Anyone know Beorn?

“I met this well known AT character on Little Hump at Roan Mountain 2 years ago. The group I was with had no idea who he was. He had just about walked by, when I recognized him from the old Outside magazine article. Two 20-something men from Nashville were setting up camp on the bald (where they probably shouldn't have been) and I was with 3 other members of my party. I asked him if he were Beorn, and he said he was. Then I asked him if he could recite some Shakespeare for us. He threw down his pack, revealing his clothing to be something which looked like a black diver's suit(!), and said no, he was doing his own poetry this year. His recitation made no sense at all, but had a spiritual theme, and I do remember it involved Katahdin and bowing in various directions early in the morning after getting up on the trail. After a few minutes of this, he shouldered his pack and moved out. I turned and looked at everyone. Their mouths were all wide open, evidently I was the only one who knew what was going on. This guy has a rep for being a yellow-blazer, and the thru hikers and former thru hikers all seem to at least know who he was. I have heard he has toted large amounts of liquor into the woods and made everyone drink up so that he won't have to carry it any more! He's huge, and has red hair. Should you run into him, make sure he entertains you some. It's a lot better than lugging in a transistor radio (no, I don't do that, either, but have been backpacking with others that do).

Has anyone heard what has become of him?”

“I have done a lot of hikeing and trail angeling on the AT in the past 2 years but never heard of this guy.”

“I think he posts here as Radagast.”

“I read that same article. So I know who you are talking about. I thought it was in a Backpacker issue though. But unfortunately I have not traveled the AT .......yet.”

“I met him about 5 years ago when he was thru-hiking the AT and I was ridgerunning. The OUTSIDE people were all gaga over him for their article, as were all the CT papers, who were doing splashy AT stories. He blew out his knee somewhere around Goose Pond and left the trail. I assume he got back on at some point and finished yellow-blazing and bullsh!tting his way to Maine. He and Ward Leonard - that's a story in itself - made for some interesting times.”

“Isn't that the singer from Iceland?”

“I ran into Beorn in the 100 mile wilderness. He was chowing down at a trail magic barbeque near Mary-Jo road. My son and I were chowing down too. He said he loves to pig out, and gains weight easily and that getting fat was one thing that motivated him to get on the trail. He also said he'll just got on the trail when the mood strikes him and will get off on an impulse too.

Everybody else had either heard of him or met him and he was treated as a minor trail celeb. At White House Landing the owner said he'd me Beorn and he was eager to show him whene Bryson mentions him in "A walk in the woods."

He was large, carrying a good sized belly with dark hair and a dark beard.

I assume this is the same guy, I never read saw the article.”

“I guess you and I met him the same year. I met him in Maine in late August, 1999. When did you meet him at Roan?”

“I met him once when I was on an expedition to the Lonely Mountain. My companions - Gandalf, Bilbo, and some of my cousins - had just had a mishap while crossing the Misty Mtns. and lost all are gear. We chanced upon Beorn's cabin and yogied some supplies from him. Really nice chap!”

“Gloin, jess because you got bailed out by Beorn after your carelessness doesn't mean you should make a hobbit of it.”

“Beorn Borg?
I once saw him playing tennis on a makeshift court atop Cheoah Bald, Nantahala NC. He was losing to Billy John King.”

“Pedxing - It was in late April of '99. It was a weekend trip for me and the others in my party. We were southbound from US19E to Carver Gap, which as you probably know is 99% uphill. There were many thruhikers coming north at the time. Most were talking about getting down off of the mountains and down to the buffet line at a restaurant down there, more or less oblivious to the great beauty of the region. When ya gotta eat, ya gotta eat, I guess.”

“I pulled my gloin once. Dat hoits!”

“Sipsey... Thanks... it sounds like mebbe he was making his way North towards Maine... although he was heading south in Maine when I saw him about 4 1/2 months afterwards.”

“I had a friend named Bjorn, his family was from holland. He was really into U2.”

“I haven't heard of Beorn but Rad and I camped with "Chip" (Ward Leonard) at Blood Mtn Shelter. I think Chip & Beorn would be a make a good team from the sound of him.”

“no, kleetn. beorn is a minion of mine.”