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I've spent a lot of time on the trail with a host of
different people. Here's a list of some of them....
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Appalachian Trail - Maine
Abol Bridge - October 9, 1994
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The
Artic Fox -
BirdShooter -
Blackdog -
C.A. -
CC - The Camel
-
The Cowboy - Deacon -
DooRag -
Doughgirl -
Gator Girl - Ghostrider - The Gomite -
Hawkeye -
The Helmet - Iceman
-
The Joker - The Kidd - Ladybug -
Mackie - MacGyver - The Operator
-
The Ox -
Pocahontas - Pixie - Red
Eye - Rockhopper
- The Rookie - Reece - The
Rooster - Riviera
- The Seeker
-
The Senator
-
The Sheik -
Sikle -
Sister -
Slawdog - Smoky
- Songbird -
Soul Glow
- Tamalama - Thumbelina - Turbo
- Twinkee - The Weasel - The Wookie -
Wild Turkey - Yukon Matt
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Why The Name?
Let's just say it has nothing to do with
the middle finger.
Born: Zanesville,
Ohio
Resides: Atlanta,
Georgia
Best Trip:
Glacier National Park,
Montana - July 1998. "Great scenery,
great campsites, and lots of wildlife."
Worst Trip:
Tusquitee Bald, North
Carolina - June 1999. "It's a jungle
out there. The lack of trail maintenance and June heat/humidity
made it a brutal hike."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
Denali National Park,
Alaska - July 1995. "Walking into the side of a moose in dense brush
in Denali."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail?:
"A harmonica. You better play it well or you risk losing a few
friends around the campfire."
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C.A. (Candy Andy)
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Why The Name?
He can go for miles without drinking any water, no matter
how hot or humid the weather.
Born:
Coventry, England
Resides:
Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Trip:
Chilkoot Trail,
Alaska/B.C./Yukon - July 2001 - "Where else can you hike
from one country to another and see the bare butt of an 80 year old senator
for the Yukon."
Worst Trip:
Uhwarrie National Forest, North Carolina - April 1995 - "It rained and we
had to bail for a motel room."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
Denali National Park, Alaska - June 2000. "I fell in to the Class V/VI
canyon rapids of the Teklanika River and thought it was all over."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"My
first backpack that was given to me by an old roommate. It was three
sizes too small and about chocked me to death." |
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Why The Name?
He likes to hike in a cowboy hat.
Born:
Zanesville, Ohio
Resides:
Zanesville, Ohio
Best Trip:
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado - October 1, 1993. "It was
a cold October but when the late afternoon sun hit the river and those aspen
leaves, I knew why I came."
Worst Trip:
Ellis Lock #11, Muskingum River, Ohio - May 16, 1986.
"We hiked and camped at Ellis Dam frequently and I have a lot of good
memories from that place. On this trip, I nearly fell off the lock
into the river."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Watching BirdShooter fish for trout
in Rocky Mountain National Park (and get shut out.)"
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Why The Name?
He wore a DooRag on his first trip with us into the
backcountry.
Born:
London, England
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Panthertown Valley, North Carolina - July 2003. "Great day hike,
excellent camping and great scenery."
Worst Trip:
Chattahoochee
National Forest - November 2003. "Still a great trip, but a
blinding hangover, car sick dog and flat tire took the spirit out of it."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Carrying the Gomite back to our campsite across a 200 foot suspension bridge."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"Two bottles of red wine - for
medicinal
purposes of course." |
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Why The Name?
She makes a mean doughboy.
Born:
Norfolk, Virginia
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Cumberland Island
National Park, Georgia - October 2001. "Lots of wildlife,
especially armidillos."
Worst Trip:
Shenandoah National Park,
Virginia - May 1999. "It was a death march and one of
those hikes that starts by going downhill meaning you have to go uphill at
the end. It was very hot and our only beverage was a half bottle of
warm Gatorade."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Hiking alone in Sequoia and suddenly seeing a black bear lumbering in my direction."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"A
pumpkin - it's very hard to carry although a jack-o-lantern leering at you
from the woods is pretty cool." |
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Why The Name?
Some ladies in college dubbed he and his twin
brother, "The Gomites".
Born:
Charleston, West Virginia
Resides:
Beckley, West Virginia
Best Trip:
Chimney Rock
State Park, North Carolina - October 1989. "It snowed but we
had a huge fire and lots of ladies to keep us warm. And then there was
the game ending questions in "I Never."
Worst Trip:
Rod Hollow Shelter,
Virginia -
May 1996.
