much time in the woods. He leaned his staff up against a tree and when walking away turned back, pointed at it and commanded it to "stay!" LOL

did it stay?

woodsy
07-26-2008, 19:29
did it stay?

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/laughing021.gif

Odd Thomas
07-26-2008, 19:50
OK,
Last fall an older hiker passing through Maine heading north, had a artificial wolf head(beheaded from a stuffed animal) attached to the top of his staff.
I won't say where he was from cause it might stir up some dust.
Anyway, strange acting loner, maybe a bit woods queer from too much time in the woods. He leaned his staff up against a tree and when walking away turned back, pointed at it and commanded it to "stay!" LOL

He's less strange than the average person, who's one word diatribes towards inanimate objects (such as a roofing hammer smashing a thumb) mostly consist of a four letter word, as the inanimate object is cursed at in vain. :p

notorius tic
07-26-2008, 21:11
My strangest would have to be a guy we saw at Dick's Creek Gap when hiking GA last year. He made a A-frame drag like the indians used to pull behind their horses when moving. He had it full of ladies stuff.....dresses, jewelry, etc....and a case of bottled water. He said it was his wife's stuff, who went into town for beer and ciggies, but never returned. He continued down the trail, tossing it off in the bushes. Very strange indeed.

Needless to say, we informed the authorities when we got out at Deep Gap.
Ran into him an the Dude pulling the industral pull cart from lowes or home depot.. Trying to get sober while Hiking an his buddys ditch him..Did not see much after that encounter..

notorius tic
07-26-2008, 21:13
Met him at Springer Mt. when he completed.......but that was last year ('07). Had a Japanese film crew following him to "capture the moment"
I meet tyvek in the SNP last year off the wall..:eek:

Lone Wolf
07-26-2008, 21:20
i gotta say, i find nothing humorous about this thread even though it's in hiking humor forum. a lot of these folks described are diagnosed with mental illnesses that y'all are making fun of. thank christ you have "normal" lives. continue having "humor"

notorius tic
07-26-2008, 21:20
He TYVEC was a weird 1 but then I rememberd "Quote Too SELF" I was abnormal so who was 2 judge" I Lumped in an out more twelve packs of Frosty Cold ones than I had GEAR.. just joking.. IF you were behind me our in front WE ALL HAD A FROSTY some were along the way... TY too ALL the people of the WOODS.. AN SAFE HIKING ALL...

rainmaker
07-26-2008, 22:07
I meet tyvek in the SNP last year off the wall..:eek:

Madame and I met Tyvek in the SNP in 2006. He did act a little strange and his feet looked like ground beef and was feeling a little ill that day because of his breakfast, a quart of milk and a dozen raw eggs. Madame asked if he had ever heard of salmonella.

Tyvek said his reason for hiking the trail was to bring attention to and promote awareness of PTSD among our veterans. Tyvek may have been a walking talking example of PTSD. Nonetheless, because of his passion, when we got home I called my Congressman to encourage him to work for more funding for our veterans. They deserve it. Tyvek did have his issues but his concerns were on target and he got his message across.

BTW, how'd y'all like his flip flops with the little pink flowers for those occassions when shoes were required.

Finally, I'm not making fun of Tyvek, though I considered his actions to be abnormal, my old psychology professor said we are all just a little abnormal, some just more than others.

Pacific Tortuga
07-26-2008, 22:20
i gotta say, i find nothing humorous about this thread even though it's in hiking humor forum. a lot of these folks described are diagnosed with mental illnesses that y'all are making fun of. thank christ you have "normal" lives. continue having "humor"

" Lighten up, Francis" no one has mentioned you :)

No one is making "fun" of them,. just pointing out thier special quirks.

But, I find it very nobel that you care, and how do you know they "a lot of these folks described" are mentally challenged? Must be going with the odd's of AT hikers. :-?

Bearpaw
07-26-2008, 22:28
Perhaps the strangest, but in his own way the coolest, hiker I met in '99 was Wyoming Skateboarder.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/8/skateboarder.jpg

He said his goal was to make the LONGEST thru-hike on record (time-wise) and I think he probably did, taking (I believe) 354 days (February 99 through January '00). He truly hiked his own hike.

He carried a huge loaded pack, including a hatchet (for the occasional trail clearing, which he really did), 1-2 gallons of water (because you never know, and '99 truly WAS a drought year), and most of all his blue-and-yellow plastic boat paddle.

When asked about why he carried the paddle, he explained "It makes a good hiking stick. It's good for swiping mice away from your food bag. And most of all, it's great for conning hikers into asking why I carry it."

Wyoming Skateboarder was a true classic.

Tin Man
07-26-2008, 22:30
" Lighten up, Francis" no one has mentioned you :)

No one is making "fun" of them,. just pointing out thier special quirks.

But, I find it very nobel that you care, and how do you know they "a lot of these folks described" are mentally challenged? Must be going with the odd's of AT hikers. :-?

Lone Wolf is spot on. The story I posted we recall in more of a sad, glad it ain't us kind of way. We have run into a few others down and out who were pretty strange too. Perhaps the humor thread is not a good place to be discussing this. In fact, I don't think it is helping anything by discussing these folks at all, unless you helped them out in some small way. Or, indicate who to be wary of, if you are out there now.

Bearpaw
07-26-2008, 22:30
... how do you know they "a lot of these folks described" are mentally challenged? Must be going with the odd's of AT hikers. :-?

I imagine Lone Wolf has met many of them in person. He does get around going on 20+ years on the AT.

Tin Man
07-26-2008, 22:34
Let me try again here. A guy we met back in '86 was quite normal, but had a different trail name - Willie the Mole. Apparently, he got the name from his neighbors when he moved his family into the basement during the last energy "crisis" to save on heating costs. Betcha Willie is a Mole once again.

foxfire01
07-26-2008, 22:37
Strangest person I met was a guy who seemed to be lurking around a shelter near Laurel Fork Falls .He had a 20 year old external frame pack loafers and looked really out of place.Only time he got friendly was when he wanted me to heat up water on my stove for instant coffee.He got weirder as the night progressed and started walking around the fire ring talking to himself.This went on most of the night and needless to say i got little sleep.After that I tried to stay at shelters or camp fairly far from road crossings.

mudcap
07-26-2008, 22:45
" Lighten up, Francis" no one has mentioned you :)

No one is making "fun" of them,. just pointing out thier special quirks.

But, I find it very nobel that you care, and how do you know they "a lot of these folks described" are mentally challenged? Must be going with the odd's of AT hikers. :-? I agree 100 % .Seems like the pot calling the kettle black.

foxfire01
07-26-2008, 22:59
My second strangest encounter was in Shen. Nat Park.3 brothers were doing a southbound section hike of the park.They had driven the Skyland Drive and had stashed vodka at every camp sight.As darkness fell, they started singing to a radio they brought with them and the drunker they got the worse the singing got!

When I first met them at the shelter the oldest brother informed me that other hikers did not like them.After a night with them I can see why!

mudcap
07-26-2008, 23:08
i gotta say, i find nothing humorous about this thread even though it's in hiking humor forum. a lot of these folks described are diagnosed with mental illnesses that y'all are making fun of. thank christ you have "normal" lives. continue having "humor"
NO,disagree,you make your own opinion,everyone has one,not all the same,as you know already.

drastic_quench
07-26-2008, 23:59
Perhaps the strangest, but in his own way the coolest, hiker I met in '99 was Wyoming Skateboarder.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/8/skateboarder.jpg

He said his goal was to make the LONGEST thru-hike on record (time-wise) and I think he probably did, taking (I believe) 354 days (February 99 through January '00). He truly hiked his own hike.

He carried a huge loaded pack, including a hatchet (for the occasional trail clearing, which he really did), 1-2 gallons of water (because you never know, and '99 truly WAS a drought year), and most of all his blue-and-yellow plastic boat paddle.

When asked about why he carried the paddle, he explained "It makes a good hiking stick. It's good for swiping mice away from your food bag. And most of all, it's great for conning hikers into asking why I carry it."

Wyoming Skateboarder was a true classic.
He's got a trail journal, and it's pretty interesting. On pack weight, "They both agree my pack was too heavy.By my estimate,it only weighed about 70 pounds.They did understand my desire to travel comfortably. One of the fads on the AT 1999 was the ultralight trend."
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=1929

OregonHiker
07-27-2008, 01:23
i gotta say, i find nothing humorous about this thread even though it's in hiking humor forum. a lot of these folks described are diagnosed with mental illnesses that y'all are making fun of. thank christ you have "normal" lives. continue having "humor"

Word....

Lone Wolf
07-27-2008, 04:20
But, I find it very nobel that you care, and how do you know they "a lot of these folks described" are mentally challenged? Must be going with the odd's of AT hikers. :-?

because i know a lot of them. francis

Lone Wolf
07-27-2008, 04:22
I agree 100 % .Seems like the pot calling the kettle black.

whatever you say

Ape 99
07-27-2008, 05:47
Perhaps the strangest, but in his own way the coolest, hiker I met in '99 was Wyoming Skateboarder.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/8/skateboarder.jpg

He said his goal was to make the LONGEST thru-hike on record (time-wise) and I think he probably did, taking (I believe) 354 days (February 99 through January '00). He truly hiked his own hike.

He carried a huge loaded pack, including a hatchet (for the occasional trail clearing, which he really did), 1-2 gallons of water (because you never know, and '99 truly WAS a drought year), and most of all his blue-and-yellow plastic boat paddle.

When asked about why he carried the paddle, he explained "It makes a good hiking stick. It's good for swiping mice away from your food bag. And most of all, it's great for conning hikers into asking why I carry it."

Wyoming Skateboarder was a true classic.
Wyoming was one of the coolest hikers, Man thanks for bringing up that memory, & thanks to Cortez for the link to his journal, should be a good read.


Ape

TOW
07-27-2008, 07:48
Most likely. I think he had been on the trail in previous years. There was a thread about him on the "old" Whiteblaze.

When I shared a shelter with him in Jersey, he didn't have a stove and was hanging with some questionable couple. He got up at about 4am, started yelling and making a ton of noise and then headed off in search of fried chicken (in the early morning).

