Just another "crazy hiker." Mind your own business and you will be fine out there.
Just another "crazy hiker." Mind your own business and you will be fine out there.
This was never intended as a "how people look" or "beware of crazy".
There was an individual traveling through my area on the AT writing very graphic and violent entries in shelter journals. Just provide "trail conditions" like lots of blow downs ahead or next shelter full of mice. Do what you want with the information.
If I, friend or family were in the area of this individual I would and want them to pay a bit more attention to my surroundings and act accordingly.
-My feet are my only carriage so I've got to push on through-
First of all, I want to thank VT-Mike for his original post. I also want to thank VT-Mike, Migrating bird, Ground Control and others who have offered tips and suggestions. I take this very seriously. Threats of this kind are not funny.
As of today, I have investigated trailjournals, Vermont newspaper archives and have checked with Green Mountain Club. So far I have not been able to find further indicators of what happened with the Creepy NOBO in VT beyond what's already mentioned in this thread. As a consequence I have not yet been able to determine whether or not he traveled into New Hampshire or Maine. As a result I also have no basis yet for ruling him in or out as a possibility for the Maine Creep.
I am continuing to look into this..... If I do learn anything helpful, I will post an update here.
I sincerely hope that the three creeps mentioned in this thread are off-trail and that wherever they are have stopped harassing and threatening people.
Green Bear... I found Sue/giggles on Facebook today. I asked her about the guy she wrote about & snapped the pics. (she took 4 total) The guy in the pic gave her the creeps while she was on the trail near the Pogo Campground area, in MD, May of this year. She got this response when she reported this person...
Susan - Thank you for reporting this information, which is being shared with rangers from the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources and the National Park Service.
We also will notify ridgerunners in the area and the local Trail club whose maintainers who may encounter him or hear about him from other hikers.
Susan Daniels
Conservation Coordinator
Appalachian Trail Conservancy 799 Washington Street | P.O. Box 807 Harpers Ferry, WV 25425-0807
Sue/giggles also mentioned this...
Just so you know I am working with police and wardens in NH with the missing women Inchworm. They also have all this info.
For what it's worth, I remember seeing this guy in PA. That was on June 1. I believe it was at Quarry Gap. He seemed a little strange but not bothersome. I was travelling with another large male though. I'm trying to remember but I think he had a really odd setup on his back. He might have been the guy travelling with machete and slept on a car camping air mattress. He didn't seem to be putting in much mileage.
Ladies, look up Flash Bang Holster!! Several Youtube videos that demo this nifty little thing. The pistols that you use with it weigh hardly anything at all. I love it! No one can tell you are packing.
This is exactly the reason my better half is going to bring her sidearm and extra ammo in 2014 for our thru hike. We might have got "lucky" but in 2012 during our thru we ran into 3 CONFIRMED wack jobs and heard of several more. All lone male hikers.
After our hike my better half gained access via clearance to the ATC's internal reporting system they use and found that they keep details on each and every "crazy hiker" report and it is shared with Rangers. For every incident that is made public because of the individuals actions ( such as the 2012 "gun in his pocket guy" who got tackled by thru hikers, to the Robert "Lazy Susan' Runner Fontana Hilton/Clingmans Dome takedown by Rangers and Swain County detectives ) there are many more close calls never released simply because the individual never "popped" ( committed crime )
The AT while generally "safe" has its share of very scary moments that hikers can find themselves in not because of the trail, or wildlife, but because of other disturbed hikers/hobo's/homeless/mentally ill/people hiding from law type people.
I agree with you that the trail is not immune to the same types of people that we know are in the "real world". I don't carry "fire power" with me while I go about my business in "real life".
I feel more vulnerable on the trail only because it's away from lots of people, sometimes. I believe there is safety in numbers. Of course, that's not always the case in real life.
I believe knowledge is power. That's why if everyone hiking the trail shares what they see and hear (eyes and ears) that will helps us stay "safe", more than anything else. If you are aware of illness on the trail, aggressive wild animals... whatever. Let others know.. share, share, share....that is really how we protect ourselves out on the trail.
What i put in bold from your post- I believe is true. I got that from talking to "ones in authority", myself, in 2008.
LET'S GO HIKING~~~ We can't let these things steal our joy!!
the first rule of concealed carry. you do not talk about concealed carry. the second rule. you do not talk about concealed carry
Well this happens on WB and many other blogs. You have a thread about someone writing graphic, violent entries and someone else has has a creepy individual and low and behold now its a gun thread. Its all unrelated but it has to be true - I read it on the internet...
Folks I see a immature kid who has no social skill's & doesn't know how to talk to women because he spent too much time playing video games... yea bit of a creep... so what... keep on hiking. What are we as a group going to do anything about it? Nothing. The trail runners can handle this...
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
The problem with creepy people reports is that they are very time and location sensitive. It's unlikely that anyone in the immediate area at the time will see the report, even if you can make the report at that time. If you have to wait a few days or a week to make the report, that person is long gone.
The other thing is what might seem like a creepy person is in all likely hood not that creepy. I met three very creepy looking kids at Walnut Mt shelter once. Looked like meth heads with homemade tattos, percings and make shift gear. Very scarry looking. But after talking to them for a bit, turned out they were actually good kids. Pretty much clueless, but nice kids never the less.
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[QUOTE=Green Bear;1510940]First of all, I want to thank VT-Mike for his original post. I also want to thank VT-Mike, Migrating bird, Ground Control and others who have offered tips and suggestions. I take this very seriously. Threats of this kind are not funny.
As of today, I have investigated trailjournals, Vermont newspaper archives and have checked with Green Mountain Club. So far I have not been able to find further indicators of what happened with the Creepy NOBO in VT beyond what's already mentioned in this thread. As a consequence I have not yet been able to determine whether or not he traveled into New Hampshire or Maine. As a result I also have no basis yet for ruling him in or out as a possibility for the Maine Creep.
I am continuing to look into this..... If I do learn anything helpful, I will post an update here.
I sincerely hope that the three creeps mentioned in this thread are off-trail and that wherever they are have stopped harassing and threatening people.[/QUOTE
Keep up the good work on this issue, in our society today, random violence isn't so "random" as violent crime data concludes this point. Who knows why this guy behaves the way he has, he certainly could care less about how his behavior affects other hikers, but it was smart to report this individual.
"I told my Ma's and Pa's I was coming to them mountains and they acted as if they was gutshot. Ma, I sez's, them mountains is the marrow of the world and by God, I was right". Del Gue