Lost & Found

“What lost bp items have you found along the trails?

Some of the items that I have found include:

new Leatherman and case
new Tennessee Sweatshirt
rainhat (Washed it before wearing it for 3-4 yrs.)
cap
sleeping bag
blanket
hiking boots (wrong size)
socks
horseshoe
coins
fishing lure (looks nice on my gore-tek Seattle Sombrero)
military poncho (at Mt. Sterling,CS#38, GSMNP)
girls - They were not really lost until they encountered me.

Returning to Cosby from Mt. LeConte, I met a girl on the AT at junction w/Snake Den Ridge Tr. She was on the last leg of completing the AT. After sitting and talking with her for 20 minutes in a light rain, I told myself, "Wake up, you old dummy. This pretty girl is still talking with you instead of hiking on. Do something!" So I made a date to meet her at Newfound Gap after a few days.

The next day I met another girl at Low Gap. She was testing some gear prior to a hike with friends in Maine. Encouraged, I spoke up and we enjoyed a few great hours while having a fish dinner that night near Cosby.

I did met the first girl and we had a great time in Gatlinburg. Back at Newfound Gap we encountered an number of hikers coming off=trail whom we had met during our hikes. It was like old home week in the parking lot. A few days later I surprised this girl at Shuckstack, above Fontana Dam. Water was lacking at several shelters, so I was hauling some to her at Birch Spring Gap. She was ahead of schedule, so we hiked down to the Fontana Hilton (shelter).

(Two good reasons for sticking to the trail. This never would have happened bushwacking.)

Sorry for digressing. This old man loves backpacking. Now, what have you found while backpacking?”

“You've had much better luck than I... Mostly what I've found are vienna sausage cans and cigarette butts, LOL”

“I never find anything but trash either. What gives?”

“Tent pegs (I stopped counting at 50) and Poo-digs (trowels).”

“"Returning to Cosby from Mt. LeConte, I met a girl on the AT at junction w/Snake Den Ridge Tr."

Great story! (for a number of reasons..) That junction? Arrived at that place once with a strong wind from my left. Strong enough that about 4-5 folks were standing around for a minute, stealing whatever shelter they could in the (rhodendron?) barrier they could.

Lost and found? Trey can tell you. That stretch right before you get there, the one passing over Mt Chapman.. I lost by sleeping bag there (for a short while - until Trey found it lying by the trail and brought it to me, and I didn't realized the cross-wind had blown it off my back.

Girls? There are some great girls on the trail, aren't there?”

“Tent pegs, 3 pr sunglasses litter a rubber raft,various pieces of clothing”

“Haven't found anything yet, but I have lost myself in the beauty of the trail. Very peaseful.”

“A disposable razor of all things! (Found, not lost)and all the stuff Birch mentioned above. The only thing I've ever lost on trail was my temper. You only can loose something once fortunately!”

“skullcap & Tilt - maybe you're moving a little too fast to find things!

Tilt - I enjoy your astronomic info.


Birch & Bunyip - Thanks, I forgot that I had found tent pegs and sunglasses, too. I count the tent pegs as I pull them out of the ground and again as I put them in a bag. The only time I lost pegs was when a winter wind took the tent and rolled it over a few times before anything was in it. I had to put a lot of firewood in the tent to hold it.

laqtis - Yes, trails can be beautiful (see below). And animal encounters in the wild are so much greater than in a zoo.

Sassafras - Was the razor new or used? I sometimes get mad at myself for my stupid mistakes when there is no one around to blame.

TownDawg - They say that it is lonely at the top. But it is not lonely on top on the AT.

You are probably aware that around that junction and just to the south (AT direction) people keep draging out aircraft parts from a fighter that flew straight into the mountain there about 10 years ago. They heard the explosion as far away as Newport, about 10-12 miles.

