Thru-hiker down on his luck

“Hey y'all,
I'm thru-hiking the A.T. Southbound and was wondering if any of you good people care to host(shower, night's stay) me on my journey. I'm currently in Hanover, N.H. The guy I started with was funding the trip, but I haven't seen him since Gorham, N.H. I guess he bailed and abandoned me here. I'm not looking for pity, just a little trail magic to help me get to Georgia. I've already experienced a lot of trail Love and figured you would be the guys to turn to.”

“I'm in Philly, about two hours off the trail. If you don't get something better in the meantime, give me a shout when you get down this way. Click on my name for the email addy.”

“Gee, thanks Geobeet, but you are so far off the trail, I wouldn't ask you to do that. You, however, confirm my belief that hiker folk are the greatest folk anywhere!”

“See what happens. I could zip up on a Saturday, pick you up, and deposit you back the next day. I've been known to head up there for day hikes.”

“Of course, if you bet a better offer, take it.”

“Thanks, again. I'll take you up on it if all else fails. Much appreciated. Sincerely.”

“When you get to the Southeast, give us another shout out...”

“I am in NY
I guess about 1 hour away from bear mountain
Be happy to help you how ever i can.”

“Thank you all!! I'll keep checking the thread as often as possible. And, don't be surprised when I call!
Love, Landsquid”

“If you make it to Damascus, Va. I'll buy you burgers and beers at Dot's.”

“Dang, let's all head down to Damascus. That's too good an offer to pass up!”

“I missed Dot's in Damascus. Whereabouts is it, LoneWolf?”

“As you head north out of town on the AT it's on the left next to the APPCO gas station,”

“That'd be funny if every weekend until Christmas someone claiming to be landsquid drops by Damascus and hits Lonewolf up for titties and beer. Ooops, I meant burgers and beer. (Dang FZ reference surfaced again)”

“Whoo hoo! You can type titties, but not #&%!$.”

“No titties bar in Damascus YET. I'm runnin for vice mayor. I'll be in charge of all vice. Gambling, prostitution, strip joints, etc.”

“I've driven past it but not hiked past it then.”

“Hmmm, Damascus could become a happening place!”

“Thanks, everyone...
I'll check in again when I get to Mass. in about a week.
Land Squid”

“Good luck!


8)

Have happy feet!”

“I got eleventy teets.”

“Sorry, you don't get a lot of sympathy from me. Why were you depending on a friend to finance you on this adventure? Why not stop, get a job, and then hike the trail when you can afford to do it without begging from strangers. It's not trail magic when you've got your hand out.”

“Damn Ginny your sure a stodgy #&%!$ :(”

“ginny - you're mean”

“Dearest Ginny,
I don't know if you're playing "devil's advocate" or perhaps you're just being true to your nature. However, I've spent 4 days in Hanover working in the extremely Grungy job of assisting the sanitation dept. with vacuuming #&%!$ from port o'lets. And, will continue to do whatever temporary work I can get all the way to Georgia. So, thanks so much for your advice.
As for my friend, I came to the trail this year (instead of 2004 when I'd planned) because he is/was? amy best friend of 20 years, and he didn't feel he could go it alone. I've found, along my way, that if the world was made up of 99% of the hikers I've met on the trail the world would be a beautiful place...You are obviously in the other 1%. I shall say no more on the subject. Again, thanks to the other 99% for your generous offers and good wishes.”

“Have you found out what happened to your friend and why he bailed on you?

Please post when you get close to PA. There are a few of us who live close to the north section. You just might need a break from good ole Rocksylvania.”

“i'm sorry for your situation. but maybe the best thing to do is bail this time around, head home, and try some other year with better planning, partner, and resources. winter is fast approaching and you're still in NH, not good prospects for finishing the AT.

maybe you should stay in hanover for the winter and continue in the spring. it'll give you some time to save some money.

it's a massive undertaking when your partner who's funding the trip, also abandoned you. maybe you should reconsider continuing on the trail now.

otherwise, good luck. there are people in PA to help you.”

“Naw. Keep going. You're past the hard stuff.Hanover will suck your money dry.”

“Pennsy, he posted the situation early in the thread. If you pull up the entire thread you'll see it.”

“Was your friend's name John by chance?”

“I don't see what's so bad about what Ginny said.”

“eastern TT'ers ROCK!!!

I was in Zion a few years ago, and encountered a group of young hikers at the top of Angel's Landing. One dude said to me, "Those that climb up here are a better breed of people". I looked at him in wonder that such a young person could have such a profound thought.

I would agree, squid, that more backpackers would make a better world...hike on and enjoy!!!

and for you Ginny...go bite yourself...he didn't ask for money or food, just a shower and a nights rest...hope you never are in need, and if you are, that you have a resource like TT to call on.

sheesh...may you never get a flat tire on your hiking boots one day.”

“I think ginny's bigger point is not that someone needed a shower or nights sleep and were in a tight, we'd all help out there, but rather a 5 month trip totally dependant on the help.”

