One Leg to quit at Harper's Ferry?

[SavageLlama]

Saw this on his website today.. seems to suggest he may quit at Harper's Ferry:
"I've been able to hike this far due solely on the kindness and generousity of others. If, by the time I reach Harpers Ferry, W.V., I've not received any additional money toward the hike, then I'll offer a very heartfelt "Thank You" to my supporters for enabling me to have completed 1,003.4 miles(at Harpers Ferry), which, in spite of mental & physical anguish, I have truly enjoyed. I've made it past the points where most hikers quit, met people with whom I will share lasting friendships, and accomplished more than anyone thought possible. Should the funding come through to enable me to continue hiking, then I'll hike with the same spirit & determination that served as my springboard when I began hiking in March. "


http://www.onelegwonder.com/page2.html

[Lone Wolf]

Shoulda had funds in order before hiking.

[kythruhiker]

While I think it's a fantastic effort that he's put forth so far, and his heart is obviously in the right place, it doesn't endear me to him in the least for having his hike funded soley by others. If you look at his financial disclosure page, http://www.onelegwonder.com/page5.html, all donations go directly to his hike...I guess I was under the assumption he was raising money for the cause, not just to support his hike.

Ky Thru

[Pencil Pusher]

You two should have more compassion for the guy. That he disclosed the financial aspect shows integrity.

[Lone Wolf]

Compassion for someone mooching money to do a thru-hike? You must be one of those bleeding heart liberals. Send him a check.

[Pencil Pusher]

Or as Bart Simpson would say, "Ohh contrare Monfrare." Chop off your leg and walk a mile in his shoes.

[chomp]

Compassion for someone mooching money to do a thru-hike? You must be one of those bleeding heart liberals. Send him a check.
Oh boy... I can just feel the tension in the air. Its only a short time before Jack makes a post on this subject. Me - I am staying WAY outta this debate (for once).

[kythruhiker]

I'd cut my wee-willie off if someone would foot the bill for a Mt. Everest trip...

[Pencil Pusher]

I'd cut my wee-willie off if someone would foot the bill for a Mt. Everest trip...I'll buy your freshette! BTW, you can climb it for as little as $16k if you don't want someone to hold your hand. Probably cheaper if you were bold enough to try without a permit. But is Willy only worth $16k?

[Lone Wolf]

He CHOSE to thru-hike. All thru-hikers I know saved $ for months/years before leaving. Looks like a case of piss-poor planning. Having 1 leg has nothing to do with it.

[smokymtnsteve]

THE WORDS OF EDWARD ABBEY

"I'd rather kill a man than a snake. Not because I love snakes or hate men. It is a question, rather, of proportion."

THANKS BE TO ABBEY

[kythruhiker]

I'll buy your freshette! BTW, you can climb it for as little as $16k if you don't want someone to hold your hand. Probably cheaper if you were bold enough to try without a permit. But is Willy only worth $16k?

I haven't done the math yet...but a leg seems to be worth about 11K... :D

[jersey joe]

I've gotta agree with L. Wolf on this one. He should have gotten his funds in order before hand. The financial disclosure has the total cost of his hike estimated at $23,000.00. Did he really expect to get this much money in donations?

[Pencil Pusher]

I haven't done the math yet...but a leg seems to be worth about 11K... :D
Bad humor, dude, bad humor. Has life jaded you that much to not realize what your own life would've been like without one leg, LW?

[Lone Wolf]

Sounds like you need to go find the dude on the trail and give him some money. His possibly quitting has nothing to do with a missing leg. What part of this does your brain housing group not understand?

[Pencil Pusher]

Ditto what part of your brain refuses to acknowledge missing one leg has everything to do with this. It's not a question because you know the answer, yet refuse to acknowledge it.

[Lone Wolf]

BS. You're obviously a sucker. Create a fund for him if you care so much. I bet you won't get much of a response from the "hiking community". You gotta pay your own way boy!

[Pencil Pusher]

Well if you've accomplished a fraction of what you claim, you'd know it would not have been possible missing a leg, like this guy. Unless, of course, you were born with a silver spoon.

[Lone Wolf]

I see you're from Seattle. That explains everything. :D I ain't gonna spar no more with ya.

[smokymtnsteve]

anybody know what happened to his leg,,why he is missing it?


the answer..in the words of abbey

I'd rather kill a man than a snake. Not because I love snakes or hate men. It is a question, rather, of proportion.

[Pencil Pusher]

Hey Steve, what happened to his leg is on his website. I have dainbramage though, what's up with the words of abbey today?

