Date: 2010-08-11
To: Home - Reliving the Moments
Miles today: 0.0

Trail Characters ~~~Under the sad assumption that I have anything relevant to say about the AT from Central Florida, I thought I would post something about the cast of characters that I had the wonderful opportunity to meet or hike with while I was on my 33 days of Trail life.Anyone who has read my first entries will know that I have zero directional skills whatsoever and it was meeting Pyro the Wise who helped get me on the right track and direction (very, very important when you¢re on the Trail). Turns out, he¢s from Central Florida too (there are a LOT of Floridians on the Trail this year) and I have a pretty good idea from his address where he lives and I definitely know where he works as I¢ve passed the facility about a thousand times. Pyro the Wise is an engineer for Lockheed Martin who has a huge place off of the Beeline in Orlando. You pass it on your way to Sea World or Disney if you don¢t take the 417. Pyro was my savior for my second day on the Trail and though I never caught up to him again after Gathland State Park, I read his journal entries until he had to go home. Pyro is the hala ~ Great guy.First night out, Dennis and Steven saved me from desperate loneliness at my very first shelter, two friends who were out for a several day hike with Steve¢s dogs, Muskrat and Callie. They were only stopping for supper before going on, but the company was deeply, deeply appreciated. Looking back now, I cannot fathom why I was so desperately scared to stay alone at a shelter on my first night. I can only say that, for those of you who started in Georgia, you most probably began your journey with a multitude of other hikers and that starting out completely alone was not an option. For whatever reason, my first night made me uneasy. ¢Now¢, I can hitch up my Hammock anywhere. ¢Then¢, I¢m almost begging these guys to consider staying put. Did not need them after all as Trashman and Ohibro showed up and did stay. Later, I was told that Trashman is a Navy Seal, way more protection that I had ever hoped for. I only know that they both gave me comfort on my first night out, simply by being present. Avatar was met on the Trail; I remembered him by the earphones he wore with his iPod attached to his arm. I¢ve been keeping tabs on him and am saddened to learn of his departure from the Trail due to medical issues and the love of his children. He will finish one day, I am positively sure. Siron hiked by me and the one thing I noticed was this full size towel draped over his pack. It was then that I saw Moe, his pet iguana. A wonderfully lovely creature, Moe can be found on YouTube. I took several photos and never saw either one of them again. How nice to hike with someone you really love !Lorod came into the Pine Knob Shelter at twilight on my second night out and proceeded to cook this huge supper and THEN scarfed Trail Magic of several hotdogs and cookies as though it were his last meal. Lorod was my example that you can hook up with hikers all the way up the Trail. I was positive I would never see this great hiker again only to cross paths several times within the next weeks. He is a real Trail treasure and is going to summit soon. Just a wonderful guy.KrispyKritter is another example of Trail wonderfulness. This guy is a friend of Greyhound, the hiker at the outfitter in Altamonte Springs, Fl (just north of Orlando), the same who helped me get my gear together. A strong hiker, he later gave me much needed words of encouragement when I was alone at a shelter and spazzing myself out of my mind. Do not mock the older hikers for they are the trees of the Trail ~ strong and full of wisdom.Nesta and Squash are these two young guys who are hikers galore. Nesta is a free spirit and Squash needs to gain about 30 pounds; they are both lean, mean hiking machines who delve into the glory of night hiking, something I did not have a chance to experience. They ate supper at the Tumbling Run Shelter with us and Knees and Curio before disappearing into the woods to get more miles in. It being my sixth day out, feet, not miles were foremost on my mind.Knees and Curio are a lovely couple that were equally strong hikers. They also stopped for supper and continued on. I met up with them again a couple days later at the Quarry Gap Shelter where they stopped for a meal and left to put in more miles. It is so much easier to start at the beginning then in the middle, really. I never saw them again and just missed them at my final location in Vernon where I spent three days icing down my leg and foot. What a shame ~ they were very nice.Neil Price and his son, Benjamin had set up camp at Falls Creek when I did my first stealth camp with Kristina. They were already at home and had a fire going and it was just easier to camp out when you have someone else around, what can I say? I was still in Hiker Weenie mode.Compressor was a young kid who was starting in PA going southbound. He