Ran into him again and he was somewhat cordial. He carried a big army duffle bag slung on his shoulder and had a big tube of meds.
I think that is the same guy I met here in '01 at TD's. He had written some kind of book that was a bunch of jibberish and even got up on stage at the talent show and screamed and ranted about nothing. I'd say he was in his early twenties at the time. His shelter was a tarp that he just pulled over himself at night. Also said he was against pot because his best friend died of it.....

TOW
07-27-2008, 07:51
Strangest person I have ever met while hiking?

That's easy. Northbound on AT in July of 2006 going through Williamstown, MA. I came across a guy named Tyvek. He was south bounding the AT. He was barefoot (!!), and seemed to have his whole pack made of tyvek, two waterbottles attached to pack with Tyvek.

I looked back like four times as I walked by and still could not believe it.

I would not say normally that this guy could be for real (I mean hiking the AT barefoot??!!) But newspaper reports I read or heard of later seemed to confirm this.

David
He stayed with me, and the ladies loved him!

Phreak
07-27-2008, 13:33
Some whack job 'shooting up' at the old Stove Creek Shelter from a few years ago. Definitely a shady character.

Bare Bear
07-27-2008, 23:10
Definitely the skinny dipping 20 somethings, couple (do not recall the names now) I met at Laurel Falls area. Both so stoned they thought the 55F water was 'great, come on in". I built them a fire in the ring nearby and told them to consider getting out soon then I left them. Quickly.

Homer&Marje
07-28-2008, 23:10
Wow. I go away for 5 days and everyone provides me with a few hours of entertainment. First off thank you. Secondly,

Normal

6 entries found.

normal[1,adjective] normal[2,noun] Normal normal curve normal distribution normal school

Main Entry:1nor·mal http://www.merriam-webster.com/images/audio.gif (javascript:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?normal01.wav=normal'))Pronunciation: \ˈnȯr-məl\ Function:adjective Etymology:Latin normalis, from normaDate:circa 1696 1: perpendicular (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpendicular); especially : perpendicular to a tangent at a point of tangency2 a: according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle b: conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern3: occurring naturally <normal immunity>4 a: of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development b: free from mental disorder : sane (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sane)5 aof a solution : having a concentration of one gram equivalent of solute per liter b: containing neither basic hydroxyl nor acid hydrogen <normal silver phosphate> c: not associated <normal molecules> d: having a straight-chain structure <normal butyl alcohol>6of a subgroup : having the property that every coset produced by operating on the left by a given element is equal to the coset produced by operating on the right by the same element7: relating to, involving, or being a normal curve or normal distribution <normal approximation to the binomial distribution>8of a matrix : having the property of commutativity under multiplication by the transpose of the matrix each of whose elements is a conjugate complex number with respect to the corresponding element of the given matrix

"Insanity is defined by Websters Dictionary as someone doing the same repetitive motion over and over again expecting different results" Garland Green.

This thread was great and hope it continues... please no arguments, but our idiosyncrasies are what make us who we are.
happy trails

buff_jeff
07-29-2008, 07:51
Anybody meet a guy that goes by "Big Turtle" this year? I never met him but I've heard some strange stuff. Big Daddy Duct tape is probably one of the funniest guys I've ever met on the trail. I think he was just sectioning VA this year.

Bare Bear
07-30-2008, 19:24
On the Florida Trail near the Greenway connector I ran into two guys with street clothes, blue jeans, nice shirts, regular shoes and BRAND NEW SHOTGUNS. Their clothing was as out of place as their thick NY/NJ accents. They said they were 'deer hunting' (not in season) but kept eyeing me strangely. They handled the weapons as if not familiar with them which actually made me feel better. I kept facing them for twenty yards as I backed on down the trail. I then hiked about 4 mph for two hours.

Nearly Normal
07-30-2008, 21:51
Wow. I go away for 5 days and everyone provides me with a few hours of entertainment. First off thank you. Secondly,

Normal

6 entries found.

normal[1,adjective] normal[2,noun] Normal normal curve normal distribution normal school

Main Entry:1nor·mal http://www.merriam-webster.com/images/audio.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?normal01.wav=normal'))Pronunciation: \ˈnȯr-məl\ Function:adjective Etymology:Latin normalis, from normaDate:circa 1696 1: perpendicular (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpendicular); especially : perpendicular to a tangent at a point of tangency2 a: according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle b: conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern3: occurring naturally <normal immunity>4 a: of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development b: free from mental disorder : sane (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sane)5 aof a solution : having a concentration of one gram equivalent of solute per liter b: containing neither basic hydroxyl nor acid hydrogen <normal silver phosphate> c: not associated <normal molecules> d: having a straight-chain structure <normal butyl alcohol>6of a subgroup : having the property that every coset produced by operating on the left by a given element is equal to the coset produced by operating on the right by the same element7: relating to, involving, or being a normal curve or normal distribution <normal approximation to the binomial distribution>8of a matrix : having the property of commutativity under multiplication by the transpose of the matrix each of whose elements is a conjugate complex number with respect to the corresponding element of the given matrix

"Insanity is defined by Websters Dictionary as someone doing the same repetitive motion over and over again expecting different results" Garland Green.

This thread was great and hope it continues... please no arguments, but our idiosyncrasies are what make us who we are.
happy trails


I thought I was only nearly normal.

Wise Old Owl
07-31-2008, 12:17
I don't have a picture but while "exercise hiking in my local park (has about 40 miles of trails) I came up on a gaunt skinny 60 year old man that was clearly a mess. As I passed him on the trail he looked off in the distance so I could not see his face. Something he did very deliberately, as I moved down the trail he made an effort to keep his distance. Creepy yes, our park averages 11- 20 arrests for sexual predators per year, I know this because they post it on page three in the local paper. Having said that I would like to bring this to your attention that this is happening everywhere.

Shaver
08-02-2008, 00:44
Mags: I liked your post. Very humorous. Thanks. -Shaver

buff_jeff
08-04-2008, 19:08
I don't have a picture but while "exercise hiking in my local park (has about 40 miles of trails) I came up on a gaunt skinny 60 year old man that was clearly a mess. As I passed him on the trail he looked off in the distance so I could not see his face. Something he did very deliberately, as I moved down the trail he made an effort to keep his distance. Creepy yes, our park averages 11- 20 arrests for sexual predators per year, I know this because they post it on page three in the local paper. Having said that I would like to bring this to your attention that this is happening everywhere.
Let me guess, Ridley Creek State Park?

gghiker
08-04-2008, 19:28
I was "crossing the frozen tundra" of Black Balsam one morning in late November, when I came upon a hiker heading my way from Tennant Mountain. Rail thin, about 60-ish, wearing what looked like a boy scout uniform (with short pants, temps in the 20s :eek:) minus the badges. And a pith helmet.

He was holding a map of the Art Loeb trail, and asked me if he was close to Shining Rock Mountain. Mind you, he was heading in the opposite direction from Shining Rock. He told me he had camped out near the gap, and had started off that morning on what he thought was the trail to Shining Rock.

He was holding the map upside down. You would think, what with the words all being upside down, this would have been a clue. I pointed him toward the trail going down from Black Balsam to the parking lot at Ivestor Gap trailhead (which was the way he hiked in the day before) He was just speechless, and I felt sorry for him because he had driven quite a long way and didn't have the time to do a restart and head back to Shining Rock. As far as I know, he made it back to his car safely.

Hikerhead
08-04-2008, 19:55
I hope nobody mentions a dude hiking the BMT thru Slick Rock and walking about 5 miles UP Nichols Cove Branch instead of Down it and had to climb out to Big Flat Gap and hitch a ride. Plus the dude had 2 different maps. That would have been me :o

And how come that stream isn't called Slick Rock Creek?

This should probably be under the Dumb Things You've Done thread.

Cutty
08-08-2008, 16:48
i guess the strangest person was in the smokies at spence field shelter.
me and some more hikers were sitting around eating lunch in front of
the shelter and this man come walking up from cades cove, six miles
down the mountain. and he was dressed in a long sleeve dress shirt
and navy pants and street shoes carrying a brief case. he had a
northern accent and asked if he could join us and we said sure pull
up a log. he opened his case and pulled out a can of beef stew and
opened it and started eating. strange guy. said he was just out for
the day..........................

BlackCloud
08-08-2008, 19:45
I've always felt that I've met some real strange folk out there, but some of you all have met some real winners!

WOW.....:eek:

Berserker
08-11-2008, 15:16
Anybody meet a guy that goes by "Big Turtle" this year? I never met him but I've heard some strange stuff. Big Daddy Duct tape is probably one of the funniest guys I've ever met on the trail. I think he was just sectioning VA this year.

I didn't want to participate in this thread at all, but since you mentioned him I did meet Big Turtle at Lost Mtn shelter last Saturday. He was hanging out there to recoup from an injury. I don't like judging people so the only comment I'll make is that the stuff you heard is likely true.

max patch
08-11-2008, 15:29
I've hiked with Harry and Indian and talked to Dufflebag Tim, but some of the stories in this thread are way more "different" than they were.

Maybe I'll see MS in Georgia next year. :)

buff_jeff
08-11-2008, 18:36
I didn't want to participate in this thread at all, but since you mentioned him I did meet Big Turtle at Lost Mtn shelter last Saturday. He was hanging out there to recoup from an injury. I don't like judging people so the only comment I'll make is that the stuff you heard is likely true.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you, especially when I haven't met the person for my self. I know that makes my opinion all but negated but the things I have heard from reliable people actually make him sound like a dangerous, litigious person. That's the only reason I was curious.

minnesotasmith
08-11-2008, 18:38
[quote=max patch;681060]I've hiked with Harry and Indian and talked to Dufflebag Tim, but some of the stories in this thread are way more "different" than they were.

But you'd better start early. I figure on being out of GA well before March...

Erin
08-11-2008, 21:16
I just read Cutty's post. Oh, I am probably on someone's weird hiker list. I have to dress up for my job. One day I got finished with work on an out of town assignment in time to hike a short loop of a trail in MO that was far from home, a place I had read about for years. I dug out my hiking tennies and hiked in a skirt, pantyhose, blouse and jacket carrying a water bottle. I did not have any other clothes with me. That guy in the business suit? Just taking advantage of a nice hike while he could.

samh
08-11-2008, 21:51
I met a guy near Republic, WA that told me he was the president of a fraudulent, non-existent country set up by world leaders for the sole purpose of laundering money. He even showed me the passport. Makes me wonder if he was crazy or really honest.

