2013 LOLz on the trail this year.

[Trance]

Did a ten day hike this year starting at Springer to NOC during the bulk of people. Met tons of amazing people and learned alot. Lots of funny, unprepared and over prepared hikers however.


Interesting things people started with/brought:

1. A Crossbow
2. A BB gun
3. A four person four season tent for a single hiker
4. Nothing but oats, beans, and honey to eat
5. 15 pounds of beef jerky to start
6. A Machette (people going to war on the trail I guess?)
7. Flare gun


Interesting fashion sense/gear choices:

1. Someone was at Springer parking lot in a full Carhart suit and a 50 pound pack
2. Someone at Springer started in shorts and a T-shirt with no rain gear during a torrential downpour where the temps dropped to below 30at night with 35+ mph winds
3. Someone hiking in blue jeans and carrying a guitar
4. Someone hiking in boxer briefs and a T-shirt
5. 70 pound pack
6. Saw someone hiking on a sunny day in Hard Shell pants.....? Didnt see anywhere to ski.....


My vote for early trail MVP:

Grandma Bee and her dog Ghost.... still dont know how the hell she got up Mt. Albert cliffs with her 40+ pound pack and that big white dog.

I'm sure others could add to this list.

[Deadeye]

I'll admit that a crossbow or a flare gun are a little over the top, but I hiked the whole LT in blue jeans, and saw plenty of guitar-carryin' hippies over the years. Folks make choices, and some like the heavy stuff, ounces be damned. Plenty wear long pants as tick protection, regardless of the weather. Didn't your Mama teach you it's not nice to make fun of people?

[Trance]

Some people need to grow thicker skin if a post like this is going to offend them. I know life on the trail is different than real life, but seriously.

It's just an observation of the trail for all of the cyber-hikers on this site.

I'd have to personally say that I think a pair of wet blue jeans on a below 32 day could turn into a dangerous situation as well. People need to use common sense sometimes and keep the guitars for day hikes, car camping, and back woods bar shows.

[treesloth]

I'll admit that a crossbow or a flare gun are a little over the top, but I hiked the whole LT in blue jeans, and saw plenty of guitar-carryin' hippies over the years. Folks make choices, and some like the heavy stuff, ounces be damned. Plenty wear long pants as tick protection, regardless of the weather. Didn't your Mama teach you it's not nice to make fun of people?

I'd have taken what the OP said more as observations than making fun of people. He didn't really make mention of anyone's speed or abilities that I can see... just some of their gear choices! So what. I'll just assume that you delete the "People of Walmart" emails as soon as you see them in your Inbox, without looking through them. Right?

[fcoulter]

Attn Guitar Players:

If you must make music on the trail, and you can't adapt to a smaller (lighter) instrument, then take a look at the following: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Martin-S...19-i1167432.gc.

As a keyboard player, I have no such options. Maybe bring my clavichord? Double my pack weight, though. But a lot lighter than either a piano or an electronic keyboard and generator. (No, the picture isn't of my own clavichord. However, it's similar. Mine was a marriage present from my father.)

[Deadeye]

Some people need to grow thicker skin if a post like this is going to offend them. I know life on the trail is different than real life, but seriously.

It's just an observation of the trail for all of the cyber-hikers on this site.

I wasn't offended, but your "observations" looked an awful lot like judgements to me.

[Trance]

I wasn't offended, but your "observations" looked an awful lot like judgements to me.

You have been judged - and deemed to not have a sense of humor!

[HikerMom58]

It's interesting how ppl read things. I took it at face value... kinda like ppl watching. It's interesting how different peeps hike and what they decide to carry with them.. Fun thread!

Life would be so boring if we weren't all different & had different ways of doing things. Besides that, we live and learn.

I do worry about some hikers that could put themselves in danger tho....If they were really making poor choices b/c they were clueless. That's not fun or cool to watch.

[The Greenman]

Wow! After reading this thread I see I need to IMMEDIATELY jettison my 8 jumbo jars of nutella - and make room for that guitar!!

[TD55]

I must be missing something. Other than the four season tent when a three season works fine, whats on the list that is out of place?

[hikerboy57]

You have been judged - and deemed to not have a sense of humor!

the day i hiked into damascus, i met a sobo who had started last september 21 with a 117 lb pack, now entering tennesee with the pack weight down to around 70 lbs. i asked what he was carrying. he had some camera gear, and he asked me if i carried food?he carried 5 lbs of food/day, more than twice what i carried, but i was also carrying less than half the weight he was. i thought to myself "hes doing it all wrong",then smiled as i remembered he had already hiked some 1600+ miles vs my 450 miles. if he made it that far, well then i guess he can handle it just fine, thank you very much.

[Rasty]

You have been judged - and deemed to not have a sense of humor!

the day i hiked into damascus, i met a sobo who had started last september 21 with a 117 lb pack, now entering tennesee with the pack weight down to around 70 lbs. i asked what he was carrying. he had some camera gear, and he asked me if i carried food?he carried 5 lbs of food/day, more than twice what i carried, but i was also carrying less than half the weight he was. i thought to myself "hes doing it all wrong",then smiled as i remembered he had already hiked some 1600+ miles vs my 450 miles. if he made it that far, well then i guess he can handle it just fine, thank you very much.

I thought I was the one doing it all wrong?

[hikerboy57]

I thought I was the one doing it all wrong?

no that was the skinny guy with the beard

[atmilkman]

Hey HB, what about the Friars Club? They were a little different. Did you see or hear of them anymore after the last time we saw them?

[dink]

shucks, I don't have a g-tar to bring, can I cart my fiddle instead!?!?

[hikerboy57]

shucks, I don't have a g-tar to bring, can I cart my fiddle instead!?!?

definitely if its a bull fiddle

[atmilkman]

shucks, I don't have a g-tar to bring, can I cart my fiddle instead!?!?

Debbie you rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard.

[hikerboy57]

Hey HB, what about the Friars Club? They were a little different. Did you see or hear of them anymore after the last time we saw them?

most who started around that time that remebered them told me they were off trail in a few days. we knew that wuld happen, the only other options would have been rescue or death.no shelter no sleeping bags hardly any food, no packs, monks robes,, a machete and an ax?
kinda knew the outcome on that one

[Deadeye]

You have been judged - and deemed to not have a sense of humor!

I'm laughing on the inside, where it counts.

[Yukon]

I'll admit that a crossbow or a flare gun are a little over the top, but I hiked the whole LT in blue jeans, and saw plenty of guitar-carryin' hippies over the years. Folks make choices, and some like the heavy stuff, ounces be damned. Plenty wear long pants as tick protection, regardless of the weather. Didn't your Mama teach you it's not nice to make fun of people?

Hey Deadeye, when did you do the LT? In sections or all at once? I ask this because I was at Congdon shelter one afternoon and was chatting with a few other hikers, when this guy walked through in blue jeans, and I think a flannel shirt, and was headed to Seth Warner if I remember correctly. The hikers I was talking to said they had talked to the guy earlier and he said he was finishing up his LT thru hike and was from VT. Don't know why I ask this, but when you said you did it in blue jeans, and I see that you are from Essex, I just had to ask...