Goodbye MeanGreen. Hello Captain Jack

“On our last backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon, I was impress how much one of our posters resembled Johnny Depp's appearance and how much he acted like the quirky lovable character Captain Jack Sparrow in the movies Pirates of the Caribbean.

His former trail name MeanGreen was wrong, wrong, wrong. He was not mean. He was not green. And he annointed the trail name on himself. Shame. You are given a trail name, not take one.

So we all started calling him Captain Jack. It had a nice ring to it. And he looks more like the Captain Jack of the Pirates of the Carrabean than Johnny Depp.

So, so long MeanGreen. Hello Captain Jack.

See for yourself. Our Captain Jack:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2856204550053536869OMKJLM

Johnny Depp:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=captain+jack+sparrow&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
last edited: 3/26/08 4:18:43 PM”

“Thanks Prosecutor!
Greetings all!”

“WTF? If NGB hears that you can change your trail name, she will be relentless in her pursuit.

You are creating a dangerous precedent, my friend.”

“It was out of my hands, my friend. It was bestowed upon me, as all good names are.

NGB's name was given to her therefor she must use it also.”

“dude chili is jeleous. dude chili is terrible dude. hello dudes, I'm back.”

“You #&%!$ing moron. WTF do you possibly think I am jealous about?”

“and i finally get to hear the story :)”

“Hey Hey Captain Jack
Meet me down by the railroad tracks
with that Ka-bar in my hand
I'm gonna be a killin man

I dig the new digs MG/CJ. Very cool. and I was thinking bourbon.”

“Well, you see...
There was this one night in the canyon when I was brewing up a evening cocktail and like a clutz I spilled my hot tang/151 rum onto my plastic ground sheet. Well, I think this was on night 6, so I had no reservations about food, so I just layed down on my stomach and started slurping it up! Well, they had been calling me Captain Jack for about 5 days already, and I had 99% accepted it, but that was the kicker! Taht was an pure "why is the rum always gone" moment. LOL! So here it is.
You know, Ms.Doolittle, and Spirit Coyote called me Pirate Boy on the first morning of the mobfest back in Dec of 06, but it never stuck. This is better though. I think that may have been part of my quick acceptance of the name too.

So thanks to all!
See you on the trail!”

“ah beautiful bourbon...
Well, on that particular trip 151 was more logical because it's more efficient per ounce than any bourbon I know of. It was a 7 day trip after all! LOL!

I think I may have to go change my comment field though.”

“hello Captain Crack!”

“Don't make me call you Two Poops, cracker.”

“:-D”

“WTF? If NGB hears that you can change your trail name, she will be relentless in her pursuit.

You are creating a dangerous precedent, my friend.”
chili

I've learned my lesson about trying to acquire a new trail name...”

“Hey there Captain Jack! I like it! yeah, meangreen just didn't fit. You seem like a very sweet guy.”

“aw, thanks.
I gots lots of sugar for the samplin.

;)”

“I see an endless amount of "have you got a little Captain in you?" jokes in my future.”

“it's more efficient per ounce than any bourbon I know of

I think in scientific terms its called "more pounce per ounce".

Wasting good rum is alcohol abuse, good on ya.

edit* frankly I dont want ANY captain in me. No offense.
last edited: 3/26/08 5:04:42 PM”

“Dude, I slurped it dry! There was so much lapping and slurping goin on that I think Yogisan thought he was watching a live sex act for a minute!
We were laughing hystericly!”

“Hey Captain Jack, are you coming to Trail Days. We really need to give you a proper trail name ceremony.”

“I REALLY wanted to but I just don't think I can swing it this summer. I am taking my girls around quite a bit this summer, and the dates are getting all wobble-jockeyed.
We'll be at the mother's day trip in RRG, but I don't know when my next public trip after that will be.
I won't be doing nearly as many weekenders as I used to either. This Grand Canyon trip really showed me the virtues of the longer trips, so instead of going one weekend per month, I have decided to go on the kids trips, and one weekor more per year is mine to do a serious, long trip. The rewards are far greater.”

“Life is a constant juggling act when you have kids. I know what you mean about the longer trips. The short ones are fun, but the longer ones are more meaningful. I am leaving next weekend for a week on the AT. Can't wait!”

