Off Trail in the SMokies

“Well actually, back east we'd call those places
Feeling Poorly Gap, Mt. Whatever, Mt. Boo, and Mt. Fair-to-middlin'.”

“I didn't realize it until I read edoc's story, but evidently, I'm a pu$$y.”

“Dude, the way you put down your dog at Sipsey....I sort of figure you are hard core.”

“That still makes me sad. I wish I would have had a different choice.”

“Hey i've pissed on rocky top and off Charlies bunion too. I like going to the very top of the bunion and chilling cause no one knows you are there and you get 360 views.
Edoc sorry to hear about your leg. i broke my left ankle last march. Funny story.
My hiking buddy and i were hiking on spring break and we decided to spring for a hotel somewhere along the strip sos we could take hot showers and have a soft bed. We stayed at the Americana in Pigeon Forge. we were getting #&%!$ faced sitting in chairs next to the river outback when we heard a bunch of huligans hollering and carrying on. we went to like the fourth floor of the hotel and started shouting obscenities at the group of local rednecks gathered at the arcade next door. I dont think any of them heard us but the manager of the hotel did because we were right in front of his room yelling. I saw him peek his head out his curtains. yelled at my dude and started running. when i was walking around a corner the manager saw me from above and started yelling. i paniced and turned to run down the stairs i slipped and rolled my ankle at the top but went down the whole flight of concrete and steel stairs on the side of my left ankle. it hurt i got up to run bought i could bear any weight so i hopped away. The manager finally caught up with me and i of course lied and said i was staying in a hotel down the street. and he told me to leave or he would call the cops. I left and then snuk back to my room.”

“I definitely want to go hiking with you. We can find some huligans and develop an exchange of taunts, preferably across a river so they can't cross and kick our a$$. I've found that is always a hoot, and any ladies nearby are totally impressed.”

“Fair-to-middlin'.�
~humanpackmule

HPM -
Name the origin of that expression for 25,000 bonus points!”

“Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 20:58:24 -0600
Reply-To: American Dialect Society <[log in to unmask]>
Sender: American Dialect Society Mailing List <[log in to unmask]>
From: Gerald Cohen <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: "fair to middlin'"
Comments: To: [log in to unmask]
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

The following origin of "fair to middlin'" was passed along to me today by a man who grew up on a cotton farm in the bootheel of Missouri. He tells me that "fair to middlin'" probably has its origin in the speech of people who work with cotton. I have not yet had a chance to check this in the reference works. He points out that there are four rankings of cotton according to the length of the fibers: 1) good, 2) middlin', 3) fair, 4) poor. Hence: "fair to middlin'." Sounds plausible. ----Gerald Cohen”

“I don't need Gerald Cohen for that one. I'm the grandson of a SC cotton farmer.
It is indeed a grade of cotton.

Only Gerald got it wrong, there were six grades of cotton: Strict High Middlin', High Middlin', Fair to Middlin', Middlin', Low Middlin', and Strict Low Middlin'. Each grade sold for about a penny a pound difference too.

In current usage fair to middlin' means slightly above average.
last edited: 2/14/08 6:00:42 AM”

“The somewhat scariest thing to me about being off-trail, is that it is off-trail. You know that if you get hurt, most likely no one will find you. You know if you get lost, most likely no one will find you.

You know if you can't read a topo, you are pretty doomed. You know that in most cases, no one has really mapped out a pathway that stays within the 4% grade range. (grin).

You know you will see things that 98% of the hiking community do not. You will see things that 99.9% of the general population will never see.

It is pleasant, in many ways -- yet always keeps you on your toes. It is always two - three times the physical challenge of any trail you have ever hiked.

I do love it -- and that holds true for the times I plan a bush-whack, and also the times I just manage to fall into one. ;)

Good morning all.”

“Dude, do you even CARRY a map?”

“TD - that's why on offtrail trips I prepare 2 maps that show my proposed route and where I intend to camp. I leave one with my wife and one in my vehicle.”

“chili -- truthfully?.. most of the time I have the map pretty much committed to memory.

I carried a map and compass on the three forks trip.. cos I knew that one was going to be hades..

but porters creek manway?.. no map..

ramsey cascades?.. a map and a gps.
last edited: 2/15/08 6:59:16 AM”

“That is why we have to keep folks like Dwight McCarter around the park.”

“Tuesday 1/16/2007 Afternoon Presentation-Tales from Lost!

Back to see Dwight McCarter again with Tales from Lost! They had to break down the wall between rooms to seat everyone for his talk. Dwight is a truly gifted storyteller. Tonight he recounted the story of tracking a 9 year old girl lost near Clingman's Dome. He could tell by the tracks he was getting closer, and that she had veered off the trail. He thought she was running from him (don't we tell our children not to talk to strangers?)

Rather than continue chasing this little girl off trail and towards the dangerous bluffs, he sat down in the middle of the trail (within sight of the girl), fired up his stove and made tea while he radioed for the parents. When they arrived, the girl ran out of the woods and into their arms.
last edited: 2/15/08 8:14:20 AM”

“[TD - that's why on offtrail trips I prepare 2 maps that show my proposed route and where I intend to camp. I leave one with my wife and one in my vehicle.]”

Leave a map and route with my wife, .............maybe a good idea. Never really done it. My mother(I'm 43),brothers and friends have all razzed me about hiking/biking/bushwhacking alone. Maybe I should follow the advice I so feeely give out (lest I become a Dwight McCarter story). HHHUUUUMMMMMM, something to ponder!
last edited: 2/16/08 8:33:05 PM”

“I think about it every time i get lost.. every time i fall down.. every time i share the side of a hill with bears..”

“Finally have a contract on a house after searching since august, viewing 350+ homes, and 5 failed offers due to lack of seller nego. or them raising the list once we offered.

March will see me back in the Smokies.

Antelope...see you out there, i'll look forward to sharing info and hikes, and i'll be back on the board and back to my old tricks of berating posters for hazing new board posters and proliferation of non-hiking crap...oh yea..i'm turning chatter off again.”

“to digress but OPIE, I feel your pain. I think looking at 5 houses was the worst I had. In fact the last 2 homes we bought, I let my wife decide. I have too much other stuff to do.
last edited: 2/17/08 4:35:19 PM”

“Congrats Op. I bet your realtor is glad to be rid of you! I'm in the same shoes, now that we're somewhat settled after house building I'm hoping to get out more. The desire to hike seems to have waned though. I can't decide if I want to get out now because I'm supposed to want to get out or if I actually want to get out.”

“if i don't get in the smokies for a strong finish to the winter and a healthy spring schedule i'll go nutz”