Trail Talk Guest Book

“hollerin atcha from the shadow of gsmnp...pulled the plug on the nashvl music biz and finally got built over here; still pickin a little-miss that moo-sick city sometimes but having these hills all around puts the cure on that”

“hollerin atcha from the shadow of gsmnp...pulled the plug on the nashvl music biz and finally got built over here; still pickin a little-miss that moo-sick city sometimes but having these hills all around puts the cure on that”

“wingding because my last name is wing and wingding is a childhood nickname. I'm 41, live in Redlands, CA (Southern Calif), grew up in the Albany area of New York, have been a single parent for a little over 16 years (since the day he popped out), found hiking and backpacking a couple years ago when the kid told me to get a life of my own. I'm really glad he did that because the last couple years of adventures on the trail with some really interesting people have been great.”

“Hi! First off, my name is Bill. Second, there's no second. This is who I am. I am 36 years of age. I was born ON Zuma Beach on the Southern California coast. I have and will leave work mid-afternoon to see a movie. Once chased a bear for stealing my cheetos. I have a female black lab named Zeke. All my previous pets were named Zeke. Have not come across a cookie I wouldn't eat. Favorite movies: Forrest Gump, Dances w/ Wolves, and Dumb&Dumber, in that order. I swear I saw a UFO once. I ruptured my appendix and spent the next 21 days in intensive care. Did a backflip of a diving board and landed on the patio breaking my humurous and cheekbone. Put tweezers in a socket because I was curious. I've tried cow-tipping, it doesn't work! Chunky Monkey is my fav. I was a two year old drowning victim but resuscitated by a 11 year old jamaican kid. I picked 5/6 lotto numbers & won $1300. I'd rather drive than fly. I win 86% of the time on Trivia Pursuit Online. I fight the urge to spit from high objects and usually lose. I can never remember jokes. I'm not PC. I'm tired of dotcoms, IPO's, & gajillionaires. I can't stand those glasses all the techie people wear. You know the glasses I'm talking about. I wait at crosswalks but yet jaywalk. I've shotgunned beers with Jeff Kent, Roger McDowell, and Billy Martin. I notice people are afraid of eye contact. Patriotic songs move me. Some TV theme songs move me. I'm amazed at what kids say. I smile when I see an elderly couple. Someday I'll bike across the US. I don't own a bike. I'm kayacking the Ol' Miss on my 40th B-day. I think wine tasters are pretentious. I'll go wine tasting again. I fell through a ceiling during a building inspection. I backed my two day old truck off a bridge. I carry on conversations w/ myself and then get confused trying to remember if it was with someone else. I like shiny objects. Seagulls poop on me. Apparently, I lack wisdom teeth. I have many aspirations & a few regrets. Within a span of 3 months, I was a passenger in 5 head-on collisions. I'm arachnophobic but yet I've wrestled a gator. I expell my drink out my nose when laughing. Martha Stewart has some cool ideas. I stuck my arm, shoulder deep, up many a cows ass. My old man is a dead ringer for Phil Donahue. I've been told I look like Mike Piazza, Randy White, John Travolta, Jim Burt, and Timothy Dalton. I think some folks have too much of a vivid imagination. I like driving in heavy fog. I like real breasts. Twins are spooky. Midgets even spookier. I sat out an Oklahoma tornado with four dogs in a storm cellar by myself at the age of 8. I'm not afraid to ask directions. I'm a geologist. I subscribe to Smithsonian, Field & Stream, and Newsweek. I own one suit. I date one woman at a time. I found a human skeleton in Mojave desert and never told anyone about it. I am my own boss. I've seen Valerie Bertinelli's boobies. I geocache without a gps'r. Every job interview I've had I've come out with the job. I duck hunt during the winter. I downed my first duck ever with a .22 pistol. I've treated my body, my friends, and my family badly over the years and yet they're still with me.

I think I'm the luckiest guy alive!”

“I`m 49 years young and acting more like a kid every day live!

