Wingfoot

“

Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce has hiked the 2100-mile Appalachian Trail seven times, and decided to compile a quick and easy reference guide catered specifically to thru-hikers attempting to traverse the entire trail. Absolutely jammed with information - the "AAA Travel Guide" for the Appalachian Trail. Many thru-hikers feel that this book, supplemented by trail club hiking maps, is all they need to take on their trip.

http://www.trailplace.com/visuals/wf_thumb.jpg

Why do I care? He lives in Hot Springs, NC -- and I will be there in 3 weeks. I wonder if he signs autographs? Do you think if I walked up to his house, he might even talk to me?

Bruce, Dan
260 Mountain Hts Ave,
Hot Springs, NC 28743
(828)622-0097”

“

Has anyone on here ever met him?”

“Hmmm...what kind of stalking laws do they have in NC anyway?”

“TD, I photocopy the pages I need and take them with me on my AT section hikes. The handbook has been a good tool for me, and you are correct, I only take the handbook pages and a few maps with me when I hike. I have found some errors in the handbook(s) and mailed the corrections to Wingfoot.
I would encourage others to do the same.

Hope you get to visit with him when you get to Hot Springs.”

“just don't enter his house illegally....rember the "self defense" rule.”

“LMAO!”

“oops,,,that should be "remember"”

“MDS hiker.. :: My post is not what you answered.

Everyone else: I don't know.. sounds like it would be so kewl tho.. to have an autographed copy.”

“I thought about picking up the phone and calling him.”

“I am sitting here wondering what it is that people do for a living that allow them to hike the AT 7 times. Must be a helluva job or a great inheritance.”

“I just tried.. that phone number has been disconnected. *pout*”

“chili36: well, he runs a website also.. http://www.trailplace.com/”

“Hahahahahahahahah! He probably had to get an unlisted number! To many people sending him 'corrections' via phone call!”

“I am going to try his email addy: wingfoot@trailplace.com”

“Sorry TD - just trying to say that I like the book.”

“Up until that time, all Center activities had been financed personally by Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce from the sale of his hiking publications and from his personal finances. Specifically, since 1994, all proceeds from the sale of Wingfoot's books (The Thru-hiker's Planning Guide and The Thru-hiker's Handbook) have been directed into the general fund of the Center and have been used to provide services to hikers. This policy will continue.”

“I sent him an email: "If you are in town the weekend of the 9th, it would be great to be able to stop by, meet you, or hike.

We are walking Garenflo Gap to Allen Gap that Saturday and Sunday."


Did you notice that quote from his website?.. "financed personally by Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce from the sale of his hiking publications and from his personal finances."”

“The Center?”

“Yep! Ol' Wingnut his own bad self. To my surprise, I learned that he doesn't care for the 'wingnut' variation of his trailname; personally, I thought it was kinda neat. From subcribing to his AT mailing list, I got the feeling that Mr. Bruce is more the Serious Sort.”

“That would explain why he's been funding The Center.”

“I have an autographed copy of "From Sunrise to Sunset" the guidebook to North Manitou Island.”

“

DAN BRUCE, known in hiking circles simply as "Wingfoot", is the guidebook author widely recognized as the leading expert on A.T. thru-hiking. Since 1985, he has hiked more than 25,000 miles, including seven end-to-end hikes of the Appalachian Trail and numerous long-distance A.T. section hikes.

His 1987 thru-hike, the much-publicized Golden Anniversary Expedition, served as the centerpiece of the Appalachian Trail´s fiftieth anniversary celebration, focusing nationwide attention on the Trail´s value as a recreational treasure for all Americans. That hike is still considered by many to be the best coordinated and most successful effort to build grassroots support for the Trail done by anyone.

In addition to hiking for personal enjoyment, Dan has been tireless in his efforts to serve the A.T. hiking community. Over the past dozen years, he has given more than 50,000 hours of volunteer service to A.T. hikers and Trail organizations, and thousands of hikers from all over the world have benefited from his efforts.

Over the past fifteen years, Dan has spent about half of each year on the Trail on average, taking notes and photos of the footpath itself and its nearby environs, and the rest he spends preparing information to be shared with A.T. hikers. When not hiking and/or writing hiking books, he gives seminars on hiking and backpacking, and, from time to time, serves as a design consultant to manufacturers of backpacking gear, and promotes citizen involvement in the protection of America´s outdoor recreation resources, with special emphasis on protection of Appalachian Trail lands.

Dan presently lives on the Trail in the mountain town of Hot Springs, North Carolina, where he has entertained thousands of thru-hikers and long-distance section hikers who dropped by the Center for Appalachian Trail Studies, for which he established an office there in 1994, and where he writes his best-selling A.T. guidebooks. He also has served as webmaster for this Trailplace.com website since it was introduced online in late 1996.

Wingfoot is one of the most knowledgeble and accessible people in the A.T. community. He welcomes calls from the hiking public almost anytime, and is available to give interviews to magazines, newspapers, and other media by arrangement. You can currently contact him at (828) 622-7601; Monday-Friday, 10am-10pm Eastern Time.”