“Congrats! Have lots of fun, take loads of pictures, and come back and write a great TR so we can all be envious!



NOW YOU MUST ALL GO READ MINE!!!
Grand Canyon Thang 2008 & follow the link.”

“aflac!”

“The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that some day. And me, for example, I can let you drown, but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesies, savvy? So, can you sail under the command of a pirate, or can you not? Captain Jack Sparrow”

“I still say he's more like Sweeny Todd.”

“greetings captn'!

love the trail name.

you don't get to choose your trail name. good trail names are given not taken.

thanks for giving me mine... :)”

“Freekin Woodstock all over again. Everyone was changing names!”

“Saturday night and you're still hangin' around
You're tired of livin' in your one horse town
You'd like to find a little hole in the ground for a while

So you go to the village in your tie-dye jeans
And you stare at the junkies and the closet queens
It's like some pornographic magazine, and you smile

But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push 'n' you'll be smilin'
Oh yeah, yeah

Your sister's gone out, she's on a date
And you just sit at home and masturbate
Your phone is gonna ring soon,
But you just can't wait, for that call

So you stand on the corner in your new English clothes
And you look so polished from your hair down to your toes
But still your fingers gonna pick your nose, after all

But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push 'n' you'll be smilin'
Oh yeah, yeah

So you decide to take a holiday
You got your tape deck and your brand new Chevrolet
Ah, but there's no place to go anyway and what for
You've got everything, but nothin's cool
They just found your father in the swimming pool
And you guess you won't be going back to school anymore

But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push 'n' you'll be smilin'
La da, da
Oh yeah, yeah

So you play your albums and you smoke your pot
And you meet your girlfriend in the parking lot
Oh, but still you're aching for the things you haven't got,
What went wrong

And if you can't understand why your world is so dead
And why you've got to keep in style and feed your head
Well, you're twenty one and still you mother makes your bed
And that's too long

But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push 'n' you'll be smilin'
Yeah, Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Yeah, Captain Jack will get you by tonight”

“#&%!$ Captain Jack”

“MG walks the plank”

“I like it! Good trail names are blessings(curses) given to us and invariably fit better than names we chose ourselves...hello Cap't Jack...I think that rum slurping episode was your initiation ceremony...”

“I've learned my lesson about trying to acquire a new trail name...”
Nurse Goodbody
8:02:11 PM
3/26/08

hehehe”

“I like the name!”

“no resemblance”

“call him what you like...he'll always be cuddle bum to me”

“Remember the Love Rock!”

“Captain Jack is a possibly mythical historical figure from Pennsylvania frontier days. Some associate him with the area around PA's Standing Stone Trail, http://www.hike-sst.org/highlights.htm

From http://www.everettarea.org/tales/index.htm, volume 5, number 4 (sorry for the extended quotation but there's no downlink)

Who Was Captain Jack?

This name has appeared in the history of Pennsylvania many times. Books have been written about this man. Many times tales have been told about his reputation as an Indian hunter. Looking in many histories we found references to this name. First we found a famous Indian named Kintpush who was also known as Captain Jack. He was a leader in the Modoc War of 1872 in the California-Oregon region.

The Pennsylvania Archives, first series, page 122 has references to a Captain Jack mentioned in a letter dated May 31, 1779 to Colonel Archibald Lochry. The Captain Jack we wanted seemed to have existed much earlier, particularly in the 1740 and 1750 periods. We found some references that indicated that perhaps Captain Jack (John) Armstrong was Captain Jack; however, he and his small group of men were ambushed and killed band of Indians in 1744

According to stories we have read about this man, it appears that he first settled in what is now Huntingdon County in the vicinity of Aughwick, (now called Shirleysburg). Many rumors were that his ancestors were of British nobility. It seems that Captain Jack was very secretive about his full name, thus he was always known as Captain Jack. He was one of the earliest settlers in this area. He came here from the east, built a cabin for his wife, small son and daughter. He returned home from hunting one day in 1752 to find his cabin burned and the bodies of his wife and children massacred by a band of Indians.