"BirdShooter tried to make me eat macaroni with a locust
in it."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"We stopped at Papa Nick's Restaurant at Ashley Gap
and a female thru-hiker called me a p**** because I was sore after hiking 10 miles."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"Nike tennis shoes/canvas hiking boots. They tore up
my feet." |
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Why The Name?
He's just waiting for you to puncture a
lung so he can break out his wilderness medical kit.
Born:
Towson, Maryland
Resides:
Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Trip:
Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia - March 1994. "Wide open
meadows, wild horses and great views. This is a cool place."
Worst Trip:
Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina - March 1993. "Soul Glow
and I hiked down to the Linville River but nearly lost the trail in the
dark. We ended up heading back to the road to wait for Slawdog and
BirdShooter who didn't show until after 9pm and we ended up pitching camp at
the parking area."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Bushwacking along the Linville River. You
call that a trail??" |
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Why The Name?
In cold weather, he has a favorite lid that
looks more like a 1920's era football helmet.
Born:
Ridgewood, New
Jersey
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
The Long Trail, Vermont - August 2001. "It's
a rugged trail, but it has some great views."
Worst Trip:
Shenandoah National Park,
Virginia - May 1999. "A hot,
humid death march and we didn't have any water."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Heading three miles in the wrong direction ... then walking in rain and darkness (using a
flashlight) to backtrack to a shelter near where we started
hours earlier. I now carry a compass."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"15 lbs of unnecessary gear during my first
multi-day hike. I ended up stashing the equipment by a road crossing and
picked it up later." |
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Why The Name:
It's certainly not for his resemblance to "Billy The Kid".
Born:
Richmond, Virginia
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Glacier National Park, Montana - July 1992. "Glacier
has some amazing scenery and wildlife. I've never seen that many
animals in the wilderness"
Worst Trip: Foothills Trail, South Carolina - July 2001. "It
got monotonous at times - limited views, low and flat terrain. We also
had a day of heavy rain and thunderstorms."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Hearing a moose the first night I ever
slept in a tent ."
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Why The Name?
A nickname that's a trail name by default.
Born:
Roanoke, Virginia
Resides:
Richmond, Virginia
Best Trip:
Glacier National Park,
Montana - July 1996. "Glacier rocked. Picture postcards
in every direction."
Worst Trip:
Isle Royal National Park,
Michigan - July 1996. "I wasn't particularly happy that
day in Isle Royal National Park
sporting a sub-par rain jacket,
but there's no worst trip."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
Isle Royal National Park,
Michigan - July 1996. "Getting rained on all day
at Isle Royale in that jacket and
sitting in the canoe trying to fish made me colder than a frost-bitten
witch's teet."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"A Destiny's Child designer
thermarest. It was too booty-licious to sleep well." |
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Why The Name? He's strong as an Ox and can go forever
no matter how difficult the terrain.
Born:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Resides: Modesto, California
Best Trip:
Glacier National Park, Montana - July 1998. "Lot's
of wildlife, beautiful place."
Worst Trip:
Cohutta Wilderness, Georgia - August 1988. "Chestnut Lead
Trail - a very short but extremely steep hike. The fact that I was
pushing 210 lbs, had smokers cough, and was hung over made it excruciating.
The obligatory 50 lb. pack didn't help either."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
Glacier National Park, Montana - July 1998.
"Running for my life from mountain goats in Glacier".
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"Quaaludes .. kidding." |
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Why The Name?
It was a gift from The Camel.
Born:
Roswell, Georgia
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Nantahala
National Forest, North Carolina - June 2002. "It was the perfect
distance, not too long, (but uphill enough where I felt I got some exercise)
and we got there in enough time to relax and watch the sunset."
Worst Trip:
White Mountain National Forest,
New Hampshire - July 2002.
"The decent from Mt Washington was brutal in the fog and mist - too
many slippery rocks."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
Bartram Trail,
Georgia - April 1997. "We had
rain, thunder, and lightening and had to get up at 5am to evacuate the bald
for fear of getting struck. We sat in the rain for an hour just down
the mountain in the pitch black until the lightening quit." |
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Why The Name?
Let's just say she didn't exactly lead ALE straight off
the mountain at Looking Glass Rock in April 2000.
Born:
Stanton, Virginia
Resides:
Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Trip:
Pisgah National Forest,
North Carolina - April 2000. "It was cold and even snowed the
first night,
but it was my first multi-day trip and the views from the summit were great."
