Hey Sheperd.jpg

Hey Sheperd.jpg, originally uploaded by Hikingfool.

Well I hiked 15.1 miles today after being off the trail for 78 days. Yes thats right...11 weeks. Man time flies by! So I am officially 972.7 miles from Springer & 1203.5 miles from Katahdin and out of shape!

Well I was looking through the register for CJ's entry, and low and behold they put a full page tribute to me. I dont know who did the drawing, but it ROCKS! It made my day. The group is singing to the song " hey Jude" but putting in Shepherd instead. Wow! Thanks CJ, Dynamite, Dorothy & Howedown! Even Dirty Charlie made it in, who is CJ's alter-ego! How cool.

Well my streak for company at the shelter continues. Bonnie is here so far and is hiking south. Tomorrow I get to ride the rollercoster! Yeah.

Well I am glad I am back, but already miss Amee. I love you!

Shepherd

The Farewell Post: A Hiliarious Video of "The Hiker" song!

Here is a hilarious version of the "Hiker" song sung by Lee & Matt. Two great friends from church! I couldnt stop laughing! Hope you enjoy! Great job, but dont quite you day job!

Well, it is time to say good-bye for now. Who knows, this blog maybe up and running quicker than one may think. We will see what God has in store! Again, special thanks to Pastor Scott, who went well out of his way to get me some much needed and useful gear while on the trail! Thank you, PS! Hike on, and keep fighting! You will be in my prayers!

Also, thanks for the encouragement & prayers during my 2 months from all who were...as Mac would call it..."arm chair hiking". I love it! lol. It has been a blast. Now it is time to get back to Indiana for some recouperation!

In Christ,

Shepherd

Funny AT sign in SNP.jpg

Funny AT sign in SNP.jpg, originally uploaded by Hikingfool.

Day 57: 4/30. Saw this sign and thought it was pretty funny. I have been enjoying all 57 short day hikes on mt AT adventure. lol.

Shepherd

"The Hiker" - a song

"The Hiker" sung to the tune of "The Gambler - by Kenny Rogers"



On a warm summers evenin'
on a trail bound for Katahdin.
I met up with "The Hiker", we were both to tired to speak.
So, we took turns a starin' out the shelter at the darkness
till boredom over took us and he began to speak.


He said, "Son, I've made a life out of reading hiker's faces,
and knowing how much their packs weighs by the way they held their eyes.
So, if you dont mind me saying, I can see your packs too heavy,
for a taste of your water, I'll give you some advice."
So, I handed him my Nalgene, and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bumbed a ClifBar, and asked me for some GORP.
Then the night got deathly quite and his face lost all expression,
He said, "If your going to hike the AT, boy, you got to learn to go ultralight."

Chorus:
You got to know when to go 20's, know when to do 30's.
Know when to take a zero day, know when to leave town.
You always count your ounzes, when filling up your food sack
Cause there will be time enough for eating big, when you hitch into town.

Every hiker knows, that the secret to Katahdin.
Is knowing what to throw away, and knowing what to keep.
Cause every gears a winner, and every gears a loser.
And the best you can do is to keep your pack under 30 pounds.

So when he finished speaking, he turned back towards his food sack.
Scarfed down some beef jerky, and faded off to sleep.
Then somewhere near Katahdin, "The Hiker" he broke even,
and in his food sack, I found a Snickers that I could keep.

Repeat chorus

Hope you enjoyed. God bless. Hopefully more to come.

Shepherd

PS: Yes, I carry a mp3 player/fm radio that I listen to... usually half the day. It definelty helps!

Interesting sign .jpg

Interesting sign .jpg, originally uploaded by Hikingfool.

Came upon this sign about a mile from Partnership shelter. It seems alittle out of place cause it only takes about 3 steps to cross a road for a hiker. Plus what are the speed limits for hikers, and are the fines doubled for speeding! lol. Well we got a laugh from it!

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Minature Shelter.jpg

Minature Shelter.jpg, originally uploaded by Hikingfool.

