Crash, 1960 (2000)

[DMA, 2000]

If you go to ATC office at Harper's Ferry, look in the hiker photo book from 2000. Bill McNeil (Crash, 1960) was a great guy who passed away on the trail near Kent, CT. A few days after his death, I managed to track down his funeral with the aid of a Boston Globe obit. I've saved it all these years and finally, last week, was able to add it with his picture in the hiker book. I know it's not much, but since he was not able to complete his thru-hike, I wanted there to be SOME sort of recognition that his hike was as complete as it could have been, that he walked upon the earth, and that he passed from it doing something of great joy.

[shades of blue]

That's a good deed....I'm sure he would've appreciated it.

[Rocks 'n Roots]

I have his entry in a register I retrieved in NY. Though I did not know the man.

[rambunny]

Crash was a walking happy machine. It was reported by the people who spent the last few days with him that he had made the statement"he'd never been happier in his life." Sat down under a tree and clocked out. May we all be beamed up in this manner. I'll never forget overhearing rescue workers on the front porch of the general store in Cornwall Bridge talking about it,and realizing it was Crash. May he rest in peace. He was part of the jigsaw puzzle that made the class of 2000 so mystical magical.

[Jester2000]

I talked to Crash as he was on his way into Kent and I was heading out. Talked for about a half hour as we hadn't jawed since Vernon. It was the last time I got to see him, and it was only later in a bookstore in Great Barrington that DMA told me what had happened.

I summitted K with 6 other hikers who all knew Crash. We read the last verse of The Song of Myself for him at the top and passed around a bottle of Jameson, a drink he and I had often shared.

This memorial of sorts was repeated in 2003.

I miss him.

[chief]

Haven't posted here in quite a while, but in honor of Crash, I will now.

Here's to ya, brother!

[Lion King]

That day will never leave me.

Short Bus, PNut and I sat and ate breakfeast with Crash in Kent...he left, then they did, and then I, as always, lagged behind.
Before I could cross the cowfield Pnut came running down and told me he had found Crash at an overlook with a candy wrapper in his hand...he loved the trail and the people, and I am honored to be one of the last three people he spent his last meal with.

Good man.

[Moxie00]

I first met Crash at NOC at Wessler. I saw him from time to time going north but we became good friends by Harpers Ferry. He was a Green Baret who had to retire from the army after 20 years because of a "possible" heart priblem. At Harpes Ferry he offered to let me stay inn his expensive motel room and wouldn't take a penny. He just said."You pay next time." I never got the chance. All I remember that night was he stayed up well past midnight to watch a very funny movie. In nothern Virginia Crash and I hiked with the Army's top enlisted man who was section hiking for 20 days. I remember how honoreed Crash was that this "Top Sargent" remembered him from the Army. At the Doyle Crash almost got into a fight with a mouthy hiker, Crash took no crap from anyone. Ditto at the Vernon EpiscopAL hostel when somepne gave him a bad time. Crash was very quick to make friends and when we walked out of that hostel with our packs several church members offered us rides to the trail head. I remember some funny experiences with Cool Hand Luke and Fennel when he kidded them about doing the AT with no monry. At Deleware Water Gap Crash was upset because there was no VA hospital there and he needed blood pressure meds but DMA told me that when he passed away in Kent he had all his medications with him. One night in New Jersey when he could have made many more miles he stopped early at a shelter. I wasn't feeling well and stopped for the night early and Crash said he didn't want me to spend the night without a friend to talk to. I was in Kent with Crash but somehow missed him. I stopped in Kent just long enough to get new tips for my Leiki Pools and have lunch. Crash left the next morning. I was half way through Mass. when John from Scotland told me of his passing and I was in complete denial. Just before Pinkham Notch I stepped over a sleeping hiker in the middle of the trail. It turned out to be DMA who I hadn't seen since before Perisburg and he filled me in on all the details of Crash's passing. DMA had just bailed himself out of jail that morning but that is another story but I now was able to accept te loss of my good friend, Crash. Short Bus and Pnut told me how they found him when I met them in Maine. Another hiker had come upon Crash before them and kept on hiking. I will never forgive or forget his unexcuseable action. I haven't talked about Crash for several years and I am sorry I took up so much space in the forum but in made me feel real good to express my feelings about the passing of this great friend.

[Bob Davies]

If you go to ATC office at Harper's Ferry, look in the hiker photo book from 2000. Bill McNeil (Crash, 1960) was a great guy who passed away on the trail near Kent, CT. A few days after his death, I managed to track down his funeral with the aid of a Boston Globe obit. I've saved it all these years and finally, last week, was able to add it with his picture in the hiker book. I know it's not much, but since he was not able to complete his thru-hike, I wanted there to be SOME sort of recognition that his hike was as complete as it could have been, that he walked upon the earth, and that he passed from it doing something of great joy.

JUST READ YOUR POST..MET CRASH A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE HE DIED . WE
WERE DO A DAY HIKE IN NEW YORK WHEN WE STOPPED AND CHATTED WITH HIM...HE SAID HE WAS IN NO HURRY TO FINISH...WAS JUST ENJOYING THE TRAIL...WHAT A SHOCK WHEN WE HEARD HE HAD DIED...THANKS FOR DOING WHAT YOU DID...I THINK HE'D APPRECIATE IT
JB

[Moxie00]

As long as I hiked with Crash 60 I never took a picture with him in it. If anyone has a picture of Crash please make a copy of it and send it to me. I would love to climb Katahdin this summer and bury a photo of Crash in the giant stone carn at the summit. I meant to do that in 2000 but no one could locate a picture with Crash in it.

[Jester2000]

Moxie, I'll take a look. I must have at least one shot. It's nice to read how everyone felt (feels) about Crash. It's a shame that we're all so far apart, 'cause I think I could've benefitted from getting together with some of the 2000 crew and just talking about him.

Ahh, well. But I will see about that photo.