Whether you stay in a shelter of avoid sleeping in them, like I do, do you stop to read and/or sign the register? Tell us how they add value to you? Or maybe a pet peeve about them.
Whether you stay in a shelter of avoid sleeping in them, like I do, do you stop to read and/or sign the register? Tell us how they add value to you? Or maybe a pet peeve about them.
If I have time and feel obliged to make my mark, I will stop at a shelter and look to see if I recognize any names, then read what they might have to say. Since I give my itinerary to my family before I leave home, I try to make a note I was passing through in case the home folk send out a search party.
One time I was amused to see the signature of the one with all the miles passed near where I live only a short time before. He simply posts his name and how many times/miles he has been stuck on the AT.
The journals are also read by maintainers to see if there are any problems with the shelter like leaks, broken stuff, routine visits by bears or skunks, stuff like that. Some hikers mention problems on the trail like blowdowns or washed out areas, that helps too. And the logs have been used to track someone down that needed to call home ASAP for whatever reason.
You never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns
When they all did tricks for you.
I love to read them. I find it fun when I go through an area to read who was hiking with who as they rolled through there if I had been following their hike. This spring Doggiebag and I had a great time thinking of things to put in the register to make fun of Wrongway who was on the trail doing his thru and thinking of what it would be like when he read all of it weeks later.
Yes, I read them. Yes, I sign them. I enjoy reading entries from WBers that I have heard of or met online. I like to leave messages for hikers I know who are heading towards that particular shelter soon.
I'm not really a hiker, I just play one on White Blaze.
I enjoy reading the registers and try to contribute something helpful/intelligent/amusing when I can.
Water reports for those passing the other direction are helpful too.
If I stay at the shelter I will read the book, some of it, unless it's a new book in which there is only a few pages. Most of the time I will write something of my own. Don't stop to read them if I am going by a shelter.
Peeve: Hikers who cannot refrain from bad language or references to weed. Shame my 8 year old and his friends can't read it often when we stop by one - almost certainly someone has been profane or worse yet drawn stupid pictures.
It's kind of like reading graffiti on a bathroom wall: I scan them more out of curiosity and boredom than anything. Some entries are more humorous than others and give you an insight into that person's psyche.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
up over the hills, theres nothing to fear
theres a pub across the way with whisky and beer
its a lengthy journey on the way up to the top
but it ain't so bad if you have a great big bottle o'scotch
This is a great example of some nice Register artwork. This was done by Moses and from what I understand he has done a bunch of these since he got on the trail up in Mass.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/file...1654_thumb.jpg
Complaining?
sorry not sure why it came out as a thumb nail. I'll try this one. hope its better.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/file...4_original.jpg
If I am on a lengthy trip I will sign them and put the date and time down so that if I end up missing they'll know where to look for the remains.
I also write in them if an expected water source is dry down the trail, so that anyone going the other way will know it (if they read it) and plan accordingly.
I read them and sign them sometimes.
A lot of entries farther north were simply "Cookie and Kirby in for the night".
Kirby
Registers were great to keep tabs on where friends were at, etc and see what they are up to. Also who we might see along the way. We signed them as much as possible and when we ran into other hikers, they would say - oh yeah, I read about you in the register. They are a great part of the trail experience and community found there.
I enjoy reading them.