“"this trip (again IMHO) was one of the best I have taken, ever."

well, then. we'll have to do something about that, won't we?

we need to get ECTers to cumberland isle, again.”

“Cumberland Isle?”

“All I can say is I've made a dozen or so of what I consider good friends here already.

I've never even met anyone from any other boards.”

“yes, josh.”

“Tell me more-In Georgia or Florida?
On the ocean?”

“Are we talking Cumberland Isle in Maine, Raddy?”

“Never mind.. I found it..

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/index.php?title=cumberland&age=999”

“Very few of the other discussion boards have people get together for hikes. Some on the backpacker mag site and some on OAN.

I mentioned the REI and gorp sites. I don't like their discussion boards, but they do have some good resources.”

“TD it was madman with the 35 degree bag. I'm no fool, hell he ain't either. Mine was a 15 and I was thinking I might have perferred a zero.

BTW-Madman just got hizzself a zero.

That was a great trip.”

“I realized that after I posted it, but I knew you wuld correct me.

:)

Did you watch the Jacksonville football game?”

“WHAT?!?!?
We have a team this year?!?

I thought they took the season off.


Seriously no, I was too dang sick.”

“"Let me assure you, I count all of you as my closest friends. It's 2002, and the highlight of my year will be the chances we all get to hike together once again."

Awwww shucks, TD. Keep talkin' like that, and these folks might think you're losin' your "bite." LOL.

Seriously, though, if it weren't for you, I would have never met any of these guys. Thanks!

Well, one has to make an effort to fit-in here...you can't just show up without a good sense of humor and expect everyone to accept you before they "feel you out."

I also count these guys (and gals) as among my closest friends, and look forward to meeting more of them this year!”

“Nice post, TownDawg. I'm still trying to get my daughter to make you an icon. She has been pretty busy. Will Matt let us include an icon with our posts?

"www.thebackpacker.com? Hey, its a room full of kooks (read individualists) that love the trail. What more could you ask for?"
Pathman
10:38:33 PM
01/01/02

"This is real people (who share a love of backpacking) talking about life."
m-nutz
07:53:19 PM
01/01/02

I agree. I just found this site in Nov., have not met any of you personally yet, but I feel that I know a lot of you well. I, too, was invited on a trip, the Florida ECT hike, and I'll be there, looking forward to new experiences.

My first greeting on the board was the Shining Rock Wilderness Area Trip Report and then the pictures. Had I discovered this site sooner, I would have been there. After viewing the pictures I almost felt that I had been there, for I know the area.

Since then, with the exchange of information, the posted trip reports, trip photos and trip planning, and, expecially, with Phil's Photo Page, I feel like I know many of you, and that I am a part of this community. Where else can one obtain such a realization on the net?

I have been BP-ing for years, mostly alone doing my own thing, but I'm looking forward to some group hikes. More so, I'll be happy to make the personal acquaintances and anxious to hear your stories and experiences first hand.

Happy New Year.
Paul”

“And so we dance

"Some psudonym like Marvin Gardens pops off with erudition on a concept designed to challenge and possibly enflame and man, don't we dance for him! And when the chatter calms down or begins not to focus on him, he tosses out another morsel and off we go again!

I imagine that for Marvin, we're more fun to watch than Sea Monkeys!

Marvin's getting what he wants. Are we?"

- ogregon
05:32:19 PM
12/28/01


Just where did ogregon and licketysplit come from and do trolls really travel in packs?”

“Yes, I think so.

A gaggle of geese, a murder of crows and a clump of trolls.”

“Just where did ogregon and licketysplit come from and do trolls really travel in packs?"
Violin
10:06:16 AM
01/02/02


I learned when I was a child that trolls come from under bridges.”

“"You boys sure do defend your clubhouse! I bet there's a secret handshake and a decoder ring."
licketysplit
03:29:07 PM
01/01/02

and just what the hell is wrong with decoder rings?!? you bastard! ;-P haha!”

“Ok, who told 'him' about the decoder ring? I thought that was as secret as the handshake?”

“Decoder rings and secret handshakes? Son of a...ya'll been keepin' ME in the dark too? Screw you guys! I'm goin' to REI too!”

“Don't let the door hit ya in the ass!”

“yeah! our door is bad enough, without having your A$$ funk all over it!”

“yummy! lunchtime!”

“Hey don't be slammin Marvin Gardens-
I feed that troll-”

“Let us be agreed, Marvin Gardins is a cool troll. And he is an extremely good sport. Never underestimate the value of that trait.”

“Hmmmm.....

Skully=MG?

hee hee”

“Just because some of us believe this isn't the best board out there, doesn't mean we don't think TT isn't worth visiting.”

“GS, what is the best board, in your opinion?”

“GS, what board do you prefer?”

“that's it rad and hpm, bait GS on this.”

“I'd be interested in that info, too. REI Board site not all it seemed to be on first pass, after all. What do you like? Thanks”

“LMAO!!!”

“Firstly, I don't think it's fair to a local webmaster to be plugging competing sites.

Secondly, I don't want to see many of the contributors here on some of my favorites. That would be just moving Trail Talk to another site.”

“nope. i know many other sites, but it is too much trouble to actually browse and post.”

“I'm not baiting.
I'm truly interested to know.

I see your point GS, and it is a valid one.”

“The 'other' TrailTalk is pretty informative.”

“ Backpacking.net is cool too. But for me the ultimate king of all boards has GOT to this one . All killer, no filler baby!”

“personally, I like cherry, it makes a wonderful board, It has nice grains and smooths...oh, excuse me, posting boards...I get in now...duh.”

“Good one Violin! It's for those who prefer a simpler board. Last post was 11/26. Interestingly, the site does post thebackpacker.com as a favorite link.”

“are you sure that you went to college?”

“who has just returned to take some heat off of Biz and Newgirl, I found TT. Reminds me of a rowdy bar where everybody backs off before fisticuffs.

Thought I'd bring this back up, so you could see what you missed.”

“It seems like we have been much more outdoorsey over the last few months. That seems particularly odd since it is in the winter. Maybe people are feeling a little sensitive about "outsiders" saying other sites are better than "ours". This isn't a complaint either way - I enjoy going off topic as much as the next guy. Mostly it is an observation.”

“It's like the Car Talk of backpacking. But I digress.”

“Skullcap, Car Talk is one of the few things that ARE better than TT. Click and Clack are my personaly heros.”

“Woohoo! Me too!”

“There are a lot of good backpacking sites out there. "Good" being defined by each person differently, of course.

This one sucks and you guys are all jerks. That said, why why whyyyyyy can't I just leave?!

%^P”

“Imagine that. TT is actually a black hole. It really does suck!”

“If only it were easier to do sound effects here...

like,

I don't know what's wrong with my 'pack. It goes SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! And it's driving me NUTS.

HELP!”

“I don't know. The bored you get after 4 months in Kaui? The bored you feel after your 3rd million?
--damn, money sucks, why do people keep giving it to me?”