[Streamweaver]

anybody know what happened to his leg,,why he is missing it?


the answer..in the words of abbey

I'd rather kill a man than a snake. Not because I love snakes or hate men. It is a question, rather, of proportion.

He lost it in a hunting accident in 1998 when his shotgun somehow discharged into his leg. Streamweaver

[SavageLlama]

Check out his finance disclosure - supporters are not only financing his hike, but his family of 8 people and an RV that follows him. That doesn't seem right.

[Pencil Pusher]

He lost it in a hunting accident in 1998 when his shotgun somehow discharged into his leg. Streamweaver
I don't know if this is true or not, but I had mistakingly read Lane's account thinking it was Scott's. In the words of Homer Simpson, "Doh!" So I will ponder the taste of my foot as I think about how this affects my previous and current perceptions of the guy and his hike.

Doh! Say there, got a link to that story of what happened to his leg?

[smokymtnsteve]

snakes are a protected species that we should not kill,,Karma?

[Pencil Pusher]

You're being sneaky, give up the link bro. The light bulb finally clicked, thanks for the hint.

[SavageLlama]

You're being sneaky, give up the link bro. The light bulb finally clicked, thanks for the hint.
there's an article in the Media forum that I posted a while back that mentions the hunting accident..

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4959

[Pencil Pusher]

That link was dead so I googled and here's another link:

http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/04/03/48721389.shtml

Though if he does quit at Harper's Ferry, as this thread points out, it looks like that was planned. I hope he is able to get the funding he needs to finish his hike.

[Mini-Mosey]

He lost his leg in an accident in the 1990's. Just as an aside.....there was a girl who ran up a $20,000 credit card debt, then put up a website for people to donate to help her pay it off. Do you know.....she did!!

[Mini-Mosey]

I think she had to take a much-lower paying job or something like that after she ran up the debt.

[mamaspicphotography]

L. Wolf….. I ashamed you are from Virginia and from the “Friendliest Town on the Appalachian Trail.” Where is your compassion, your respect for others, your common decency? Damn Right, I’m a liberal and proud of the fact. I assume your not a liberal therefore something I do not want to be. I am an agnostic yet support church fundraisers. One leg ran out of money. Did you ever run out of money in a bar drinking and accept a free drink from others. Mooching weren’t you but I reckon for a good cause. I also assume if you do send donations to something it is the Republican Party and its self-centered, self-righteous and elitist agenda. Before you fire back, I am sending “One Leg” a donation

[judgeh]

Call me what you will, I am one of those who contributed to Scott's try. Even if he quits tomorrow, I am happy I did. The man will have hiked 1000 miles on one leg. No more need be said.

Some of the criticism flowing in his direction ignores the fact that after losing his leg, he needs to prove something to himself, to his family and to a little boy who has just lost his own leg. This was noble enough for me. For those who don't wish to contribute, that's fine as well. I will say however, that some of the negativity in this thread simply displays a lack of class.

[SavageLlama]

I'm happy One Leg is hiking the trail and raising awareness for his cause, but I think he should have also used his hike to raise money for a cause... and not just himself.

[judgeh]

Point well taken.

Scott created a charitable foundation to do just that. If I read his logs correctly, he did not receive anywhere near the amount he expected. Perhaps he's not a natural at fundraising. He may also have been pressured to go ahead with the hike because the child's leg was amputated last week. Whatever the reason, Scott started the hike knowing he was woefully underfunded. The mechanical leg has to be recharged and repaired. It is a substantial expense all of its own.

I know he traveled quite a distance to the child's school and made a presentation to the kids. This is a donation of his time and money. I'm positive Scott wishes to do more and will in the future.

You might ask what he and I have in common? Not much, frankly. He's extremely religious, a hunter and he has one leg. I won't claim to be religious in his sense and I will never hunt. I do have an artificial knee and section hiking on the AT has been a part of my rehabilitation. I understand the reasons why Scott is doing this and thought they were good ones.

[Mini-Mosey]

Ditto to what Judgweh(sp?)says.

[Mini-Mosey]

Judgeh.(not "Judgweh,sorry).

I do appreciate Scott's spirituality.

[warren doyle]

During Scott's pre-hike media exposure, rivaled only by Jacque D. (the dancer), I thought it would be one of the more interesting stories of the AT Class of 2004.
I respect his endeavor and I'm sorry he has had to endure the mean-spiritedness of some members of the long-distance hiking community. It use to be that the only mean-spiritedness I experienced in the 1970-1980's were from a few provincial, parochial ATC/AMC members/staff and long distance hiker wannabees.
Is this change one of the negative legacies to be left by the info superhighway?

