These trailforums never cease to amaze me. Really, they don’t. I think it is a god aweful shame that people (myself included now that I am writing) feel the urge to digress to such base antics and criticisms, merely retaliate, or try and construct a meaningful response to such shallow behavior.
SOMEONE, whoever you are…I find it disappointing that you cannot identify yourself first, before making such brash comments. Feel free to identify yourself, and man up to your words.
FIREFIGHTER…dude, come on. You really have a lot of time on your hands to wittle away in front of the computer, disect OT’s journal, and hypothesize a contrite little conspiracy theory. Perhaps the best judgement to be made about Ben, should first come after meeting him in person. Then decided if he is telling the truth or not.
It flat out SUCKS that people throw down such libacious comments on this site. It is meant to help other hikers, and be a positive forum for communication. Instead (as this forum did) it has boiled down to a pile of bullshit and people arguing over a person’s hike - with information obtained while sitting on their asses behind a desk.
I personally saw Ben this weekend, he is a close friend, he assited me with my trip that begins in less than 2 weeks. Ben is a great man, a great friend, and an outstanding hiker. He has hiked every friggin’ inch of the trail to this point. So before anyone throws down anymore dramatic insults, go throw on a pack and hump the same damn mountains every other thru-hiker has.
Perhaps the most important thing we should take out from all this nonesense is that we should judge ourselves, our comments, thoughts, and feelings, before we judge, berate, and slander another hiker. Step up to the plate folks and make the AT a real community.
Andy Brown
