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View Full Version : First Whiteblaze Gathering: A Success



A-Train
09-19-2004, 16:50
I'm sure most of you are still up around the Forks, hopefully taking a trip down the river. Just wanted to say I had an extremely good time and it was great to put some faces to names. I'd like to specifically thank Troll/Rick and Steve Longley for all their hard work in putting this event on and making it a such a hit. This years crop of thru-hikers seemed pretty excited about the chance to relax and gorge on good food around a campfire. They all seemed to appreciate it very much. Trail Magic is a wonderful thing.

Hope this can continue to be an annual get together and that some more members show up next time, even if it is a long trek! Hope to see many of you next year, or before that on the Trail or perhaps elsewhere. Thanks!

walkin' wally
09-19-2004, 18:27
Hi A-Train,

It was nice meeting you at the gathering. I think we all had a great time. Some of the gang even had an 'adventure' in Canada.
A little too cold for the river for me today though.Maybe next time.
I'm glad you could make it. :sun

Hammock Hanger
09-19-2004, 18:54
Hope this can continue to be an annual get together and that some more members show up next time, even if it is a long trek! Hope to see many of you next year, or before that on the Trail or perhaps elsewhere. Thanks!
I was all set to go but a death in the family changed the plan. -- Hope it will happen again. -- Glad those who attended had a great time. Sue/HH

attroll
09-19-2004, 23:02
All I can say is what an AWESOME weekend. All the time and money that I put into this was well worth it. I was not able to go out and do a lot of trail magic this year. I was only able to place a cooler at the trail head twice this year. But this one beets all. We did not get a lot of WhiteBlaze members to come. The once right now that I can think of off the top of my head and forgive me if I forget to mention your name because this is coming from memory now and I am tire. I have only been home for about one hour now. These are:
ferryman
Pcm25
Jack Tarlin
Frosty
A-Train
Rain Man
Mala
Rancid
cburnett (Father Ounce) stopped while doing his thru-hike.
Walkin Wally

Like I said forgive me if I forgot anyone and post to let me know who I forgot.

I arrived there Friday night and unpacked and While the wife cooked dinner I went and sat around the campier with some thru-hikers to find out that four of them had hitch hiked in from Andover to come to this event. That was really amazing. They also told me that there were about six or seven more that are going to be hitching in from Stratton Saturday. Wow, was I amazed.

Saturday morning came and started out pretty slow. Walkin Wally arrived with his wife and sister in-law and helped Jack and us set up. Not much happened for a while. Frosty showed up and help and then went to help Steve down at the ferry crossing then a couple hikers rolled in. We cooked up some lunch for the hikers that were hanging around. Frosty had to leave because he had to be back in New Hampshire. Shortly after Frosty left the hikers started rolling in. Sorry Frosty but you left to early. We had Keith Shaw Jr. come over with two hikers from Monson. Then another car of hikers came from Monson. A group from Stratton showed up. One leg and his trail support team pulled in. Then we had a pretty awesome surprise during dinner. A tracker trailer truck pulled up and the door opened and a hiker jumped out and we all gave out a cheer. We thought that was pretty neat that a big rig had pulled up and dropped of a hiker that was hitching in. But to our surprise another hiker jumped out. Then two more jumped out with all four packs. The driver had picked up four thru-hikers that had hitch in for the get together from Stratton. Baltimore Jack ran out and talked the driver into getting out and coming in to eat with us. What a treat. Buy the end of dinner we had probably had about 70 people hanging around.

Sunday morning we got up early but not to early and put on a breakfast with 18 dozen eggs and Wally made about 3 dozen egg and ham muffins while the rest was put into scrambled eggs. I am not going to go into what the whole meal consisted of but we made sure everyone was full. A group of hikers left to continue north but then a group from the ferry crossing replaced them in no time. Then a group of 10 thru-hikers decided that they wanted to hitch up to Canada just for something to do. So four people stood on the side of the road with there thumbs out. Within 3 minutes that had a ride. A white for pickup stopped to give them a ride. But five more thru-hikers run out to the truck and jumped in the back. I don’t think the driver expected that. Buy was the pack of the truck sitting low. D-Bone was also trying to run to catch up but the truck kept taking off. I don’t think he wanted anymore and did it on purpose. Wally’s sister in-law somehow found out that they had only made it to The Forks. So she took D-Bone and went to get them and take them into Canada. I don’t know the whole story but they did have a little hassle getting back across the border back into the USA because some of them did not have picture ID’s.