[squirrel bait]

My friend Charlie lost his leg and swears by the old school prostethics. Tried the new ones and switched back, couldn't handle the wear and tear of his lifestyle. Brought this subject up while talking to him and his opinion was stated as, be careful crossing fences and lucky Scott didn't kill himself. Charlies been running fishing charters and a fishing pier and didn't think as a fellow amputee he was any thing out of the ordinary. Nor is this guy. Sounds like after reading his journal he maybe had too much help. I mean KUDOS for trying but heh.........Now he has some expierence under his belt maybe he will try again sans the burden of so many distractions.

[rgarling]

>>> endure the mean-spiritedness of some members of the long-distance hiking community

Perhaps your compassion for One Leg is clouding your judgement.

His planning and execution of this hike, particularly financially, have been questionable. Pointing this out doesn't seem particularly mean. On the other hand, getting out there and hiking 1000 miles minus a leg is pretty amazing. Both can be true simultaneously.

[Alligator]

I guess I've got a couple of things to say here. I think it is truly an inspirational story to here about Scott hiking the trail. I cannot imagine how devastated I would be if I could not go out and hike. His journey will provide a shining example of the possibilities available to people in similar circumstances.

The planning of his trip, however, has left him in a difficult situation. Many folks would agree that the plan selected was not the best choice. It is clear from his financial report that a major financial drain is the RV.

So I have some suggestions. First, sell the RV and send the family home. He probably has enough money to make it all the way without this serious drain. This creates the problem of lack of support. I really don't know all of the logistics problems, but it seems that one of these is recharging his batteries and getting to town. Well, and I'll be blunt, I can't see how any motorist would pass up a hitchhiking guy with one leg, (except maybe LW :bse ). I would expect that most people would even drive him around for an hour.

Second, I would imagine that many folks here on whiteblaze live near the trail. Well, who needs a trail angel better than a guy with one leg? How about a ride and a few hours of your time? I PLEDGE TO DRIVE ONE LEG AROUND, AS NEEDED FROM BLAND, VA TO PEARISBURG, VA, provided the motorhome goes home. If we can provide him with enough coverage he may be willing to do this. We might even be able to enlist some of the shuttlers to help out.

Third, I know some of you must dehydrate your own meals, I do. I've got stuff in my freezer that I could donate. How about sending the guy some food. He's shown his grit.

Last, the phone plan needs renegotiation. The second phone should be tied into the first, this usually costs $10-15 per month, and would cut down the cost of the second phone.

Let's show folks what the hiking community is all about.

[rgarling]

Alligator, I hope your idea pans out. It is exceptional.

[Jack Tarlin]

I think Alligator's post and idea is an excellent one, and as a friend of Scott's, I'm sorry that I didn't think of this myself.

I will write Scott TODAY and suggest that he check out this thread at the first opportunity, so that he knows that there are folks who are willing to help him with his dream.

I suggest that foks who are interested in following thru on Alligator's excellent suggestion send their names, E-Mail address, or other contact information to this thread, so Scott can easily locate folks willing to assist him.

Lastly, before we hear more from folks who have nothing positive to contribute to this discussion other than derisive comments about poor planning and decision making, I respectfuly suggest that enough has been said about this. I'm sure that Scott would plan things differently were he to do this again. This is irrelevant. People that wish to offer ther servicve or friendship to Scott from here on in can do so voluntarily, and they can help him any way they choose to do so. Folks not interested in this can stay out of it. If you feel that his trip was poorly planned or financed, well fine. The point has been made---repeatedly. To continue harping on this is nothing short than mean-spirited and serves little purpose.

I think Alligator's suggestion is an excellent one, and I hope those of you in a position to do so, introduce yourself to Scott, tell him where you are, and how he can contact you. I also hope Scott reconsiders his plans, and hopefully finds a way to complete the Trail as he'd originally planned.

I consider it a privelege to have met Scott and his wonderful family, and if he decides he wants to continue with his journey, I hope, partly with our help, that he gets to do so.

[Lone Wolf]

Then every hiker that is falling short on the trail should be helped out financially also by the community. Others have the dream too. Every hiker equal.

[Alligator]

Posting where, when, and how you might be helpful here would aid in determining logistics. Scott has posted his email as
[email protected] on his website. You can send personal information there as needed, unless BJ has a better email.

[Jack Tarlin]

Geez, Wolf, that took you all of 30 seconds thought and effort. If there was anything kind, positive, or valuable about your post, I'm afraid I missed it.