Gray Blazer
08-11-2008, 22:25
Alright, I've related this before. I hiked up to the Yankee graves from Devil's Fork Gap, NC/TN one time in March after a blizzard. I was breaking the snow up there. On my way back right at Flint Mountain Shelter, this guy calls out my name and comes out of the shelter. I have no idea how he knew my name. He was dressed nicely with cowboy bots and nice leather hat, suede jacket. He told me he saw my gray blazer down at the gap and had hiked up to meet me and could I give him a ride to Hot Springs. I got bad vibrations so I told him I was not going that way. He insisted and I kept telling him no. He asked me how deep was the snow up top and then he looked at my pants and said , "Oh, I can tell." And then he tells me he's gonna hike on to Hot Springs on the AT. I know I'm self pronounced slow hiker, but, I scooted on out of there as fast as I could and kept looking over my shoulder. Never saw him again.

Gray Blazer
08-11-2008, 22:25
I met a guy near Republic, WA that told me he was the president of a fraudulent, non-existent country set up by world leaders for the sole purpose of laundering money. He even showed me the passport. Makes me wonder if he was crazy or really honest.

Was his name Groucho and was the country Freedonia?

Berserker
08-12-2008, 12:16
..dangerous...

Not sure...my intial read is that the potential is there.



...litigious...

Actually had to look this word up...my vocabulary is bad. At any rate...yes.

Pony
08-13-2008, 14:42
This year? I think I met him at Cloud 9 the first week of May this past spring.

Bulldawg, it had to be the same guy, I last saw him around Unicoi Gap the last week of April. Ever heard anything else about him?

ozt42
08-13-2008, 16:39
Was his name Groucho and was the country Freedonia?

Probably Sealand...
I had one of those passports back in the day.

leeki pole
08-13-2008, 17:47
I just read Cutty's post. Oh, I am probably on someone's weird hiker list. I have to dress up for my job. One day I got finished with work on an out of town assignment in time to hike a short loop of a trail in MO that was far from home, a place I had read about for years. I dug out my hiking tennies and hiked in a skirt, pantyhose, blouse and jacket carrying a water bottle. I did not have any other clothes with me. That guy in the business suit? Just taking advantage of a nice hike while he could.
Yeah, me too. I was coming back from a business meeting in Illinois and crossed the River to River Trail. A beautiful day, dressed up for work, but said what the heck. So I put on my trail runners with my button down shirt and tie, no gear, no water, nothing. Two hikers pass me, we nod hello, and I look back when they're about 100 yards away and one of them is looking backwards at me. I figured I'd have a sheriff waiting for me when I got back to my truck.:) I probably got off because I forgot to take off my tie.

austinlowes17
08-14-2008, 21:35
A couple days ago I ran across a thread discussing crazy hikers. I couldn't find it, so I thought i'd start a new one to tell my story.

Here goes:

Not long ago I went on a weekend hike on the North Country Trail. It was in the Upper Penninsula, so seeing other hikers is a rare thing. One can go days without seeing anyone. Anyways I was setting up camp when this guy approached. He said his name was Frank, but he told me to call him Tank. I brought a fishing pole along so I departed with "Tank" and went to a nearby creek to catch some Brook Trout. I was expecting "Tank" to pass along, but when I returned to my campsite he was still there. What's worse, he set his tent up inches from mine. I'm not *****ting you. It wouldn't have bothered me if night was approaching, or if there wasn't anywhere else to pitch a tent, but it was early and there were plenty of clearing.

Eventually day turned to night and me and "Tank" had a campfire. And i'll tell you, he was a hog. Don't be confused, i'm no prince. I can cuss with the best of them, but this guy was on another level. The whole night he kept me up with these hardcore sex stories of his. The guy was something else. I'm not sure if he if it was the booze (wild turkey), or if the guy was off his meds. Definately freaked me out, I left EARLY the next morning.


Here's the man himself,
Frank the Tank
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=26965&c=682

Here's how close we were.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=26966&c=682

Lone Wolf
08-14-2008, 21:37
so what's your point?

Heater
08-14-2008, 21:48
A couple days ago I ran across a thread discussing crazy hikers. I couldn't find it, so I thought i'd start a new one to tell my story.

Here goes:

Not long ago I went on a weekend hike on the North Country Trail. It was in the Upper Penninsula, so seeing other hikers is a rare thing. One can go days without seeing anyone. Anyways I was setting up camp when this guy approached. He said his name was Frank, but he told me to call him Tank. I brought a fishing pole along so I departed with "Tank" and went to a nearby creek to catch some Brook Trout. I was expecting "Tank" to pass along, but when I returned to my campsite he was still there. What's worse, he set his tent up inches from mine. I'm not *****ting you. It wouldn't have bothered me if night was approaching, or if there wasn't anywhere else to pitch a tent, but it was early and there were plenty of clearing.

Eventually day turned to night and me and "Tank" had a campfire. And i'll tell you, he was a hog. Don't be confused, i'm no prince. I can cuss with the best of them, but this guy was on another level. The whole night he kept me up with these hardcore sex stories of his. The guy was something else. I'm not sure if he if it was the booze (wild turkey), or if the guy was off his meds. Definately freaked me out, I left EARLY the next morning.


Here's the man himself,
Frank the Tank
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=26965&c=682

Here's how close we were.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=26966&c=682

I think he liked you.

austinlowes17
08-14-2008, 21:51
There is no point, it's a story. As I said, there was another thread on the topic, but i couldn't find it. Just thought i'd put my encounter out there.

Tinker
08-14-2008, 21:54
I just looked at your age. I can remember how easy it was to get freaked out then. Don't worry, you'll meet worse. :D

austinlowes17
08-14-2008, 21:59
That's reassuring.

J5man
08-14-2008, 22:01
you better hope Frank the Tank is not a WB member and sees this thread about you calling him a weirdo! He might come looking for you!

austinlowes17
08-14-2008, 22:05
Crap, I never thought of that. I might be in some trouble.

Uncle B
08-14-2008, 22:14
Sounds like half the folks I meet on the trail. What's the big deal? Next time either ask him to move his tent or move yours.

Why do you feel the need to come on a public internet forum, post a man's picture, state his name, call him crazy and accuse him of being off his meds? Sounds like you need to grow up.

austinlowes17
08-14-2008, 22:20
If you'd have been there you'd know where i'm coming from. Maybe I shouldn't have posted his pic, but the guy was nutty. How many people give complete strangers half there age GRAPHIC sex advice. The reason I stayed up with him was because i didn't want to fall asleep before him. Definately a shady guy. Did the posters in the previous thread catch so much s.h.i.t. ?

Jaybird62
08-14-2008, 22:23
If you'd have been there you'd know where i'm coming from. Maybe I shouldn't have posted his pic, but the guy was nutty. How many people give complete strangers half there age GRAPHIC sex advice. The reason I stayed up with him was because i didn't want to fall asleep before him. Definately a shady guy. Did the posters in the previous thread catch so much s.h.i.t. ?


Go with your gut feeling.....don't know if it was necessary to post his pic and all, but I ain't no judge or jury, so if you feel like that was the right call, then so be it!

J5man
08-14-2008, 22:34
sounds like a Seinfold episode.........i.e. "the close talker"............Frank is a "close camper"

jaywalke
08-14-2008, 22:35
Don't let other people dissuade you. I think you did the right thing. Any guy hiking solo who sets up so close to a girl camping alone, then turns the campfire talk to sex, is a complete sack of loser.

I've met my share of weirdos in the UP, but they have been along the Libertarian/Ayn Rand (rather than the Ted Bundy) border. They shut once anyone larger disagrees.

Hikerhead
08-14-2008, 22:46
Oh, I missed that Austin was a chic. You should have packed up and left.

Jaybird62
08-14-2008, 22:48
I don't think that Austin is a chick?!?!? Either way, go with that gut feeling!

Uncle B
08-14-2008, 22:50
Don't let other people dissuade you. I think you did the right thing. Any guy hiking solo who sets up so close to a girl camping alone, then turns the campfire talk to sex, is a complete sack of loser.

I've met my share of weirdos in the UP, but they have been along the Libertarian/Ayn Rand (rather than the Ted Bundy) border. They shut once anyone larger disagrees.


Umm, don't think Austin is a girl. Unless you are calling him one :-?

Hey, if the guy did something to threaten his safety, then I have no problem with him warning others. But nothing was stated that I found to warrant his original post. It just rubs me the wrong way when I read it. That's all.

TOW
08-14-2008, 23:08
Austin you should have never posted the dudes pic.

Cabin Fever
08-15-2008, 00:23
What that guy did was a major party foul. Any consequences he suffers are deserved - such as degrading pics posted online.

budforester
08-15-2008, 00:24
Did the posters in the previous thread catch so much s.h.i.t. ?

Yep.

Here's the previous thread (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39489&highlight=strange).

Heater
08-15-2008, 00:28
What that guy did was a major party foul. Any consequences he suffers are deserved - such as degrading pics posted online.

Awww. That's too harsh. He was just lookin for a little lovin'. That's all! :banana

jaywalke
08-15-2008, 06:04
Umm, don't think Austin is a girl. Unless you are calling him one :-?

Oops. Where did I get that? Brain no touch spinal cord tonight.

Strike the word "girl," and the rest still stands, though. This obviously set off alarm bells for the poster, and those instincts are things I trust.

Homer&Marje
08-15-2008, 08:08
Those tents were too close for that clearing:D Heres the link to my thread if you want it, http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39489

Homer&Marje
08-15-2008, 08:14
I started this thread in hopes that one day I myself will go OFF THE CHARTS crazy and end up someones strange hiker story, who knows senility awaits:D

mister krabs
08-15-2008, 08:14
Great story, great character, and you painted it well :)
The Salt of the Earth is out there, they season up the world, and no harm done in this case. Hope you had a couple of slugs of that kicken chicken to ease the tension.

MOWGLI
08-15-2008, 08:33
Regarding setting up a tent right next to someone else, Europeans are apparently famous for this. Millions of friggin acres out there, and they'll setup right next to you.