This tragedy, according to historians, affected him mentally and physically. His aim in life, from that day, seemed to have been the extermination of the Indian. No red man was safe between the Susquehanna and the Potomac to the Allegheny rivers. It has been written that the lives of many settlers were saved by this man's cunning. His shelter at night would be under rocky ledges, hollow logs or in caves.

When the Indians began their raids during Pontiac's rebellion the settlers banded together and chose Captain Jack as their leader. He was considered one of the most remarkable characters on the frontier. He was regarded as bold, daring and intrepid in his pursuits. Thus the settlers attempted to resist the efforts of the Indians to chase the whites from the forests. So rapid were their movements that on one occasion they followed a band of Indians as far east as Conococheague Valley. The Indians tried every trick they knew to capture this man. Hervey Allen in his book 'Bedford Village' in chapters six and seven narrates the activities of this man while in the vicinity of Fort Bedford. He differs somewhat from that which appears in other stories written in the State's history. The story that appears in Jones' History of Juniata Valley and the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania are practically the same. Another publication—Captain Jack, the Scout appeared years ago. This 501-page book makes an exceptionally interesting one to read, even though it was written as fiction. It is possible that it was based upon the many events in Captain Jack's life.

Several stories have been written that he was asked to serve as a guide and scout for Braddock's expedition against the French. One story is that when this rugged man, dressed in animal hides, was presented to the meticulously dressed British General he became very insulting and berated those who suggested this monstrosity. General Braddock was exceptionally rude and domineering. This type of treatment was resented by the backwoodsman thus he had a deep resentment toward the British.

Captain Jack was often referred to as 'The Wild Hunter of the Juniata', 'The Black Hunter', 'The Half Indian' and the 'Black Rifle'.

The company of rangers under Captain Jack dressed themselves in Indian style, leather hunting shirt, leggings and moccasins. They took no orders from the British; however, they did insist upon being supplied with lead, powder and some food necessities that they could not obtain for themselves. This was illustrated by Mr. Allen in the Bedford Village. He describes a typical meeting of Captain Jack and several of his men he chose to be in his they were to provide safety to the British army between the Fort and Fort Duquesne.

We mentioned previously that he and his men had selected an area south of the Fort where they could meet to hold contests between themselves as well as to hold contests in self survival in the mountains against the Indians.

No one seems to know what happened to this man. One theory existed that he left this area for the western frontiers. Another is that he died as an old man in 1772 and was buried at the foot of the Mountain that bears his name. Still another legend existed for years in the community. Many settlers in that section insisted that they saw his spirit come out of the mountain every midnight and visit the old spring which he loved so much. For almost a century the tales of this man were told around the campfires and cabins of the settlers who settled in this area.

Who was Captain Jack? Was he just a legend or did he actually exist? Either way, the story of this man will remain as one of our state's historical characters for future generations to read and enjoy.
last edited: 3/27/08 6:05:27 AM”

“well then i have to ask...did you kill any indians in the grand canyon?”

“And speaking of Billy Joel's Captain Jack, back in my student DJ days I included that in a set that also included the Vapors' "Turning Japanese" and a few others I forget now - the theme of the set being, ahem, a common activity among the songs... (I know you TTers can figure it out)”

“What is spanking the monkey, Alex?”

“I knew it wouldn't take long...”

“Captain Jack Off?”

“Finially. The dude so looks like a pirate.”

“Glad you like it SC.

I didn't kill any Indians in the GC, but we did pay one to move a barb wire road block so we could drive down the road past his house.”

“I still say he's more like Sweeny Todd.�
Nigal
6:53:43 PM
3/26/08
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I just googled this Nigal. I don't carry a straight razor! Just because I like to eat oatmeal and ramen from the blade of my skinning knife... sheesh! LOL!
Gut I wouldn't mind spending some time with his co-star from that movie. Helena Bonham Carter. She's freaky in a hot kinda way.”

“I hope you're not expecting us to salute you!”

“How bout this...you sign in and the Powers that BE give you a number. After you go on a hike and X number of TTers send the Powers a note you are given a name from the people on the hike....

T'would cut down on trolling big time.”

“LOL, yea XL but that would mean you would have to actually go on a hike and actually meet some other TTers...sorry, i know this is the new TT and all but i had to
last edited: 3/28/08 5:46:46 AM”