To repeat, yet again, anyone wishing to help Scott with this purely voluntary effort is welcome to do so. Nobody is forced to do this.

Anyone not wishing to get involved with this will presumably find something more worthy to occupy their time, including worthier pastimes than carping about Scott and his trip. If people have nothing better to do with their time than repeatedly tell a one-legged man that he's a lousy accountant and should go home....well, that's sort of sad.

Scott's done almost a thousand miles this year on one leg, which I think is pretty damned impressive. It's about 900 more A.T. miles than I've accumulated this year, and hundreds more than I expect to accumulate.

I'm not overly concerned with his personal fincancial capabilities at this point; I'm more impressed with his character, perseverance, and his proven abilities as a hiker.

Pity more folks don't feel the same way.

[Alligator]

Was it the smilie that put you off? I though you'd be contrary and show us that underneath that gruff exterior, there really is a "nice guy" as you say. The suggestion was not for hard cash, just maybe a ride into town or a care box.

A lot of disabled people do not have dreams.

[Alligator]

One thing I mixed up, I thought he was further south, near troutdale(?) Mt. Rogers area. He's further north past Daleville/Troutville, so I will have to set up a different section. I do not have my VA Gazetteer where I am at, so it will have to wait until this evening.

[Lone Wolf]

I was around Highlander, one-legged also, 10 years ago or so when he hiked. He was self-sufficient and did his own thing. No hype. Also Bob Barker, 3 time thru-hiker who hiked on crutches. Same with him. No hype. Self-sufficient. Over the years Alligator, I've helped out dozens and dozens of hikers with free shuttles and other "magic" so of course I would help the dude with rides to and from towns and slack him if he wanted.For free. I'm not mean spirited. To those that think so, kizz my azz! :clap BTW Jack, I remember back when "The Family" was hiking and you along with Wingfoot bashed the hell out of them accusing them of mooching and using folks along the way. And you never even met them. That's pretty mean spirited. I guess you just pick the high profile folks to endorse.

[attroll]

Alligator, Jack Tarlin

I talked to Scott (One Leg) for over an hour last night in chat. He is back at home for a couple of days. His leg stopped working and broke and it was not getting recharged because of the rain spell he was experiencing. So he went home to get his other leg. I suggested the same thing that Alligator said. I told him that he should send the family home and sell the $5,150.00 RV and finish the hike with the price he sold the RV for. Or just send the family home and save the money it cost for the family to be driving him from place to place. But he told me that sending the family home is not an option at all. He said he is very close to his family and wants them to be with him. They also want to share this experience with him. He also said if his family could not stay with him then he would not finish the hike. I told him that if he could not finish the hike because of this he would end up kicking himself in the butt later. But he seems to be a very strong family man. I emphasized several points about sending them home but he said NO. So unless you are willing to shuttle Scott around and put his family up also then he will not send them home.

I know that this will start some more flack from people. But as Scott told me, he has been up front with everyone about his finances from the start and has not lied or hidden anything from anyone. He has posted that he was getting an RV and brining his family along and everyone that donated knew that.

I think that we all have said enough about Scott. He has done great and should be proud of himself. I would be. He told me that he has received a lot of hate mail in his email from people about what he is doing. When he reads this it really hurts. I am pretty shocked that he receives as much hate mail as he does. I hope than none of them are from WhiteBlaze users. He does read the forums on WhiteBlaze. He has read enough about this and been criticized enough. I am sure he sees his mistakes in what he has done. I may not agree with him keeping his family with him. But he has a point when he said that he planned this from the start and has not disclosed his intentions from anyone. I know that Scott can finish the Trail. He is up to averaging 15 miles a day right now he said. That is pretty damn good for a one legged person. I don’t even average 15 mile days myself right now. He is heading back to the trail Saturday or Sunday he said. He has enough funds to keep him going a while longer. I would really like to see Scott finish the trail. I would like to meet him when he gets to Maine and I am looking forward to it. It is all his choice if he keeps going not ours. He is the one that will have to live with the decision not us. We all have our opinions though.

You’re doing a good job Scott. Keep it up and don’t give up.

[Alligator]

Well Scott, when you read this, PM me or post with your location and I'll still send you a care package. You're last trail location is 1 1/2 to two hours north of me right now, but if the RV breaks again, give me a buzz, I'm pretty handy at car repairs, and cheap about finding parts.

LW, showing your soft side you old biker bear :cool: , now go kick a hippy or something before anybody notices.

[warren doyle]

Great posts alligator and attroll! I respect your compassion and helpfulness.
Lone Wolf (post 48) - Good point on Jack and 'The Family'.

