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Thread: uncle johnny's

  1. #1
    Registered User rainmaker's Avatar
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    Question uncle johnny's

    My wife and I will be hiking from Erwin to Damascus during November. Because of its convinience , we have chosen to stay in one of the new cabins at Uncle Johnny's. He will also shuttle us from Damascus to Erwin so our vehicle will be waiting for us . His shuttle prices are not cheap , but completely reasonable and comparable to other operations. After all , this is a 160 mile round trip. The cabin price is also reasonable IOHO.

    When we get back from this trip I'll be glad to post our impressions.

  2. #2
    Registered User Peaks's Avatar
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    Conventitional wisdom says keep an eye on your wallet.

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    There have been many negative comments about Uncle Johnny on this and other sites. Some were even made by people whose opinion I respect. However, first of all this is a business. He is not in it just to help poor hikers out and he has put a lot of work in providing a comfortable stop on the trail. I was once leaving for a shuttle when another guy came in going to the same place. Johnny reduced my cost by 50%. He didn't have to do that; I still had to get to Iron Mt. Gap.
    I've had several dealings with Uncle Johnny and found him to give as he gets. Be an adult and straight with him and you will be treated fine. I'm sure this will spawn some horror stories; but it is Halloween!

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    Perhaps Uncle Johnny appears in a off-light to many because Miss Janet does not, it seems, run her hostel as a business, but rather as a labor of love. In the other thread about U-J, I make my experiences clear there. After speaking with Miss Janet at the Gathering and all the talk here, I would certainly try her place the next time I'm in Erwin.

  5. #5

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    Hate to re-hash all this again, but the problem here is NOT with the hikers or guests. To say that the problem is with folks who don't recognize that this is a for-profit business, or to say that all one needs to do here to be treated well is to be "adult and straight" with the proprietor----well this is patent nonsense.

    There are DOZENS of for-profit businesses and hiker facilities on the Trail, and this is recognized by the hikers. They make their own decisions where to stay and who to patronize, depending on where they are, what they need, what services are being offerred, and at what price. No hiker objects to paying fair prices for needed goods and services.

    But to imply that it's the hikers that are the root of the problem here is to deny reality----of the dozens of other establishments along the Trail, none of them has amassed anywhere near the number of complaints and problems over the years as this place, and they're always the same in nature: Price gouging; denial of promised or advertised goods and services; rudeness, incivility, intemperate and vulgar speech and behavior; interfering with other hiker businesses; lying to hikers about other hiker businesses; witholding hiker Mail and property; and so on. And this has been going on for years; either the proprietor is unaware of the level of dismay this sort of behavior is causing in the hiker community, which I find hard to believe, or he simply doesn't care.

    In closing, tho, I refuse to let anyone imply that it's the hikers that are somehow at fault here. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are real problems here, and until they are resolved, the prudent hiker will likely opt to stay elsewhere.

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    The Aussies have a very subtle proverb..."Each cat his own rat." It's another way of saying, I suppose, "HYOH". Other versions are, "You say toe-may-toe, I say toe-MAH-toe." In French, it's "chacun a son gout", which usually translates to "there is no need to justify different tastes."

    Almost everyone to have hiked much of this trail has serious problems with some of those affiliated with the trail, whether they are 'advisors', service providers, stores, or whatever. It's inevitable. Jack remains delightfully irked with me that I turned right (to Laurel Creek Hostel) when he thinks (correctly, I now agree) I should have turned left to Kincora. But I enjoyed Laurel Creek, too, as I enjoyed Uncle Johnny's; I think I'll like Janet's, when I have the chance, too.

    And there are places that seriously disappointed me, too...I recall walking several blocks into the residential section of Hot Springs and knocking on a door across from a bait shop, thinking that a good "internet friend" would - as promised - greet me for a relaxing chat, only to find that he wouldn't answer the door.

    All this "Uncle Johnny's debate" is showing is that there are a lot of opinions here, and room for most of them. If anyone has anything new about Johnny's to add, I'd enjoy seeing it. The "I love it...I hate it" rants are, however, getting old.