stayed at the Quarry Gap Shelter for his second day out and thought this was going to be his Trail name. Nice guy ~ hope he finishes.Achilles the Red ~ okay; really long legs and a LOT of red hair ~ go figure. He and Lorod did a cooking contest at Quarry Gap to see who could make and consume the most food. No kidding; I am still off my appetite at this point (and in fact, I never got a hiker appetite while on Trail) and these two whipped up enough food to feed a family of five in Korea for a week. Achilles has one those hiker bodies like Avatar and Sugar Ray, the kind that don¢t so much ¢hike¢ the Trail as glide over it. Us stubby short leg peeps have to take two steps to they¢re one.Chick Magnet was a hiker that I knew only from his posts on the various shelter journals until that fateful day where I completely screwed up and missed the Darlington Shelter and went down that wicked Blue Blaze trail to {bum screw Egypt nowhere} and heaving myself up to the main AT, staggered in tears down to the next shelter, Cove Mountain (later told to me the infamous story associated with said shelter) where I was was completely grateful to have a roof and equally ecstatic to see a food bag hanging in a tree. Chick Magnet, who was equally grateful to have company that evening and I hiked into Duncannon together the next morning. He had made that same inevitable decision to return home because of knee injuries. Our rooms at the Doyle were across from each other and the next morning when I noticed that his room was empty, I realized he had gone home and it saddened me not only for the Trail losing a great hiker but to go home because of the knees, a fateful decision I had no way of knowing that I would be making soon for myself.So Far was a hiker I met briefly at the Doyle. His father came, I believe, all the way from Ohio to do Trail Magic at the campground going out of town. So several of us were going to hike out and catch breakfast. The campground on the right side of the road going out had a bait house where this camper coming out had no idea what I was talking about in terms of a breakfast cookout for hikers. Met up with Toothpick and Little Aspin, who I met the previous night at the Doyle and they were looking for the same breakfast. So we came to ANOTHER camping location up and across the road but were somewhat rudely informed by a woman in a minivan that ¢all these campsites are private and you don¢t need to be here¢ kind of explanation. Toothpick and Aspin went back to the other campground and sure enough, the Trail Magic was way in the back. I just kept on hiking to meet up at the trailhead as I had no room for any food (no appetite, though the beers and pulled pork sandwich the night before at the Doyle were dee~lish). So, So Far, Thanks for a wonderful family. Wish I could have found you !!Toothpick and Little Aspin are a pair of angels in their own right as they babysat me the night I was terrorized by my own inexperience at the Eagle¢s Nest Shelter. Just married last September, they are such wonderful people; VERY easy to know and hike and shelter with. They stepped in and comforted a woman who was basically their parent¢s age (this would be me) and have a Trail spirit that I hope to emulate on my next hike. I wish I could meet them again.Sugar Ray is one of those glider hikers who get up at o¢dark thirty, which is when the birds start anyway because up north it gets light way earlier than in Florida, and this guy can put on the MILES before even taking a lunch break. Strong hiker.Kumquat is the female version of Sugar Ray. Tall, young, blonde, Nordic, has legs 10 feet long and can boogie up the Trail like I am standing still. Yes, she will tell you that she ¢should¢ be doing these miles as she¢s been on the Trail for a few months now, as is everyone else. But to me, she is still a really strong hiker and cooked up garlic and fresh vegetables to add to her package dinner at the Rausch Gap Shelter that had even my own mouth watering, it smelled so good. Kumquat ate at the shelter and then pitched her tent up the blue trail next to the AT. Says that she never bear bags her food; her food bag is used as a footrest and has never had a problem with bears. Tough, very tough !Captain Slick is an Annapolis grad who was out hiking with friends. I met him at snack/break time at Clark¢s Ferry Shelter and then we all camped out at Peter¢s Mountain Shelter. Met up with him again after his friends went home at Rausch Gap Shelter and then never saw him after that. Of course, young, strong and fast. Nice guy. Go Navy !Sparrow was this tall, young quiet guy that I met when I reached the 501 shelter. I was the first one there from the group and Sparrow was napping in a bunk. I later traded blister supplies for a small airline size bottle of rum that I bought way back when I stayed at Bone Pac¢s Hostel in Maryland. Good trade. Saw him again up on the bluffs where he cowboy camped near the Pinnacle. Sparrow has a huge AT symbol