The Strangest person you have ever met while Hiking

[Homer&Marje]

I am literally walking out the door to go hike the Pemi-loop in Franconia but I figured another social experiment would go well so with that in mind, the thread (also my reading material for when I get back).

So let me tell you of mushroom man. We met him deep in the backwoods of Kings Canyon California. Sitting at about 7k in the Sierras he shared a campsite with us for 2 days. He was a wiry little thing aged about 40 and residing in Berkly California. He was an ultra Veegan he brought with him seasonings and tofu and anything else that didn't cast a shadow and he would search the woods for edible mushrooms to supplement his diet. He does this approx. 2 weeks out of every month and I think he has tested too many varieties. He was off the charts crazy, I remember I was like 14 or 15 and my dad told me to stay away from him on numerous occasions, but I said dad, whats the worry, the guy is 112 lbs soaking wet, looped out of his mind and I was a fully capable 14 year old linebacker 5'10 190 lbs... I thought I could take him

Happy trails

[Sly]

Social experiment?

[Hammock Hanger]

other then myself????...

[Monkeyboy]

My strangest would have to be a guy we saw at Dick's Creek Gap when hiking GA last year. He made a A-frame drag like the indians used to pull behind their horses when moving. He had it full of ladies stuff.....dresses, jewelry, etc....and a case of bottled water. He said it was his wife's stuff, who went into town for beer and ciggies, but never returned. He continued down the trail, tossing it off in the bushes. Very strange indeed.

Needless to say, we informed the authorities when we got out at Deep Gap.

[Pacific Tortuga]

The character I kept running into was, Crazy Horse. He had so many odd stories, drove a vet blanketed with hiking stickers. He absolutly despised "south bounders" and knew almost everyone. I got along with him, but kept a wide buffer zone on what subjects to talk about, I saw when his buttons got pushed .

I did find him interesting at times but thought his trail name was perfect

[Mocs123]

I have seen a couple of hikers on the Gregory Ridge Trail in the Smokies with a baby Stroller full of gear (including a big double sided ax) and they had a dog (not allowed in the park). They looked really tired and still had 3K more feet to go till the top.

[MagicSFK]

It was back in the late 80's or early 90"s, weekend hiking in PA with my brother, that into our camp and lives walked Duffle Bag Tim. Tim was an odd looking character with a full beard and dirty clothes, who apparently lived on the trail (we learned later)...walking north in the summers to pick up odd jobs and south in the winters to keep warm. We were wary of him, with his scruffy looks, and to be honest, we both thought he might steal something from us during the night...and perhaps he might be some crazy axe murderer. But wary or not, we put aside our fears, cooked some dinner and ended up sharing some laughs and good conversation that night with Tim around the campfire...as well as a nip or two of adult beverages. We were young then, and he taught us how to make "cowboy coffee" over the fire. We let Tim have the shelter that night while we slept in a tent, and in the morning we left him some extra food we had and then said our goodbyes before heading off in different directions.

Over the next couple years, we'd occasionally talk to other hikers and share stories around the evening campfire or read the various shelter registers we came across, and whenever Tim's name came up we always heard what a "lunatic" or "strange character" he was. He's one to beware of, everyone said.

Well, we never bumped into Duffle Bag Tim again, and I heard (here on Whiteblaze) that he passed away on the trail in the mid 90's. But every time my brother & I share stories about hiking, one of us always brings up our visit with 'ole Duffle Bag Tim and we remember the great time we had that night.

So, strangest person? Maybe, maybe not. But oddly enough, we'll never forget him!

[Lone Wolf]

It was back in the late 80's or early 90"s, weekend hiking in PA with my brother, that into our camp and lives walked Duffle Bag Tim. Tim was an odd looking character with a full beard and dirty clothes, who apparently lived on the trail (we learned later)...walking north in the summers to pick up odd jobs and south in the winters to keep warm. We were wary of him, with his scruffy looks, and to be honest, we both thought he might steal something from us during the night...and perhaps he might be some crazy axe murderer. But wary or not, we put aside our fears, cooked some dinner and ended up sharing some laughs and good conversation that night with Tim around the campfire...as well as a nip or two of adult beverages. We were young then, and he taught us how to make "cowboy coffee" over the fire. We let Tim have the shelter that night while we slept in a tent, and in the morning we left him some extra food we had and then said our goodbyes before heading off in different directions.
Over the next couple years, we'd occasionally talk to other hikers and share stories around the evening campfire or read the various shelter registers we came across, and whenever Tim's name came up we always heard what a "lunatic" or "strange character" he was. He's one to beware of, everyone said.

Well, we never bumped into Duffle Bag Tim again, and I heard (here on Whiteblaze) that he passed away on the trail in the mid 90's. But every time my brother & I share stories about hiking, one of us always brings up our visit with 'ole Duffle Bag Tim and we remember the great time we had that night.

