Date: 2005-02-14
From: Erwin, Tn

To: Miss Janet's - Day One
Miles today: 0.0

It's Monday morning, 2/14/05. I wake up in Erwin, Tennessee after a night at the Holiday Inn Express.Before checking out, I give Miss Janet a call - to see about staying a night at her place. When she answers the phone, she already knows who I am and she knows about Mountain Man and Mountain Dew.First things first: Miss Janet says I (and anyone else) am welcome to stay at her place but that the bunk room's shower/tub is out of order and being repaired (this will be completed in the next 1-2 weeks). There is still a restroom with sink and toilet - but most folks are walking a few blocks down to the YMCA to take a $2 shower when they think the "time is right" (i.e. - the "smell" is "right").Then I find out that Mountain Man and Mountain Dew had just recently stayed at Miss Janet's. Turns out Mountain Man got a bit paranoid about being in Erwin and decided to get back out on the trail. So he and his daughter were shuttled back to Sam's Gap to continue their hike. But, due to some suspicious behavior, some checking was done and it was found that the two Beagles had been recently stolen from a nearby home that just happens to be near the Appalachian Trail. As a result, and also because of some concerns about the daughter's well being, some of the hikers who have made contact with MM & MD decided to talk to the Forest Service authorities. Since the USFS have jurisdiction on the Trail, they did investigate and located MM & MD near/at Big Bald Shelter. The authorities recovered the stolen Beagles (note - I am not implying MM stole the dogs; just that he had them in his possession) and returned them to their grateful owners.Also, the authorities spoke with MM & MD and indicated that they were satisfied (at the present) with their story. The authorities also verified their identities and nothing unusual came back. So, they were left on the trail and the assumption is that MM & MD are continuing to hike northbound.My own (and only my own) opinion is that the authorities could only do so much at this time without something more "concrete" to work with. I also think the authorities will be continuing to observe what happens in the future with them - and will then take action if needed. I realize that there are going to be a lot of hikers who feel one way about MM & MD; while many other hikers may feel differently about the situation. Regardless, I did not get the impression (from my contacts with him) that MM is physically dangerous to another hiker that may meet him. A hiker may want to be cautious about voicing his/her personal political/government opinions in front of MM - but that can apply to others, as well. Some of the hikers I have talked to are pretty "concerned" about the entire situation - the 13-year old's well-being (is she being "home schooled" on the Trail? where are her other relatives?; is she staying healthy hiking in the winter?; etc.) I think that everyone out on the trail is now at least aware of MM & MD - and will be watching for them and observing what happens. I don't think they will "be alone" out on the trail. They are soon going to face the "March Exodus" of thru-hikers as the hikers gradually head north. Remember, MM & MD started their thru-hike back in November and they do not hike very fast or very far. I'd like to believe that if anything warrants the authorities being brought back into the situation - some trail hikers will be in a position to observe and report back accordingly. And, no one even knows if MM & MD will continue to hike on the trail.For those of you who are starting from Springer in early March - if you begin reading the shelter registers, you will soon recognize MM's comments. He usually writes with a red-ink pen and his "scrawling" is both rambling and almost illegible. You will read about his encounters with the "Federal Police"; the rubber bullets that have been fired at him; how the federal authorities burned his daughter's hand; etc. I'm not mentioning all of this for the sake of sensationalizing - instead, just to give everyone a chance to get a "feel" for the guy should they one day hike into a shelter and meet him. MM is a white male, 30's to 40's in age; thin build and short (5'7" approx); he has sandy-brown hair and a bushy beard. Mountain Dew is supposed to be 13 years old; she looks pretty small for a 13 year old; has short hair; they both wear some pretty battered clothing and carry some pretty battered packs and gear. When I saw them, they would either stay in the shelters or would use a blue, cheap, two-man, dome-style tent. While in Erwin, an innocent attempt was made to take their picture, and MM got very upset and refused to let a picture be taken. And, as Forest Gump said in his movie: "That's about all I have to say on that subject."