At Yosemite a few weeks ago, I was sleeping in the Backpackers campground - at around 6 PM - and awoke to a clatter. Four Germans were setting up in my site - about 10' from my tent. I thought when I reserved and paid for the site - it was mine. Silly me.

I talked to an NPS volunteer the next morning - who had made coffee for the park visitors - and as soon as I said this to her - she said "probably European." I guess they're accustomed to living in close proximity to one another. I guess it's comforting for them. I suppose I could have said something to them - but I didn't want to come off as the ugly American. At least they didn't snore. :banana

Gumbi
08-15-2008, 08:38
Regarding setting up a tent right next to someone else, Europeans are apparently famous for this. Millions of friggin acres out there, and they'll setup right next to you.

:banana

That's part of their culture and upbringing, though. Americans value their space quite a bit. In Europe, they always camp right next to each other in order to get the most use out of a space. They believe that it minimizes their impact on the environment.

MOWGLI
08-15-2008, 08:48
That's part of their culture and upbringing, though. Americans value their space quite a bit. In Europe, they always camp right next to each other in order to get the most use out of a space. They believe that it minimizes their impact on the environment.

The one rub - and I forgot about this - is that I setup less than 10' from the fire ring - because I had no intention of building a fire. I was using a borrowed $700 Stepehnsons Warmlite silnylon tent, and when I saw them collecting loads of firewood (and breaking off dead limbs from trees - I guess that's part of the European Edition of LNT :rolleyes: ) I asked them nicely to keep the fire small so a cinder wouldn't burn a hole in my tent, which I made of point of telling them was borrowed. One of the women shot back that it shouldn't matter that the tent was borrowed. I then explained to her that when I borrow something - I try to take better care with the gear than I would if it was my own. That didn't seem to compute. Oh well...

Bearpaw
08-15-2008, 08:56
A couple days ago I ran across a thread discussing crazy hikers. I couldn't find it, so I thought i'd start a new one to tell my story.

I've moved austinlowes17's thread into the current one.

No Pepsi
08-15-2008, 10:03
did it stay?


yup. all true

That would be Vern the Skunk Killer. It was 1993, I also heard about it then.

OldStormcrow
08-15-2008, 10:13
I've often run across "Ichabods" (see: townies, locals, loonies, characters, etc.) on the Trail, but one certainly un-nerved me near Hot Springs NC once. He was a tall lanky guy with a strange look about him, sitting on the side of the trail. He was carrying a duffle bag and living off apples he had found along the way. I noticed that he was also carrying a sawed off .22 lever action rifle poking out of the top of his duffle bag. It was one of those situations where you stop and chat briefly in passing, realizing that everything he is saying is completely untrue, causing a very misleading response from myself when asked where I was staying that night.

No Pepsi
08-15-2008, 10:23
I've met so many strange people on the trail I don't know which story to tell. But I think variety is the spice of life and I am glad I met them!!! It's part of what makes the trail special.

While hiking in 2003, I came up on a guy in the shelter just south of Bears Den Hostel that had an eye patch on and was cooking his dinner over an open fire. The fire was right next to the shelter so the roof could keep the rain off of it and the fire was made up of his burning underwear and some women's magazines. Very strange.

Odd Thomas
08-15-2008, 12:38
burning underwear and some women's magazines. Very strange.

Isn't that how one summons Kelly LeBrock?

MOWGLI
08-15-2008, 12:43
The fire was right next to the shelter so the roof could keep the rain off of it and the fire was made up of his burning underwear and some women's magazines. Very strange.

Bad chafing? :confused: ;)

Berserker
08-15-2008, 13:00
Isn't that how one summons Kelly LeBrock?

I don't nomally respond to "off topic" type comments, but that one was pretty darn funny. Oh what the heck...I'll even throw in an emoticon :D

Wonder
08-15-2008, 13:40
Let me guess, Ridley Creek State Park?


That or Naylors RUn in Upper Darby.......It butted up to my highschools property, and had a VERY bad reputation for sexual predators. I used to ride my bike there before it got really bad.......shame too.....only trees around there anymore

Just Plain Jim
08-15-2008, 15:58
While I was hiking south, in 2005, I stopped at Mtn. Momas at Davenport Gap to pick up a mail drop and she said that some lady had been calling trying to locate "Indian Joe" whom was heading north. The way that I would know him is that he had on moccasins.
I finally met him and asked if he were Indian Joe and did he have on moccasins. He held up his foot to show that he did and he had worn the bottoms completely off.

SunnyWalker
08-16-2008, 10:25
While I was on the AT last Summer in July I approached to top of Blood Mountain. It was real scary, lightning was flashing, rain was pouring. My only thought was to get to the top and in the Blood Mtn shelter. I was just walking up to the shelter, the lightning flashed again and Big Foot stepped out of the shelter. He said, "Welcome to my mountain!", and growled, showed his fangs and claws and lunged at me. Being a Texan (we Texans are bigger, badder, faster, smarter, etc.,) who had some sense I screamed and took off. At Wylaysi, of course they all did not believe me. I guess I am now proven right (read lastest news). This WAS the strangest "person" I ever met.

CaseyB
08-16-2008, 12:08
Bulldawg, it had to be the same guy, I last saw him around Unicoi Gap the last week of April. Ever heard anything else about him?

Snakegripper, met him in the Fontana Hilton around May (19? 20?). His dog was sick & he wasn't sure how to get through the Park without sneaking the dog in. Nice guy, just not prepared.

buff_jeff
08-16-2008, 14:43
Snakegripper, met him in the Fontana Hilton around May (19? 20?). His dog was sick & he wasn't sure how to get through the Park without sneaking the dog in. Nice guy, just not prepared.

I remember hearing about that dude, but I was always behind him. Someone was saying how he ran out of food and money and had to get off trail.

Are you that guy who had 'WANTED' posters just south of Damascus? I thought they were real from a distance. I was like, "OH ****, THERE'S A PSYCHO ON THE LOOSE!" :D

Homer&Marje
08-17-2008, 10:20
Met this guy in the Berkshires back in May while staying at Kay Wood Shelter. I was by myself for the weekend and did a tough 14 mile day on the first day and so the second day I took it easy and did 9 miles to Kay wood shelter where I arrived at about 1:30 pm. I had wanted to sleep in the loft of the shelter again, I find it very comfortable up there, but when I looked up there was a pile of blankets, a jacket and a pair of shoes up there. So, I thought it might be a caretakers stuff at first (Granpa Jim I think Gramma kay died) so not wanting to intrude I set up my stuff in one of the bottom bunks.

Had a great fire going and had just eaten dinner about 6 pm and this guy comes walking very fast down towards the shelter. He walks right by me ignoring my greeting and jumped up to the loft. About 3 minutes later he jumped down and came out, stood about 20' away from me and said "Hi, when's your birthday?" I said "November 17th", and then he said "Oh ok, your a scorpio. So am I, Whats your name" I said "Isaac, but they call me Homer, whats your name" He just mumbled something and turned around again.

He came out of the shelter a few minutes later and sat down by the fire with me, told me all about how he travels the woods of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and NH on the AT mainly bouncing between shelters teaching art classes in different towns. Mentioned he was in Dalton all day resuplying and taking a shower cause he had an interview in two days in Becket. Said that he had stashed a months worth of food in 4 spots between October Mountain and Cheshire. Told me that he didn't eat most days and asked me if i had 2 packs of sweet and low, he puts it into water to drink as a meal replacement! That's gotta be healthy.

I slept with my knife that night in my hand, I even tarped off my bunk so that if he did come to slit my throat he'd make some noise on his way in.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=27030&original=1&c=570

The metal coffee tin I found out was his water bucket, and he carried one of those little metal creamer dishes from like a coffee house to put in the fire and boil, and drink out of. I made the mistake of using that bucket to warm up my sleeping area, took about a dozen medium size rocks and heated em up in the fire, then I put them in the coffee tin and put them inside the bunk, He was distraught for a moment when he couldn't find it... like " Tin, you seen a tin a coffee tin, I need it, I need water... where is it where is it!" I was very apologetic and produced it and explained I thought it was just there for who knows what... no, that was his water carrier. Now very dirty (not that it wasn't before). I offered him the use of my filter and nalgene canteen, No, I offered him the water I had extra, No. Ok walk 60 ft downhill and carry it back up in your tin, and he did. Next morning I was still alive, although I think he was shocked to see me again, then he remembered me, told me he was off to find a suit jacket he left in the woods that he had to make it to his interview, Asked me if he looked presentable, he did, and he told me he'd be back in two days and to watch his stuff. I said, I'm not staying here I'm out of the woods today in Cheshire. And he turned around and disappeared. Gotta love western Mass:D

CaseyB
08-18-2008, 12:50
I remember hearing about that dude, but I was always behind him. Someone was saying how he ran out of food and money and had to get off trail.

Are you that guy who had 'WANTED' posters just south of Damascus? I thought they were real from a distance. I was like, "OH ****, THERE'S A PSYCHO ON THE LOOSE!" :D

Yeah that was a little welcome home 'gift' from a friend of mine. I took the one at 91 down one day while on a work errand, last I heard the 421 poster is still up.

hoyawolf
08-18-2008, 22:15
in shining rock two years ago i came across three illegals doing something less than illegal about halfway between east fork laurel trailhead and graveyard ridge. they had army duffel bags, tennis shoes, and one had a cell phone.

needless to say they didn't like to see us the day after xmas and eyed us closely. we doubled back on the trail and slept way off the path.

afterwards i called the district ranger they said they had a huge problem with folks poaching galax up there.

Bare Bear
08-19-2008, 21:29
I met a guy once that did not hike and even asked WHY anyone did! Talk about strange.

sarbar
08-21-2008, 10:22
I met a guy near Republic, WA that told me he was the president of a fraudulent, non-existent country set up by world leaders for the sole purpose of laundering money. He even showed me the passport. Makes me wonder if he was crazy or really honest.

I am sure he believed it. Oh lord yes. There are so many wack jobs out here!

sarbar
08-21-2008, 10:31
There is a man out here who is a living legend.....a backcountry ranger that you hear stories about, that you cannot believe would be true...till you meet him in person.