[food]

The way Amputees With-Out Limits, Inc. operates may cause its tax exemption to be revoked. If the tax exemption is revoked then the contributions are not deductible. If benefits of the organization inure to the people that control the organization then the tax exemption should be revoked.

If this works I think I will establish a charitable scholarship fund then give my kid a scholarship.

[Pencil Pusher]

The way Amputees With-Out Limits, Inc. operates may cause its tax exemption to be revoked. If the tax exemption is revoked then the contributions are not deductible. If benefits of the organization inure to the people that control the organization then the tax exemption should be revoked.

If this works I think I will establish a charitable scholarship fund then give my kid a scholarship.
While we're speaking hypothetically, if you don't know what the hell you're talking about, then you need offer no proof other than unsubstantiated accusations.

[food]

What I do know is that no organization with that name is listed with the 850,000 charities recognized by the IRS.

What I said was hypothetical. I can't find the exact song line so I will paraphrase. The guy on the TV tells me to send my money to the Lord, but address he gives me is his.

I don't have much information, but I smell self serving.

If he will send me an IRS determination letter in that name I will send him a $250.00 contribution and an apology.

[Pencil Pusher]

Good point. With that I went to the IRS website and couldn't find it either. Here's the link to the IRS search page for charitable organizations: http://www.irs.gov/charities/page/0,,id=15053,00.html

and to Scott's webpage: "All donations are tax deductible through Amputees With-Out Limits, Inc." http://www.onelegwonder.com/page5.html

However, the IRS list is dated April, 2004. Maybe there's other places to look, I'm no expert at this stuff.

[food]

I have no reason to question Scott’ sincerity or integrity.

I would like to see him finish his hike.

I suspect problems with his tax exemption. This is the result of my tax research.

“An organization is not considered organized or operated exclusively for Code Sec. 501(c)(3) purposes, if it serves a private rather than a public interest. Problems can arise in this area if an organization benefits specific individuals or a limited group.

An organization is not exempt if any part of its net income inures to a private shareholder or individual. The term private shareholder or individual generally means a person having a personal and private interest in the organization's activities.

An organization whose net earnings inure to the benefit of private shareholders or individuals fails the operational test.”

Is there an unrelated and impartial group that is approving payment of his and his families living expenses?

This will be my last post on this topic because we should be talking about hiking, the AT and gear.

[Hammock Hanger]

This will be my last post on this topic because we should be talking about hiking, the AT and gear.

AMEN to that.... Sue/HH

[One Leg]

Hey Guys:

I thought I'd take the time to address some of the things that are being said both on this forum, as well as others.

First of all, when I discovered Whiteblaze, I innocently thought that I found a place where I could glean some understanding regarding my thruhike planning, make some new friends, and become part of the trail 'family'. After reading some of the harsh posts about me here, I fleetingly thought that I'd unknowingly entered a political race, and my opponant was campaigning through this forum. I mean, come on people, there's a human being behind this trail name, and some of the things said here have just outright hurt me. I've got enough odds stacked against me without having 'friends' turn on me here. It's kind of hard to have a properly fitting backpack when there's a knife protruding from my back.

Now, to address the 'issues' at hand:

1) I am in agreement with the ones who've said that my hike was poorly planned from the get-go. With that said, can we now bury that horse and quit beating it?

2) While you may not agree with the way I'm going about funding my hike, I've never mislead anyone regarding how I was going about this. The average person here holds a job. They have an income that enables them to set some money aside in hopes of funding a future thru-hike. I don't have that luxury. Prior to losing my leg, I was a paramedic in the city of Atlanta. For 12 years, I was employed, and loved every day that I was able to work on an ambulance. With the leg gone, so was my chosen profession. I've since began attending school with the hopes of obtaining my rating as an "A&P Mechanic" so that I can start working on airplanes. I presently have 6 months remaining in my training before my certification is obtained. I opted to put my training on temporary hold while I attempt to accomplish my personal goal of hiking the A.T. The hike isn't about my raising money, the hike is about my gaining some self confidence back, experiencing the accomplishment of having endured the trials of the trail and making it the whole distance, and about reclaiming my life. The media involvement was not part of the plan, and I damn the day that I ever spoke to the first reporter. All I've ever wanted from the beginning was to be just "another hiker". I don't desire to become the next Bill Irwin or any other trail legend. I just want to hike the trail plain and simple. I never wanted to be anyones poster boy.

