Date: 2016-04-20
From: Hiker Paradise Hiker Hostel 

To: Sams Gap
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

I did a very low mileage day today, due to a blister on my right heel. There are certain moments on the AT that are so significant, they are almost holy. Then there are moments that are beyond even holy. These are sacred moments. The most sacred moment of all on the AT is when an AT hiker receives his/her trail name, usually due to some disasterous event that occurs to the unfortunate person. I was priviliged to witness an AT hiker's christening, (and I DO mean christening.) I had just left the Paradise Hiker Hostel and was walking alone through the peace of the early morning Tennessee woods. I came across a sign begging hikers to please throw rocks and sticks at any dogs who approched them, because it is the custom of rural Tennessee dog owners to let their dogs run free through the woods, and the dogs follow hikers for miles, and are then lost to owners. The sign said that one dog owner had lost 6 dogs in one year due to this. (If I lost 6 dogs in one year, it would have occurred to me that allowing my dogs to run free through the woods all day might not be swuch a good idea, but perhaps that is just my big city outlook.) Shortly after reading this sign, I heard a noise behind me. I turned around to spot the second largest dog I have ever seen walking right behind me. It was a pure white, very beautiful Pyrennes dog. I was startled, but it was soon apparent that the dog meant me no harm. The dog continued to follow me, and I soon passed a "stealth camp" (an un official campsite along the AT) occupied by 2 young men. As hikers are allowed to bring dogs on the AT, the two young men assumed the dog, which wandered away from me, and into their camp, belonged to me. One of the young men asked if it was ok for him to pet my dog.I told him that since the dog was not mine, I saw no problem with him petting it. He then began petting the dog, and talking to it in a very friendly tone. Shortly afterwards, the young man who had been speaking so affectionately to the dog began cursing the animal and ordering it to vacate the campsite it a VERY harsh, no nonsense voice. The puzzled dod very quickly ran off. The other young man was doubled over, helplessly convulsing in shrieks of uncontrolled laughter. At first, I assumed the animal had stolen some food. (The young victim could only WISH he had gotten off so easily.) No, what happened was that the huge dog spotted the young man's pack leaning against a tree on the ground, trotted over to the backpack, sniffed it, liked what he smelled, lifted his hind leg, and proceeded to hose down my unfortunate friend's backpack. Remember, this dod was HUGE, and a huge dog has a huge bladder as well. And that, my friends is how "Giant Pee" got his trail name. Here is something else to consider: When the unfortunate event occurred, the two young men, who are best friends, had decidedly different reactions. The victim felt violated, and terribly angry. His friend, who suffered no unpleasant affects, was HOWLING with uncontrollable laughter. And, as the late George Carlin observed, that is the deffinition of humor: Humor is when it happens to somebody else!!!