I'd say his nickname but I won't - it is not polite. Lets just say it is "BBB" :p

Somehow this man has never been punished for what he does. He is obsessed with being exactly 100 ft back from the PCT and any body of water - yes, he will measure the distance. He fines anyone he can. He will grab your pack and demand to see your permit, drill you on where you came from, your name, etc. It has started a breed of people who go to just set him off - to stand on the NP park side where he can't touch you (he is NF).

On our local hiking forums there are so many threads dedicated to this man.

max patch
08-21-2008, 10:33
On our local hiking forums there are so many threads dedicated to this man.

Sarbar, wow, sounds interesting. Can you give a link? Thanks!

skinny minnie
08-21-2008, 11:14
...told me all about how he travels the woods of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and NH on the AT mainly bouncing between shelters...

Gotta love western Mass:D


Greeeeeeeat. :rolleyes: Can't wait to meet him.

88BlueGT
08-21-2008, 16:17
I never talk with crazy people since I can usually tell them apart lol. I did once encounter a guy with a HUGE grapefruit attached to his shoulder strap somehow with a painted face on it that he seemed to be talking to as he casually walked by me. Weird?

the goat
08-21-2008, 18:07
Met this guy in the Berkshires back in May while staying at Kay Wood Shelter. I was by myself for the weekend and did a tough 14 mile day on the first day and so the second day I took it easy and did 9 miles to Kay wood shelter where I arrived at about 1:30 pm. I had wanted to sleep in the loft of the shelter again, I find it very comfortable up there, but when I looked up there was a pile of blankets, a jacket and a pair of shoes up there. So, I thought it might be a caretakers stuff at first (Granpa Jim I think Gramma kay died) so not wanting to intrude I set up my stuff in one of the bottom bunks.

Had a great fire going and had just eaten dinner about 6 pm and this guy comes walking very fast down towards the shelter. He walks right by me ignoring my greeting and jumped up to the loft. About 3 minutes later he jumped down and came out, stood about 20' away from me and said "Hi, when's your birthday?" I said "November 17th", and then he said "Oh ok, your a scorpio. So am I, Whats your name" I said "Isaac, but they call me Homer, whats your name" He just mumbled something and turned around again.

He came out of the shelter a few minutes later and sat down by the fire with me, told me all about how he travels the woods of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and NH on the AT mainly bouncing between shelters teaching art classes in different towns. Mentioned he was in Dalton all day resuplying and taking a shower cause he had an interview in two days in Becket. Said that he had stashed a months worth of food in 4 spots between October Mountain and Cheshire. Told me that he didn't eat most days and asked me if i had 2 packs of sweet and low, he puts it into water to drink as a meal replacement! That's gotta be healthy.

I slept with my knife that night in my hand, I even tarped off my bunk so that if he did come to slit my throat he'd make some noise on his way in.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=27030&original=1&c=570

The metal coffee tin I found out was his water bucket, and he carried one of those little metal creamer dishes from like a coffee house to put in the fire and boil, and drink out of. I made the mistake of using that bucket to warm up my sleeping area, took about a dozen medium size rocks and heated em up in the fire, then I put them in the coffee tin and put them inside the bunk, He was distraught for a moment when he couldn't find it... like " Tin, you seen a tin a coffee tin, I need it, I need water... where is it where is it!" I was very apologetic and produced it and explained I thought it was just there for who knows what... no, that was his water carrier. Now very dirty (not that it wasn't before). I offered him the use of my filter and nalgene canteen, No, I offered him the water I had extra, No. Ok walk 60 ft downhill and carry it back up in your tin, and he did. Next morning I was still alive, although I think he was shocked to see me again, then he remembered me, told me he was off to find a suit jacket he left in the woods that he had to make it to his interview, Asked me if he looked presentable, he did, and he told me he'd be back in two days and to watch his stuff. I said, I'm not staying here I'm out of the woods today in Cheshire. And he turned around and disappeared. Gotta love western Mass:D

if you were that worried a/b him, why not just move on?

Homer&Marje
08-21-2008, 19:19
if you were that worried a/b him, why not just move on?

I wasn't that nervous about him, and I'm not going to move camp at 7pm because some guy gave me a weird vibe, Actually some of his conversations were quite intriguing involving someones theory (and his for that matter) about how the world was created in the last 6000 years vs common theory of like what, 4.5 billion something like that, but anyways I just sat with my buck knife and whittled by the fire and talked about some weird stuff. Strange, not scary.

Happy Feet
08-27-2008, 20:41
Strangest person I have ever met while hiking?

That's easy. Northbound on AT in July of 2006 going through Williamstown, MA. I came across a guy named Tyvek. He was south bounding the AT. He was barefoot (!!), and seemed to have his whole pack made of tyvek, two waterbottles attached to pack with Tyvek.

I looked back like four times as I walked by and still could not believe it.

I would not say normally that this guy could be for real (I mean hiking the AT barefoot??!!) But newspaper reports I read or heard of later seemed to confirm this.

David

That is so funny! We met Tyvek in 2000. He was barefoot then too and attempting to be the first person to do a thru hike barefooted. We came across him and his partner taking a nap right in the middle of the trail in the early afternoon. The tyvek pack wasn't the most unusual thing -- it was the bubble wrap sleeping pads they were sleeping on!!! Talk about bulky! Those things were HUGE!

Pedaling Fool
08-27-2008, 20:58
That is so funny! We met Tyvek in 2000. He was barefoot then too and attempting to be the first person to do a thru hike barefooted. We came across him and his partner taking a nap right in the middle of the trail in the early afternoon. The tyvek pack wasn't the most unusual thing -- it was the bubble wrap sleeping pads they were sleeping on!!! Talk about bulky! Those things were HUGE!
Yeah, I met him in 2007 just outside of Damascus. So did he finish a barefooted thru-hike and is he the only guy to do that? Was his partner barefoot?

Turtle2
08-28-2008, 11:54
Three of us walked into a shelter in PA about 4 pm. No one in the shelter but sleeping bag and a pile of brown stuff on the picnic table. We sat down to talk and rest before setting camp as we were in early. Pretty soon this guy came up and sat down in front of this brown stuff and started talking. He was dressed in jeans and flannel shirt (July) and introduced himself as Fabian. As we watched he began empting tabacco out of cigarette butts onto the pile while enthusiatically stating "can't do without food or tobacco". He said he collected butts from shelters and fire rings and recycled the tabac. Fire stated "I can't stand tabacco in any form". Fabian immediately stated he thought he would tent that night, gathered up his gear (and used tobacco) and headed to the tenting area. Soon we had 3 other hikers arrive and set up tents. When asked if they saw anyone else the answer was no. After about an hour, Fabian walks by carring a pot by its handle on the way to the water source. We never saw him in camp or his tent.

Saw him two days later as we were on the way to stay at Rosesniffer's. He asked if he could come and we were happy to say only 7 people could fit in the back of the truck. Sorry. Not sorry--creepy!

Lugnut
08-28-2008, 12:32
Yeah, I met him in 2007 just outside of Damascus. So did he finish a barefooted thru-hike and is he the only guy to do that? Was his partner barefoot?

Yes, he finished. No, he wasn't the first to hike the trail barefooted. Several others have also done it barefooted.

Odd Thomas
08-28-2008, 18:16
Actually some of his conversations were quite intriguing involving someones theory (and his for that matter) about how the world was created in the last 6000 years vs common theory of like what, 4.5 billion something like that, but anyways I just sat with my buck knife and whittled by the fire and talked about some weird stuff.

religion?

Homer&Marje
08-28-2008, 19:24
religion?

No. I don't think it was religion. He was really happy that I was a Scorpio, he stated at some point that the stars had brought us to the campsite for a meeting of the minds. I am the type of person that can talk deep into theoretical bull crap for hours if I need to. I'm a waiter, I work on tips:D.

So I started talking about this movie, highly suggested, Waking Life. It was directed by the guy who did Dazed and Confused, but they filmed the whole movie about these different theorists all talking about alternate realities and dream worlds and this kid ( the young kid from D&C) is traveling through a dream talking to all these people. Then they stripped the film of all its color and had artists paint all the scenes back in. So the movie is like a moving painting.

Regardless.... I mentioned this to Jim, I think, and started talking about one theory that evolution comes in decreasing stages of time, biological 400 million years, agricultural 50 million years, and so on... and eventually evolution will manifest in the human mind when we need it and how we need it to adapt.

Well, he did not agree, almost offended and started talking about a gentleman he met that explained to him how the world was created in no more than 6000 years and that fossils have been created using the same pressure conditions faced quote un quote millions of years ago in a simple matter of weeks. So this guy convinced him that he could make fossils in a week and the earth was 6000 years old, no more.

I asked him to explain carbon dating and he had no comment, said it was all falsified.

Ron Haven
09-02-2008, 21:05
Just before Kelly Knob I met an interesting fellow.
He was coming up from the blue blazed trail where I think there used to be a shelter and still is a water source.
He was very short and about as round as tall. Said he was from Franklin but had never heard of Ron Haven.
I had a hard time following the conversation because of his extremely long and thick nose hairs that kept waving around in the wind. I'm talking long, like below chin level. He could have braded these things.
Really strange looking fellow, but like most hikers, nice enough.
On the other hand, I myself am only.
Nearly NormalAnd just think,I almost pulled out my banjo to play a tune for you :eek:

Captn
09-02-2008, 22:13
Isn't that how one summons Kelly LeBrock?


Excuse me ... I've got a fire to go build .....

MyName1sMud
09-03-2008, 18:06
Myself.......

Nicksaari
09-03-2008, 19:53
i shared my anecdotes when this thread was young, but my posts were rejected.

i stand by what i corresponded of my experiences.

sloopjonboswell
09-03-2008, 20:21
i met a guy somewhere before damascus last year, lets say his name was worm. he worked for the carnival for a few days and then hikes out of town on the creeper trail with three cases of beer. being the nice guy i am, i offered to help lighten his load. guy evidently fell off the trail. the next morning while im cooking breakfast, i see him headed my way. the next thirty minutes i spent trying to tell him which way was north. he got lost again a few hours later. strange! http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/1/8/1/0/worm.jpg

MyName1sMud
09-03-2008, 20:39
i met a guy somewhere before damascus last year, lets say his name was worm. he worked for the carnival for a few days and then hikes out of town on the creeper trail with three cases of beer. being the nice guy i am, i offered to help lighten his load. guy evidently fell off the trail. the next morning while im cooking breakfast, i see him headed my way. the next thirty minutes i spent trying to tell him which way was north. he got lost again a few hours later. strange! http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/1/8/1/0/worm.jpg

sounds like it! he just walked out onto the trail with 3 cases of beer?

