Hike Naked Day

Segue and Houdini on the A.T. in Virginia.


June 21st is traditionally the unofficial "hike naked day" on the Appalachian trail.
My buddy Segue sent me this picture of him and Houdini doing their best to expose themselves to nature.

The 5th graders at Cartoogechaye

I gave a presentation the the 5th graders at Cartoogechaye School this morning about my Appalachian Trail thru hike. As part of their P.E. program they learn about the A.T. and actually go for a day hike. (The hike is to Siler's Bald.)
So, Hometown was invited to come and talk to the kids. It was actually very enjoyable. I brought my backpack and passed around my gear. I used a question and answer format, which from previous experience with kids works real well, keeps them from being bored, and is pretty entertaining overall.
I would say that the animal questions topped the list, and I told them of bear, moose, and snake encounters. One kid actually asked me, "what hardships did you endure on the trail?" I think he may be destined for a career in journalism. Of course I had the obligatory "did you carry a gun?" and "where did you go to the bathroom?" questions also.
What can I say? It was lots of fun, they invited me to hike with them to Siler's Bald. I may just do that............

Southbounders on Springer Mountain

SOBOs on Springer: (top) Bookworm, One Gallon, Default, Beef, D-wreck, EKG, Flamebo; (bottom) Mountain Goat, Timber, Bearwalker [photo courtesy of Bookworm]

Congratulations to all the SOBOS (southbounders) who finished the 2176 mile Appalachian Trail hike this season from Mt. Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia.

This year a group of four girls (known collectively as the Vermont Mafia) made the journey, together. They maintained a blog about their hike, read about it here: http://5millionsteps.wordpress.com/2008/12/19/we-did-it/

Appalachian Tales

Lots of hikers met Hobo Dave this year on the Appalachian Trail. We heard stories up and down the trail about this poor, wasted individual who was out there trying to hike his own hike.
One particularly talented hiker went home and captured "the essence" of Hobo Dave in animation.
Here's the link to the 49 sec. videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByUjmlW35QI
It's well worth the watch.

The best part of thru hiking the Appalachian Trail this year was all the great people I met along the way.

Thru hikers Start, Rethinker, SiteSee, and Hometown on Mt. Katahdin, ME on Aug. 13, 2008.

"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life." - -- Mark Twain

"I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I do not believe I deserved my friends." - -- Walt Whitman