Oh, I live in South West Arkansas.

I spent the better part of my youth being called Wild-Bill,...don`t have a clue why!:) then my so-called friends hung the nick Big Foot on me because they say I`m the wildest thing that walks the woods.”

“When asked if I've ever been married (I get that a lot, dunno why), my response is "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away". I love plays on words, wit and witticisms, and most types of sweets... hence, the moniker.

I'm 49, but think 29 (that was a good age), mature in perspective, adolescent in energy, single for 22+ years - SO FAR - and live in the beautiful Napa Valley wine country, just an hour north of San Francisco, with my female Golden Retriever, Tucker, who's 10 years old, and FINALLY understands everything I say!?

I love the outdoors, but am relatively new to backpacking, having started only a few years ago. Before then, and now, again, I'm enjoying solo tours around the state on my new Kawasaki Nomad. It's very much like the HD Road King I had (sold that to get serious into backpacking for a few years), but a lot less expensive. This motorcycling thing really grabbed me, and has been the most fun I ever had with all my clothes on! My first year - to the day - on that Road King saw 24,000+ miles, and been to Sturgis twice! Backpacking takes spot no. 2, and I've become a gear nut, constantly searching for ways to lighten the load, and still stay within my comfort zone. Both hobbies (I DO have others) seem to compliment one another, for the compactness of both allow me to travel by motorcycle for 2+ weeks with everything I need packed with me, and that focus has helpmed me greatly in minimizing weight on the trail.

I don't get in here as much as I used to, and I won't go into why, but I find an occasionally interesting thread, and will keep lurking to make sure I miss nothing of value.

To my TT friends: Stay in touch... I hope to meet many, many more of you than I have!”

“My name is Kel. I've been on every continent except antarctica. I'm 32 years old. I wear the glasses that pantscandy hates. I will eat pretty much anything besides liver. I love spicy food. My wife is German. I'm not. I work three days a week, 12-hour days. I once ate a pickled chicken embryo in the Philippines. I love football. I hate soccer. I played pool with Charles Bukowski. I was awarded the Kuwait Liberation Medal. I like people who don't give a damn. I give a damn. Someone once told me that the instant you stop learning, life is over. Dead people know what it means to be dead. I don't. My first solo overnight hike was when I was eight. I believe in fate, karma, and the one-ness of all beings. That said, I'll step on a snail, eat a cow, and support labratory testing on animals. Humans are my team. Go team.”

“Kodiakman reporting for duty. My name is Brian I live in Alaska but will be moving to North Dakota in Sept 02. Im a staff seargent in the Air Force and also going to college for Biology. I like to hike, mountain bike, kayak, fish, and hunt. I like to have a few beers. Sometimes more then a few. No one is perfect:). I'm 25 years old. I feel so cheap with this post. It is like im selling myself off. But if there is a little hottie out there that wants me let me know:).”

“Street name is Kim, 47 yrs. old, still hiking under my own power. Sometimes get a assist from a llama. 3 time llama Rama survivor.
Fourth generation San Diego boy. Married 18 years (this time)to a great lady.Two grown daughters.

Hooked up with this crowd 3years back.Hiked with some, like to get togethter with most, thank GOD I won't have to hike with some.

Didjfan”

“My name is Ken, 37 yrs old, married 14 yrs, 2 homeschooled sons, 12 & almost 5. I just moved to Wyoming(Casper)last year from Tulsa. Nice to be out of the South and the big city. Got back into BPing bout 4 yrs ago when I talked Strat into taking a trip with our oldest boys on the Buffalo River Trail in Arkansas. Been gettin out as much as possible since. ASM in my oldest sons BSA Troop, which is always a good excuse to go camping. The name garfum doesn't mean anything, its just a made up word that refers to nonsensical mumblings from my days of yore. After lurking on this site for a while, it seemed like an appropriate theme name.”

“My name is Rick. I'm 44 years old. I love hiking in the mountains of South Carolina and western North Carolina. I also love golf and archery. I resently retired as a professional archer (I'm glad I didn't give up my day job to be a pro archer).”