BAG "o" TRICKS
09-04-2008, 12:03
Screamer or Ward when he was off his meds

BAG "o" TRICKS
09-04-2008, 12:14
yea he is right up there too with Screamer and Ward Leonard

John B
09-04-2008, 13:13
Yeah, I met him in 2007 just outside of Damascus. So did he finish a barefooted thru-hike and is he the only guy to do that? Was his partner barefoot?

You sure it was Tyvek and not Dirtnap? In 2007, I met Dirtnap and two of his hiking partners on the AT section in TN/NC. He had long hair, and his two pals looked like hippies, too. He was hiking barefoot and trying a thru. Never found out if he made it. He said he was going to write a book about walking -- something with a title like "Falling Forward." He looked like... well... like a dirtnap but he was nice enough.

Meant to add that his partners were not barefoot

astrogirl
09-04-2008, 21:40
Anyone who mentioned Wyoming Skateboarder on this thread, thanks! I've been reading his journal and enjoying it greatly.

bpitt
09-05-2008, 10:52
I completed my first section hike this past April, and, being from the ultra-conservative deep south, I honestly felt that just about everyone I met on the trail was strange, lol. There was the one dude, named Wolverine, big guy with kinda reddish/blonde hair, he'd be hiking up ahead of us and he'd just go to yelling and stuff. I really felt sorry for the guy, he must been dropped on his head as a baby.

garythand1
09-07-2008, 12:12
A few years ago ny partner and I stayed at a shelter near Mt Greylock. Around dark a foul smelling older man showed up with an I'm in charge additude. He claimed to have hiked the trail like 7or 8 times. He was all bandaged up told a bunch of questionable stories. He smoked and drank alot of whiskey. My partner and I packed up and left as soon as he past out snoring like a elephant. I think his name was Arkansaw Jim or somthing like that.

grnmtngirl
09-10-2008, 01:13
Kay Wood seems to have had an interesting array of people this summer. I'm glad the last time I stayed there it was a jovial group of Russians who fed me potatoes, brown bread, and cranberry n vodka!

weasel and bunny
09-10-2008, 14:08
Two years ago at Hawk Mtn. shelter there was an older guy, 50-60, with his young girlfriend, 18 tops. Anyway he had a big ass fire going in the middle of a fire ban. Was carrying a big bottle of whiskey and a big damn knife for hunting along the way.
He was pretty mad at his girl because she forgot something at the last shelter and he had to go back and get it. Don't think they made it very var.

TJ aka Teej
09-10-2008, 16:05
Screamer or Ward when he was off his meds

I've met both of the people banned for life from Baxter.
Ward's one, and he's not so very strange.
The other guy, well....
:D

Lone Wolf
09-10-2008, 16:08
I've met both of the people banned for life from Baxter.
Ward's one, and he's not so very strange.
The other guy, well....
:D

is there an official document that states who is supposedly banned from the park? it would be virtually impossible to enforce such a ban. who's the other supposedly banned?

Pedaling Fool
09-10-2008, 16:55
You sure it was Tyvek and not Dirtnap? In 2007, I met Dirtnap and two of his hiking partners on the AT section in TN/NC. He had long hair, and his two pals looked like hippies, too. He was hiking barefoot and trying a thru. Never found out if he made it. He said he was going to write a book about walking -- something with a title like "Falling Forward." He looked like... well... like a dirtnap but he was nice enough.

Meant to add that his partners were not barefoot
I didn't take a pic, but this is the guy I met on the trail near the Nick Grindstaff Memorial http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=16621&c=searchresults&searchid=17414

OregonHiker
09-10-2008, 20:03
A few years ago ny partner and I stayed at a shelter near Mt Greylock. Around dark a foul smelling older man showed up with an I'm in charge additude. He claimed to have hiked the trail like 7or 8 times. He was all bandaged up told a bunch of questionable stories. He smoked and drank alot of whiskey. My partner and I packed up and left as soon as he past out snoring like a elephant. I think his name was Arkansaw Jim or somthing like that.

Too funny -- Had he also yellow blazed to the nearest road crossing?

hobo dank
09-10-2008, 20:57
Alone in a shelter, in the middle of winter, with Ward Leonard. He went on and on about a ww3 senerio, germany attacking france. he ranted and carried on for hours. at one point, well after dark he packed up all his ****, signed the book, went to the privey, came back, and unpacked again. He spent the rest of the night standing on the picnic table, staring straight up. not for like an hour or 2,but the rest of the night.

Lone Wolf
09-10-2008, 21:04
Alone in a shelter, in the middle of winter, with Ward Leonard. He went on and on about a ww3 senerio, germany attacking france. he ranted and carried on for hours. at one point, well after dark he packed up all his ****, signed the book, went to the privey, came back, and unpacked again. He spent the rest of the night standing on the picnic table, staring straight up. not for like an hour or 2,but the rest of the night.
i love ward. always have. he's got more character than any hiker i've ever met

stranger
09-10-2008, 21:08
I've met many strange people while hiking, but to be honest I don't think I would put Ward in the top 5 by any means.

hobo dank
09-10-2008, 21:17
...and thats why i didnt leave. entertainment like that, well, you just cant get the ward channel on cable

BumpJumper
09-12-2008, 14:51
Do you know the mushroom man, the mushroom man, the mushroom man.
Do you know the mushroom man, that lives on drury lane?

Oh, that song said MUFFIN MAN:D

sofaking
09-12-2008, 14:54
cool! they give reasons for deleting posts now? man, i've been on the trail for too long. first i miss the lone wolf/ baltimore jack title bout, now this...

Dirty Harry
09-12-2008, 18:13
Mathewski, and or Matty

Chaco Taco
09-12-2008, 19:30
Mathewski, and or Matty
Strange? Yes. Just gotta get to know the guy. Biggest heart in the world and one of my greatest friends:D

Chaco Taco
09-12-2008, 19:31
My only response would have to be Red Eyes. That guy still freaks me out:mad:

Foyt20
09-13-2008, 21:22
You guys have some great stories out there! :D

Jason of the Woods
09-14-2008, 19:25
I see the delete police are out again. That takes away sooooooo much from WB. I miss the good ol days!

To the point(as not to be deleted), By far the strangest person that I met while hiking is myself. If it weren't for hiking I truly would not know the real me. That has become very apparent during my recent breakup. I have spent a lot of time in the woods and one of the things that I have realized is how much I am taught every time that I lace up the boots.

Jason of the Woods
09-14-2008, 19:28
...and thats why i didnt leave. entertainment like that, well, you just cant get the ward channel on cable

Be very careful! Part of your name refers to an illegal substance and while it is everywhere(ie. safety meetings, ect...) the moderators here on WB only let you talk about drinking on public lands because that is illegal.?;)

Homer&Marje
09-14-2008, 21:18
Be very careful! Part of your name refers to an illegal substance and while it is everywhere(ie. safety meetings, ect...) the moderators here on WB only let you talk about drinking on public lands because that is illegal.?;)


Just for reference, I've had enough trouble with these issues and am trying not to encounter more.

Good thread going, and I hate when they get ruined, although sometimes it's my fault.

Strange people, that's what it is about.

mudcap
09-14-2008, 23:06
Just for reference, I've had enough trouble with these issues and am trying not to encounter more.

Good thread going, and I hate when they get ruined, although sometimes it's my fault.

Strange people, that's what it is about.
Huh? I may be dense...dunno.:-? Can you explain?

littlebill31
09-15-2008, 13:35
I met a man in Mitchell state park,NC. about 3 years ago that had a "stuffed" squirrel attached to the top of his pack. It was in an upright position holding a mechanical nut in it's mouth. Not like a walnut,but a bolt nut.This guy was weird.When he passed us he said to the squirrel," Say hi Rocky,say hi"

Gumbi
09-22-2008, 12:51
Huh? I may be dense...dunno.:-? Can you explain?
Not to get off topic, but just to let you know, Jason of the Woods and Homer have had many of their posts deleted and, in some cases, some threads have been locked down because they have violated the rules here at Whiteblaze. Homer recognizes this, but Jason seems pretty upset about it and won't let it go...

Homer&Marje
09-22-2008, 12:56
Not to get off topic, but just to let you know, Jason of the Woods and Homer have had many of their posts deleted and, in some cases, some threads have been locked down because they have violated the rules here at Whiteblaze. Homer recognizes this, but Jason seems pretty upset about it and won't let it go...

I think it's all been clearly expressed elsewhere. So don't bring up my thread to point out "Off Topic" occurrences.

When you say, Not to get off topic, and that's what your doing it's called hypocrisy.

Gray Blazer
09-22-2008, 13:58
Hypocrisy could be considered "strange".

Bare Bear
09-23-2008, 00:29
Dirt Nap is always out on the Trail as I see him every year now that I know him. Tyvek does not look like him at all. It is kind of hard to miss the Tyvek......................Dirt Nap looks more like the traditional image of Jesus, robe and all.

Homer&Marje
10-24-2008, 07:46
Anyone got new ones from the summer? Don't let the strange people die out into WB obscurity:D

mweinstone
10-24-2008, 07:50
lwolf.

Lugnut
10-24-2008, 08:27
Matt with a mirror! :p

JAK
10-24-2008, 08:29
I am definitely the stangest person I've ever met while hiking, especially when I'm solo.

Homer&Marje
10-24-2008, 08:47
I am definitely the stangest person I've ever met while hiking, especially when I'm solo.

I feel the same way sometimes, that's why I originally started this thread. We're all crazy. Some of us can admit it:D

garlic08
10-24-2008, 08:57
Anyone else run into "Quickie" this year? Several of us in Maine did, back in July. I came upon her sitting on an air mattress stark nekkid in front of a shelter south of Stratton. When I asked how she got her name, she said, "You got twenty bucks?"

Some other guys negotiated her down to twenty hand-rolled cigarettes and a half a sausage (all in jest, never completed the transaction, so they said).

JAK
10-24-2008, 10:47
I've met some very disturbed hitchhikers.
Many that are interesting, but a couple of real winners.
Sometimes you just gotta burn rubber first chance you get.