Worst Trip:
Mt. Mitchell State Park,
North Carolina - May 2001. "I was the only one that didn't
get injured climbing down from Mt. Mitchell. That was a brutal decent."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"I hiked out solo in the Shinning Rock Wilderness as the
sun set since I had a previous commitment that night. It was
liberating." |
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Why The Name? He drank the "Red
Eye" (beer and tomato juice) with some locals at the Calgary Stampede
in Alberta and later destroyed them in a game of pool.
Born:
Macon, Georgia
Resides: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Best Trip:
Glacier National Park,
Montana - July 1998. "Fishing,
wildlife, scenery....that place had it all."
Worst Trip:
Salmo-Priest Wilderness,
Washington - July 1998. "It was
a pretty spot, but getting out of that canyon was some serious grunt work -
plus I had blisters that nearly killed me."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Watching "The Ox" run for his life from
mountain goats in Glacier."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"I'd have to say that huge 35mm camera
with the 12" long zoom lens." |
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Why The Name?
You never know when you might round the
corner and catch her sun bathing French Riviera style.
Born:
Whitehouse, New
Jersey
Resides:
Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Trip:
Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina -
November 1994. "The hike into the gorge was easy and we had a
large group which was a lot of fun around the campfire."
Worst Trip:
Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina -
May 1993. "We lost the trail a few times and had to do some
bushwacking (past a snake in the trail that we later realized was dead)."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"When
Slawdog joyously admired the view from the privy near the Cable Gap
shelter." |
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Why The Name?
His dexterity on the rock is quite impressive.
Born:
Chimkent, Kazakhstan
Resides:
Boston, Massachusetts
Best Trip:
Nantahala
National Forest, North Carolina - March 2000. "Great views, great
group, an all around great time."
Worst Trip:
Pisgah National Forest,
North Carolina - April 2000. "There weren't
any backpacking trips I didn't like, but the one on the Appalachian Trail
was better than Pisgah."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"almost freezing in the Pisgah
National Forest."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"Cash money. It doesn't do you
much good out there." |
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Why The Name?
When he wakes up in the
morning his hair stands up like a rooster.
Born:
Atlanta, Georgia
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Chattahoochee
National Forest, Georgia - November 2002. "Day Two - Blood
Mountain had a good vibe and great views when I did a solo hike to the
summit early in the morning in 20 degree weather."
Worst Trip:
Chattahoochee
National Forest, Georgia - November 2002. "Day One - I froze
my nards off during the night."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Getting smoked like a salmon around
a campfire on a cold night in the Chattahoochee National Forest." |
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Why The Name?
Have you ever heard that song by "The Who"?
Born:
Beaufort, South Carolina
Resides:
Wilmington, North Carolina
Best Trip:
Philmont National Scout Ranch, New
Mexico - July 1984. "Mt. Baldy - that hike was a bad muttha. I was steady
paced but loved breaking out of the tree line all alone. The view
was incredible."
Worst Trip:
Linville Gorge, North Carolina - 1992. "There
were lots of people on the trail that weekend - too
crowded."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Getting hit by a blizzard in the Mt.
Rogers Recreational Area in mid-October."
Dumbest Thing I Took On the Trail?
"I didn't take it, but I loaded up "Soul Glow" with a can
of peaches. They were tasty. He was pissed."
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Why The Name?
If you ever hike with him on the trail
you'll swear he's running for public office.
Born:
Atlanta, Georgia
Resides:
Augusta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Chilkoot Trail, Alaska - July 2001. "Two countries,
two Canadian provinces, one US state, a simultaneous summit and border
crossing, and every landscape possible from swamps, dunes, scree, to snow -
a high groove factor."
Worst Trip:
Blood Mountain
Wilderness, Georgia - July 1998. "It was really
cold, wet, and my pack never felt right. I had hot spots on my feet
and was really out of shape."
Most Memorable Trail Moment: "I was crossing
Sweatwater Lake on Cumberland Island and was shin deep in pitch black water.
I heard grunts then saw a fourteen foot alligator. It got the heart
rate going." |
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Why The Name?
He's a towel head, but it kept the sun off
his neck in Yellowstone when it fried us for four days in mid-September.
Born:
Orlando, Florida
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming - August
2002 (Snake River). "Our camp was right on the snake river with stream rising from
some hot springs and great view from our site."
Worst Trip:
Yellowstone National Park, Heart Lake, Wyoming -
September 2002 (Heart Lake). "We hiked 10 miles to get here. I was a hurtin'
unit when we arrived."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"I had a group
of Scouts out in North Georgia and we had one guy who about tried to cough
up a lung to get out of hiking that day. The sound was frightening." |
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Why The Name?
A college nickname that's a trail name by
default.