“Nelson my name is nelson and it means I am a champion. lol. Started hiking and twisting ballons 4 years ago. 16”

“Pamster here. Bet you can't guess my name. Forty something. Married my best friend and best hiking partner, Tightwad Bob err Honey for twenty some odd years. We have two young adult kids, 24 and 19. Four dogs (yes jerbear, we now have 4!!) and one very upity cat. Been a TT irregular for several years (haven't been posting much lately). Live in central NC. Beach and mountains available easily. Love to kayak, backpack and learning to like carcamping out of neccessity. For those of you who don't know, I AM the Jello Queen!

Oh yeah, I think I'm developing a crush on Pantscandy;-)”

“And I can't spell!”

“Use my first name as my trail name to simplify my life. Loved camping and backpacking since I was a Boy Scout, but really got into backpacking when my son became a Boy Scout. Went to Philmont in 1993. I've been on three llama trips and had a blast on each one. Forest Service Volunteer in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. Love to fish for trout in mountain lakes. Love outdoor cooking: grilling, smoking, and Dutch oven. Love to swap recipes.

Born and raised in the LA area, but lived in Michigan and Indiana during college. 52, Married for 28 years with 4 kids. Worked for GM in engineering until "downsized" in 1982. Professor at one of our state universities the last 20 years. Live 7 miles NE of Disneyland. Annual pass holder at Disneyland since 1989. Won a free car (GEO Tracker) there in 1990.”

“Hi, I'm lizs AKA Lisa. (Don't most of you know that??) Been on TT since early '98 or so. Still have only done overnight backpacks... I NEED TO CHANGE THAT!! So still kind of a newbie... with a big mouth on TT!! LOL!

I live in NE Iowa, work here and in Minnie-Soda. Enjoy the outdoors (duh!) Would like to write an entry like Pantscandy, but seem to my words like that are all used up on news articles (and moronic TT posts) each week. hehhe

Married 81-88. Divorced FOREVER!! No kids, just cats. Men?? Who needs'em??!?!? Well, OK, I might be taking applications for CABANA BOY. ;-) (With Pamster's approval, that is!)

I'm 43 and think I'm 23. I hike, mountain bike, camp and like to sit in cool streams on putrid hot and humid summer days. In the winter, I play volleyball and wallyball. Oh yeah, geocaching is a new excuse to get myself outdoors. (Unlike Pantscandy, I suck at finding caches without a GPS.)

Another hobby is photography. Yup, lotsa breaks on those hikes and bike rides to take "pretty shots." (Just won a couple little recognitions for those "pretty shots," too. COOL!!)

This past year I've had a chance to do more traveling. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE TRAVELING! LOVE RED ROCKS, MOUNTAINS.... And am even adapting to and liking cities. Ohmygawd, what has happened to me?!?

I talk to Big Foot waaaaaaaay too much... and am waiting to meet Chili at a Cubs game, Obi at Sturgis, Steve Hiker at my door with a Pepsi, and bacpac somewhere, returning the panties he stole (LMFAO). Oh yeah, and Omahiker at my local pizza pub.

(Did I mention I curse like a sailor??)

That's MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

“WOW, and I'm incoherent sometimes, too!!! LMAO!”

“Here we go.I am 30 years old I love backpacking,drums,disc golf,music,cigars,my girlfriend who by the way ROCKS!!!!!,my backpacking and hiking club,drinking,being with my friends,my lawn,my dog.

Places I love to backpacking at.

Hoosier National Forest
Manistee National Forest
The North Country Trail
The Ice Age Trail
Sleeping Bear Dunes

Posting messages here on TT.

Meeting all you cool hip catz on the Montana Trip!!!!!

I hope I did not leave anything out.

