Can you help me describe Bob Peeples?

[Maple_Sky]

Hi,

I've section-hiked all the trail but NH and ME, but I stayed at the Black Bear Resort (?) while in Hampton, TN. Sadly, that means I missed meeting the man, the legend, Bob Peeples. But now I am writing a Young Adult novel where my main character goes to Kincorra and meets Bob Peeples.

Which leads me to why I need your help. When you saw Kincorra, what was the first thing you noticed? What can you still remember from your stay there?

How would you describe Bob Peeples? Physically, personailty, habits and mannerisms... all that stuff

Are there any good Bob Peeples stories I could have the other "thru hikers" in my story tell about him?

Thanks for your help! I may be checking back for more memories as my main character makes her way up the trail.

P.S. anyone who replies gets a credit in the acknowledgements when I publish this thing

[Gambit McCrae]

I arrived at Bobs at about 11pm. Spring time. Never met the man. I stayed in the back bed room that has a double bed. No glass in the window. Vines were growin in. Woke up to my dog growlin in the night to shine my light upon a fat ol raccoon sitting on the window sill. Bob has put in a lifetime of volunteer work on the trail, many.cuss him for the switchbacks in that area, but i dont recall any of them. In pictures he seems to always have a smile on, is not a man to give up on clothes cause they have a little age on them. And is generous enough to open his home to the hiking community.

If you do live in east tn, i would just take a drive and stay with hime 2 weekends of the year. One of your choice. And the other during his hard core trail week. You can also take a walk up to the venteventer shelter near watuga lake and read all of the "replace chuck norris with bob peoples" trail jokes written on the shlter

[Maple_Sky]

Good point! Thanks!

[Night Train]

DSCF0697.JPG

Hope this helps.

[-Rush-]

I'm looking forward to checking out Kincora on my hike this year. Baltimore Jack gave me a list of things to do, and that's one of them.

[Mr. Bumpy]

I have a dim memory that I'm sure time has modified. I recall him being retired Air Force (?) enlisted and that he was involved in (maybe) Central Command intelligence. The time he would have served would have been challenging. He told me that when he and his wife purchased the place and all the work he does, it is his form of payback akin to pennance.
But like it is pointed out, why don't you just drive over there and ask yourself.

I have a question for you Maple Sky. Are you familiar with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley who lives somewhere in east tn? She has the young adult novel "Halfway to the Sky" In another life I successfully used it in my middle school classroom. Good luck with your endeavor.

[Dogwood]

Considerate. Aware. Caring. Generous. Big Hearted. Fair. Listens, and considers usually before he talks. Hard working and quietly AT knowledgeable. A friendly person a BIG friend of hikers.

[Dogwood]

I'm looking forward to checking out Kincora on my hike this year. Baltimore Jack gave me a list of things to do, and that's one of them.

Yup. You too?

[Dan Roper]

I met Bob for the first time last July, while starting a section hike on Dennis Cove Road. He is a late middle-aged white man, trim, modestly attired, but "neat" (not slovenly). He is not bashful, but neither is he loud or garrulous. He came across as genuinely nice and thoughtful. That was the impression I got in the five minutes that I've met him.

My boys and I then enjoyed reading all the Bob Peoples graffiti at the next shelters up the trail: Vandeventer, Iron Mountain, etc. My favorite, at Vandeventer, read: "Bob Peoples counted to infinite. Twice!"

My 19-year-old son just reminded me of this one: "When forest fires see Bob Peoples coming, they burn themselves out."

So he is a legendary figure...and in a quietly unassuming way.

[Old Hiker]

Never met the man. Rumors only:

Bears hang Bob Peeples bags.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Some interesting stuff on Bob Peoples

http://www.thejourney.co/day-45-meet-bob-peoples/

http://www.backpacker.com/trips/heroes-bob-peoples-68

[Slo-go'en]

There's no experience like being crammed into the back of Bob's little pickup truck with 15 other hikers and bouncing down that steep, narrow and twisty road to town, wondering if you'll actually make it there and back alive.