During the little trip to Canada the rest of us set up and cooked lunch for those who remained behind. The truck driver that had stopped the night before stopped on his way out again to visit and we feed him again. He was really a nice guy. We had to cancel out trip down the river. The temperature at the time that we were supposed to do the trip was 52 degrees. We were all hanging around the fires with coats on. So we all decided that it would be best not to do it. It did finally warm up but it was later in the afternoon.
Well this is all I have to post on the weekend so far because I am getting too tired to write more. If I left anything out then some of you that went can fill in the blanks. I need to get some sleep. I will try and post a list of all the thru-hikers that I can remember. A lot did not sign the log book. I am hoping pcm25 got a better list then I do or has a better memory then me.

FatMan
09-19-2004, 23:10
Sound like a great time was had by all. Sorry I couldn't make it but as we all know it's a long hike from Georgia. Hope to next time.

Hikerhead
09-19-2004, 23:57
That's impressive. You did good.

Flash Hand
09-20-2004, 00:52
This year, no car and saving money for 2005 thru hike and HOPEFULLY there will be another whiteblaze gathering sometimes in September. I am envy at all of you who went for the gathering :(

Its good to know its started this year!

Flash Hand :jump

Uncle Wayne
09-20-2004, 02:31
Wish we could have been there. Maybe next year. Even though we couldn't make it, I appreciate all the work everyone did to make it happen. Sounds like you had a great time.

VAMTNHIKER
09-20-2004, 07:12
Sounds like you had a great time! Hope to join the fellowship at a future event!

Jaybird
09-20-2004, 07:20
Wish i could've been there!

i attended a FAMILY REUNION in Nashville,TN & had a death in the family too.

maybe another time. :D

THANKS TO RICK & Crew for all the hard work in putting the WB Gathering together!

Miss Janet
09-20-2004, 08:12
I got a phone call from this bunch on Friday night, right as they were putting on dinner that night. Baltimore Jack started it off then passed the phone... by the time the call was over I had talked to like a dozen hikers... laughed and cried with them all! I really wish I could have made it. I hope I will see everyone at the Gathering in a couple of weeks.
ATTROLL, THANKS FOR ALL THE HARD WORK TO PUT THIS TOGETHER!

attroll
09-20-2004, 10:34
I started a list off everyone I could remember that attened and I took some names from the log book. The problem is I did not meet everyone and they did not sign the log book. But here are the names I came up with. If you have some more names or corrects please let me know.

* = thru-hikers
(WB) = WhiteBlaze member

* 2 Ton Mantis
A-Train (2003)(WB)
* Alabama and dog Kaya
Attroll (WB)
Baltimore Jack (WB)
* Big Stick
Bill
* Boo Boo
* Bones
* Bramble
* Carp
* Castro
Chris (WB family member)
* Coyote
* DBone
Dean and his wife (2005 thru-hikers)
* Diablo
* Doc
* Dutch
* European Bob
* Father Ounce
Ferryman (WB)
Frosty (WB)
* Gya(sp)
* Gordy
* Grass
Harold (truck driver)
Jason (2005)(3 Moose)
Jeannie (WB member wife)
* K-Less
Keith Shaw Jr. (Hotel owner)
* Lil Bit
* Lil Munchkin and dog Kaya
Lindy(?) (massage/hostel owner from Monson)
* Lord Duke Jester Gigglebox
Paddler (Trail Angel)
Pcm25 (WB)
Mala and dog Tucker (WB)
* Massy
* One Leg and family of 7
Rancid (WB)
Rain Man (WB)
* Raven
* Sampson
Shyla (WB friend)
* Shivers
* Slips
* Sourthernman
* Sun Pig
* Sunshine
T-Bird (2003) and her dad
* Sven
Tink (WB)
* Topknot
Tripod (section hiker)(2005)
Walking Wally (WB)
Next door neighbor and is grand daughter

Mr. Clean
09-21-2004, 08:27
I also had a family commitment, and if I'd gone, well, I'd prolly still be there!

tlbj6142
09-21-2004, 09:49
My brother (Father Ounce) said he had a great time. And that it was well worth the unplanned zero.