So, strangest person? Maybe, maybe not. But oddly enough, we'll never forget him!

i knew tim for years. great guy. he died in the shenandoahs in 93, 4 months or so after leaving springer mtn. he had a heart attack during the winter and when i saw him at stover creek that spring he said he hoped he'd die on the AT cuz he wasn't gonna listen to drs. orders. got his wish

[Plodderman]

My strangest was hiking in the Smokies and staying at a Shelter near Clingmans Dome. Two guys and a girl who I later found out through conversation were related. They carried in quite a bit of Alcohlol (moonshine, I think) and all got drunk. I learned through converstion with one of them that he was married to his cousin but towards eveing they began to argue and get louder needless to say I got out of there at first light. One of them even asked me what I would do if he took my hiking stick? I have a nice hand carved hiking stick and told him he would have trouble getting it.

[Pedaling Fool]

Anyone ever meet Ringmaster, he was a little strange, but pretty cool guy.

[A-Train]

Probably Screamer, in 05'. What a character. Hope is doing well.

[camojack]

Probably Screamer, in 05'. What a character. Hope is doing well.

I remember someone by that name who was hiking in 2000, I think, and he was the first one that came to mind regarding this topic.

I wonder if it's the same one...

[A-Train]

I remember someone by that name who was hiking in 2000, I think, and he was the first one that came to mind regarding this topic.

I wonder if it's the same one...

Most likely. I think he had been on the trail in previous years. There was a thread about him on the "old" Whiteblaze.

When I shared a shelter with him in Jersey, he didn't have a stove and was hanging with some questionable couple. He got up at about 4am, started yelling and making a ton of noise and then headed off in search of fried chicken (in the early morning).

Ran into him again and he was somewhat cordial. He carried a big army duffle bag slung on his shoulder and had a big tube of meds.

[camojack]

Most likely. I think he had been on the trail in previous years. There was a thread about him on the "old" Whiteblaze.

When I shared a shelter with him in Jersey, he didn't have a stove and was hanging with some questionable couple. He got up at about 4am, started yelling and making a ton of noise and then headed off in search of fried chicken (in the early morning).

Ran into him again and he was somewhat cordial. He carried a big army duffle bag slung on his shoulder and had a big tube of meds.

IIRC, the guy that I'm thinking of was basically put on the Trail by the authorities from some town down South.

Maybe he got used to the idea...

[Lone Wolf]

I remember someone by that name who was hiking in 2000, I think, and he was the first one that came to mind regarding this topic.

I wonder if it's the same one...

yes. same guy. we hiked with him from damascus til around the shenandoahs. loved him

[Pony]

I met this guy named Jukaza and his dog Nova. He was at the road crossing at Cooper Gap, Ga. He was cooking a black snake over a fire and asked if I would trade for anything else. I declined, but everyone at camp that night gave him food ( he didn't beg). The last I heard, he was at Cloud 9 doing work for stay and had acquired a tent and sleeping bag.

[hopefulhiker]

I don't know if this is true but I met a guy in Mt Vernon NJ, named Boo, I think, His story was that he was in trouble with the law and the authorities dropped him off with nothing but an empty five gallon bucket and a tarp at the top of Springer and told him to hike the trail. He managed to scrounge up some gear along the way and completed the hike.. I doubt if this is true but it makes for a good story...

[NLena]

Met a guy in VA who lived in the Glasgow area. I was slackpacking and meeting my fiance at the end of the day. He had hiked in with my fiance and when they met me, he turned around with us and kept hiking right back to where he just came from. We tried to stay behind him for safety so we were subjected to all of his stories on the way to the road crossing. He talked about how his boss makes him so angry, how the trail pisses off so many people in the area because of land rights, how hikers eat like crap (as he offered me some pea pods) and he doesn't know how any of them make it without him around. He was very strange and we couldn't shake him. He just kept saying how his boss made him so mad that he had to come to the woods sometimes. He asked lots of questions about his but we were pretty vague. The next day, I found out two of my hiking partners had later encountered him completely naked in the woods just a few hours after I'd hiked with him. Ew ew ew;

[DavidNH]

Strangest person I have ever met while hiking?

That's easy. Northbound on AT in July of 2006 going through Williamstown, MA. I came across a guy named Tyvek. He was south bounding the AT. He was barefoot (!!), and seemed to have his whole pack made of tyvek, two waterbottles attached to pack with Tyvek.

I looked back like four times as I walked by and still could not believe it.

I would not say normally that this guy could be for real (I mean hiking the AT barefoot??!!) But newspaper reports I read or heard of later seemed to confirm this.

David

[doggiebag]

He just kept saying how his boss made him so mad that he had to come to the woods sometimes. The next day, I found out two of my hiking partners had later encountered him completely naked in the woods just a few hours after I'd hiked with him. Ew ew ew;

Was he still frustrated with his boss?