Funny (odd) story about the Appalachian Trail

[underpants]

girlfriend of a friend of mine did the AT 10 years ago. My friend's job was to regularly FedEx foodstuffs (energy bars etc.) and clean clothes to certain check in points along the trail. This is apparently a regular thing for people spending time on the trail.

Another thing that is semi-regular is that people who would rather not be seen while traveling get on the trail too. My friend's girlfriend got stopped at one Ranger station and told to stay the night. She and her party were not very happy about it-they had a schedule to keep if they were going to finish. Seems two guys who were wanted for grand theft (and I think assault or murder) were somewhere on the trail authorities were pretty sure. This is not an uncommon experience from what she was told afterwards. They caught they guys and arrested them and everyone was released back on to the trail.

I was not aware of that happening. The Rangers and local law enforcement were aware of this and apparently checked on it as a matter of procedure.

I think this was in the North Carolina-Tennessee area but I am not sure.

---

We regularly got to a great restaurant in Catawba Va. called the The Home Place. "Family style" meal (fried chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, etc.) all you can eat. You can see the Appalachian Trail from the yard outside this house turned into a restaurant. There is always ALWAYS a 45 minute wait to get a table. In the spring and fall you can always see a couple of hikers crashed out on the front lawn-it is a great place to fuel up on carbs and protein, a real home cooked meal on the trail.

[madmom]

1. The Appalachian Trail cuts right through the town I grew up in in Maryland. We

used to take weekend family hikes down it. Nice memories.

[Burma Jones]

2. One of my best backpacking memories was on the AT near Mt. Rogers

It was October and the foliage was spectacular. We were winding our way through boulders on a ridge top, it was foggy and some folks were playing Celtic Music on flutes and a guitar somewhere off in the distance. We descended a little and the fog lifted and there was just this whole huge wall of color.......

Then it rained for 36 hours........


There is a Metro North Rail Stop on the AT well north of Manhattan. You can get on the train and be in Midtown 90 minutes later if you want a little Babylon Break......

[mikeytherat]

3. The Home Place is right at the end of the Virginia Byway, just down the road

from my old apartment at Va. Tech. We used to go there all the time!

mikey_the_rat

[underpants]

4. Yeah there is only one problem

the Baptist service we go to doesn't get out early enough to beat the Methodists there

METHODISTS!!! :grr:

Good grub for cheap. Nap time usually follows.

[mikeytherat]

5. Sorry. We Methodists have brunch plans.

mikey_the_rat

[dgibby]

6. Must be a small southern town thing.

We used to threaten to dock the Presbyterian minister's pay if he preached too long. Of course, our only competition was from the Methodists. The Catholics had been there and gone, and the Baptists never got out on time, so we just had to beat out the Methodists.

[underpants]

9. My in-laws' Baptist preacher

back in the day he used to stand up and say "Okay we'll make this quick this week. I know that you all want to beat the Methodists to lunch"

:rofl:

[arcadian]

7. That doesn't sound plausible

Law enforcement cannot detain people without cause. We have a cabin on the BRP that we go to, there was a fire about 5 miles away, they had the Parway closed off to vehicular traffic so we just hiked down the Parkway to the cabin. We saw a ranger driving along the Parkway and he didn't give a shit.

[underpants]

8. Well I am just telling you what happened

:shrug:

[arcadian]

10. Well, I shouldn't say "doesn't sound plausible"

It actually does sound plausible and probably very likely. Law enforcement often over-steps it's bounds. I think I said that because I would be pissed if some cops told me I couldn't hike the trail, especially if I was a thru-hiker.

[Oilwellian]

11. The AT is on the mountain behind my house

I live on Catawba Road and see hikers that come down for supplies in Daleville, VA...always like striking up a conversation with them to see where they're from and where they're heading. The hubster and I hiked up there and celebrated the change of the millennium. Brought a bottle of tequila, a lemon and two steaks. Mmmm mmm mmm, delish. We could see the fireworks in Roanoke and it was a very memorable way to ring in the new era.

Also know the Home Place well. Good stick to your ribs food at a very reasonable price. It's not surprising the rangers held your friends up until the criminals were caught. Two women were killed on the AT a few years back so they probably have adopted a policy to prevent that from happening again.