View Full Version : Who IS this "Bramble" guy anyway?
This guy was everywhere at this year's Trail Days, talking a mile a minute all weekend. His dog was equally and continually vocal, as well. :D
He was encouraging people to look him up at trailjournals.com, but his journal is pretty incoherent. Is/was he a thru-hiker? What exactly is the cause he's hiking for and what is the deal with all the sponsors and survival tv thing?
Just curious...
hikerjohnd
05-16-2005, 15:06
To know him is to love him...
While I didn't get to Trail Days this year, I did share a shelter in Vermont with Bushwack & Bramble on their thru-hike. So, as far as I know, they did the AT. Maybe Bramble keeps a mussle on him?
trailangelmary
05-16-2005, 18:25
I think his name should be ramble! ;) I heard him speak during the talent show at Trail Days. He went on and on and on and on and was not making sense. But I did gather that he is trying to raise money for women who do not have the finances to pay for treatments for breast cancer.
HikerHobo
05-16-2005, 18:40
His trail journal is even more incoherent. I don't think he finished the AT.
Dances with Mice
05-16-2005, 19:02
I think his name should be ramble! ;) I heard him speak during the talent show at Trail Days. He went on and on and on and on and was not making sense. But I did gather that he is trying to raise money for women who do not have the finances to pay for treatments for breast cancer.
So there I was in a trail maintenance work crew, working on a bit of the trail north of Tesnatee Gap. We rehabilitated a bit of curving sidehill that was slipping downhill, dug the trail wider, moved a ton or two of rocks to reinforce the slipping area and re-direct hikers onto a more substantial part of the Trail. Not really a major project, but it took all morning and made a significant difference in stabilizing the Trail. There was some discussion about how hikers would walk through the section (maybe 10 yards long), if they would tend to walk more towards the outside or inside of the curve. We (our work crew) walked it ourselves, but we acknowledged we were prejudiced and stepped the way we hoped hikers would. So we decided to watch some hikers as they passed. We moved off the trail and sat around waiting for a backpacker to come along. And here comes Bramble!
And he stops right in the middle of our new path! Exactly correct! Some of us clapped. He didn't quite understand, but he could see he had an audience already gathered, all intently watching him, all smiling, and he went into his spiel. See photo in my gallery. He's planted in the middle of our worksite, just having a grand time, and the crew's spread all around him.
Actually, I enjoyed it. He seems totally committed to his causes, absolutely guile-less. He has a sweet an innocent personality. But I came away with two thoughts:
1 - He is trying to raise awareness of cancer, to honor a pledge he made to his favorite aunt who died of cancer. The one whose name he had tattoo'd on his back. Yep, the boy's serious.
2. Attention Deficit Disorder isn't just for children. 'Nuff said?
i caught up with Bramble in NH and later in Me. He's indeed a character and a good person as well. Last year, he was thru-hiking to raise awareness for cancer. To my knowledge, he did indeed thru-hike it.
While I didn't get to Trail Days this year, I did share a shelter in Vermont with Bushwack & Bramble on their thru-hike. So, as far as I know, they did the AT. Maybe Bramble keeps a mussle on him?
The Bramble you are referring to is part of a husband/wife team. The Bramble hiking this year (and last year too, I think) is not either of them.
Nearly Normal
05-17-2005, 08:58
I met him in Franklin, shuttled him to K-Mart. Also in Hot Springs for T-Fest.
He talks to everyone just like long lost friends.
I thought he was a pretty good fellow.
pete
Bramble does tend to ramble, but in all of his talking to all of the people he has ever talked to has anyone ever heard him say abad thing about anyone else? (with the exception of some select cops in certain unfriendly towns)
wbdent I met Bramble last year at the WhiteBlaze get together. He is a great guy and like someone said he is raising money for the awareness of cancer. He hiked last year but has not completed a Thru hike. I missed some sections. I think he was trying to get the sections he missed last year but I may be wrong. As someone alse said he can ramble on and on and on. But he is a good guy.
I applaud his mission and he was very nice when I spoke with him at Trail Days... However, he is not opposed to using his mission to get women to spread their legs, but maybe he was just really horny? Either way - I hope he continues to raise money for breast cancer in his Walk Across America...
MileMonster
05-17-2005, 22:33
Double Nickels and I met Bramble last year very early in the hike. It was either day one or day two. I'm thinking it was on the approach trail. If I remember right he was going to make a call back to his hometown and do a radio interview when he got to Springer summit. He seemed nice enough. Saw him a bit the first week then lost him. He definitely attempted a thru-hike last year and I'm fairly certain he finished.
MileMonster
05-17-2005, 22:35
Oh, his cause then was Breast Cancer awareness. His aunt was sick when I met him last year. Don't know if that is still the cause.