I'm sure both of us will do our best to be there next year.

attroll
09-21-2004, 10:39
My brother (Father Ounce) said he had a great time. And that it was well worth the unplanned zero.

I'm sure both of us will do our best to be there next year.Wish the timing could have been right so you and your brother could have both been there this year. But he explained that it was hard to judge if he would be there at that time. I am planning on having one next year. But the question is will it still be at the same place or not. I would like to have it somewhere else next year. Somewhere still close to me being that I have to supply all the goods. I can not get any vacation time in September and it would have to be on a weekend still. I have a whole year till then to figure it out.

Hope to see at least the same ammount there next year and more.

Hikerhead
09-23-2004, 18:15
I talked to Raven today. He said he was lucky enough to had made it to the get together. Said he had a good time.

He's in Monson now. He's planning on reaching the top of Katahdin on 10-2. Thanks Hammy

Hammock Hanger
09-23-2004, 18:29
I talked to Raven today. He said he was lucky enough to had made it to the get together. Said he had a good time.

He's in Monson now. He's planning on reaching the top of Katahdin on 9-2.
I'm sure you meant 10/2.

Rain Man
09-23-2004, 19:37
Rick,

I'll add a few names from the list I tried to keep. Not sure about them all, though....

T-Bone
T-Bird
Lil Bit
Castro
Sven
Dutch
Sunpie? (different from Sun Pig?)

Castro spent the night of Feb 29 with us in Springer Mtn Shelter, so it was especially nice to run into him again. Everybody was fun to talk to!

Great time. Great event. Great sponsors!

Rain Man

.

attroll
09-24-2004, 00:12
Rick,

I'll add a few names from the list I tried to keep. Not sure about them all, though....

T-Bone
T-Bird
Lil Bit
Castro
Sven
Dutch
Sunpie? (different from Sun Pig?)

Castro spent the night of Feb 29 with us in Springer Mtn Shelter, so it was especially nice to run into him again. Everybody was fun to talk to!

Great time. Great event. Great sponsors!

Rain Man

.
Thanks for the update Rain Man. I forgot about T-Bird and her father stopping by. I have D-Bone on the list was there also a T-Bone? I also had Sun Pig was there also a Sun Pie?

I will add these names to the list. Thanks once again.

Rain Man
09-24-2004, 09:44
... I have D-Bone on the list was there also a T-Bone? I also had Sun Pig was there also a Sun Pie?...

I wrote down T-Bone, but it certainly could have been said D-Bone. I don't recall if I heard or read Sun Pie, but I had the same question as you ... was it really Sun Pig. I don't know, but would assume so.

In any event, the Gathering was a great event, IMHO. And the timing was perfect.
:sun
Rain Man

.

attroll
09-24-2004, 11:35
I wrote down T-Bone, but it certainly could have been said D-Bone. I don't recall if I heard or read Sun Pie, but I had the same question as you ... was it really Sun Pig. I don't know, but would assume so.

In any event, the Gathering was a great event, IMHO. And the timing was perfect.
:sun
Rain Man

.
Yes it was DBone and Sun Pig because they both signed the log book. I am looking forward to doing it again next year.

Flash Hand
09-24-2004, 17:37
Yes it was DBone and Sun Pig because they both signed the log book. I am looking forward to doing it again next year.

I guess Dbone, Lil Munchkin and her golden retreiver, and Gordy made it all the way from Springer. Was surprised to see them in the white blaze gathering.

Also, am looking forward for whiteblaze gathering again next year, and if its the same date as you hosted the last time, would be good chance for us to get there.

Flash Hand :jump

attroll
09-25-2004, 00:12
As of right now we are planning on the same weekend. But we can not make no promises this far out.

The Scribe
09-25-2004, 14:36
Hey all

I just added the 30 or so pics I took last weekend.

pcm