Ouch!

[Jack Tarlin]

Any of you guys ever go swimming on the Trail or near it..... and wondered what was in the water with you? I remember a bunch of hikers a few years back who were skinny-dipping in a pond in Tennessee who ran into an elderly townie right afterwards, who thoughtfully told them that locals avoided that particular body of water because (and this is a quote from the old gentleman): "There's snappin' turtles in there as big as a tire and they'll take your tally-whacker off like it was a cocktail frank!"

I don't think any of these guys went swimming the rest of their trip. Or maybe the rest of their lives.

Anyway, y'all should Google "Alligator Arm South Carolina" and you'll see a pretty horrible news story.

In any case, watch wear you swim, cuz you might not like what's out there.

And how come these stories always seem to take place down South anyway?

[Footslogger]

...and then there's the recent story from north Florida of a boy who went swimming in a lake and died 3 - 4 days later. Turns out to be an ameoba that lives in the silted bottom of the lake(s) that is taken into the body through an open cavity like the nose or mouth. Produces flu-like symptoms but typically results in death because the early symptoms are not thought to be serious enough to warrant a visit to the ER or doctors office.

http://www.thelifetree.com/newsarticle03.htm

'Slogger

[Jack Tarlin]

Like I said, it's always down South somewhere......

[SGT Rock]

That is because we like a little danger in our critters.

[Lone Wolf]

the south will rise again! w t f does that mean anyway?

[The Cheat]

the south will rise again! w t f does that mean anyway?

Apparently it means they'll rise from the dead, because all their critters ate them.

[JAK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYnt3RTwl0M

...
Once I was swimming cross Turtle creek
many snappers all around my feet
Shure was hard swimming cross that thing
with both hands holdin' my ding a ling

[DavidNH]

From New Jersey Northward.. you get plenty of wonderful glacial type lakes.. nice cool deep blue water..

No problems with gators, and things that byte up here. I guess all the bad stuff can't last through our northern winters

Davd

[mudhead]

the south will rise again! w t f does that mean anyway?

Latest Cialis ad...

[Johnny Thunder]

Two from Yankee country -

Walking from Pinkham Notch towards Wildcat Mt you can take a left after crossing the highway and walk about 10 minutes following a stream to a slick rock water fall. We used to walk there as a warmup before hiking the Tuckerman's Ravine trail. One frosty September morning I saw a guy rip his ash wide open trying to slide down it in nylon shorts. Ended his hike real quick.

Anyway, it's been at least 10 years since I was there so I'm not sure how close it is to the AT.

A bit further from the trail...one summer I went to camp at a place on the Thames River in Connecticut. Hamburg Cove to be specific. There's this thing called "Hamburg's Cove disease" where the native algae gets under your skin and turns it green in the sunlight. Well, I was in the older cabin and heard some of the guys sneaking out one night to go skinny dipping with the girls. The next day the some of the older girls turned green sunning themselves by the pool. Then the guys.

Johnny

[Jack Tarlin]

Actually, David, you are quite mistaken.

There are all sorts of scary and horrifying things found on or in open water in these parts, and caution is advised.

Here are merely two examples that frequent Northern waters:

http://www.dreckless.com/images/Kerry%20windsurfing.jpg

http://russmaney.com/Ted_Kennedy.jpg

Don't go near the water!!

[FFTorched]

Actually, David, you are quite mistaken.

There are all sorts of scary and horrifying things found on or in open water in these parts, and caution is advised.

Here are merely two examples that frequent Northern waters:

http://www.dreckless.com/images/Kerry%20windsurfing.jpg

http://russmaney.com/Ted_Kennedy.jpg

Don't go near the water!!

Hilliarious

[The Old Fhart]

SGT Rock-"That is because we like a little danger in our critters."

I heard that the reason you got your little 'critters' and New England got the black flies is the south had first choice.

[sweetpeastu]

Wolf, as I'm sure you know, it means when you Yankees came down here during the war you burned and trashed our cities completely during the "reconstruction" period....Thus, "The South shall rise again" pretty much explains itself.

[Old Grouse]

David, I recall an article in Yankee Magazine about 20 years ago in which an expert opined that there's snapping turtles in most new england lakes and ponds - but they are rarely seen. I know we have plenty of 'em around here.

[Mother's Finest]

Wolf, as I'm sure you know, it means when you Yankees came down here during the war you burned and trashed our cities completely during the "reconstruction" period....Thus, "The South shall rise again" pretty much explains itself.

Actually, the sacking and burning of the south (for instance Shermans march across Georgia) took place prior to the "reconstruction period"....when the war was still going on, and you rebels were still trying to kill yankees and maintain your immoral economic system.

God help us all if the South Rises Again.

peace
mf

[Krewzer]

And how come these stories always seem to take place down South anyway?

They were just regular turtles before all these Yankee capet baggers started drinking our liquor, chasin' our women, taking viagra, and swimmng in our ponds.....I think that pissed 'em off.

I don't have a clue what made the amoeba mad though. They're sort of clannish and don't talk much.......

[hopefulhiker]

In 05 I went swimming with some folks at Sunfish pond until we realized that we were swimming with a water moccasin!

[Lone Wolf]

In 05 I went swimming with some folks at Sunfish pond until we realized that we were swimming with a water moccasin!

plus you were breaking the law. NO SWIMMING in Sunfish Pond. Public water supply

[Tipi Walter]

I went swimming in the Tellico River 3 weeks ago(right where the locals dump garbage and dead animals) and I've been sick ever since. Stomach cramps, bloating, constipation. I looked up my symptoms on the net and think I have either giardia, stomach cancer, hepatitis, gall stones, liver cancer, pancreatis or dyspepsia. All this for one swim? Shat upon me.

But I'm now in my 5th day of juice fasting and things are looking up. Let's hear it for carrot juice!