“Me, probably around 6 years or so.”

“Right about six years for me >:^P”

“Can I join the watermelon head cult? I missed my ride with my last one. Maybe I can get some use out of this purple robe and white Nikes.”

“Look for the mother ship.”

“I thought this was the mother ship.”

“Ha! Ice tea was posting before there waas anyone else around to read his posts!”

“this is the only one i can remeber...its pretty funny to go back and read and see how green i was...

stove question”

“I was funny to read how green you were after the ferry ride!”

“shut up Tom before I ralph all over you!!”

“I found this site sometime in the summer of 98. I got a lot of help here then, I was a novice backpacker. Tea wasn't posting at that time, perhaps he was lurking. I remember when he started posting and we gave him a lot of grief about spelling and his age.
Birch was... someone else? I think. sierramel was a frequent poster.”

“Aaawwww, shucks >:^P~~~~~~~~~~”

“Yeah, I think Birch was Aspen until he found out that aspen was a punk tree :O”

“"The watermelon head cult! Long live NIGAL!!"

Least I ain't got hair nipples [ref: Iawonain thread]. Oh wait...I DO TOO!”

“"The watermelon head cult! Long live NIGAL!!"

Least I ain't got hair nipples [ref: Iawonain thread]. Oh wait...I DO TOO!”

“"The watermelon head cult! Long live NIGAL!!"

Least I ain't got hair nipples [ref: Iawonain thread]. Oh wait...I DO TOO!”

“Birch was Birch when he first started posting, then switched to Hyperpacker and after much jeering switched back to Birch; I was Cully, then Joy, then Sassafras.

"Good god I need the time back . . .I could be president"

I could probably have an associates degree! But I did get alot of laughs, learned much and made some fabulous friends.”

“I've been here since Dec. 98/Jan. 99 and Ice Tea didn't come along for a long time after that.”

“Phil's Photo Page was created in May 1998. I had been posting for while before that happened. I would say I have been active here for 6 years. I used another name or two before I started posting as Phil.

FYI, the thumbnail pics on the photo page are basically in chronological order. Hobbit was the first victim....er...poster (The photo page was his idea! I just volunteered to do it).”

“Fall 2000, so 3 years.”

“About 3 years I guess.”

“I was kiddin'

Birch is a mighty tough tree though.

Ya ever tried splittin' that stuff?

When I was droppin' trees in Vermont, I would let the aspen lie there and rot.

The white birch is great firewood and smells good too.
But when the grain was twisted I would go nuts and break maul handles.”

“Plus you can peal birch's skin off and boil water in it or even make a canoe out of it.”

“I fist posted in May, under the name John Doe. Then I didn't post again till that years september, when I changed my name to Ice Tea.

I was 13 when I started posting...I'm now 18...

I know I was 13 because the reason I joined tt was to gain info on backpacking for my trip to philmont high adventure base. They wouldn't let any scout under 14 hike. My birthday was teh same day we hit the trail. We had a little party at breakfest for me, our last meal before the trail.”

“back in the "olden days" weren't id numbers sequential??? Tea, whats your number?”

“Okay, Tea. that works out about right.”

“Nope, must have been 14....making me 4 yrs”

“Found TT in December, 2001, started posting January 7, 2002, so almost two years for me.”

“I think I've been here for about 3 yrs. May '00 or something? Or maybe that was my first trip and I started posting in June. Or maybe I started posting in Apr and the trip was in May. #$%&! I can't remember.”

“Well Tom T, The birch trees I've come in contact with tend to rot from the inside out. Most days I suspect my Birch is doing the same, judging by the gas he produces! ;)”

“February? of '01.

You came way after me noogie.

Didn't birch use his real name before he went to hyperbuttpacker?”

“Maybe I mean '01 then. We went on my first hike to celebrate my gf's college grad. and that was in May '01. So, maybe I've been here for ALMOST 3 yrs.”

“I remember the name Cully . . . but forgot that pre-dated Joy.”

“Tea Baggins could be tellin' the truth......anything's possible ;^)

Sassafras, eeeeeeewwwwwwww!!!!!

Dang!
The young people here have the failing memories, what gives?”

“We have alot to do Tom T., unlike you older folks, that just sit of the porch in a rocking chair w/ a glass of milk and a laptop! LOL! KIDDING!!!”

“Glass of milk my arse!

A shot and a beer.....aaarrrgghhhhhh!!!”

“LOL @ Tom T.! That explains alot.”

“Two and a half years for me.”

“I dont remember exactly when it was but I do remember the backlash IceTea got with some of his early posts and spelling so I guess it's been around 4-5 years.

After meeting Tea and hiking with him I don't get the spelling thing.

I always liked sierramel's posts too, I wonder if she still lurks here sometimes.”

“and in the beginning, there was the void. and God said..."Lo, let there be a center to the darkness". and there was a small light in the midst of all the darkness of the void. And the Lord came unto the light, and took the light into hand and gave it shape. Then the Lord spaketh..."I am in need of a name, so that my personages which will flock to me shall have something which to call me". and the Lord took on the name of Matt. And so Matt, now having fashioned the light, continued to work upon his design. In the making of his plan, he had created the kayakers, and the canoeists, the rock climber, but the pinnacle of his creations was the BackPacker. and there was one of the first backpackers who awoken first and took on the simple name of BacPac. And there was Lizs and Birch and Sassafras and many others that were among the first. But BacPac, having the most of Matt's mind in him, had much power. This power caused a great riff amongst the fellow backpackers and BacPac tried through many cunning endeavors to sway the newer (newbies) to his ways. Many succombed to his call as his voice was pure in sounding, even though his heart was poison.

There were many wars that were fought, and there were many casualties due to the causticness of the fellow personages.

Bacpac had designs to rule the realm in place of Matt. He fashioned 19 backpacks, 3 he gave to close allies, these were the Eldar, 7 he gave to the middle folk called the Chooches, and 9 he gave to the Newbies, who were easily swayed to his false words.

and in his secret inner sanctum, he fashioned the One backPack. Upon completion...he uttered these words...One backpack to rule them all, one backpack find them, One backpack to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them, in the halls of Arkansas.

And so, bacpac, ensnared many of the faithful and so began the war of the Backpack.”

“Stikmon . . . always scary.”

“2 years 8 months”

“4 or 5, off and on. Back when it was Gentle Ben vs. Lipstick Hiker.”

“BOO!!!


ROFLMAO!!!!”

“1996”

“I told ya so...I wouldn't lie...backpack is king.”

“HAHA! The site's only been around sense '97.”

“Wrong again Nigal.”

“about one week for me”

“maybe 1995”