PDA

View Full Version : I hate to bring this up, but was anyone on the trail in NY when 911 occurred?



ArkVol
04-11-2005, 12:18
I just finished Schuttes AT book nad he hiked in 2000 and talked about seeing the World Trade towers from the trail. Was anyone on the trail when it the attacks accured and saw this? I bet you would have thought the world was coming to an end.
Sorry to bring this subject up.

JoeHiker
04-11-2005, 13:32
The guys in "Trek" were on the trail when it happened. They talk about it in the film.

Smile
04-11-2005, 13:43
Yes they did. That is my favorite DVD so far on the trail. I think they post on here sometimes don't they?

Footslogger
04-11-2005, 14:17
The guys in "Trek" were on the trail when it happened. They talk about it in the film.=================================
They were well above New York though. My wife (BadAss Turtle) who had hiked with that group for a while was in Gorham when the news hit. She said it was as if time stood still that day.

'Slogger
AT 2003

Bad Ass Turtle
04-11-2005, 15:09
OK, I was about to post my own experiences, when I saw that my hiker spouse (Footslogger) had already mentioned it . . .

I was staying at the Hiker's Paradise in Gorham, and was actually in the shower when the first tower came down. Came out and watched the rest on tv with a group of other hikers. Tears and consternation. Horrible day.

BA Turtle

Rocks 'n Roots
04-11-2005, 16:03
A NY AT overseer friend of mine, Mike Rhea, went up and took photos of the towers on fire from the AT over Greenwood Lake. He lives nearby. It was slightly hazy, but you could see the tower smoking from the footpath...


A distant relative of mine had a scheduled meeting in one of the towers that morning but was too sick to attend. All her colleagues perished.

Lone Wolf
04-11-2005, 20:52
Don't feel sorry for "bringing the subject up". Never forget. These Islamic terrorists must die. Thank God for Bush.

Rocks 'n Roots
04-12-2005, 00:13
Morbid as it is both Flight 11 and 175 passed directly over the AT as they approached NY. It's remotely possible an AT hiker looked up and gazed at the fated 767 aircraft streaking towards New York...

ed bell
04-12-2005, 01:13
I remember keeping my plans to go out backpacking the weekend after 9-11. I felt that time out in the woods would be good for the soul. It was very surreal looking up into the night sky without seeing airplanes. I wish the circumstances were different.

I am sure that people saw the New York Skyline from the AT on 9-11. It was an awful event regardless of where you were when it happened. I do know that America will not back down to organized terrorism. I try to never forget how fortunate we are to live in the USA regardless of ones personal politics.

Grampie
04-12-2005, 08:27
During my 2001 thru I had spent the night of Sept. 10 th, in the ski patrol building, on the top of Stratton Mt. Vermont. On the morning of the 11th. at about 10 am I decided to put my radio on. As I hiked I tried to get some music but could only get talking. I finaly listened to what was being said. I don't remember exactly what was said, but my first thought was that an A-bomb had been dropped on NY city.
A group of four hikers approached me shortly, as I sat beside the trail listining to the radio. I told them that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center and the building had collapsed. One of the hikers said,"what have you been smokeing?" They didn't believe me.
I guess we will all remember where we were that tragic day.

Just Jeff
04-12-2005, 15:37
I guess we will all remember where we were that tragic day.
I was helping to host a conference for the Precision Guided Munitions that were used to root those bastards out of their caves...JDAMs and such.

anneandbenhike
04-12-2005, 16:03
We were expecting a friend from Montana to join us for a week of hiking on the AT starting on the 12th. Naturally she could not go with us as planes were not flying at all and she could not get here. We went on our hikes anyway in the VA/TN area of the AT. It was surreal to be hiking in gorgeous fall weather without a plane in the sky. It was so incredibly quiet. :(

Jack Tarlin
04-12-2005, 21:19
I was in Full Goose Shelter, just south of Mahoosuc Notch. Some folks came in around 9 PM and told us (I was with two friends) what had happened that day. We had no idea what had transpired, as nobody had passed us in either direction and none of us carried or listened to a radio that day. We really wanted to get out of the woods immediately as we all knew people in Manhattan and Washington, but nothing could be done til morning. We went to bed, slept poorly, got up early, and raced thru the Notch and up Old Speck. This is perhaps the most difficult and time-consuming day of the entire Trail......but not in September of 2001. We arrived exhausted in Grafton Notch where we were met by a car and driver who'd been sent by Honey and Bear of the Cabin Hostel in East Andover, about whom not enough good things can ever be said; they'd heard we were coming and knew we'd want to get to town right away. We ended up staying at their place for 3 days, mainly watching television and trying to reach friends and family members.

The remaining few weeks were an unusual time; we weren't sure we wanted to continue, and often felt we should be doing other more important things. Our town time after Andover (Stratton, Caratunk, and Monson) was mostly spent on the phone or the Internet.

My two most vivid memories of those last few weeks: The first was a few days after the 11th, when we saw a jet contrail, probably military, in the sky. We were incredibly happy, as we'd heard that all flying had been banned; this was a sign that at last in some way, things were returning to the way they'd been.

Secondly, when we got to Katahdin, someone, I've no idea who, had duct-taped a small American flag to the Katahdin sign, and it was still there weeks later when we arrived in early October. It was a very beautiful thing to see.

To this day, when I see or hear a military flight over the Trail----and it happens frequently, in such places as Georgia, or Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania----it doesn't bother me. The sight and noise is not intrusive or unpleasant, as it might have seemed once. What is being heard and seen is a reminder of our freedom, and I, for one, am always glad to be reminded of this, and am eternally grateful to the folks whose voluntary service in our defense has made my travels possible. To Whiteblaze servicepeople, past and present, once again, thank you.

Rendezvous01
04-12-2005, 21:41
I was off the Trail before that fateful day, teaching Algebra to a class of wide-eyed, innocent, disbelieving, and bewildered ninth graders. One of my many jumbled thoughts on that day after learning about the Pentagon attack was wondering about what my friend Mars would do. He was a military photographer stationed at the Pentagon who had been granted an extended leave to hike the Trail. Someone told me that he immediately left the Trail to report back for duty. Last I heard about him was that he is currently stationed in Iraq... I hope and pray that he gets to complete the Trail someday soon.

jkhiker
04-13-2005, 13:00
I know that it's not AT related, but my in-laws where in the boundary waters on a canoe trip for two weeks. didn't find out until a couple of days later. they hurried home after that.