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Tin Man
10-02-2008, 23:30
Whether you stay in a shelter of avoid sleeping in them, like I do, do you stop to read and/or sign the register? Tell us how they add value to you? Or maybe a pet peeve about them.

Tin Man
10-02-2008, 23:41
If I have time and feel obliged to make my mark, I will stop at a shelter and look to see if I recognize any names, then read what they might have to say. Since I give my itinerary to my family before I leave home, I try to make a note I was passing through in case the home folk send out a search party.

One time I was amused to see the signature of the one with all the miles passed near where I live only a short time before. He simply posts his name and how many times/miles he has been stuck on the AT.

Dances with Mice
10-03-2008, 07:57
The journals are also read by maintainers to see if there are any problems with the shelter like leaks, broken stuff, routine visits by bears or skunks, stuff like that. Some hikers mention problems on the trail like blowdowns or washed out areas, that helps too. And the logs have been used to track someone down that needed to call home ASAP for whatever reason.

sasquatch2014
10-03-2008, 08:05
I love to read them. I find it fun when I go through an area to read who was hiking with who as they rolled through there if I had been following their hike. This spring Doggiebag and I had a great time thinking of things to put in the register to make fun of Wrongway who was on the trail doing his thru and thinking of what it would be like when he read all of it weeks later.

Lone Wolf
10-03-2008, 08:06
Whether you stay in a shelter of avoid sleeping in them, like I do, do you stop to read and/or sign the register? Tell us how they add value to you? Or maybe a pet peeve about them.

for the most part i ignore them. they add no value to me

Gray Blazer
10-03-2008, 08:06
Yes, I read them. Yes, I sign them. I enjoy reading entries from WBers that I have heard of or met online. I like to leave messages for hikers I know who are heading towards that particular shelter soon.

Lellers
10-03-2008, 08:07
I enjoy reading the registers and try to contribute something helpful/intelligent/amusing when I can.

ki0eh
10-03-2008, 08:07
Water reports for those passing the other direction are helpful too.

Homer&Marje
10-03-2008, 08:17
If I stay at the shelter I will read the book, some of it, unless it's a new book in which there is only a few pages. Most of the time I will write something of my own. Don't stop to read them if I am going by a shelter.

ChimneySpring
10-03-2008, 09:39
Peeve: Hikers who cannot refrain from bad language or references to weed. Shame my 8 year old and his friends can't read it often when we stop by one - almost certainly someone has been profane or worse yet drawn stupid pictures.

Pedaling Fool
10-03-2008, 09:49
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15225&c=member&orderby=views&direction=DESC&imageuser=6936&cutoffdate=-1

D'Artagnan
10-03-2008, 09:51
It's kind of like reading graffiti on a bathroom wall: I scan them more out of curiosity and boredom than anything. Some entries are more humorous than others and give you an insight into that person's psyche.

Manwich
10-03-2008, 09:54
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15225&c=member&orderby=views&direction=DESC&imageuser=6936&cutoffdate=-1


are you complaining about the stupid drawing or the mother****ing mother****ing?

sasquatch2014
10-03-2008, 09:56
This is a great example of some nice Register artwork. This was done by Moses and from what I understand he has done a bunch of these since he got on the trail up in Mass.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/3/7/5/0/dscf1654_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=27193&c=member&imageuser=13750)

Pedaling Fool
10-03-2008, 09:58
Complaining?

sasquatch2014
10-03-2008, 09:58
sorry not sure why it came out as a thumb nail. I'll try this one. hope its better.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/3/7/5/0/dscf1654_original.jpg (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=27193&c=member&imageuser=13750)

dessertrat
10-03-2008, 10:11
If I am on a lengthy trip I will sign them and put the date and time down so that if I end up missing they'll know where to look for the remains.

I also write in them if an expected water source is dry down the trail, so that anyone going the other way will know it (if they read it) and plan accordingly.

Kirby
10-03-2008, 13:24
I read them and sign them sometimes.

A lot of entries farther north were simply "Cookie and Kirby in for the night".

Kirby

Blissful
10-03-2008, 13:45
Registers were great to keep tabs on where friends were at, etc and see what they are up to. Also who we might see along the way. We signed them as much as possible and when we ran into other hikers, they would say - oh yeah, I read about you in the register. They are a great part of the trail experience and community found there.

Phreak
10-03-2008, 13:51
I enjoy reading them.

rafe
10-03-2008, 13:55
Totally situational. Sometimes I ignore them. Sometimes I read but don't write. Sometimes I write a lot, sometimes just a line or two. I often enjoy the artwork and the logos that hikers have designed for themselves. I usually enjoy reading entries from very young people -- the spelling and grammar are awful, but the excitement and joy often shine through.

mrc237
10-03-2008, 14:33
Usually ignore onaccounta I don't care about trail gossip. If I do sign its "EZ in EZ out" makes it alot ezier :)

TrippinBTM
02-02-2009, 22:48
I got so I was addicted to them, wanted to go to every shelter. Maybe it was because of a general lack of reading material, and knowing whats up with my fellow hikers, trail conditions, etc. Butters' cartoons were also pretty entertaining.

TrippinBTM
02-02-2009, 22:51
Oh, and yeah, I sign them too. I try to say keep it interesting, say something funny. There's a lot of just "so and so in for lunch" entries, so I like to add to it with clever comments. And occasional informative notes.

But I try not to gripe. Too many people use the shelter registers like a personal diary, "oh, I hate these hills, my feet hurt, why are there so many rocks..." Hell, it beats workin'.

sasquatch2014
02-03-2009, 13:30
As a maintainer of a section of trail I am out often and when I get a chance I run up to the Telephone Pioneer shelter and check out the log as well as the general condition of the place even though its not my area. I try to help as many hikers as they pass though as possible and it is fun to keep tabs on who has come though and who others say is just behind them. Whats fun is when you know someone is in the area and you have seen a pic of them then bump into them and address them by their trail name kind of freaks them out a bit.

sofaking
02-04-2009, 08:29
"butters"(08) made the funniest register entries i've ever seen- full page covers from his imaginary hiking magazine called "stinkin' thinkin' "...they were definitely something to look forward to.