Just saying that I miss the trail !!! This spring will be 10 years…wow…Class of “2005”
Brother Buzz
Missing the Trail
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#2
I remember you, you were on my team, team Orange. It was my rookie year. You were the Cape Cod plumber who mailed his journal pages home to his sister to post. Of course, you don’t actually know me. I drafted you as part of our first year “Fantasy Hiking League”. In the Spring we would each pick 10 NOBO’s based on TJ entries. We would follow TJ progress with one point per mile. I started a string of losing seasons that year but you were the only one of my picks to finish. You kept me out of the basement. It’s hard to pick a winning team. Thanks for posting.
Francis
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#3
I hiked in 2000 and still miss it. Every spring I get an intense desire to quit my job and start hiking.
Big B
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#4
Dear Francis, I just want to know. Have you walked the trail? I gotta know because anyone who hasn’t and picks hikers On a “Fantasy Hiking League” disgustes me. If you have, then I can see why you would want to relive that dream, via other hikers.
Miss America
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#5
I’m working on it. I have made it from Springer all the way to Crawford Notch over the past few years. So the answer is no, I have not walked the trail, not all of it anyway. But I will soon. But, if you are a TJ junkie, without joining any league, jot down the trail names of 10 hikers on TJ who you think will make it in 2015. Then go back to TJ next Fall and see how well you did, just for fun. It’s not that easy and there are things a hiker can learn about what not to do by looking at the mistakes of others. Of course, must people don’t go off trail because of mistakes, it’s a whole array of random events. Some times they don’t quit hiking at all, they just quit the journal so it looks like the hike ended at the NOC. Oh by the way. I would have picked you in 2014 but for the dog. I have had bad luck with dogs.
Francis
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#8
Pick me for your fantasy league…I am leaving on April first. I am tough but 2160 miles could crack me lol…I believe if I keep my head down and trek well and be wise with my money I can make it…any advice?
Leo the Lion of Lanister
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#9
Leo, are you on Trail Journals? That number 2160 is a bit outdated. Advice? Keep moving North. Good luck.
Francis
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#11
Leo, Click on the upper left button on this screen and go to Trail Journals. You can log on and create a trail journal of your hike. It’s also a good place to read other hikers journals.
Francis
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#12
Nothing new to report. Trailjournals has always been for friends, family… and creepy stalker types. You can even feel it in the unemotive deadpan of their guestbook entries and forum posts. The calculated, irresistible logic of their defenses. The coolheaded, offhanded dismissiveness toward your objections. You can’t win with these types, so either accept your journal’s cult following of stay-at-home peeping toms or mark it private. Can you do that on trailjournals?
“I remember you…”
fern feeler
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#13
This thread is great. I’ve been out there on the trail, both finishing and being all :bawling about not finishing, but the fantasy league thing is hilarious. Francis, i challenge you do a different game: Trailjournal Bingo. You fill out a bingo card with the name of different hikers on here, and when one of your hikers doesn’t post an entry for more than 3 weeks, you get to mark off their square. Imagine the fun and frustration when you’re one day away from yelling BINGO but then Tennessee Wildcat posts his 5th wrap-up entry… :lol
markv
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#14
Miss America - I have never come across a snobby person on the trail, yet it seems like hiking forums are filled with them. If someone takes an interest in hiking, let them take an interest. It only creates more awareness of the things we hold dear as a community. This is not the highschool football team, or cheerleader squad. I believe that everyone can contribute in some way, be it advice, donations to trail associations, or buying crappy gear from REI. If you are going to be a negative person and try to insult people for their interest, please keep it private. I personally don’t want to read off-handed remarks or insults. The concrete world is full of negativity that we try to escape when we wander into the wilderness.
Stephen
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#15
But Stephen, that’s like blaming your ex-wife for getting the restraining order after you started making creepy phone calls. Creepy is the operative word. Maybe Francis at least gets this take on his behavior and has refrained from commenting further out of some semblance of understanding over how it comes off. You might follow suit.
ff