tattoo on one arm, a serious commitment to the Trail. Ah, to be that young again.Ranier and Dewlap are a young couple that were at the Doyle upstairs when Chick Magnet and I got to the Doyle. Dewlap is a young, thin, thin, thin girl who has a strength that does not show whatsoever. At Peter¢s Mountain Shelter, the blue blaze trail to water goes WAAAAAY down. This shelter had empty milk gallon jugs to carry this water back up. Dewlap went down and got water for all of us and I was so impressed and so thankful that > I < didn¢t have to do it that I gave her all of my Reece¢s Peanut Butter Cups. She was absolutely thrilled for the candy as I was for the water. Good trade.They left the 501 shelter way early with Sugar Ray and I don¢t believe I saw them again. Never underestimate any hiker based on appearance. Those that look strong may be the one¢s that drop out and the really skinny chicks make it all the way.Fireball is a young guy from Germany who stayed at the Rausch Gap Shelter with Captain Slick and I. His accent is not easy to guess and he has the same problem as Boomer 007 in that he is limited by time because of his Visa. They are only allowed six months time in the US and so, he HAS to be a strong hiker with few days off to complete the Trail. Used a Jetboil and poured in at least two pounds of pasta to cook ~ and ate every bite. I saw Fireball again the next night at the 501 Shelter and then he was gone.Jon of the Woods was the other sweet soul that camped out at the Eagle¢s Nest Shelter when I lost my wits. Quiet but competent. Has to be done by August for school.Warrior is a hiker I met by chance because I delayed leaving the above shelter until almost 2pm the next day because Freeman (whom I will detail at the end) was waiting for his umbrella that he left at the 501 Shelter an I wanted/needed to hike out with another hiker (don¢t I sound desperate). It was eventually delivered by Avatar who then proceeded to eat and nap before continuing on. The blue blaze trail leading back to the AT is .03 off trail but seems farther. It goes over what was supposed to be a wonderful spring that turned into a trickle where Freeman and I cameled up on water before leaving. So when we get up the Trail, here¢s this large guy with a HUGE staff who looks like Santa Claus in a kilt. This is Warrior. Freeman and I hiked/ slide into Port Clinton and Warrior shows up later. The next morning, Warrior treated me to breakfast at the truck stop restaurant that is NOT listed in the guidebooks (just up the road from the Pavilion) and then hitched with me to the Cabala¢s in Hamburg to get fuel for his stove while I traded my staff for super sweet hiking poles and then hiked out with me. Warrior became my hiking buddy until he had to leave in Palmerton for a ten day biking thing in Albany that he had pre-arranged before his hike. I was hoping to hike with him again but instead, had to go home. No problem because it turns out that Warrior lives within an hours distance from me in Ocala. Hope to meet up with him at Harry¢s in the Ocala Square after his hike. The nicest hiker in a kilt you will ever meet.Wizard and Grey Traveler are these two retired guys I met at the Eckville Shelter. It¢s always great to see the older hikers. I can relate to them more than the young kids and again, do not let age fool you. These guys are strong and steady and put me to shame. Grey Traveler even shared what little water he had left with Warrior and me before leaving the Bake Oven Knob Shelter when we had a half of a Gatorade bottle of water between the two of us. THAT is the sign of a great hiker.Bisquits and Gravy are a couple hiking together. I met Gravy at the Palmerton borough shelter where I had to wait three days for the Post Office to open up to get my mail drop. He had stayed over several days himself due to Lyme¢s Disease, which many hikers caught on the Trail this year. Gravy waited for his girlfriend to catch up with him in Palmerton and then they hiked out together. Crossed paths with them several times before I dropped out. Very nice couple. They were the ones who waited on the trail after we all left the Delaware Water Gap to make sure I was aware of this huge rattlesnake that crossed the Trail in front of them. Had they not taken the time to wait there, knowing that I was behind them, I could have very easily been snake bit. It was a very thoughtful consideration for the hiker that was trailing them. They didn¢t have to do this but again, a sign of a really great hiker to think of others as well as yourself.Boomer 007, known to everyone as Boomer, is this great Aussie who has the same six month time constraint as Fireball. He developed a staph infection that took over most of his left calf area and rested several days at the hostel at the church in the Delaware Water Gap. Met him again at the church hostel in Vernon where I was icing down my leg. At the last post I read from him on his own Trails Journal, it looks like he will have