We came across this shelter about 11.3 miles from Damascus. The funny thing about this shelter was that it was super small. If you can see Dynamite & Cowboy Killer are actually standing up in the shelter and you can only see their body from the chest down cause the entry way is only like 4 ft high. It barely sleeps 2. We found out that this is an emergency shelter, but it wasnt even in the data books. Funny. Well here is what I put in the register at this shelter. Warning: it isnt politically correct. lol.

This shelter was created for the increasing Japanese/Chinese hiking community on the AT or it is the honeymoon love shack for the newlyweds on the trail. Although you couldnt carry your new bride into the shelter. lol.

Well, we all had a good laugh there and got some great pictures. There were also some other good register entries as well.

Shepherd.

Hiking. Georgia to Maine (a Song)

Well hello again. You can definetly tell my off days...extra posts!

Here is a song I came up with while hiking on the AT for the past couple of days. It is to be sung to the tune of "Wanted. Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi.

It's all the same,
only the scenery has changed.
Everyday,
It seems we're hiking to stay
at another trail shelter,
where the privy seats are so cold.
I've hiked all day
just to get to Katahdin.

I'm a thru-hiker.
In a pair of boots I hike.
I'm hiking. Georgia to Maine.
Hiking. Georgia to Maine.

Sometimes I shower,
Sometimes it's not for days.
And the people I meet,
Have some crazy made-up names.
Sometimes you tell the day,
by the odor on your clothes.
Sometimes when you're alone,
All you do is think (about food).

I'm a thru-hiker.
In a pair of boots I hike.
I'm hiking, hiking. Georgia to Maine.
Hiking, hiking. Georgia to Maine.

Oh, I hike!

I'm a thru-hiker.
In a pair of boots I hike.
I'm hiking. Georgia to Maine.

Well, I hike the AT
With a loaded Jam 2 on my back.
I hike for keeps
Cause there's no turning back.
I've been headed north,
And I'm still standing tall.
I've seen a thousand white blazes,
And I've hiked them all!

Cause I'm a thru-hiker.
I've got the trail angels on my side.
I'm hiking, hiking. Georgia to Maine.
I still hike, I still hike.
Georgia to Maine.
Georgia to Maine.

The end.

Hope you enjoyed!

Shepherd.

Laundry Sign.jpg

Laundry Sign.jpg, originally uploaded by Hikingfool.

Well I found Amee at 1:00 pm today in Hot Springs. Yeah! Will post more later about this town, but am doing laundry with Poncho.

I had to post this sign Amee & I found in the laundry place that could only be found in a hiker town! Hope you enjoy, thankfully Amee brought me some spare clothes!

Shepherd.

CJ's Diner

Here is a short video made at Standing Bear Farm Hostel. I hope to get more short videos up as I can. Enjoy. Just press play even though the screen is black. God bless.

Shepherd.

Welcome Mat.jpg

Welcome Mat.jpg, originally uploaded by Hikingfool.

I just had to post about this. Jesse is quite the character. He is carrying a welcome mat with him, in which he puts his shoes on each night. To funny!

Scott: Have you done the Smokies? I hope they arent as bad as today.

Mule.jpg

Mule.jpg, originally uploaded by Hikingfool.

Good morning & happy St. Patricks day. Well about to start off the day after eating a hearty breakfast at Rivers End. Scott mentioned that this morning will be tough...going up about 3500 ft in about 6-8 miles! Yeah baby. But I keep telling myself it is all down hill after that!
Well you maybe wondering what the picture is about. Any guesses to what type of fungus it is. I picked it because there is an interesting story to go with it, plus it is green for st. patty's day. I will give the answer tomorrow. Ok now the rest of the story.

Well I met this guy back on day 5. He started the trail caarrying a 65 lb pack! That is twice the weight of mine! Way to heavy for a thruhiker, hence he was quickly named Mule! When I met him, he had it down to 57 lb. Well the other interesting and odd thing about him was that he was on a 500 dollar budget for his thruhike! So in order to save money, he had beeen collecting the fungi in the picture & eating them with his food!

