My source reports five through hikers were apprehended in the act of mooning the Cog railway this weekend. The fine is either $125 with a permanent Federal record for nudity (as the offence occurs on Nat forest land) or a $175 fine with the record being purged at some point. Not exactly a cheap thrill. At the moment, it seems you only run a risk on weekends, but you never know when they might have an officer to spare for Cog duty.
Slo-go’en
Slo-go’en
yeah, it’s 125 with a charge of public nudity, or 175 with a charge of something lame… I can’t remember what. They didn’t tell us anything about the record being purged if you take the 175 ticket. All 5 of us took public nudity for 125, please.
redwood
Hey,
I mooned that cog train in my '05 trip. I can’t believe a police officer could catch you to give you a ticket. There is no where for them to get off the train. It would take a monumental effort for them to do so.
not saying you are lying, just saying, how the heck could they get caught
peace and crabs
frenchie
Usually if there is a crackdown of this sort, the police will have a press release in advance, so that word spreads and behavior is actually curbed. Has that been the case? If not, between that and frenchie’s post, this whole topic seems fishy.
Not to mention, there has been no word of these fines on the most notable Presis hiking forum. Not a single word. Usually if someone so much as has a shoelace untied up there, there will be a post about it.
Sorry to be skeptical, but prove me wrong. I think this post is a hoax.
markv
My son HoldOn was one of the Mooners !!! Yes, him and 4 others were given a ticket of $125.00 ! think 2 days ago. He said the cog train stopped and out jumped a forest ranger and st police.
whats a mother to do !!! I am VERY proud of him and ALL thru hikers !!!
just mel
I was with Hold On. It was me, serendipidy, Hold On, Nice Enuff, and Ox. The act took place where the AT crosses the rails. We were on the North side. As we were mooning, the train stopped. Before we knew what was happening two officers were behind us, tapping us on the shoulders, saying ‘you, you, you,…’ over here. We weren’t sure what was going on. A few thought it was a joke. Markv, there was no notice of this anywhere on the trail preceding the railway. There was no sign, no talk about it, nothing from southbounders. I can understand your skepticism when you don’t have a 125 dollar ticket to pay.
redwood
An unfortunate incident that will not inprove the general public’s image of the long distance hiking subculture.
I neither understand nor agree with the logic/rationale behind Hike Naked Day and mooning the cog railway. I always felt that a hiker feigning choking from the black smoke and falling to the ground was a more appropriate action for the families riding the cog to see.
Warren Doyle
A few more thoughts on organizing Moon Day.
Suggested Moon Day date is June 21, to coincide with Hike Nakid Day.
To get the PR machine moving, Moonies should start spreading the word around hiking forums first, followed by a flyer of sorts to be circulated to organizations like the AMC, outfitters, and so on. That will give the reality of Moon Day real traction.
As Moon Day 2008 approaches, a few calls to rangers and the NH State Police should go out, with Moonies posing as concerned citizens and MEMBERS OF THE PRESS seeking comments about coming Moon Day, and what if any law enforcement action is planned.
The press should be lined up to cover Moon Day. This is absolutely essential! Sunshine is the disinfectant for reactionary law enforcement practices.
On Moon Day, at least 50 to 100 Moonies should show up. To ease trail congestion, the overflow can ride the Cog to the trail.
If the above campaign is undertaken, Moonies will win a decisive political and moral victory.
Mr. Los Angeles
The fine depends on whether or not your moon was waxing or waning, and if a rocket was observed.
Nerd
Hi Redwood !!! I was kinda shocked when my son HoldOn texted me about the mooning fine ! My first thought was,why didnt HoldOn RUN !!! but,after thinking about it I texted back to HoldOn,well, you only live once and you will have awesome stories to tell your own kids one day! HoldOns sister ,who is a teacher said ,Way Too Cool !! leave it to the young and free spirits :) if you see HoldOn please tell him that his mom says HI and be safe :) I have to tell you that this July I hiked NOC to fonatana Dam,just to see what the AT is all about,wow,,,what a journey,GRUELING !!!! thats why I am just amazed with ALL the thru hikers, Be safe :) HoldOns mom 
just mel
To Warren Doyle,as a mother of a thru hiker who did moon the cog train,yeah HoldOn and his fellow Mooners,I would like to say to you,none of us should judge a thru hiker who chooses to moon the cog train or Hike Naked. We dont have to understand it or judge it. Live and Let Live
just mel
To Warren Doyle,as a mother of a thru hiker who did moon the cog train,yeah HoldOn and his fellow Mooners,I would like to say to you,none of us should judge a thru hiker who chooses to moon the cog train or Hike Naked. We dont have to understand it or judge it. Live and Let Live
just mel
I hope you didn’t take my skepticism as an affront. (It was really more the behind.) I’m pretty neutral about whether or not public nudity laws should be enforced. (I can see why they should, butt it seems so petty and unimportant relative to so many other things that don’t get enforced.) Butt it blows me away that the authorities would make no effort to publicize the CRACKdown. It’s ASSanine to try to curb a behavior by surprise-fining a few hikers here and there. They should try to get the word out in advance, so people can really think about whether or not they’re willing to risk their ass being fined. Any good traffic-law prevention program works that way. Instead, this is like some stupid drug sting, and we should know by now how ineffective that kind of law enforcement is. I say these fines reek worse than a thru-hiker’s behind.
3 cheers for the new tradition of pretending to choke to death when the cog goes by.
markv
When I was on the trail in 2004, on Hike Naked Day, I came into a shelter and there was a 65 to 70 yr old guy in a black thong. I’m scarred for life from that sight… In 2005, there was a 7 year old girl out with her folks who had been a victim of a sexual assault. Her folks had no idea about Hike Naked Day… I forget the hikers name, but he came around the corner , with his Johnson swinging in the air… The little girl was terrorized. I’m all for getting naked. But think of the quote, “Do no Harm”… Yes, your freedom, but there are reasons we have some laws…
One Thing
I was fortunate to have witnessed the mooning incident last Sunday and would like to say, for what it is worth, that the reactions and expressions on the faces of the passengers inside the train were hilarious. The mooners had their backs turned to the train so couldn’t appreciate the response. I wish I took a picture.
Good luck on the remainder of the AT.
mitter
…and more laws, and lawsuits, and regulations, and more laws, and then some more laws. If the sight of someone’s naked behind for a few seconds does someone any harm, we have a larger issue at hand than the person doing the mooning.
Having a law in place because one person out of 1,000,000 is re-traumatized by the sight of something harmless is stupid. Let’s worry about bigger problems, like what caused the original trauma.
Or the police could worry about a bigger problem, like widespread auto theft at trailheads in the area. Or the growing poverty problem in the America. Or maybe the world that we happen to be destroying. There has to be something better for those officers to be doing with their time.
markv
Far too many things are illegal; far too many punishments are inappropriately severe.
Meanwhile: poverty is everywhere; only 30% or so of adults in our country have any kind of retirement beyond Social Security; millions are without medical insurance; and happiness is directly correlated with one having access to the benefits of the society one lives in.
As I sit here and contemplate these things, it comes to me that though I know not how or when, things must change.
Conan
Conan
The ranger who wrote that ticket is known for being way overboard. Not surprising at all that he’d react like that.
Wyeth