to summit without completing the entire Trail. He is such fun to talk to and has the most beautiful wife and sons. We who live here in the US take for granted the luxury of having this Trail right at our fingertips. There are so many hikers from all over the world who have to hustle their hike to complete it in time. More power to these folks. Really ~~~Hollywood is this big guy who wears these sunglasses like he¢s going to a Hollywood premier ~ hence the name Hollywood. I sheltered with him at the DWG hostel and the Mohican Outdoor Center. Hollywood will sleep in every morning but boy can he rack up the miles when he gets going. He¢s pacing with Lorod in New Hampshire as I type this and will probably summit the Big K soon. Very nice fellow.Griz is an elderly hiker I met on the same day leaving the DWG and right after bypassing the rattlesnake. He¢s section hiking and we were hoping to leave each other journal messages when we got up into the Hut¢s. Sorry, Griz ~ Tell ¢No Name Campmor¢ {Hello} for me.Sleepy and Eats More are two young guys living the good life on the Trail. Sleepy took advantage of DWG (and an older town gal as well) while Eats More lost his tent poles and is sleeping in a bag liner. And yet, they are having the best time ever and I an envious (of everything except the gap pal, Sleezy ~ and you didn¢t even keep her artwork !).Compass, Machete and Lightfoot were at the church hostel in Vernon where I was dropped off to try to heal my injuries. I will always remember that we watched ¢The Thomas Crowne Affair¢ with Pierce Brosnan that night and how thankful we all were at being at such a nice facility. Good times ~~~Tuit was the wonderful ridge runner who made arrangements with me at the Gren Anderson Shelter to pick me up when I reached Pochuck Mountain, on his day off, so he could take me into town to get my mail drop. Instead, he not only drove me to the Post Office but over to Vernon to the church hostel so I could try to heal up before hitting the Trail again. Sufficed to say, I never made it back to the Trail but his kindness was so extraordinary and so desperately needed as I would have never been able to get to the hostel on my own. Tuit, you are ridge runner extraordinaire and I am forever grateful.Any of you who have sheltered at The Outhouse know that nothing more can be said for Butch and crew. Butch picked me up at the Vernon church hostel, drove me to Unionville where I missed the chance to experience the Mayor¢s House and then drove me to the airport the next morning for my flight home. He made my departure so easy for me. I can only hope that I will one day get to walk onto that carport and experience the hospitality of The Outhouse.The very last character I have for you is my beloved Freeman. This unique hiker is a real joy for everyone who have met him, sheltered with him or read his insanely funny posts in all the shelter journals. I first met Freeman (his true name as opposed to a Trail name) at twilight at the Tom¢s Run Shelter. He looks like he¢s 21 but is actually 37 and reminds me Mark Hamill from Star Wars fame. Lorod was already there as was two separate groups of Boy Scouts camping out. Freeman appears and immediately makes himself at home at the table where everyone else is cooking and proceeds to learn everyone¢s name. He then pulls out all sorts of bagged items and various goodies because he¢s a nutritionist and a vegan (my favorite is the dried mango, yeppers).   He also carries a small botanical library but the deal is, if you so choose to read one, you have to reciprocate with a backrub. He has been a total joy and every time I came across Freeman, my whole inside just lit up because he is just that wonderful. We sheltered several times together and the last time I saw Freeman was the morning he left the church hostel in Vernon while I was icing my leg. Freeman was truly THE one hiker who was hiking his own hike. He made time for everything that was important to him; flora, birdsong, afternoon naps, great meals out of his backpack. I will remember the HUGE pot of oatmeal he ate every morning with the cranberries and nuts as well as the day we hiked into Port Clinton together and he showed me so many different types of plants and berries and birds. I miss Freeman very, very much. He is one of a kind.So this is just a list of all the wonderful people I had the pleasure of knowing while on the Trail. If I have forgotten anyone, so very sorry I am. Because the absolute best part of my hike was not the hike itself because the hiking part is really, really hard, or even getting the miles in to get to Maine (my goal each and every day was not the next state but the next shelter). The people that I was honored to have in my life for even the briefest of time was the crux of my hike and I really miss my peeps.All of you are wonderful and I wish the best of hopes and prayers for those who are still hiking, that whatever goal you have set for yourself, I hope you reach it.