[Lyle]

My experience with Bob:

Stopped in at the hostel, Bob wasn't there, he was out working on the trail. A young hiker was sitting on the couch, told us he was nursing an injured foot and this was his second night at the hostel. About 5:30 PM Bob showed up and hustled us all into town to do our grocery shopping while he waited for us. He apologized for rushing us, but he had an AT meeting to go to that evening about the Apple House Shelter, and what they were going to do about all the vandalism and partying that was taking place. He also pulled the hiker who was nursing his foot aside, and had a private conversation with him. Immediately after that conversation Bob left for his meeting.

The young man was a bit put out, and was grudgingly gathering all his belongings together that had spread throughout the hostel over the past two days. He eventually told us that Bob was kicking him out the next AM. We sympathized with the hiker, then ordered a couple of Pizzas to be delivered for supper. We finished all but three slices, and planned to carry them with us the next day for a snack.

Late that evening, Bob returned from his meeting, and came out to visit with us on the porch. After a few minutes he excused himself, saying he needed to get some supper, as he hadn't eaten since lunch. Realizing that he spent the time when he should have been eating shuttling us into town, we of course offered him the left over pizza which he gladly accepted. We had a very long and interesting conversation, which Bob said he particularly enjoyed, since two of our group were also ex military. Bob confided that he seldom found guys that could, or wanted to reminisce in that way. He also explained all the problems they were having with the Apple House Shelter, and had decided the best course would be to remove it and not replace it. We had passed it on the way to Kinkora, and had to agree that it was a pretty miserable place (cement block, surrounded by trash and broken bottles), and in a very bad location, just off the road.

Eventually, the subject of the young hiker who had not joined us came up. Bob explained that he had a two night rule for hikers nursing injury or sickness. If a hiker needs more time than that, Bob wants them to go to a doctor, and if more rest is recommended, then the rule is waved. Bob said the young man in question was actually staying his third night, and Bob had offered to drive him to a doctor the next day, but the young man refused. Bob's stated reasoning is that, in his experience, once a hiker sits out for a couple of days, their motivation to push on diminishes rapidly, and too many just decide to hang out at the hostel indefinitely. His major concern was to force the hiker to "sh%^ or get off the pot", he saw too many of them quit the hike altogether after lingering at the hostel too long. That, plus he didn't relish the idea of Kinkora becoming a "flop house" for ex hikers.

The next morning, we left to continue our hike, and to our surprise saw Bob twice more that day, he was out cleaning water bars, and leap-frogged us a couple of times on the trail.

Yeah, I would agree, he is QUITE a man and tremendously dedicated to the trail and hikers. Was an honor to stay with him.

[Doc]

I was friends with Bob when both of us were students at UMass in Amherst in the early 60's. Many of us were first generation college students and were really struggling to cope with the demands of college life. There were about a half dozen of us who became close and Bob was part of that group. Even in those early years Bob was displaying his organizational skills. There are many more stories about Bob but it will take a good bottle of single malt for me to reveal more. Your secrets are safe with me Bob.

[illabelle]

When we first met Bob Peoples it was before we knew there was such a thing as an AT community or subculture. My pre-WB days. Somehow I found his phone number, maybe from the ATC list, and contacted him about a late fall hike in his area. Stayed with him Thursday night for an early morning shuttle the next day because he had to meet up with some people for trail maintenance. His friend "Jack" was hanging around at the hostel, and helping him with trail work. Had the usual small talk about whatever. Much much later we learned that Bob Peoples and Baltimore Jack were AT legends. Quiet unassuming hard-working men.

My favorite quote: Mice bring food to Bob Peoples.

[Maple_Sky]

Thanks for all the amazing replies, folks! I really appreciate hearing about Mr. Peoples, who is obviously a great man. I definitely know where to go from here as my fictional hikers meet the man!