Serial 07
10-24-2008, 11:51
there's a guy i haven't seen mentioned on here yet...my boy bubba nickels...aka pheromone...

it's day 5 maybe, and this guy goes around and spreads a rumor that i assaulted him with his hiking poles...not my poles, but his...the man out-sized me by twice my mass...i simply handed him his hiking poles across a water source and that was that...he ended up breaking his glasses at some point (which i was not aware of at the time) at the source...later he confronted me on the situation with all these fabricated details about what happened...i just laughed and that pissed him off more...it was all false...he then yelled all types of stuff at me (bringing up my dad, called me a "deliquent") and told anyone he could about how dangerous i was...thankfully, circuit rider, sherlock, and lone wolf were around the day of the confrontation...they took what was an awkward situation (realize this is less than a week into a trip i have NO idea about) and made it into a comical situation...now i'm Serial Killer (serial)...i heard people talking about "this guy who got assaulted" or "this guy who assaulted some hiker" for months afterward just in regular conversation...i would always say, "that was me, this is what really happened..." it really turned out to be a great icebreaker in meeting new people b/c pretty much everybody who left around the end of march/early april last year knew at least part of the story...

oh, and the pheromone part...he, the night of the "assault", told people around a campfire that if a grown man chews bubble gum and then rubs it on his forehead, the pheromones in the man's sweat will seep into the gum...now, if a lesbian chews that gum, it will cure her of her lesbianism...he did this for jessica simpson...oh, and he taught miss janet the technique (from what she said....hey miss janet:sun)...

a quick, "in his defense"...he did appologize to me one day on the trail...i was going north, he was coming south...we were all alone...i didn't know what this guy was going to do...but as i passed him, he said, "hey, i just wanted to appologize for starting that rumor about you...i mean...you know how things get..." was about what i remember him saying, as i was not about to stop in the middle of the woods to have a convo with this man...but, at least, he appologized...good old bubba nickels...

daddytwosticks
10-24-2008, 15:43
Ummmm Garlic, you got any pictures? :)

vonfrick
10-24-2008, 16:30
warraghiyagey

woodsy
10-24-2008, 16:51
warraghiyagey
said you met him @ WB ? Go figure !http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/laughing013.gifhttp://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/laughing013.gifhttp://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/laughing013.gif

warraghiyagey
10-25-2008, 01:56
warraghiyagey


said you met him @ WB ? Go figure !http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/laughing013.gifhttp://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/laughing013.gifhttp://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/laughing013.gif

You two are hilarious. . .:cool::):p

Rick Hancock
02-23-2010, 21:27
Couple of stories. First one is just a simple story. While through hiking in 1980 I met a fellow and 2 teen boys north of the White Mts. Started talking at a picnic table and spent the night with them at a nearby campground. the guy said his name was "Sidewalk Sam" he lived in Boston, Mass. and did charcoal drawings on the sidewalks. I didn't think too much about it until a few years later, there was a tv show called "Real People" and lo and behold there was "Sidewalk Sam!"

While hiking in Georgia same year I ran into the Preacher at the trailhead at Helen. He was standing in the rain in dress slacks and hardsoled shoes a length of plastic was sheltering him from the pounding rain. A few days later I spent the night at a shelter with him and his family. He claimed to have been in WWII, he graduated from West Point and was a Navy Commander! His sub was hit by enemy fire, he climbed into a torpedo tube, ejected himself, and spent the remainder of the war stranded on a deserted island! Also he had burned all of his gear at the shelter south of Helen and had resupplied the day I saw him at the road crossing.

A couple of years ago my buddy hiked into Punchbowl Shelter in Va. I hiked in about midnight. There was a guy sitting at the picnic table waiting for me. My buddy told him I was a thru-hiker. He was carrying a giant pack and a king size pillow case/food bag. He claimed to be a chef from Colorado or Florida at different times, he was hiking South from Maine but it was spring, he was planning to hike till Kentucky, rest there and then complete the trail at the southern terminus in Florida. He conned my buddy into taking him to Snowden on Sat morning to get to the post office before it closed. He went into the PO and came back out stating that his food/money drop wasn't there and could my buddy loan him $50!

I've met a few other's but they are probably telling stories about me!
Rick

scottdennis
02-23-2010, 22:59
Whew! After reading all these post, I'm just glad none of you described me. :)

Rockhound
02-23-2010, 23:24
Lumpy, Yukon Rasputin of 501 fame, Bam Bam (not sure if this was the kid who thought he could take the form of a dragon) but strange none the less, Spike (might be out on parole by now), Mathewski of course, Minnesota Smith, Sonny Boy the traveling minstrel, but for the strangest person I've met on the trail? Wharrgy by a landslide.

mweinstone
02-24-2010, 09:59
me and serial met the strangest person on the appalachian trail. well, i had the strange encounter, he had a regular one.
pollywog stands four foot nothin and weighs 12 lbs soaking wet.she is in her 70's or 80's. her voice is annoying.i like her. but this is what happened.

i come to a shelter at dark with everyone sleeping. i quietly go to sleep noticeing theirs a red flashing light in my face. someone had left a spot device on the shelter floor against a pole. i quietly stated into the darkness,"someone left something blinking down here."it was a three level shelter. or maby two. so in the absence of an answer , i reached out and simply turned the device around to face the pole. in the morn, i woke first and sitting up in my bag, as i heard folks rusteling awake upstairs, i said"last night someone left something blinking down here". to witch an angry sounding pollywog responded," thats mine. my children made me bring it" so i said," well it was flashing in my eyes so i turnned it around". to witch she said," then you broke it". still upstairs.

"if i broke it i would like to pay for it"
"you dont have that kind of money!"
"mamm, i do. i have plenty of money and would like to pay for it if i broke it"
she says,"then you'll get robbed!"

i packed quickly and split, noticing on the way out that the spot was still blinking i said" its still bliking" no response.
next night shes beaten me to the shelter and her and cowboy sally who loves me, and two other older women were spread out wide and tons of tenters had taken most dry spots. i stood politly and asked if their was room in the shelter.it was made for 8 and had 4. pollywog goes," not really". so i go,"well how many do you have?" and she counts real slow, one.....two....threee....four.
cowboy sally interupts and says," of course theirs room matthewski and starts to shuffle.
i politly tell pollywog i understand if shes uncomfortable sleeping in a shelter with a man and i am fine with pitching. to witch she responds her most famouse quote,
"were going to have fun in this shelter tonight, and tommorow morning. and your behavior last night was abominable"
so i profussly apologize and tent in a pool of swill.
serial wakes and asks what time i came in and why i pitched. i shrugg and walk off. he catches me haveing coffie two mi up trail and i tell him the story. serial walked back to yell at her. he was irate. "nobody tells someone they cant come in the shelter in the rain, no one!"he returns and i ask," did you curse her out?" "no, i couldnt tell witch old lady pollywog was" respect serial.

mweinstone
02-24-2010, 10:06
over the comming next few days hikers asked me if i attacked an old woman and stomped her spot device into a million bits. i confirmed all the rumors and laughed. then at rons aprilfools bash pollywog went missing and was being looked for. turns out she didnt know how to work the spot device and her people inishiated an alert. she got stuck on albert mt with swollen ankels or some crap. i do actually like her. shes just like grandma in tweety bird.

DawnTreader
02-24-2010, 11:01
warraghiyagey
All in favor.. Aye

p.s. to the original poster... I hate the pemi-loop, especially after using it to hike back to your car which you spotted what seems like 50 miles down that confounded confusing road they call a parkway.... don't get lost in the dark...

dudeijuststarted
04-05-2016, 17:36
2014. My hiking partner and I ran into a woman in VA (somewhere north of Waynesboro, can't recall exactly,) who was a complete lunatic. She came tumbling down the hill in a see-through mesh dress, huffing and puffing and claiming that her descent was the most difficult elevation she has ever come across. As she squatted down over the stream and washed her lady parts in the water source, upstream from where I was trying to filter, she ranted and raved about how this was the third trail in her triple crown thru hike, that she was sponsored, and mumbled something about looking like Madonna.

We split ASAP and I threw away my water bottle.

rafe
04-05-2016, 18:09
For sure it would be some of the day hikers and weekenders. Long distance hikers are all kinda strange, but usually in ways I can relate to.

johnnybgood
04-05-2016, 22:14
Once hiked a day with an older guy, probably mid 50's who portrayed himself as a lifetime hiker but came across as a neophyte . His constant pseudo sexual connotations - conversations were nothing hiking related - was bizarre to say the least. He boasted about skinny dipping in every contiguous state and openly admitted to doing this in many National and State Parks . He said he didn't own a tent and instead slept in shelters and he didn't seem knowledgeable in backpacking ways. I got off the trail at Thornton Gap ,SNP and hitched into town just to get out of his company.

saltysack
04-05-2016, 22:19
2014. My hiking partner and I ran into a woman in VA (somewhere north of Waynesboro, can't recall exactly,) who was a complete lunatic. She came tumbling down the hill in a see-through mesh dress, huffing and puffing and claiming that her descent was the most difficult elevation she has ever come across. As she squatted down over the stream and washed her lady parts in the water source, upstream from where I was trying to filter, she ranted and raved about how this was the third trail in her triple crown thru hike, that she was sponsored, and mumbled something about looking like Madonna.

We split ASAP and I threw away my water bottle.

Haaaaaa....how'd she look?[emoji23]

saltysack
04-05-2016, 22:28
Met a unique character last summer at the gap before max patch. We were a mile or two away and all we could hear was wailing and a faint sound of a guitar...my dog howled like he'd never done before the entire time until we reached him..neat guy from Colorado with name of Nat or mr. Natural...looked alittle like a big Jerry Garcia.....turned out to be a great guy and musician..my son really enjoyed listening to all his sores and tunes...said he's walking till he's tired then finishing the AT next year..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

saltysack
04-05-2016, 22:29
Sores=stories...damn fat fingers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Miel
04-06-2016, 07:02
Couple of stories. First one is just a simple story. While through hiking in 1980 I met a fellow and 2 teen boys north of the White Mts. Started talking at a picnic table and spent the night with them at a nearby campground. the guy said his name was "Sidewalk Sam" he lived in Boston, Mass. and did charcoal drawings on the sidewalks. I didn't think too much about it until a few years later, there was a tv show called "Real People" and lo and behold there was "Sidewalk Sam!"

