This page is for items that are of interest, but don't seem to fit anywhere else. If you have a news item, an opinion you would like to express, a point to make or have a story or a quote to pass along, it can be posted here. Send your contributions to me as e-mail at
rainmaker@rabun.net
| Mouse Recipes | Swinky's Pound-Mile Chart | Brawny's Snickers Bar Chart |
| Why I Hike On Easter | Rides To PCT Trailhead (Campo) |
Submitted By Rainmaker On Dec. 1, 2001
A 2001 PCT Thru-Hiker ("Paw Bunyon") is offering rides to the PCT terminus near Campo, CA from the San Diego Airport or motels in San Diego.
For additional information, e-mail him at
hayes28607@yahoo.com
<<< Stopped by the hollow on Tuesday to see how Rusty was doing. He had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer and as a result of that, and the lack of donations to keep the hollow open, he had decided to close it down.
The good news is this - - He went to his church and received an anointment and laying on of the hands. He has since been re-examined by the doctors and found to have NO cancer invasion remaining.
Rusty is back in business. 24 / 7 / 365
He is back with a passion for life and his zest has increased even more about thru-hikers. It's an Appalachian mountain, back-to-basic farm experience that shouldn't be passed up. Hot tub, sauna, darts, basketball, small bore rifle range, ping pong, horse shoes, swimming, or just basking in the sun and reading a neat book from his library are a few of the things a weary hiker can do while taking respite from the trail. And all of this without being exposed to the hustle & bustle of townies! He does make town trips for PO and Krogering if you need.
Last year, Rusty went into the hole financially. He had to sell his van to keep the place open for the year 2000 hikers. Too many folks think he buys all those supplies with eggs and goats milk. His only income is from donations and tee-shirt sales. So remember to be generous. He's too proud to charge a fee like most other stopovers on the AT, but that's not an excuse for us to take advantage of a very benevolent friend.
Rusty has been a friend of thru-hikers (approximately 12,000) for 19 years. Let's support him properly in his endeavors to help us enjoy a fantastic experience.
If you need directions - just ask. >>>
On Trailplace, there were 15-20 immediate replies to the posting in the "open" forum. They expressed interest in the situation and some requested Rusty's address to send donations or directions to stop by on their thru hike. I posted an addendum to the original letter that stated Rusty had given me specific permission to disseminate his address and directions to the hollow on the Internet. Providing that information, I also included some admonitions to help enhance a visit to the hollow.
About a week later, I went back to the forum to see what additional replies may have been made. GONE. The entire thread was missing. Writing a private E-mail to WF, I queried him as to what might have happened to the thread.
His response:
<<< I removed it. Rusty gave me explicit instructions not to list his address on the Internet and I am honoring that request. Rusty has caused me a lot of heartache over the years and I would just as soon not have to get involved with him over this. Thanks. WF >>>
Even though those 'instructions' were many years ago under different circumstances, and Rusty has since rescinded that request, WF chose not to have compassion on a benevolent friend and maintainer of the AT. Further, he chooses not to allow anyone else to discuss Rusty in a supposedly open forum on Trailplace. Is there a hidden agenda here? Could there be a hint of jealousy on somebody's part due to the 'donations' involved? Is there a taint of bitterness evident in these actions?
Do you think that a lack of community co-operation is a little strange on a webpage that purports to be there for the sole purpose of disseminating all available information pertaining to a thru hike on the AT? Or do you feel a great deal of censorship is employed with only the webmaster's volition allowed to reach us poor, uneducated hikers via the printed page?
Personally, I believe WF uses the "interactive page for thru hikers" as more of a bully pulpit when the mood strikes him. When a particular cause suits him, WF promotes it and even threatens expulsion from the forum if you don't participate in his letter writing campaigns, etc. And, God forbid if you were to disagree with his viewpoint in the open forum!
No one that I know, would disagree that an immense amount of information is available on Trailplace, but at what cost. Your first Amendment rights are still intact, but not on WF's nickel!
VIKING AT98
*****Why I Hike On Easter*****
Submitted by BeeKeeper
Easter is supposed to bee a celebration of life and rebirth, so what better place to bee than in the woods in the springtime, listening to the harmonious twittering of avians, the cacophony of babbling rivulets, the chortle of insects as they awaken and dust off their tiny winglets, the massaged sigh of leaves as they are carressed by cooling breezes, creating their life-giving chlorophyll so that our eyes and spirits may bee filled with awe and rapture by their verdant splendor.
As Hamlet pondered, "To bee, or not to bee", I choose to bee...to bee filled with mental orgasmic ecstacy, to drink from the fabled flask held by mirthful nymphs, to set sail upon the Sea of Enigma with the aspiration of attaining some new definition of self, to pontificate, witness, and learn from the teachings of yore, to look into the soul of the forlorn mermaid and see what cross she bears, to dine at the table of my forbears, to share a conch of mead with Zeus and Hera on Olympus.
For these and other reasons I choose to hike on Easter Day.
*****Mouse Recipes*****
A few of us in the chatroom were poking fun at those who oppose killing shelter mice. To begin with, rodents seem to have thrived several million years without any help from us humans. Secondly, the mice can carry diseases such as the Hantavirus. Anyway, someone jokingly said that perhaps it would be okay to kill the mice if you ate them. Someone else suggested a certain way of preparing them, and soon we were all suggesting our favorite mouse dishes, and "Mouse Recipes" was born. Here are the ones I remember. If I'm forgetting any, or if you have a new one, please let me know.
Chocolate Mouse
Mouse Tracks Mice Cream
Mickey Teriacki
Mick N Cheese
MOS - Mouse On A Shingle
Rodent Surprise
Mouse Helper
Mice & Rice
Minnie Wheats
Mice Krispies
Rat-A-Roni
Snap, Crackle & Squeak Cereal
Chunky Mickey Mice Cream
Mice-Ka-Bob (on a Leki)
GORP - Good Old Rats & Peanuts
Ratuccini Alfredo (with a nice Micecatel)
Squeak On A Stick
Mouse Under Grass
Tom & Jerry's Mice Cream
Mouse Nest Soup
*****Banned In Hot Springs*****
The following is a list of our visitors who have been "booted" from a certain trail cybersite that is administered in Hot Springs, NC. Congratulations to those who have had the nerve to speak out and disagree, and who have "paid the price". If anyone else has been "booted", and your name is not listed here, please let me know.
Slow Joe
Cheeseburger
Bakwudz
Moxie
Orens
PaddlerAT
Strider
War Eagle
*****Brawny's Snickers Bar Chart*****
--Submitted By Brawny
*****SWINKY'S POUND - MILE CHART*****
--Submitted By Swinky
The Appalachian Trail is about 2,000 miles long and there are 2,000 pounds in a ton, making it a 1:1 ratio. That means for every pound of weight you carry for the whole distance it's like moving 1 ton for a distance of 1 mile, or a ton-mile. A single ounce is like moving 125 pounds for 1 mile.
On a daily basis you can figure your load in pound-miles, or total pounds moved for a distance of one mile. Pound-miles provides a constant for comparing gear loads and you can use the chart below to see how weight reduction can affect your hiking distances. Happy Hiking!
