Yellow Blazing, Blue Blazing, Pink Blazing ...

[Just a Hiker]

blue-blazes aren't always shorter. most times not. but always prettier and more rewarding

I always blue-blaze through Rhododendron Gap......It's pretty nice.

[Jack Tarlin]

No secret at all. Billville is a loose collection of hiker friends, most of whom, (but not all) have thru-hiked the A.T. at least once. The folks in Billville get together several times over the course of a year, sometimes to put on feeds or special events for hikers; sometimes we do Trail work or maintenance somewhere; sometimes we just get together and cook. We have several annual get-togethers, including Trail Days and the ALDHA Gathering, where we generally camp together and hang out. We also get together during the winter and take over the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon for a weekend in March. And we get together the weekend after Thanksgiving and re-create the Holiday (some of the Billville people are really good cooks!)

But no....you don't have to be named Bill to be in Billville, nor is there a membership application. We're pretty open-minded and take all comers. We have soldiers and teachers and former military men and bookstore managers and bankers. We have drinkers and tea-totalers. We have observant Catholics and a few pagans, too. We have lots of Red Sox fans and also the occasional (tho thankfully rare) Yankees supporter. We have flaming liberals and also some whacko conservatives. We have Finnish death-metal enthusiasts and we have people who listen to nothing but Cash and Springsteen.

In short, Tin Man, we're pretty much open to anything, except maybe drum circles and contra dancing.

Drop by sometime! Billville is always looking for new faces.

And this goes for everyone else out there, too.

[Cookerhiker]

How about gold-blazing (better termed as gold-plated blazing) - those who spend big bucks on all the latest gear, gizmos, bells & whistles?

[Lone Wolf]

No secret at all. Billville is a loose collection of hiker friends, most of whom, (but not all) have thru-hiked the A.T. at least once. The folks in Billville get together several times over the course of a year, sometimes to put on feeds or special events for hikers; sometimes we do Trail work or maintenance somewhere; sometimes we just get together and cook. We have several annual get-togethers, including Trail Days and the ALDHA Gathering, where we generally camp together and hang out. We also get together during the winter and take over the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon for a weekend in March. And we get together the weekend after Thanksgiving and re-create the Holiday (some of the Billville people are really good cooks!)

But no....you don't have to be named Bill to be in Billville, nor is there a membership application. We're pretty open-minded and take all comers. We have soldiers and teachers and former military men and bookstore managers and bankers. We have drinkers and tea-totalers. We have observant Catholics and a few pagans, too. We have lots of Red Sox fans and also the occasional (tho thankfully rare) Yankees supporter. We have flaming liberals and also some whacko conservatives. We have Finnish death-metal enthusiasts and we have people who listen to nothing but Cash and Springsteen.

In short, Tin Man, we're pretty much open to anything, except maybe drum circles and contra dancing.

Drop by sometime! Billville is always looking for new faces.

And this goes for everyone else out there, too.

f *** campfire stories though.

[Jack Tarlin]

"More rewarding" is in the eye of the beholder. Some blue-blazes are indeed very pretty. Some are merely road walks that are no more, and are often less scenic than the parts of the Trail that people elect to skip.

But to say that blue-blazes are ALWAYS prettier and more rewarding is a bit of a stretch.

[T-Dubs]

....But to say that blue-blazes are ALWAYS prettier and more rewarding is a bit of a stretch.

I would imagine these blue-blazed trails are shown on the ATC map set. But are there notes about these trails as to which is 'more rewarding' or which have features worth seeing? How does one know which 'path less traveled' is worth traveling?

Thanks,
TWS

[SGT Rock]

I would imagine these blue-blazed trails are shown on the ATC map set. But are there notes about these trails as to which is 'more rewarding' or which have features worth seeing? How does one know which 'path less traveled' is worth traveling?

Thanks,
TWS

Some guidebooks have notes, most thru-hiking ones do not, or don't go into detail. Word of mouth is how I have found out about some of them.

[Tin Man]

We have lots of Red Sox fans and also the occasional (tho thankfully rare) Yankees supporter.

Oops, I will leave my #13 shirt home.

we're pretty much open to anything, except maybe drum circles and contra dancing.

Probably don't want any famous slack-packing contra dance instructors, huh? Good, but what about internagators?

Drop by sometime! Billville is always looking for new faces.

[T-Dubs]

Some guidebooks have notes, most thru-hiking ones do not, or don't go into detail. Word of mouth is how I have found out about some of them.

I remember a thread that referenced 'hobo.com' (I believe) that had some of those alternate trails listed. I wonder if anyone has that information in a file/document to share here. It would be nice to have that resource.

Tom

[SGT Rock]

Well what I think would be nice to have someday is a forum or section that is "Alternate trails for the AT" so if someone was to be planning a Diamond Blaze he or she could come on WhiteBlaze and learn about the cool side trails and put them on their agenda prior to a hike. I have already started creating enough content here for someone to plan a BMT through.

[notorius tic]

Black and White Blaze (going to jail blaze) Greenblaze (geiardia) blaze Amberblaze (beer run)

[A-Train]

I've heard of Bar Blazing (getting from town to town to hit the bars)

My wife invented Chair Blazing - hiking to each chair on the way up Clingman's Dome - she was a purist in that regard.

If you want to "Bar Blaze", you've got to head out west and hike the PCT (the Pub Crawl Trail).

[Jester2000]

I remember a thread that referenced 'hobo.com' (I believe) that had some of those alternate trails listed. I wonder if anyone has that information in a file/document to share here. It would be nice to have that resource.

Tom

"Alas, poor hobocentral.com. I knew him well. But not well enough to have any of the files."

[Lone Wolf]

i was hobocentral's field rep

[Jester2000]

I was hobocentrals' lap dancer.

[minnesotasmith]

There's brown blazing... at least until you get to the laundromat

Think more like what a guy from San Fran might do, instead of pink blazing...

[EWS]

Think more like what a guy from San Fran might do, instead of pink blazing...

Live without women in his life till his late forties and then attempt to negoiate with younger woman to rent their womb, or is that just a Minnesota thing?

Turkey Baster Blazing?

[camojack]

f *** campfire stories though.

Yeah!

[nitewalker]

There's brown blazing... at least until you get to the laundromat

thats just too funny. i recentl went up franconia ridge and my buddy needed a pit stop. well instead of standing around and wait i slowly moved forward. upon catching back up to me after his pit stop i gave him the trail name" brown blazer"...needless to say i stayed in the front after that mess....

[minnesotasmith]

Live without women in his life till his late forties and then attempt to negoiate with younger woman to rent their womb, or is that just a Minnesota thing?

Turkey Baster Blazing?

I was married for a decade, and have generally had someone in my life as an adult. I do now, as a matter of fact...