Robert C. Guillemin, d. January 6, 2015. May his memory be a blessing.

Besides the beautiful chalk drawings, he was an accomplished and formally educated artist in other areas, too. Ardent supporter of new artists. Google him, he was the best.

wormer
04-06-2016, 08:51
Met a Yogi a few years ago in Maine. He explained in great detail about how his home town that was also a trail town, was going to have a marching band type celebration for him when he passed thru. The parade was going to meet him and allow him to parade them down the center of main street. Talk about local support?

tdoczi
04-06-2016, 09:48
2014. My hiking partner and I ran into a woman in VA (somewhere north of Waynesboro, can't recall exactly,) who was a complete lunatic. She came tumbling down the hill in a see-through mesh dress, huffing and puffing and claiming that her descent was the most difficult elevation she has ever come across. As she squatted down over the stream and washed her lady parts in the water source, upstream from where I was trying to filter, she ranted and raved about how this was the third trail in her triple crown thru hike, that she was sponsored, and mumbled something about looking like Madonna.

We split ASAP and I threw away my water bottle.

why do i feel like youve told this story already earlier in this very thread? that or someone else on WB has ran into this woman.

Datto
04-08-2016, 13:28
Just about everyone I've met while long-distance hiking has been normal and interesting.

There was a place on the PCT that I had already been advised was creepy. When I was doing pre-hike planning and logistics, I saw this creepy place was located such that it was an excellent maildrop location. I was a little worried about how I might handle the heat of the desert so I was diligently looking for shorter stretches between maildrops until I could get my tral legs. I had decided to send a maildrop to this creepy place anyhow because I couldn't pass up the logistics opportunity.

When Pearson and I were on the PCT in the desert, we didn't know we were choosing a hot year. The mornings would start out at 105*F and head upwards from there. Pearson's reaction to the heat was even worse than mine. There were days at 120*F -- one day Pearson and I spent the day in a cave (about 15*F cooler in the cave than it was just outside).

So Pearson and I arrive at the creepy place -- I'm ready for at least one overnight stay, maybe two. The first thing I do is get my maildrop only to discover someone has opened my maildrop box, rifled through it and removed all the valuables. The maps and Potable Aqua were still there though thank goodness.

This creepy place had a "Hiker Room" for the long-distance hikers to congregate. Air-conditioning, computer, shower. Before I went to the hiker room I went on a tour of the place to see what was available, were there any other hikers there, what laundry facilities could be used. The usual hiker things.

The garage in the place had a Ferrari Testarossa in it and a couple of old-time cars from the thirties. Weird. Lots of weirdness to the place.

Pearson and I got a ride down to the Wal-Mart for resupply. Heh, I hadn't looked at myself in a mirror for quite a while -- the patrons in the Wal-Mart did all the looking that was needed at Pearson and I. In the restroom at Wal-Mart I looked at myself in the mirror for the first time in a long while and said, "Holy...no wonder everyone in Wal-Mart is looking at us."

After the resuply it was back to the creepy place and into the Hiker Room. Did a rather thorough visual inspection of the place since I am a suspicious type when arriving at creepy places -- discovered a few hidden cameras, one in the shower. Woo boy -- went back out to where the Hiker Computer was located and someone, I'm assuming a previous hiker since I was toward the back of the pack, had taken a rock to the hard drive. Later, found out the place was doing adult films and using people just out of prison down the road as the actors. Welcome to California.

The guy running the place came over and Pearson and I got one of the beat-up trailers for an overnight stay. Good enough for me since it was out of the direct sunlight. Got barely a nights sleep and was still tired the next morning. Two other long-distance hikers were also there overnight so Pearson and I had chatted with them the previous night.

While I was still trying to get more sleep the next morning, Pearson was out at the washing machine in the backyard of the place. One of the very creepy guys who was living permanently at the place came over to "give Pearson a hand" with the laundry. The guy then followed Pearson closely back into the Hiker Room -- Pearson mentioned it to one of the other hikers who was even more creeped out by the place. The other hiker said to Pearson, "we have to go, we have to get out of this place." Pearson said to the other hiker, "I'll wake up Datto and he'll..."

Next thing you know, I'm woken up from a very sound and tidy sleep -- right out of a dream -- with Pearson standing over me saying, "We have to go." I'm thinking, why would we have to go, I just started getting decent sleep? Pearson explains. The other hiker comes in and explains some more.

Now I am what you might call "agitated and miffed". I have the two hikers point out which is the most offending creep in the place and the hikers point simultaneously to the same guy. I walked over, in a gentle manner of course because I'm so agitated from being waken up from a sound sleep, and I say to the guy while I am sporting a very big smile on my face, "Have you touched either of those women? What is your requisiting problem Dilbert?" I know there are other hikers coming here who are behind me in the pack and this is just not going to be a good situation.

Ah well, all of us hikers ended up leaving the place shortly thereafter and heading north again in the desert heat.

The other two hikers who Pearson and I had visited with at that creepy place -- they ended up getting married. I guess that is the only way to could possibly spin that place as a positive experience.


Datto

Gambit McCrae
04-08-2016, 13:46
This hairy wolf loner guy up around southern VA, weird creepy dude

English Stu
04-09-2016, 06:08
In 2004 we met a very large guy called Sarge (I think there is more than one with that trail name). Hardly any gear save a big blue polythene sheet. His only food was great big bag of Trail mix. Somebody had given him a stove but he had no fuel. Snored like the dickens I had to camp away. We had been warned of a dangerous guy on the trail so was bit concerned, but pleased when he said he had lost his axe. He was fine I do believe he was ex military.

left52side
04-15-2016, 19:53
Well I know this is an old thread but figured I would give my .02 ...
I wouldn't necessarily call this A strange person as much as I would call it A strange encounter.
While hiking A small trail here in florida(the rooks trail),A heavily used well maintained three mile trail.
I stopped at A picnic table about half way to grab some water and have some lunch
(was just out killing the day off).
When out from around the corner A naked man came strolling along,he noticed me and tried to cover himself and adjust,I payed it no mind and even spoke with him.he had little to say and was obviously very uncomfortable.
The thing that striked me was he was wearing hiking shoes and had a bladder type pack on,but he obviously forgot the rest of his attire lol.
It was just strange that it happened on such A well used trail.

johnnybgood
04-15-2016, 20:28
This sounds like someone celebrating the joyous arrival of the summer solstice. Hike naked day is a tradition among hikers .

Dogwood
04-15-2016, 21:23
The list is too long of crazies(for real), unusals, dopers, BSers, criminals, know it alls,…to pick out one as the strangest.

I thought I appeared strange stumbling out onto a highway at 8 a.m on a Sunday morning half asleep in late hot east coast humid June, two bloody gashed legs blood dripping down all the way into my shoes from bushwhacking and falling down a hill through briars, and falling off a log across a creek landing on my back leaving my backside soaked, leaves and twigs in my hair, a large ripped tee shirt hung off me with almost one sleeve missing, dirty(that caked black under the finger nails The Ring girl dirty), not having showered in at least a wk, me and my gear smelling like a landfill too repulsive even for the gnats to land on me, one shoulder strap dangling ripped off at the upper seam, and after having stumbled backwards into a large fire ring coated in ashes cutting my forearm on a shredded beer can adding to a another caked dry blood gash, on the AT in TN, with a plastic bag of old garbage and beer cans, which for some strange reason I felt compelled to clean up out of the nasty fire ring I fell into.


I stuck my finger out attempting a ride but laughing insanely at my appearance and the thought of someone actually stopping to pick me up other than an emergency vehicle or inquiring LEO. First two cars came by wild eyed looking at me one swerving to the other side of the highway staring in his rear view mirror as he passed by stepping on the gas. Third car zoomed by astonishingly coming to a screeching skidding dust flying halt on the shoulder gravel, a big late model cream colored Lincoln Continental impeccably maintained outside. The passenger door flew open revealing an equally impeccably maintained beautiful white leather interior. Trunk flew open without me yet saying anything. It looked like a snatch and grab. An elderly but good looking lady sharp witted provocatively dressed displaying ample deep cleavage flirtation in her movements and voice, who I later found out was 62 yrs old, offered a ride….."to anywhere" she said …..but she had to go home first because she forgot her Sunday hat. I don't know if much anything was going through my mind at the time other than keeping my own flirtiness in check particularly risky after a too long 3 month without intercourse period. Stopped by her nearby house which reminded me of the Bates Motel or the house in Misery where Kathy Bates imprisoned James Caan. I wouldn't go inside less I felt my gear being snatched or being drugged and elderly lady sexually attacked which maybe I could have went with at the time. It was odd. When she got back in the car she immediately said, "yeah I'll take you anywhere" again, and added "but we have to go to church first." Umm, OK. Sat through three hrs of worship, dancing, prophesy, preaching and being introduced to everyone in the church in their Sunday best. Everyone was great never mentioning my appearance. The message was spot on too… about the Prodigal Son. She got me into VA to pick up a resupply box though. The AT! Backpacking! Experience the world. Gotta love it!

stir crazy
04-18-2016, 09:26
I ran into the strangest dude on the trail. He was praying the rosary heading up the mountain. I believe it was the Sorrowful Mysteries. He said he prayed the Joyful Mysteries on the downhill. After talking with him, I noticed he carried a can of Copenhagen and he had what appeared to be a small flask of whiskey in his pack. Oh crap! That was me! Put that square peg in your round hole.

BubbaGump
04-20-2016, 00:36
The weirdest guy I met was some young guy who claimed to be air force reserves. 2015 three days before thanksgiving between neel gap and tesnatee. I was out there with a friend and we ate some shrooms, needless to say, this young guy was spunky and full of energy, I was at the stone stairs somewhere back their, and he came up the side of the mountain off the trail and pulled his map out and asked me if I knew where we were at. And that's when it hit me, I had an uncontrollable laugh come over me right infront of him, and for the next three hours. I had a name for him, but I can't remember. He probly could tell I wasn't right and just messing with me.

Traveler
04-20-2016, 07:55
Weirdest?

I passed a mirror in a restroom.... never saw that dude again as I cast my eyes down when passing one after day three.