Ever seen anything weird on the trail?

[makoboy]

I came across a youth group while taking a rest in Sage's Ravine in Mass. They were all wearing jeans and sneakers with school book bag type packs, carrying gallon jugs of water and full size pillows under their arms.

[Skinny Rooster]

3 or 4 years ago I was dong a day hike on Three Ridges in VA. I saw an older gentleman heading nobo with a large (plastic, I suspect) garden gnome perched on top of his pack.

I say that guy too!! Same place! Wife and I were heading north. He was heading south. He seemed to be in a hurry so didn't get to talk to him. To bad.

[Pages]

several years ago while hiking in wekiva springs park - a large park several miles outside orlando with 13 miles of pretty wild woods, i came around a turn and thought i saw someone duck down behind the brush next to the trail ahead of me.

i stopped, and a second later, a guy popped out of the brush, dressed in - and i kid you not - a full white wedding dress, bouquet in hand.

he smirked and shrugged at me and said: "oh well, you caught me. a transvestite in his natural habitat."

i was so taken aback, i mumbled something like: "...uh...how's it going?" and kept on hiking.

very, very strange.

to each his/her own.

i have hiked that trail many times and never saw anything out of the ordinary before this happened or after it happened.



TV

[Tenderheart]

During my thru, I arrived at Chatfield Shelter early in the day and decided to stay for the night. It was probably 3:00 in the afternoon when I heard an engine running overhead. I looked up and saw the Goodyear blimp fly over just above treetop. No kidding!

litefoot 2000

[Tractor]

Sobo with a wooden boat paddle sticking out of his pack. I think it had DRIFTER written on it.
Sobo wearing a Top Hat
Nobo wearing a dress tie (Soundcheck?)
A tattered old weather balloon
Happy Birthday ballon bobbing in my face at the top of a short climb
Happy face painted on a slice of tree
Pairs of boots & shoes dangling from high tree branches
Six Pack of Bud Select, with all caps on but all empty
Manure spreader right beside the trail
Unmarked graves
Unspent rifle and pistol cartridges IN a fire pit
Rock that looked like Virginia, in New Jersey
Family size tent inside a shelter (GA)
Large group of folks all dressed in white (TN)
Plane wreckage
One legged Marine (Dragons Tooth)
Three legged dog (VA)

[FlyPaper]

Saw someone through hiking with a trumpet.

Saw someone hiking with a cat (tucked inside their coat).

Saw a man hiking with no legs. He had prosthetic legs and had tried to through hike, but only made in 1000 miles the previous year. He was trying to do the next 1000 when I saw him.

[Kerosene]

I looked up and saw the Goodyear blimp fly over just above treetop.

At least you heard him coming. When my brother and I were hiking in SNP in late September 1988, a pair of F-15s came screaming over the ridgeline perhaps 200' over our heads. They were moving so fast that we didn't hear the blast of the engines until they were almost on top of us.

[Jack Tarlin]

Bag 'O Trix and I once saw a guy heading South outta Pinkham Notch, heading up towards Mt. Madison, with this enormous shaded desk lamp swinging from the back of his pack. Thing looked like it weighed ten pounds and it must've taken around 10 "D" batteries. We were laughing so hard we almost fell over.

This was the same day that we overheard a guy ask the resident Park Ranger "What time of year does a deer turn into a moose?"

And no, I am not making this up.

[leeki pole]

I was hiking up out of Cades Cove to do the Spence Field-Russell Field loop on a day hike (Bote Mtn Trail) and I met a woman near the trailhead who asked me what time the shuttle gets here to go up the mountain. I said I'm not sure, but sit down and I'm sure that they will be here directly. And yes, she was a blonde.

[sasquatch2014]

There was a 07 SoBo named Sugar, at least until he got to after the NJ line then it was changed to Sugar Blade. He had gone to the Reninassance Festival just south of Agony Grind in NY. While there he bought a replica of a English Broad Sword. Looked real but was made from Fiberglass. He hiked with this sticking out of the back of his pack and has a lot of pictures of him holding the sword on high at over looks the most classic was at McAfee. King Aurthr would have been proud. I think the sword ended up in a fire at a feed somewhere down south.

[karo]

3 or 4 years ago I was dong a day hike on Three Ridges in VA. I saw an older gentleman heading nobo with a large (plastic, I suspect) garden gnome perched on top of his pack.

I was taking a break, and he went by so fast I didn't get a chance to ask him about his companion...

Maybe it was Eugene from thebackpacker.com

[karo]

Maybe it was Eugene from thebackpacker.com

Was Eugene with HOI?

[The Weasel]

Two copperheads - each about 4' long - lying motionless side by side, fully extended, in the sun on the road away from Fontana Dam. Gave them a wide detour.

TW

[Heater]

Uh no but I am working here.....

Did you take that picture?

[Tin Man]

This was the same day that we overheard a guy ask the resident Park Ranger "What time of year does a deer turn into a moose?"

And no, I am not making this up.

Can I use that one? I would love to see a Ranger or Caretaker's face when asked that.

[Tin Man]

Do wheelchair ramps on privies count?

yeah that's the dumbest thing i've seen not the weirdest

You think that is dumb, check this out...



Galehead Hut sign - “wheelchair accessible, but the trail should not be considered wheelchair accessible”. DUH!

[Ol Mole]

My wife and I were hiking in Ramseys Draft and began crossing the river by walking a log. The river had a pooled area and I noticed a large blue gill swimming. Then the blue gill jumped out of the water and 'froze' in mid air. As we stared in disbelief, the fish began moving through the air in a different direction floppying its body. We then saw that a snake had caught the fish in mid air and he swam the fish to the waters edge and dragged it out. We watched for 20 minutes as the snake made lunch of the fish.

[Jeff]

I was at Chatfield shelter in June. It was raining hard and I heard what I thought was a baby crying. A few seconds later here comes a couple thru hiking north with a four month old baby riding in the backpack. Not weird, but was the most unusual thing I have seen so far.

Hiked with a couple who had done a good chunk of the AT in 1989 with their very young son:

http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=233291

[CrumbSnatcher]

i saw one of the LOST BOYS on the rocks of PA. north of PA. RT# 309

[MikenSalem]

I heard someone barking like a dog, badly. I'm figuring moron encounter shortly, then it starts again and about 15 seconds later a pair of shoats come straight up the trail. They saw me and turned up the hill then about 10 seconds after that a very big black sow comes and I raise my poles and squealed like a hog and she turns and runs up the hill. I ran into a couple of flip floppers about a hundred yards down the trail and they said "did you see the pigs?" - See them you ran them over me. Next time I hear dogs barking badly, I'll be a little more cautious..