Warren Doyle

[rickb]

I don't know the man, but since I saw his name above as "Newest Member" I did want to say that there were a few rocks in the Warren Doyle Memorial Bath Tub when I passed it 19 years ago. Since I never cleaned a tub in my life, I didn't stop. Is it still there?

On a more serious note, I hope we get lucky and see Warren post something here. If you are an AT-o-file and you don't know of him, you should.

Rick B

[Lone Wolf]

That tub is long gone. I think locals were getting to it and lootint the booty. I do remember it though. I had a few drinks out of it.

[Peaks]

Ok, I'll bite. What and where was the memorial bath tub?

[Lone Wolf]

It was just in the woods heading north just after leaving Va.612, Kimberling Creek. Near Bland/Bastian. The tub had water flowing into and out of it. Canned sodas could be had at times.

[warren doyle]

The bathtub was installed in the early 1980's shortly after the trail was relocated off of Walker Mt. and put on Garden Mt. and Brushy Mountain. I thought it would be a 'fun' thing for hikers to get cool and clean (and it was according to what hikers wrote in the register I kept there for several years). I didn't think it would have a negative impact on someone's wilderness experience since northbounders would have just walked through the biggest interstate highway 'cut' on the whole trail (I-77) - although the just opened Sams Gap (NC/TN I-26) cut would give it competition.
Northbounders also were just finishing a road walk of about 1.5 miles with various forms of litter in clear view (along with noise of the semis on the interstate).
Unfortunately one person, representing an authority who have decided what all thru-hikers long distance hiking experience should be, decided to take it out. For a while, I was contemplating a satiric 'Save the Bathtub!' campaign as a criticism of the 'homogenization' of the trail experience brought to you by the NPS/ATC. But, I decided it wasn't worth the effort.
However, I do have a new bathtub awaiting installation so if any of you would like to help me put it in for the Class of 2004 contact me and we will have a "Michael Dawson Memorial Bathtub" work trip party!