Happy Bday Eric! Hike on!

Trail Humor - Pt. 2

Yes, that is right...three more days! Things have been a whirlwind around the Redden home. Between finishing my last few days at work for a while and getting everything packed and ready for Amee when I leave, I cannot believe it is soooo close!

Well I thought I would post one last story by George Steffanos. His stories on his '83 thru-hike are amazing. He is a very talented writer. Anyway, this story is in the style of General George Patton. Enjoy....


When I stopped at Punchbowl Shelter for lunch, four backpackers were already settled in for the night. I walked over to the first one and asked, "How far did you come today, son?"

"Forty-five miles, sir!" he replied in a strong, clear voice.

I told him to keep up the good work and moved over to the second hiker. I asked him the same question, and he shot back, "Thirty miles, sir, but both of my ankles are sprained!"

I told him I was proud to be hiking with men like him, and vigorously shook his hand.

The third hiker's reply was a sickly, but firm, "Twenty miles on a broken leg, sir."

I was overcome. I knelt down, said a little prayer for the lad, and kissed his forehead.

Then, I walked over to the fourth hiker.

"I've been here at this shelter for six days," he sobbed. "I just can't seem to shake off this depression. Virginia is too much for me. It's all the same. I can't stand it! Everything is all the same! I can't take it any more!"

I grabbed the yellow coward by his collar and yanked him to his feet. "You no-good, lousy, stinking coward!" I screamed. "You don't belong here in this shelter with these fine men! Get out! Get back out on that trail, and I hope you fall off a cliff! You make me PUKE!!"

He ran out blubbering into the forest, quivering like a leaf. I know that Ike is going to give me heck for this, but, then, the AT is heck. I love it, though.

--General George Steffanos

Trail humor!

A backpacking comic strip! (from a 1983 register)

The Return of the Backpacker With No Name... by George Steffanos (1983)

They lived hard, loved hard, and seldom got enough roughage. They were the backpackers. They would limp into town, worn by the rigors and the loneliness of long-distance hiking. They would clean up, party up, and bravely set forth to face new challenges. They were young. They were daring. They were as hungry as heck. They were the backpackers.

One day, a backpacker, different from the rest, strode into town. He hitched up his hiking shorts, set down his backpack, and stretched his tired muscles. He struck a match and proceeded to light the short, bedraggled stump of a cigar. Pulling his worn serape around his shoulders, he walked into a motel.

"Give me a room with a bath," he told the dirty, weasel-faced motel owner.

The man glared defiantly back at him. "I suppose that you're here to use up all our hot water and eat all our food," he snapped.

"No," the backpacker calmly replied. "I'm here to eat all you food and then use up all your hot water. First things first."

I noticed that the owner's lips didn't exactly move in sync with his voice as he barked, "You're a filthy, disgusting pig! I don't rent rooms to backpackers! Get out!"

The backpacker's glare was cold steel. "Give me a room," he repeated.

"No! Get out!"

The backpacker moved like lightning. In a split second, the motel owner was dangling by his drawers in the most vicious wedgie I have ever seen. He picked up the register and held it out.

"Sign here, please," he squeaked.

Needless to say, hot water and Pop-Tarts were in short supply for some time. As the backpacker strode out of town, he warned all of the motel owners that he would be back, so they had better be nice to other hikers. I ran up to him.

"Who are you, stranger?" I asked.

He smiled, flipped me a package of instant oatmeal, and headed up the next ridge.


***story was edited from original content***

Coming soon! A Walk in the Woods - Movie!

I am soooo excited to hear about this book becoming a motion picture movie! Even if you dont like to hike, Bill Bryson's humerous protrayal of life on the AT is worth the read! It is hilarious, and a quick read! Wouldn't it be cool if this was the year they started filming for it! I could be in the movie!

Here is the news story:

Los Angeles - Hollywood legend Robert Redford is to direct the movie adaptation of the best-selling book A Walk in the Woods.