And going north, downhill, on the AT from the junction in early June, it is an ideal setting for a wedding. The red and white pedals form a long, complete tunnel, including the fallen pedals on the ground. Everytime I'm there I picture a bride walking down that beautiful isle, with people on each side showering her with additional pedals.”

“I lost my sanity once--felt clost to death.

Have gained my sanity many times over on the trail.”

“Don't know about that 'sanity' routine. I gave up looking for that long ago, LOL.

As for the Astronomical Weirdness... I figure, seeing as how I'm out there in the dark anyway... you get the picture, LOL. It's great stuff, especially when all you have to do is look up!

And as for what one can find on the 'Net, here's a cutey I just found on the APOD...

The Spirograph Nebula

I think they might have gone a little overboard with the false color, but the fine detail is quite striking. Those planetary nebulae are amazing.”

“Lost my digital camera on the trail today. Has anyone seen it?”

“Found-
Greasy old ball caps (3)
1 glove (twice)
LOST-
Brain cells”

“nowslimmer: don't recall the bridal area, but knew about the plane..

hey.. when you got a weekend free to do some of the Smokies?”

“Tilt - Thanks. Your first link is fabulous. Second one did not work - address says "about blank."

wingding0 - give some details and maybe it will come back. Was it a trail in CA?

TownDawg - Likely my next trip to GSMNP will not be until May or June, although I'm thinking about a winter break from work. I'll send you any schedule. Planning on the Florida ECT Hike and a CW Battle Reenactment at Olustee, FL, in Febr.”

“I should have been more specific. I've found tent pegs and poo-digs.

I did lose one snow stake once.
I thought I'd lost my beloved swiss army knife, fortunately my wife had it.”

“Well Durn.

Here's the regular link to the Astronomy Pic O' the Day. If you scroll toward the bottom, click 'Search,' then enter 'planetary nebula,' all sorts of strange creatures will appear. That "Cocoon of a New White Dwarf" is particularly snazzy.

(This should in no way be mistaken for an effort to restart the Midget Thread)

Ya know... I *have* seen orphan underwear out in the woods, but I never had the urge to inspect it more closely, LOL”

“Tilt - Thanks for the link. Yes, "" That "Cocoon of a New White Dwarf" is particularly snazzy.""”

“I lost 35 lbs on the trails. If you find them, keep them. I don't want them back!”

“Tell me about it! Did you do anything special, like a diet, etc.? Is your weight where you want it? Are you deeping it off? How long did it take?

(I'm writing an article on the subject. I've been on a yo-yo for years, but have finally found a way to maintain my weight.)”

“I started losing weight this past July when I got hooked on hiking while visiting the White Mts for the first time. I weighed 210 at the time. I pretty much hiked every weekend from then on and started backpacking in Sept. I also started running again. I used to run a lot and mountain bike raced for years, but too many injuries drove me to golf, hence the 210lbs. I run 2-3 nights a week and workout on my home gym.

As far as diet goes, nothing special about that. I tried to eat a little less and made some changes; bananas or oranges instead of potato chips, more chicken, less red meat, no cream cheese on the bagel etc.

I reached my goal of 175 in November and hover between there and 170. It is right where I want to be and as long as I stay active, I should be able to maintain that weight.

Good for you on beating the yo-yo. What was/is your method?”

“lost 1 pair of glasses - fell off in the Hazel River in SNP ( I had just slipped off a rock and landed in the river up to my crotch and was concentrating on not getting a complete bath at the time.

found - a bunch of stuff including today a couple rounds of live ammo - 308 WIN - any ideas on what to do with the ammo - I don't have a rifle that would use them?

most unusual thing found while hiking (day hiking actually not BP) was a dildo - the things people take hiking ... (shaking head)”

“Pennsy Hiker- Nice going on your weight. And thanks for the post. You already found what works for me. It's plenty of activity. I could use another 8 hrs. almost every day. Check my profile and click on "more." I do a lot more than there was space for listing.