I ran into Bramble last year at the WB gathering at The Forks, and again this year at T-Days at the gazeebo. He told me that he was walking across America this year.......He came later on Friday evening to the hiker feed at the basketball court, and impressed us with his skill of feeding his dog a hot-dog straight from his mouth. I have a pic of him on my slideshow. He threw me for a loop with his long hair and kilt, I thought he was Heidi. (No offense to long-haired kilt-wearing hikers out there.)
fiddlehead
05-18-2005, 00:14
Bramble is indeed an incredible person. He may not be everybodies "cup of tea" but he is genuine, unique, passionate about the trail (as well as his cause, his stories, his life). He is one of the strongest people i've ever met. (i've seen him carry 3 bundles of asphalt roofing shingles at one time!). He hikes in a kilt, is from Connecticut, is a veteran, and a lot of fun to be around!
I'm glad to see he's still involved with the trail. He may be a womanizer, is there something wrong with that?
I met him last year in NH and he had started at Springer. I didn't hear if he finished but he had enough time to as i saw him in August or early Sept.
is from Connecticut, is a veteran, and a lot of fun to be around!
He's also a former fireman.....He's an awesome dude, and definately was one of the highlights of my hike.
walkin' wally
05-18-2005, 08:02
He lent a couple of my relatives a headband light so they could climb Old Speck at Grafton Notch and get back down safely in case it got dark. I met him at the Whiteblaze Gathering at The Forks and he was a nice guy. I hope to see him again on the trail.
i rode down to Trail Days with Bramble and T-Bird this year. i had not met him before this, but am very happy i got the opportunity. he made the trip go by very fast with his stories and songs. like someone said before, Bramble is a very passionate person and he does nothing half-a**ed. He gives his all in everything he does, whether it be a thru-hike of the AT, an interview for Survivor, a speech at the TD talent shw (heehee), or just a hug for a new friend he's just met ( when i was introduced to him i stuck out my hand and he just scooped me up and gave me one of the most sincere hugs i think i've ever received). The man loves life, and he radiates it.
WE LOVE YOU BRAMBLE!!!:bse
Rain Man
05-18-2005, 11:32
I met Bramble at the WhiteBlaze Gathering at Caratunk last September, plus again at Trail Days last weekend. Can't remember if he was at Hard Core last year when I free-loaded dinner at Kincora. :) He does love life and loves to give big ol hugs. My daughter loved hiking with Bramble last year when she had the chance and enjoyed reporting Bramble stories to me. Made me want to meet the guy, and I enjoyed it when I finally got the chance. I'd hike with him in a heartbeat. One of the many loveable trail characters!
Here he is (with me) at the 2005 Trail Days last weekend.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/7238/sort/1/cat/500/page/1
Rain:sunMan
.
I met Bramble at Miss Janet's in April. He is a true trail character! He does ramble on about everything, but he is sincere. He did hike the AT for a bit this year, but now is headed to New Zealand.
wacocelt
05-18-2005, 21:15
Bramble is a HOOT. Good guy, not that my opinion counts for much. Be well.
I met Bramble at Miss Janet's in April. He is a true trail character! He does ramble on about everything, but he is sincere. He did hike the AT for a bit this year, but now is headed to New Zealand.
In a roundabout, rambling way. According to his recent journal entry...
"Well getting ready to pack for the Trip south for the walk across the U.S. I will stop at Hiawassee, GA first to talk to there kids, I will head to ATL and Visit Friends, also in Covington, GA, I will then head to Myrtle, Beach to my little Brothers wedding, then head to Miami. Puerto Rico to meet family for the first time, I am very scared about that. But will again start in Florida to see Dee Johnson, in Naples, FL. I will then make my way to St. Louis to walk the Lewis & Clark trail to Seattle,Washington. To thank Petra Hilleberg again in person. Also Hilleberg Tent company to. I will then work my way to California to see Kinloch, Candle burning brother. I Love you Kinloch, thank you for the support. Then it's off to New Zealand with Alabama to walk across both Islands"
The Scribe
05-21-2005, 17:12
The vision is from the WhiteBlaze gathering at The Forks last September. A group had decided to see if the trees in Canada looked any different than those in Maine. Bramble headed out to 201 and lifted his kilt to show leg in order to get a ride.
A pickup did stop but I can't remember if his leg did it or not.
Mother Nature
05-29-2005, 14:25
I met Bramble and his dog at Trail Days this year. Very likeable fellow with tons of energy. His fashion of the day was his colorful kilt. There can be no doubt he had a fun time.
Offering to show the crowd a sight they had never seen, he energetically popped a hot dog into his mouth and squatted to allow his dog to take it from him. I was standing nearby posed with my camera to capture the moment when I realized there was more to the picture than Bramble intended. When he stood he saw the stunned look on my face and said, OOOPsss! I do believe, despite his deep tan that he blushed as red as his kilt.
Mother Nature
A hiking buddy, who shall remain nameless, says that one of her favorite memories was hiking uphill behind Bramble, who did not realize the view he was giving her... Okay, so we're just dirty old women who love the hike...
Jester2000
05-31-2005, 03:11
Bramble strikes me as a very sincere guy who believes very passionately in whatever it is he's doing at the time. Admittedly, this can be annoying when he's being passionate about, say, talking to you about switching out his gear, or anything else he's doing. But he's got a great big heart, I think, and that's worth something, even if it's best taken in small doses.