Mooning the Cog: history

[marco1]

Hi Everyone,

I'm writing an article about "mooning the cog" for my college writing class. I'm seeking information about how "mooning the cog" got started. Some of you old timers, and those who have done multiple thru-hikes could be of great help. If you've been around the trail community a while and have any info, stories, even pics, I would be very interested in talking to you. Can anyone beat 7 hikers mooning at once?

In case you're wondering about my credentials, Yes, I did have the honor of "mooning the cog" in '98.

Many Thanks
-Marco1

[Lone Wolf]

Nobody mooned prior to the mid 90s. That's something B. Jack and other pervs started.

[Jack Tarlin]

Thanks for the kind words, Wolf, always a pleasure to hear from you. Actually, I first heard about this practice in the mid-eighties, long before I started long-distance hiking. By the time I first crossed Washington as a long-distance hiker in 1995, the practice was well established; we'd all heard about the cog long before we actually got there. Sorry, Wolf, but for this one, you'll simply have to blame someone else.

[Peaks]

Will the tradition continue after the Cog switches from coal to fuel oil and thus stops putting out smoke and ash?

[sloetoe]

Nobody mooned prior to the mid 90s. That's something B. Jack and other pervs started.

Mooning the Cog predates my throughhike in 1979.

There's a fairly good discussion in a thread here on Whiteblaze -- hit the search engine.

[Lone Wolf]

Who cares, it's ***en stupid. But I'm ignorant according to you.

[mindlessmariachi]

seven's pretty good. i was with a group that had five mooners ... there was a sixth with us but he refused to participate; apparently he'd mooned a school bus when he was 8 years old and gotten in a huge amount of trouble. i guess he learned a lasting lesson on the etiquette of gluteal exposure.

So that guy took our picture!

[weary]

Who cares, it's ***en stupid. But I'm ignorant according to you.

No, you are right. It's dumb -- and probably destructive. The trail has enough problems without creating opposition for silly practices.

Moon other thru hikers all you want. We won't care. But the little old ladies who use the cog railroad, probably won't appreciate it -- but then again, maybe they will.

I once showed my trail slides to a senior citizens club. My wife insisted that I shouldn't show a slide of hikers skinny dipping in a stream. I showed the slide anyway, and explained "my wife said I shouldn't show this to you old folks."

A wavering voice from the back of the room piped up. "That's just what us old people need."

Weary

[mindlessmariachi]

just wasted a solid half hour reading all the posts about mooning over 2003 (do a search on mooning,cog and washington). I had no idea that mooning was so contentious!

i hereby plant my flag with the mooners! Consider my behavior an affront to doddering old ladies, impressionable children and decent, hard-working taxpayers everywhere! Cog railway riders, could, of course, engage in a little self help, but i have yet to hear a story about one of those sallies mooning a thru hiker.

[MedicineMan]

my mom got mooned while dropping me off for band practice...she looks at the guy and says 'the hell with the moon, show me the sun and stars'