3) Regarding the tax-exempt status, I have a federal tax id number, and was told that it serves as my status as a non-profit org. I admit that I know nothing about the IRS, Tax Exemption, etc., and I trusted the word of the attorney hired to set this up that it was in place. The name doesn't appear on the IRS list, and I don't know why. Perhaps there are some more educated folks out there who would be willing to look into this matter and help me get it straightened out.
A.W.O.L. wasn't formed just for me to hike the A.T., there are more goals in mind, and not just for myself. I'd like to see it turn into an organization that enables others with physical disabilities pursue their goals and achieve their dreams.

4) Regarding my family: I can't hide the fact that I am a family man through and through, nor am I ashamed of that fact. I've got a wife and 6 children who mean the world to me, and I'm not one who can stand to be away from them for long periods of time. With that said, I am willing to concede that were it not for them, I wouldn't need to have so much money for the hike. I'm not ready to throw in the towel at Harpers Ferry, and am willing to consider other viable options that would enable me to continue hiking, and hopefully finish the trail. My wife and I have been discussing the options, but have yet to make a final decision.

I am currently home in Tennessee, and will return to the trail on Monday, 6/21. I had to come off the trail because I wore out the loaner leg that Hanger provided me with while my personal one was being rebuilt, as well as picking up a secondary leg that will enable me to deal with water crossings.

In closing, I'd like to add that hiking the A.T., while rewarding, is also very mentally taxing for me. My days on the trail are spent in intense concentration so that I don't make a mis-step and end up injured, thus forcing me off the trail. At the end of the day, I can't even think of tomorrow's hike, because today's has taken so much from me. I hike without complaint because I made a conscious decision to take the first step back at Springer. When I come off the trail to de-stress, my family's there to help me. When I'm able to log on to the internet, I check my email and find some very encouraging emails. I also find some pretty discouraging ones as well, and they do bother me. Some say "Don't read them", well, they're pretty well disguised. One subject line read "Way to go!!" and when I opened the letter, it said "*******". Then, I move over to WB to see if I can find out where my trail friends are, who's quit or moved ahead, and I find where I'm being slammed every which way but loose. Is this the way a trail family acts? If so, please disinherit me immediately.

I've met some really good friends on here, and treasure each and every one of them. Men of respect, men of honor, and men who know what true friendship is. I look forward to making more friends on here, and hope that by speaking up, that I've not caused myself further mental grief by doing so.

I thank you for your time, and wish you well with your respective hike(s).

Scott 'One-Leg' Rogers

[attroll]

Thank you One Leg. You doing great keep on hiking.


As for tax exempt status. WhiteBlaze is also tax exempt and it is not on the list. I don't know why. Maybe they only update the lsit ever so often. When I talked to the IRS about being tax exempt they said as long as your organization did not make or have donations over $5,000 then you don't have to claim it on you taxes at the end of the year. But if you get more then $5,000 then you have to claim it as income.

[Shoe Leather Express]

I can't find the exact song line so I will paraphrase. The guy on the TV tells me to send my money to the Lord, but address he gives me is his.
Hank Williams Jr. - The American Dream

"They want you to send your money to the Lord,
but they give you their address.
'Cause all of your donations,
are completely tax free.
God Bless you all,
but most of all,
SEND YOUR MONEY!"

Good drinking song. :D

[warren doyle]

Scott,

It is a shame that you have to 'defend' your journey but you did a wonderful job. If you are able, I hope you can attend the 2004 Gathering in Pipestem and share your thoughts and feelings because they deserve a wider audience
than those who inhabit this website.

I wish you well on your journey northward.

Warren

[orangebug]

/... The media involvement was not part of the plan, and I damn the day that I ever spoke to the first reporter. All I've ever wanted from the beginning was to be just "another hiker". I don't desire to become the next Bill Irwin or any other trail legend. I just want to hike the trail plain and simple. I never wanted to be anyones poster boy.
...


I've followed this series of threads with interest. I strongly suspect that the key error was the misfortune to gain media attention. This raises some envy and expectation that the hike is a publicity stunt. We've seen similar reactions to other high profile hikers.

It is going to be harder for One Leg to be just a regular hiker. He has made some choices - such as involving his family - that leave some spectators cold. I suspect that these choices only add to the challenges of completing a thru-hike. I, for one, do not particularly value a thru-hike as the most important event in one's life. I hope he completes the goal of gaining confidence and momentum in his life - wherever the trail leads him.

I hope he maintains a sense of priorities, adventure and love. I hope that this experience doesn't leave him as cold-hearted as some of the critics. There will always be critics. I do hope that he gains a few more callouses before letting some messages get under his skin.

Bill...