“You're starting a fan club, aren't you?”

“That last section sounds encouraging.. "He welcomes calls from the hiking public almost anytime, and is available to give interviews to magazines, newspapers, and other media by arrangement."”

“I had the phone number wrong!”

“I left him a phone message. Wouldn't it be awesome to hang out with him awhile?

(Rad will like this -- 'wonder if he drinks natty?')”

“Wing foot does a good job for through hikers. He has a website and allows very little deviation from subjects on hiking the AT.
He is a pretty serious sort, wouldn't tolerate the thread degeneration that goes on here. Certainly no campfire chat...”

“skully: "THE CENTER for Appalachian Trail Studies is a specialty publishing house and information clearinghouse founded in 1993 by Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce to serve the hiking public. From the start, our number-one priority has been helping other Appalachian Trail users, from beginner novice to the very experienced, enjoy their time on the Trail as much as we have, but in their own way, not ours. You´ll see that priority reflected throughout this website. Two things set us apart from other A.T. service organizations. First, our staff (me!) and volunteers are all veteran Appalachian Trail hikers with years of experience, which means that we think first and foremost like hikers. Second, all of our energies and resources are devoted to providing and developing user-friendly interpretive publications and services that satisfy the needs of A.T. hikers. In addition to publications, the Center offers a wide range of specialized hiking services as outlined elsewhere in this page. The work of the Center, including our online services, is supported entirely by proceeds from the sale of our guidebooks, and by occasional donations from the A.T. hiking public and users of this website. All proceeds from book sales and all donations go directly to things that serve the hiking public."”

“So you have met him? *panting like a lil puppy doggie*”

“Sure, that's what they'd like you to think.”

“fan club?.. hehe..”

“If all of the proceeds of the guides go to the center, I still have to wonder what "wingfoot" does for a living.”

“Uphill Klimber - the forum at Trailplace is no more so WF no longer has to moderate it and has more time for other things - ie Mr. Bruce got pissed and shut it down”

“Wingfoot IS the center for appalachian trail studies.

Yes TD he does talk to folks who stop by when he isn't busy. But being a one man show I don't see how he couldn't be busy. I have met several people on the trail who have met him.

I've emailed him before and he has always been helpful.

Like anyone he has his fans and detractors. Bottom line is the dude has devoted his life to the AT and has my respect.”

“chili, he writes AT guides for a living.”

“This only my opinion based on dealing him at Trailplace whent he forums were open to everyone:

I find highly acomplished hikers such as WF and Ray Jay to have that certain little something that comes after a great deal of work, time and acomplishment. Doctors usually have it when they get out of med school. Profs sometimes have it also. What is it?










A big fat frickin' ego that is more frgile than an egg.

[We now return you to WF's fan club meeting already in progress]”

“I have heard that too Nigal but I never met the guy in person so I can't say.

But yeah, some of his posts were pretty heavy handed now that I think of it. It's been awhile since I was on his forums.”

“My first multi-night BPing trip in a long time was on the AT a couple of years ago. It was solo and I did not know any experianced BPers. I got a lot of very helpful information from the Trailplace.com section hike forum. Found a good shuttle service, etc. So I guess I owe Wingfoot a debt of graditude. He was a pretty heavy handed moderator, but it's his website. He has closed the forums. Seems he didn't feel that the thru hikers that were helped, returned the favor by posting on the forum.
Now I have Trail Talk to get my info.”

“Not to deviate from the subject but is Matt a respected member of the hiking community like Wingfoot I would consider this site a lot more useful in all things hiking related compared to Trailplace”

“Last I heard, Dan was moving to Atlanta. Sorry TD. Still, Hot Springs is a nice town.”

“Don't get me wrong, I got a huge amount of info from the poster at his site before he made it tru-hiker-only and anyone could get in and pick each others brains. It was his megalomaniacal moderating that showed his fragile side. And my personal opinions could do nothing to take away from his hiking achievments...he earned that much.”

“Well, Matt is respected member of THIS hiking community IMHO.

I do get more info here than anywhere I've been lately.”

“" ... some of his posts were pretty heavy handed ..."

humanpackmule
12:24:51 PM
01/15/02

ya but... if YOU did the AT several times.. wouldn't you tend to be a little.. uMmm.. SURE of your opinions?”

“I suppose, but I try not to be.”

“FYI: I don't know if Matt even hikes.. but if I ever met him, I would take him to the best steak house in town and buy him and his financee dinner.”

“oh.. I agree HPM.. I do my best to treat EVERYone the way i want to be treated.. but yet.. you have heard even me (shiver) bash a few folks (translated -- idiots) once or twice.”

“"Over the past dozen years, he has given more than 50,000 hours of volunteer service to A.T. hikers and Trail organizations, and thousands of hikers from all over the world have benefited from his efforts. "

Thats over 4100 hours per year. Considering there are 2000 hrs. in a typical work year, that sounds strange. 80 hrs a week of volunteer work?”

“Maybe that's a dozen like people mean 2-3 when they say a 'couple'??”

“he must be like your personal jesus or something, huh?”

“I think Naked Ape met him on the AT.”