    The Weasel
    "Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service

  7. #7
    Addicted Hiker and Donating Member Hammock Hanger's Avatar
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    Default I have to agree with The Weasel...

    It does get old. Also I feel that every hikers SHOULD check out a place for themselves. I have loved places others did not. As a matter of fact I found most places and folks along the trail to be great. I only had one bad stop my whole time out there... Well we won't re-hash that!! Hammock Hanger
    Hammock Hanger -- Life is my journey and I'm surely not rushing to the "summit"...:D

    http://www.gcast.com/u/hammockhanger/main

  8. #8

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    If you're tired of a discussion, Weasel, then recuse yourself from it. But don't try and shut it down cuz you're bored or don't like the way it's going. I'm afraid that you missed my point, which was hardly a rant. My last post was in direct reply to someone who made the remarkable suggestion that hikers were somehow the root of the problem here, for either failing to appreciate that this place was a business, or for failing to be "straight" and "adult" in their dealings with the proprietor.

    This contention is pure unadulterated horsecrap, and is highly insulting to the dozens of men and women who've been treated shoddily here. The fact that this place's reputation ain't exactly 5-star has nothing to do with mis-behavior on the part of its patrons.

    Nobody is doubting that there are many folks who've enjoyed this place, or at least, had no problems there. I've never said otherwise. But each year, there are dozens who don't leave here happy, and to deny this growing catalog of complaints is to deny the reality that a serious problem exists here. Merely telling people "Hike your own hike, blah, blah, blah" is a cop-out. Of course people have to make their own decisions about where to spend their time and money, but to deny that a problem exists, or to posit that the matter is eminently debatable and questionable is to fly in the face of facts, and in doing so, one is doing no good service to the prospective hikers who need accurate, contemporary information. Anyone who thinks there isn't a problem in Erwin is either ill-informed; hasn't spent sufficient time on the Trail or with other hikers to be fuly aware of the situation; or is simply choosing to ignore established and incontrovertibly proven facts.

    Geesh, I've had it with this. The new folks can do what they wish when they get to Erwin. And as to the folks who seem so intent on strapping on a cheerleader's outfit and doing the can-can for this place, well all I can say is have a helluva time. Off the top of my head, tho, I can think of about ninety places more worthy of your support.

  9. #9
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    Folks this is a forum, and in forums opinions and debates can get strong. We cannot close threads down because they get old or people disagree. Someone else might have an varying opinion later on. The whole purpose of this forum and site is to help hikers of the trail with information from the varied opinions of other hikers. If we sugar coat our opinions, agree on everything, and say that everythings just grand out there, theres no sense in keeping this forum going then.


    I think Jack had a good idea, in that if a tread bothers you don't participate in it or read it.

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    Just for the record: I did not mean to infer that hikers are the source of all the problems at Uncle Johnny's. I've heard a lot of the stories. All I'm saying is that my experience has always been good. Apparently The Weasel and I are the only two lucky hikers that were ever treated fairly there. I should buy a lottery ticket!

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    I don't close down threads, Admin, and you know it. Nor did I suggest that I was going to.

    But Jack has made his point abundantly clear, repeatedly, as have others, and it looked to me - even before the last round - that this topic is generating more heat than it's worth. It's time to calm down a bit.

    The Weasel
    "Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service

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    Default reqest from moderator

    As per the Admin and Committee, threads will not be closed and I agree with this.
    Therefore I would like to request that if you have posted to this thread more than once that you refrain from posting again. Let those who have not posted their opinions, etc. be able to. And the rest won't have to keep rereading the " he said,she said" stuff.
    Thanks,
    Jensine

  13. #13
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    Note to Admin: If the traffic on this site ever starts to lag ( which I don't expect to happen since it's the best one around) just mention one of the following: guns,dogs, cell phones, wingfoot or uncle johnny's. Good for at least a weeks worth of posts!

  14. #14
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    Very tactful, Jensine, and very gentle to all of us. Thanks!