The 1998 book by Bill Bryson is a hilarious meditation on the author's adventure hiking the Appalachian mountain trail. Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes--and to Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings.

Redford has been trying to make the film since 2005. He will produce the film and star as Bryson.

p.s. If you have read it, please let me know what you thought about it!

"The Backpacker with No Name"

Hello all,

Only 38 more days remaining, which seems like an eternity. To pass the time, I have been reading journals of previous AT thru-hikers. I stumbled across a journal of a man, who hiked the AT trail in 1983 (when i was 6 years old!). Since there are no TV's, books, X-Box's, Rock Band, etc... there is a lot of time to think and read the trail registers!

You may wonder what are the trail registers? Well they are your form of entertainment along the trail (like your magazines in the bathroom!). Each shelter has one, and thru-hikers sign there names if they stay there. Also you can post information on trial conditions, or you can be creative and put down stories, comic strip drawings or say hi to fellow thru-hiking friends that maybe arriving later. A thru-hiker usually stops at the shelters, takes a break and reads through the registers.

Well this gentleman, George Steffanos, came up with this ongoing story of the "Backpacker with No Name.", and placed them in the trail registers on his 1983 hike. Since it is the 25th Anniversery of his hike, I would like to share one with you.

"The Backpacker with No Name" by George Steffanos.

The midday sun beat down mercilessly on the Moreland Gap Shelter as I strolled in, leading my faithful mule. Oddly the place was full of emaciated backpackers. They watched with guarded expressions as I dropped my pack and started to prepare my lunch.

A skeletal boy edged timidly over and sat down next to me. Greedy eyes surveyed my Tang and peanut butter crackers. "Want some?" I asked.

"Oh, it is no use, Mister," he said in a curious, flat monotone. "Ramone will be the only one to feast on those crackers."

I reached my hand inside my faded, old serape, fished around in my pockets, and finally pulled out the half-smoked stump of an old cigar. "I don't know who this Ramone is, " I said. "But, nobody is enjoying this roughage but me."

Oh, you mustn't talk like that, Mister!" the boy cried. The other backpackers stared at me, fear and despair haunting their hollow eyes. Those nearest to me stood up and shuffled to the other end of the shelter. I shrugged calmly, pulled my hat brim down a little lower over my eyes, leaned back, and munched a saltine.

"I'll take the rest of those crackers, americano," said a harsh, flat voice from behind me.

I turned slowly, carefully removing the cigar stump from the corner of my mouth to spit out a stray shred of tobacco. Facing me across the shelter was the biggest, ugliest woods rat I have ever seen -- more than eight feet tall, with a huge, round beer belly. I pulled out a match and struck it against the stone of the shelter's foundation. With cool deliberation, I lit my cigar and exhaled a long, slow tendril of smoke.

"I am Ramone," he said, his lips moving a little out of sync with his words. "This is my shelter, and any food that comes into it is mine!"

I gave him my trademark dubious sneer and dropped my cigar butt down on the ground, crushing it slowly out with my boot. I picked up a saltine, calmly spread peanut butter on it, and popped it into my mouth.

"Now you die, filthy americano!" he snarled, a full half-second before his lips began to move. He lunged for his rifle.

"Mphmrmph!" I replied, spitting out cracker crumbs. I flipped the right side of my serape over my right shoulder for faster access to my right hip. He quickly lifted his rifle, but I pumped three quick shots into him before he could fire. A weird, Spanish-sounding music was playing in the background as he slumped to the ground, his eyes filled with horrified amazement.

"Who are you," he groaned.

"A backpacker," I said.

His eyes rolled over and he said no more. I strolled leisurely out into the blistering heat, wondering where the heck those bells and trumpets playing in the background were coming from.

The other backpackers came running from the shelter, laughing and shouting. The boy ran up to me and tugged at the corner of my serape. "Hey, Mister, who are you?" he asked.

I smiled, flipped him a granola bar and headed up the next ridge.