[SavageLlama]

Hey Guys:
I'm not ready to throw in the towel at Harpers Ferry, and am willing to consider other viable options that would enable me to continue hiking, and hopefully finish the trail. My wife and I have been discussing the options, but have yet to make a final decision.
Scott 'One-Leg' RogersScott-
Best of luck. I, for one, am pulling for you to finish. Hopefully you can make it happen.

[chomp]

It is a shame that you have to 'defend' your journey but you did a wonderful job. If you are able, I hope you can attend the 2004 Gathering in Pipestem and share your thoughts and feelings because they deserve a wider audience
than those who inhabit this website.

Scott chose to make his hike a public affair, and therefore any criticism or compliments are completly warrented. I am not going to take sides on this issue, however I do want to say that I think because Scott make his hike a very public thing that he has opened himself up to critique. If someone wants to offer congrats or good wishes, that is fine. If someone else wants to question his tatics and fund raising efforts, that is fine too, IMO. Lets not offer apologies for those who are meerly expressing their opinion.

The only thing shameful in this thread is the self promotion for the Gathering that went hand-in-hand with insulting the general population of this site. And BTW, Scott, if you do stop by at the Gathering in October, you are welcome to stop by the Billville campsite. Because, at the official site, while you can do all the contra dancing you want, don't try to enjoy an adult beverage - that is strictly prohibited. I think that you'll find the Billville crew to be a bit "wider" of an audience than you'll find at the official ALDHA campsite.

[Rain Man]

Hey Guys:
I thought I'd take the time to address some of the things that are being said both on this forum, as well as others.

First of all, when I discovered Whiteblaze, I innocently thought that I found a place where I could glean some understanding regarding my thruhike planning, make some new friends, and become part of the trail 'family'. After reading some of the harsh posts about me here, I fleetingly thought that I'd unknowingly entered a political race, ...

Scott, first of all, good luck on your enterprise! Secondly, ... there are a very few folks on WhiteBlaze who obviously post numerous "sour" messages. It disheartens many of us other WhiteBlaze members. It's just the sad state of the internet world that it is so easy now for any classless individual (or classy ones in horrible lapses) to inflict a "piss and vinegar" attitude on so many victims. The "Ignore" feature of WhiteBlaze can help quite a bit, once you figure ourt who it is who rarely has anything constructive and positive to say. You don't miss much worthwhile by setting the ignore feature ON for their posts.



3) Regarding the tax-exempt status, I have a federal tax id number, and was told that it serves as my status as a non-profit org. I admit that I know nothing about the IRS, Tax Exemption, etc., and I trusted the word of the attorney hired to set this up that it was in place. The name doesn't appear on the IRS list, and I don't know why. Perhaps there are some more educated folks out there who would be willing to look into this matter and help me get it straightened out.

Well, there is a lag of a year or two between IRS issuing a determination letter and getting listed in Publications and/or on web sites. A great web site is http://www.guidestar.org, but even they have a lag time.

As far as trusting your attorney, be sure you trust "all" he/she says and "how" he/she says it. I've seen clients take things out of context, or take highly qualified (restricted) statements, and apply them to other scenarios. That's not trusting one's attorney.

If all your contributions are going to support you and your family, then you need to make sure your attorney specifically addressed that exact scenario and said expressly that would be fine. Otherwise, you aren't really trusting your attorney, because he/she never said anything about that.

A federal tax ID number is NOT indicative of a tax-exempt status. Only your "determination letter" is indicative of your tax exempt status, and it is indicative only insofar as, and as long as, you operate strictly in accordance with the statements made under oath in your IRS Form 1023 Application.



In closing, I'd like to add that hiking the A.T., while rewarding, is also very mentally taxing for me. My days on the trail are spent in intense concentration so that I don't make a mis-step and end up injured, thus forcing me off the trail. At the end of the day, I can't even think of tomorrow's hike, because today's has taken so much from me. I hike without complaint because I made a conscious decision to take the first step back at Springer. When I come off the trail to de-stress, my family's there to help me. When I'm able to log on to the internet, I check my email and find some very encouraging emails. I also find some pretty discouraging ones as well, and they do bother me. Some say "Don't read them", well, they're pretty well disguised. One subject line read "Way to go!!" and when I opened the letter, it said "*******". Then, I move over to WB to see if I can find out where my trail friends are, who's quit or moved ahead, and I find where I'm being slammed every which way but loose. Is this the way a trail family acts? If so, please disinherit me immediately.

Sadly, the internet family, and the WhiteBlaze family, does have members who can be simply mean jerks. Sometimes they are just classless. Other times they have worthwhile concerns, but just lack the grace and intellect to share constructively. Just don't associate with them, any more than you would in a normal family.