8)”

“pepperDog - 45 for a few more weeks. I live in Central California. Spend most of my spare time with my 3 dogs, Delta, Pepper and Ticha (when not serving as a minor cog in the local city building department). Try to get out a couple of times a year. Met a few TT'ers on last years llama trip and look forward to meeting more in Montana next weekend (I guess I should start looking at my gear for that.....)”

“David - 45. Married once (lived with her 17 years). I own a house in Camridge MA and live with one dog, one housemate and my two sons (one is here full time, the other 1/2 time).

I'm a happy camper lately, because I've been able to get out bakcpacking a lot lately. So far its been just two and three day trips, but I'm hoping to squeeze in a long trek before summer is out.”

“my name is abuel nughatti......not really, i just made that up. ok, it's brad. i live in NWark with my wife of 17 yrs and 3 boys(4, 8, 10), and buckshot the dalmation. i am 37(OMG). i am a maintenance tech for a fast food chain & cover 21 stores in 4 states. i play lead guitar(a strat-o-caster of course{good picture of her on phil's photo page}) for a rock-blues band(Group Therapy) and go hiking and/or camping if there's any time left over. I've always been fascinated with the natural world and was probably some sort of bacteria in my previous life. my turn on's are macremae, fold-up furniture and condenced sweetened milk in those little cans. my favorite color is muave.


ps.....i really talked garfum into going hiking, i just let him think he talked me into it. he fell right into my trap.......little did i know of the monster i was creating.”

“Josh-
40 years old this year
Married-
I have two girl children who fear nothing.
Grew up an Army brat & lived everywhere.
I once used a urinal next to Conway Twitty and have never seen Valerie Van Halen's breasts-I saw her old mans at a concert once .”

“AKA Jeff
I live in northern Alabama. 38 for a few more months. Grew up hiking and hunting. I live near the Sipsey Wilderness and hike there as often as possible. I like to travel and hunt. I Elk and mule deer hunt in Colorado. I have hunted in Colorado, Idaho, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan and plan on bear hunting in Maine this August. My hunting is more like backpacking with a rifle.
I have been married for 17 years with 2 kids. The girl is 13 and the boy is 10. The boy has been hiking with me now for about 5 years. I am also the Cubmaster for a pack of young boys. I take them hiking fairly often. I have been on this board for about 3-4 years and have saw many come and go. I have met a few from here and have made many friends. When I went on my first trip with folks from this board It wasn't like meeting strangers for the first time, It was more like a gathering of old friends.
About 6 years ago I got arthritis and thought I was done for. I got on some medication and have learned to control it. I realized what I had been taking for granted. I now hike for the enjoyment of it. I like to see what is around me. I went back to some of the places I went to as a youth. Its funny how much you miss if you are not looking for it. I have found many exciting places I overlooked in the past.
I work as a maintenance guy for a manufacturing plant. I am an electrician by trade but enjoy doing all the aspects of maintenance work.
I got my trail name from my accent. Those that have heard my southern draw know what I mean. I have been places and after speaking someone will say "what part of Alabama are you from"

BAMA”

“Hey, I missed this while I was on a binge in South Florida.

Chili36...Tennessee and North Carolina State Chili Champion.

As soon as I was divorced, The Walker brothers (Red and Black) convinced me to get a chili pepper tattoo. I was 36 at the time. On the 8th of August, I turn 40. No telling what I will do on that event.

Father of two children, 12 y/o young man and 7 y/o daddy's baby girl.

Former Criminal Defense Lawyer. Reformed. Now serve as Operational Director for a Division of a Fortune 500 Company.

From Lower Alabama and proud of it, however, my blood does run Orange.”

“Chili: "On the 8th of August, I turn 40. No telling what I will do on that event."

Do what I'm going to do on my 59th birthday, go hiking. As long as you're hiking, you're not dead yet!”

“I have to be in Cincy to meet with a client during that week geo. Staying through the weekend for my family reunion. But I do agree with you, time on the trail does make one feel more alive.”