Born:
Raleigh, North
Carolina
Resides:
Montpelier, Virginia
Best Trip:
Denali National Park, Alaska - July 1995. "It was rugged
but it was real. And that's what I call solitude."
Worst Trip:
Linville Gorge Wilderness North Carolina - April 1993. "There's no such
thing, but if I had to name one ... that'd be it. That dirt road (that
we took to the trailhead) was hell bent on destroying my Accord"
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Watching a
grizzly follow us across the Toklat River in Denali National Park after we
reached the gravel bank on the other side."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail:
"A large
hatchet." |
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Why The Name?
He reduced some pack weight by torching his clothes on a
trip in Alaska. Smoky was also tracked in the distance by watching the
occasional cloud of smoke from his cigarettes. (Uh....that was a
cigarette, right?)
Born:
Gallipolis, Ohio
Resides:
Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Trip:
Shinning Rock Wilderness, North Carolina - October 2000. "Cool
place and easy access. I especially enjoyed "The Camel" comedy routine
late night around the campfire."
Worst Trip:
Grand Canyon National
Park, Arizona - September 2001. "I seriously considered
paying the $3000 for a helicopter to evacuate me."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Watching "CA" chase his boots down the Teklanika River in Alaska." |
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Why The Name?
In his day, he was a big fan of hair care products.
Born:
Richmond, Virginia
Resides:
New York, New York
Best Trip:
Great
Smoky Mountain National Park, October 1992. "My first multi-day
backpacking trip. We had frost on the ground but the Smokys are great
in the fall"
Worst Trip:
Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina - March 1993. "We hiked in
the dark and lost the trail so we headed back to the parking area to camp
for the night."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"BirdShooter went to take a leak at Kephart Shelter in
the Smokys and was convinced he saw a bear. "Dude, Bear!" It
turned out to be a coon." |
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Why The Name?
It's a nickname that is a trail name by
default.
Born:
Gastonia, North Carolina
Resides:
Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Trip:
Grayson Highlands State Park, March 1994. "It was cold and there
was snow on the ground in places, but the area is very pretty and there were
wild ponies wandering in the meadows near the trail."
Worst Trip:
Great
Smoky Mountain National Park, August 1992. "Someone slashed two of
my tires in the parking area and Riviera's car broke down on the way to the
trailhead."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"When I got back to my car at Yellow Creek Gap and I
had two flat tires and only one spare in the trunk." |
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Why The Name?
During my thru-hike, "Thumbelina" was very effective at scoring rides.
Born: Roanoke,
Virginia
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Trip:
White Mountain
National Forest, New Hampshire - September 1994. "The first and flat half of the
White Mt National Forest where we still had
non iron-flavored water."
Worst Trip:
White Mountain
National Forest, New Hampshire - September 1994. "Climbing the Whites in total fog and 40 mph wind and rain
...
no fun."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Meeting
one of BirdShooter's Appalachian Trail friends in New Hampshire who declared
his p**** was
pierced and volunteered to prove it."
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Why The Name?
His father seemed to think he had "weasel-like"
tendencies.
Born:
Zanesville, Ohio
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Philmont National Scout Ranch, New Mexico -
1984. "A mega hike with lots of variety."
Worst Trip:
Tusquitee Bald, North
Carolina - June 1999. "If this is
backpacking, count me out."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"At Tusquitee Bald when I realized that
no one had hiked this trail for a long time."
Dumbest Thing I Took On The Trail?:
"A map for the Tusquitee Bald hike.
We couldn't find the trail, let alone our position on the map." |
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Why The Name?
It was a cold night in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock
Creek Wilderness when she earned the trail name. The trip report has
all the details.
Born:
Atlanta, Georgia
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina - December 2001. "This
was a tough hike and it rained at night, but we had a lot of fun around the
campfire."
Worst Trip:
Joyce-Kilmer Slickrock Creek Wilderness, North Carolina - October 2001. "It
was a cold and wet hike, but things improved in the evening at the campsite."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"When
some campsite neighbors literally stumbled into us at our site at Stratton
Bald." |
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Why The Name?
He took immediately to the Yukon on the Chilkoot Trail.
(Note the poker face to the left).
Born:
Rabun County, Georgia
Resides:
Atlanta, Georgia
Best Trip:
Chilkoot Trail, Alaska - July 2001. "Historic, diverse, and
challenging."
Worst Trip:
Approach Trail, Georgia - July 1994. "Lot's of up and down
with no views. It's a tough hike to boot."
Most Memorable Trail Moment:
"Seeing an old ladies
ass at the crack
of dawn .... literally. That's something you don't easily forget."
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