And most of all, let them stand in their own judgment. What they say reflects on them, not on you. You live and act and post in whatever fashion you want to reflect you and your life. You continue to concentrate on each step you take, and don't bother with their mis-steps. And if you do that, more power to you, Brother!
:sun
Rain Man

.

[Mini-Mosey]

Scott: Keep On Trekkin'......one Step At A Time.

[Youngblood]

Scott, first of all, good luck on your enterprise! Secondly, ... there are a very few folks on WhiteBlaze who obviously post numerous "sour" messages. It disheartens many of us other WhiteBlaze members. It's just the sad state of the internet world that it is so easy now for any classless individual (or classy ones in horrible lapses) to inflict a "piss and vinegar" attitude on so many victims. The "Ignore" feature of WhiteBlaze can help quite a bit, once you figure ourt who it is who rarely has anything constructive and positive to say. You don't miss much worthwhile by setting the ignore feature ON for their posts.

<snip>


Sadly, the internet family, and the WhiteBlaze family, does have members who can be simply mean jerks. Sometimes they are just classless. Other times they have worthwhile concerns, but just lack the grace and intellect to share constructively. Just don't associate with them, any more than you would in a normal family.

And most of all, let them stand in their own judgment. What they say reflects on them, not on you. You live and act and post in whatever fashion you want to reflect you and your life. You continue to concentrate on each step you take, and don't bother with their mis-steps. And if you do that, more power to you, Brother!
:sun
Rain Man

.

What Rain Man said!

Youngblood

[squirrel bait]

Scott, hopefully all of this is taken with a grain of salt, (no matter the wieght) you have alot of expierence under your belt now. Someones signature is "education is being able to listen to anything with out getting upset", well you certainly have the education now. Don't go to anything called a Gathering, shower when you can, and keep heading north, all of this must be old hat to a trail rat such as yourself. The steps you have taken whether left or right are yours, you know now how the trail is. You know what to expect. You can plan and handle the changing environment. You have the knowledge to continue. What we all say is just fodder to digest, and, Well, we know what happens to stuff we digest, it's all s@%$. But different views, other opinions, strange ideas, normally lead to well formed decisions. Yours don't seem any different from any other well informed person. This is a hard task and you have completed half of it, kudos, I wish I was in your shoe.

[Lugnut]

I wish I was in your shoe.[/QUOTE]

This says it all. :cool:

[Mountain Dew]

I think what One Leg is doing is awesome. To thru-hike the A.T. isn't easy. Do I hope he finishes ? Yes. Do I think he had terrible planning ? Yes. Do I agree with his looking for donations ? No I don't, BUT it's his right to do so and there is nothing wrong with it. He has been very open and upfront his intentions thus far.

Those that follow most of the post on whiteblaze know that me and Lone Wolf usually don't see eye to eye, but he has very valid opinions on this issue. I'm not saying I agree with all of them regarding this issue, but with them in general I do agree. Lone Wolf may speak often without thinking and may also be guilty of saying this to get a rise out of people, but he's not a bad person as some would have him portrayed.

Lone Wolf... "I was around Highlander, one-legged also, 10 years ago or so when he hiked. He was self-sufficient and did his own thing. No hype. Also Bob Barker, 3 time thru-hiker who hiked on crutches. Same with him. No hype. Self-sufficient. Over the years Alligator, I've helped out dozens and dozens of hikers with free shuttles and other "magic" so of course I would help the dude with rides to and from towns and slack him if he wanted.For free. I'm not mean spirited." --- before ever meeting Lone Wolf I had heard of him helping out hikers that come through his area. Lone Wolf, like most all of Hobocentral, is very giving.

[Twofiddy]

I'd cut my wee-willie off if someone would foot the bill for a Mt. Everest trip...


What exactly is a wee-willie?? :banana :banana :banana

[smokymtnsteve]

What exactly is a wee-willie?? :banana :banana :banana


Prince of Whales.

[squirrel bait]

Wouldn't it be the Prince of Whales son?

[SavageLlama]

This picture of a guy with a C-leg is on the cover of today's NY Times..

http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/06/21/national/21limb2.jpg

[Flash Hand]

While hiking with One Leg several weeks ago, we happened to encounter another amputee hiker, who have only one arm. I can see that both of them got inspired to know that Amputees can do anything without limits. I do believe that he already gained some more awareness in the amputees world as I did in my Deaf world.

I talked with One Leg yesterday and I told him to keep it up and am faithful for him to finish his goal.

Flash Hand