“Well they call me Grunt 29 born and raised in South Western Virginia. I lived so far in the woods we went towards town to hunt. Have been hiking since I could walk spent my first solo over night at age 9, alone in the woods about a mile form anyone. Love the out doors so much at the age of 17 I joined the army hence the name but decided I wonted to hike my own hike and left when the tour was up. I am very dyslexia but managed to get an engineering degree anyway. I am married for 2 years to my best friend and hiking partner. I have not hikes in two years since I moves to flat land hell west Tennessee. At my last job I crossed the AT to get to work (what was I thinking). I have been on TT on and off since before the first ECT.
Well that’s about I got to say about that.”

“twigeater, 42, love the outdoors, the coast, the seasons, the weather, all that good stuff, and the beautiful state of Maine in which I was fortunate enough to be born. Baxter State park is my favorite place on earth, but I also spend time exploring the rest of Maine, Canada, and NH. I bike, hike, kayak, backpack, camp, etc.

I’ve got two backpacking trips in Baxter coming up if anyone’s interested. Jerbear came with me last year and he returned alive…

~ Melissa”

“27, male, born and raised in Ireland. Moved to NY like twelve years ago. Still don't know why, but I joined the army after high school, which is when I got into backpacking (With army buddies, on weekends, not enforced by uncle sam. He sucks at arranging hikes.) I work in an alternative high school in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, down in the boiler room of a building that's over a hundred years old. In my spare time, I like to throw small things at other small things in an attempt to hit them. And I play the drums. Nice to meet you all.”

“I've only been on this board for a week and have pretty much lurked around the edges so far. Brooks is my middle name. I'm 23 and living in LA for the moment. I've slowly migrated west, starting out in DC, moving to the south side of Chicago for school at UofC and am now in LA. I've been hiking in the mid-atlantic, Colorado, Wisconsin and different parts of California as well as Tasmania and Australia proper. Now I seem to be doing a lot more desert hiking than I would like, but its the curse of LA. So far I've managed not to get grilled on this board, either because no one has noticed me, or because I didn't ask a string of annoying questions on posts about a serious hike that showed I didn't know what I was getting into. Regardless, I'd like to keep it that way.”

“Chili... No Comment, LOL


Was Jerbear the same coming out of Baxter as he was going in? <G>
What I saw of Maine (around Mt Desert Island) was quite striking.

Hiya, Grunt!

Welcome to the nut-house, Brooks! At least you didn't fall into the all-too-common routine of reading a few of these RUDE threads, posting "You all suck! I'm leaving Trail Talk!" (and then not leave, LOL).



Another Drummer?

Well, pog ma hoin!”

“i'm rad-a-licious!”

“I dunno Tilt, but we did hit some of the best backcountry spots BSP has. And then there was Isle au Haut...”

“Some of those wacked-out Folkies who were instrumental in my early development used to sing a song about Isle au Haut...

I really got a kick out of those island trip reports. Were those yours, or am I manifesting a 'brain cloud'? <G>”

“Just don't go tossing yourself into a volcano.

However, should you meet up with Meg Ryan, I understand she's unattached at the moment...”

“Hey now, what did i say about posting on this thread... one post and one post only, this is the guest book, not a social gathering, do your talking elsewhere, someone has to regulate this, some of you are going on 5 posts, i know this is my 3rd, but i have to be a regulator for all you childish troublemakers.”

“oops! Sorry.”

“You know, I think somebody working on a doctorate in Psychology could put together their dissertation on "The Transformation of Simer190".

Sick 'em killer.”

“Did you hear that, Arc? He said "regulation"!”

“may i ask what i did this time?”

“I just surf..pound nails during the week... and do different hikes along the coast or just do Kalalau
every few months....to get away from the tourist....anyone born in the mid 1940's here?? Hello??Hello?”

“You surf?

What are you doing here?