“I've had many people help me along the way, met some wonderful trail angels and been very grateful for the kindness of strangers. There are many good people out there. I've also done a certain amount of payback, in gratitude for that kindness. Difference is, I didn't expect it or ask for it. It's one thing to accept a cookie or a beer from a stranger, or to ask for help when you're injured, have had your pack stolen, or are in real need. But I've run into a lot of folks lately who want to do a long hike, but aren't willing to do what it takes to get out there. They are looking for a free ride - someone else to foot the bill, take care of their physical and emotional needs. While hiking, they ask other hikers to give them food (sometimes by acting pitiful, sometimes by just asking), expect richer hikers to front them to a beer or pizza in town, clean out the hiker boxes so that noone else gets any goodies -- they don't get my sympathy. I don't like it when people EXPECT magic - that's not magic, that's begging, or arrogance. For most of us, doing a long hike takes some planning, some sacrifice. We choose to work and save our money so we can do what we love to do. I know hikers who do minimum wage jobs, living in utmost simplicity, so they can go hiking each summer. Most of us don't expect handouts from strangers. But there are always a few who say, "I want to go play on the trail for a few months, how can I get someone else to pay for it?" I have no sympathy for leeches. Hard hearted, maybe. But that kind of mooching gives the entire hiking community a bad name.”

“I must be blind Geo cuz I don't see it. On the 1st post he says "I guess he bailed and abandoned me here." I'm just curious if he heard from him and why he bailed.

LOL @ BoBo!”

“Okay, I remembered him saying his partner bailed. No telling what went on.”

“It doesn't hurt the trail community if someone asks for a nights stay and a hot shower.

On the other hand it might turn people off if they get the impression that the "trail community" is made up of people who are just as uptight as regular people....”

“I am with Ginny and Dayhiker on this.

A 5 month mooch.

For the math there have been 18 separate responders or 16.6% in the bah humbug camp not 1% as assumed by Landsquid.

I see getting sponsored for a trip as being outlandishly lucky.
I do not see losing the free ride as qualifying for the post title "down on his luck", just your super lucky streak ran out.

All the best for your hike, hope you make it, but it is YOUR hike, not mine, not ours.”

“For the math, 18 people doesn't make a representative sample with squat mathmatically speaking....”

“Let me rephrase,

18 people is not a representative sample of the "trail community".”

“Correct, but I notice you had no problem with Landsquid referring to Ginny as 1%.

Perhaps we can revisit the numbers when there are 1000 posts on this thread.”

“I'm just pissy because of other threads...not a good day. lots of emotion and TT anger. so sorry.”

“Based on just a few sentences by landsquid, I think a few of you might be jumping to conclusions, which is easy to do from an internet post. I just don't see how asking for a simple hot shower now and then gets one labelled as a 5 month mooch. Maybe he is and maybe he isn't, but I'm willing to take the risk and give him the benefit of the doubt. Shoot, he even posted that he's working to make ends meet.

Perhaps he should have rephrased his post, in particular the subject line about being down on his luck. He doesn't appear to be down on his luck, but rather got a bad break and doing the best he can to continue a wonderful adventure. Good luck landsquid and remember that you got friends in Pennsylvania (that was a slogan on our license plates a few years I ago I think).”

“I have met some of the ppl that Ginny has met and I agree with her that they give us all a bad rap with the begging. However I think she is over re-acting in this case by not reading all of the posts. L S is doing what anyone would do ask for assistance, work $H!tY jobs, and find a way to complete the trail.”

“If you're in town eating pizza, are you really doing a thru hike?

I guess I'd prefer a trail a little further from civilization than the AT is. I'm spoiled living so close to the Sierra Nevada.”

“I had no idea this would turn into a "political" squabble. The fact is, no, I didn't give you the whole story. I did not actually believe it was needed. All I put out ther was, perhaps a fellow hiker would like to help with a hot shower and a night off the trail. When I'm talking about 200 other nights on the trail, I don't believe that is "begging" or "mooching". I will not ask for food or a handout. I don't NEED
that. I've spent my days in town camping and eating Ramen as I normally do. No pizzas, no beer, etc.. So please, do not put words in my mouth. One shouldn't judge me unless he's heard the whole
tale, which I have spared you. I really wouldn't be defending or explaining myself to the likes of Ginny, but I do it for you others who haven't been so judgemental. I've made notes of the kind people who offered to let me visit them, but I WILL NOT RETURN TO THIS SITE.
So please, spare everyone the pedantic platitudes and let it go.
And please remember the three treasures:
Be kind to all people and all living organisms, be thrifty, and be humble. Being kind encourages one to be brave. Being thrifty allows one to be liberal. Being humble allows one to be a vessel of the highest honor. Regular people shun kindness, while being brave. Regular people forget thriftiness while being liberal. Regular people shun humility while seeking to be the foremost.”

“........."but I WILL NOT RETURN TO THIS SITE........."


another satified customer!”

“"Being thrifty allows one to be liberal."

Thrifty is conservative.

Is Landsquid suggesting that liberals are conservatives ??

Then the clarification.
"Regular people forget thriftiness while being liberal"

So it follows that if you are thrifty you are either: an irregular liberal, or a conservative.

OK Conservative, but what the heck is an irregular liberal.”

“A liberal who needs more fiber.”

“I really don't want to get into this. But, I really want to know how one goes about posting every day on a thru hike? Satellite connection?

You are welcome to shower here when you get to CT.”