    The Weasel
    "Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service

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    I've been trying to stay out of this one as much as I can. I've posted my experiences with Uncle Johnny in another thread. Lugnut, I too had a very positive experience at Uncle Johnny's. Other people have had good experiences there. Hopefully this statement does not conjure up my dancing in a frilly skirt to Baltimore Jack. Jack knows many people who have not had good experiences there and recommends Miss Janet's place instead.

    Although it may be very confrontational, perhaps we should have a poll to determine the prevalence of problems at Johnny's. My suspicion is that a person's problems or lack of problems may be directly related to _when_ they pass through Erwin. It does sound like Johnny has irritable mood swings and at times is charming and, at other times, less than polite, shall we say.

  16. #16

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    Wow. Now this is getting really amusing; maybe Weasel is right and we've said all that needs to be said here.

    And as for Johnny being subject to "mood swings", well, this one made me laugh so damned hard I got mean looks from all 4 librarians! To say this guy is moody is like saying the Titanic stopped in the mid-Antlantic to dis-embark passengers and to take on ice.

    But if you wanna run a poll, feel free. God knows we've got a poll for everything else.

  17. #17
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    Default ENOUGH PLEASE!!!!!

    Thanks Weasel, I apprciate your comment, but apparently it's not working. Come on folks I asked nicely, if you posted to this thread more than once PLEASE refrain from any more comments. I think this horse is dead!!!

    Thanks,
    Jensine

  18. #18

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    No, the horse isn't dead, but what is dying here is the right to free and open conversation. This is the 2nd attempt in several days to stifle discussion; first it was suggested that this thread be closed. Now comes the remarkable attempt to limit folks to one comment per thread. What's next---banning contributors the moderators don't like?

    Ridiculous. A thread will die eventually of its own acord, and until then, as long as it is of interest, is free from vulgar or offensive content, and stays on topic, well it should be allowed to go on. After all, nobody is preventing anyone else, or anyone new from contributing to this or any other on-going discussion. On the contrary, I wish we did hear from more folks. And as has already been pointed out, anyone that tires of a particular discussion can exercise their right as free-thinking adults to transfer their interest elsewhere.

    Muzzling folks by keeping track of how often they speak is an abhorrent idea; after all, posters should retain the right to add to their previous comments; to re-iterate certain points; to reply to unfair or unreasonable replies to their posts; to re-write their original message if it's apparent that their words were misconstrued or misunderstood. Also, after a healthy extended dialogue, people might come to see matters differently, and may want to acknowledge that they've changed their minds, or at least come to better understand other viewpoints. For all these reasons and more, a thread should continue free from heavy-handed control, until it is well and truly played out.

    The primary purpose of these Forums is to exchange useful information. It ill serves all of us, but especially the prospective thru-hikers, if attempts are made to regulate who, where, and how often one can speak here. If a subject or dialogue interests an individual, they should be allowed to follow it or to contribute to it if they so choose. If their interest lags, well for heaven's sake, they can tune out and go somewhere else.

    In short, hands off the threads, and enough already with weekly ideas of how to regulate the posts, which will only lead to stifled discussions, resentment towards the site administartion, and if followed to its conclusion, will destroy this site's reputation as an open, free, and unfettered Forum for interactive Discussion.

    The moderator is best who moderates least.

  19. #19
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    I agree with Jack on this one. I will also acknowledge that due to overwhelming evidence there is a "chance" I may be wrong about Johnny's. There is an awful lot of smoke so there may be a fire. I would hate to be wrong since it happens so infrequently!

  20. #20
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    "Maybe The Weasel is right and we've said all there is to say..."

    Well, yeah.

    And if that's the case, why keep beating the same dead horse? But if you folks want to, go ahead. That's my point, and Jensine's as well, I think. (Far be it for me to put words in YOUR mouth, Jensine!!!)But it's just a damned shame, Jack, that you think you have to do so with insults and name calling. Why not let your position gain credence by its logic and honesty - you've got plenty of both - and stop trying to win through intimidation? It isn't necessary.
    The Weasel
    "Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service

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