My weight reductions come from BP-ing on 700 or fewer calories per day. It always works. I feel better, healthier and it shows on my physicals. In fact, this year my cardiologist ordered me to go mtn. BP=ing again.

HogOnIce - Too bad about the glasses. (I understand how you felt. I, too, have had the experience of being washed away.) I usually pack extra eye glasses.

For anyone new to BP-ing: When crossing water, first loosen or unbuckle the straps on your pack. That way, you can slip out of it in case of an emergency. A student drowned in Abrams Creek (GSMNP) a few yrs. ago, when his pack wedged between something and held him underwater.

TownDawg - I've been unable to reach Photopoint for a couple of days. The attempts to connect time out.

Today I was able to ask my daughter to work on an icon for you. Maybe she'll be able to start on it tomorrow.”

“nowslimmer - wow, you are an active one, aren't you? Yep, you've found the 'big secret' to losing weight. Just go, go, go and so do the lbs. Doing a variety of activities is also important. Snowshoeing is on my list for next new activity.”

“A backpacker found my camera on the Vivian Creek Trail in the San Gorgonio Wilderness and he's returning it to me. Backpackers sure are nice, aren't they.”

“wingding0, congrats on getting your camera back. Backpackers, on the whole, are the best group of people I've ever hung out with.”

“wingding0 - That's great news, your camera being returned. Bet you're happy. Will we see you soon on Phil's Photo Page? (My mug will be there soon.)

Can you reach your photo site? I've been unable to reach PhotoPoint for several days. Don't know if it is my problem or their's. Attempts to connect fail at about 39%.”

“nowslimmer.. -- having same problem here with photopoint.. but tripod was flaky over the weekend also..”

“NS are you in the Olustee reinactment or are you going as a spectator?

I'll be there backpacking the Florida Trail with my Scouts.”

“humanpackmule - As a spectator. Saw a lot of Boy Scouts there last year, some from this area.

I join a small History Forum on CW History on Compuserve on Tuesday evenings at 9 pm, EST. Most of the people there are reeenactors. I've met a number of them over a long period. Only a fist-full are hard core, weekly attendees. We have not discusssed history for a while, just gossip, but I have picked up some knowledge and engaged in some interesting research.

Join us if you're so inclined. I first enter www.Compuserve.com, (sign-in) > then FORUMS > "H" > History > (sign-in) > Room 9, Civil War.

It's been a joy talking with "real" people, after being on the old Napster Forum.”

“TownDawg - Thanks.”

“Okay, no one has mentioned it but I'm sure many have seen, the used condom hanging on the bush outside your tent in the morning and it's not yours.”

“...from what you can remember.”

“things I've found...
.223 blank rounds
combs innumerable
trash
an oasis canteen
an antenna from a radio (ok, this is trash)
an entrenching tool”

“-a carabiner
-a dead horse
-an empty bottle of smirnoff (bastards!)”

“I wasn't there, but two guys I knew found a 12-pack of beer, 7 miles back in.

Yup, they drank it.”

“Will the person who lost this please give the cops a call?”

“Great. Matt's naughty word eliminator strikes again. If you really want to see it, #=p &=e %=n !=i $=s”

“Poor Kleety, He can't play with his #&%!$.”

“Found: A step ladder
an inflatable lifesize doll, used. (I left it there. It was still wet.)

More normal items include clothing, pocketknife, folding army shovel, beer in a stream, cookpots, hand axe.”

“many years ago i found a girls watch, very old, did not work. I also found a cannon ball near gettysburg, left it there it was too heavy. Im only as big as my pack”

“almost forgot, if anyone needs fishing lures, take a canoe trip in the everglades, you will find them by the thousands, also stay away from the 3 leged alagator, hes mean.”

“I found a G00SE once...”

“...on a trail in Tennessee...”

“I found two girls sunbathing topless on a big rock in Harriman State Park NY once. Not that I looked or anything. Well, maybe I did peek.”