8|”

“new to trail talk ~2 months or so
olde to backpacking ~26 years but a couple of those years (only two that I can remember) I did not backpack and those was sad years.....sniff
In my waking dream I am named Linda, a middle aged woman of 44 years (who acts like she is 25 some of the time according to my 25 year old friend who is the daughter of one of my friends) and I have lived most of them in Oregon but I am a third generation Californian born in Torrance, CA and so far single (rather be alone than with the wrong person) and childfree but I was a great "Aunt Linda" and friend to many small folks and animals along the way

First ever backpack trip was when I was 19 years old and it was with my buddy Beth, also 19 and she was determined to get up to the mountains. I followed her up. We went into the Obsidian Lakes area of 3 Sisters and I was hooked. I had worked all summer to save up for my first sleeping bag $70 (this was Oregon in the late 1970s and I was in college) and a boyfriend gave me his cast off mountaineer's backpack (with no hip belt! only a stablizer strap)
I had work boots to hike in but Beth had a tent, stove and we went there and did our first overnighter. I was hooked on the grandeur of the high country and like I said we went most every summer over the years. Just two girls out for adventure. Most of my backpacking trips have been with just one other human and these last two years I have done five day trips solo and really love the solitude.

I have been enjoying these TT words of the slightly bent people who post on this forum and look forward to meeting some of you some day. I actually did meet someone over the Internet and then did a backpack trip with him without ever having met face to face and it was great. Three (or was it four?) years ago I was wild to get into the Eagle Cap again and could not find a single person who was free to accompany me. We planned everything over the phone and through email and we had a great trip through the wilderness because we had two cars and so we did a shuttle. Uh, sorry I am getting too wordy here. Bye! Oh, by the way you all rock!!!!
CMB and Evergreen, you are an inspiration item! Love rules!”

“Scabby Pete - used to be Oldie

My name is Aaron, 24. My home base is near Duluth Minnesota, though that is just where my taxes and credit card bills are sent (d'oh!). After the end of this summer I am putting up my sails and hitting the road. I will most likely end up in Seattle for a couple months, then who knows where I'll be. If I can land a job abroad or on a freighter that would be great.

My backpacking experience is relatively limited since time and money (I hate the stuff and it hates me.). I'm spending this summer as a wilderness canoe guide in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and am having a pretty good time. Perhaps once I establish myself a little bit more in real life I'll have more opportunities to backpack.

I'M A HIPPIE! I'm the idealist of idealists. I believe in a utopia. I'm a commie bastard and if I could run everything I'd get it right. HA! *settling down and relaxing now*

Peace and wisdom to you all.

SP”

“I'm new to backpacking.I live in Northern Indiana.34 years young.Indiana is a little flat.But Shades State Park in Southern Indiana is Beautiful.
The Three Things I Love the Most:
-Jesus-
-My Kids-
-Backpacking-”

“Welcome! Draw up a chair and sit a spell. This crowd can, at first blush, appear to be rude, crude and mean.

However, once you have the opportunity to share the trail with them, you will get to see the wonders of split personalities. Even the toughest hombres on here turn into real backpackers when they strap on their gear.

They will fight all day, make nasty comments as they go, leave outlandish posts on the board; then turn around and send you maps and gear without expecting much in return.

They are vocal in their beliefs, yet passionate about the outdoors. They vent their anger publically, and you never have to worry about where someone stands on any position.

They squabble among themselves, then come together in times on need. They will plan a trip; invite people they have never met; arrange the shuttles and accomodations; share their gear and goods; and develop lifelong friendships. All because of the common ground we all share.......

A love for the trail and a longing for the inner peace that is best found in the backcountry.

So jump in! You don't have to be afraid of offending anyone. You don't ever have to worry that your position is unpopular. You don't have to be concerned about inexperience. And above all, you can rest assured that you will be welcome.”

“Chili, you just made us sound like a family. I don't know if that's a good thing, lol!”

“Treebait, I'm just calling it the way I see it.”

“Ah... "bent not twisted." Yes, I remember the 70s (sortof).



Chili, I think I'm gonna puke, LOL”

“Awww, Chili, I thought it was sweet. Slightly full of crap, but sweet. :)”