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Trail Days 2015

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    • socks wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      To me Trail Days sounds like one of those things that you do once just so that you can say you've been there.
      Kinda like riding your bicycle in the 5 Boro Bike Ride in New York City.
      When I was younger I'd have been all over trail days, but now...nah, not for me.
      You just called me "younger"! ^^ Well, sorta, but hell I'll take it on a day where my 5th graders realized if three of them found the sum of their ages, they would still be younger than I am. LMAO! Thanks. Getting older sure as hell beats the alternative.
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • I hated that the rain came in around 7pm Saturday. I was hoping to sit back and listen to some music. The rain started and I hit the car for a Pepsi. When the downpour started, I started the car and headed home.

      Appy Trails is normally there and I don't recall seeing them either. And this is the year for the ul cottage guys to be there. HMG Sold packs nonstop Saturday while I was there.

    • Dmax wrote:

      I hated that the rain came in around 7pm Saturday. I was hoping to sit back and listen to some music. The rain started and I hit the car for a Pepsi. When the downpour started, I started the car and headed home.

      Appy Trails is normally there and I don't recall seeing them either. And this is the year for the ul cottage guys to be there. HMG Sold packs nonstop Saturday while I was there.
      Yeah. I stayed out in it. :)
      Too bad we didn't meet up!
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • Drybones wrote:

      socks wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      To me Trail Days sounds like one of those things that you do once just so that you can say you've been there.
      Kinda like riding your bicycle in the 5 Boro Bike Ride in New York City.
      When I was younger I'd have been all over trail days, but now...nah, not for me.
      Same here, I just don't care for crowds.
      that's my deal too, i'm sure the comapany is great...just don't like crowds anymore.

    • milkman wrote:

      Dmax wrote:

      Other than HMG and Elemental Horizon, I didn't really see any UL manufacturers set up. What's up with that?
      No Tarptent, Zpacks, MLD, SMD .....
      The ones that didn't show are the ones I wanted to check out.
      Might be due to warranty issues.
      Huh? I'm not sure what you mean by that.
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      Dmax wrote:

      Other than HMG and Elemental Horizon, I didn't really see any UL manufacturers set up. What's up with that?
      No Tarptent, Zpacks, MLD, SMD .....
      The ones that didn't show are the ones I wanted to check out.
      Might be due to warranty issues.
      Huh? I'm not sure what you mean by that.
      They may not want to deal with replacing all the broken down gear.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.

    • twistwrist wrote:

      socks wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      To me Trail Days sounds like one of those things that you do once just so that you can say you've been there.
      Kinda like riding your bicycle in the 5 Boro Bike Ride in New York City.
      When I was younger I'd have been all over trail days, but now...nah, not for me.
      You just called me "younger"! ^^ Well, sorta, but hell I'll take it on a day where my 5th graders realized if three of them found the sum of their ages, they would still be younger than I am. LMAO! Thanks. Getting older sure as hell beats the alternative.
      For some of us that could have been five 5th graders. ;)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • milkman wrote:

      SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      Dmax wrote:

      Other than HMG and Elemental Horizon, I didn't really see any UL manufacturers set up. What's up with that?
      No Tarptent, Zpacks, MLD, SMD .....
      The ones that didn't show are the ones I wanted to check out.
      Might be due to warranty issues.
      Huh? I'm not sure what you mean by that.
      They may not want to deal with replacing all the broken down gear.
      Gotcha, that makes sense.
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      SarcasmTheElf wrote:

      milkman wrote:

      Dmax wrote:

      Other than HMG and Elemental Horizon, I didn't really see any UL manufacturers set up. What's up with that?
      No Tarptent, Zpacks, MLD, SMD .....
      The ones that didn't show are the ones I wanted to check out.
      Might be due to warranty issues.
      Huh? I'm not sure what you mean by that.
      They may not want to deal with replacing all the broken down gear.
      Gotcha, that makes sense.
      Last year was kinda crazy for them. Not only were the current hikers wanting their gear replaced, people who weren't even hiking were bringing their gear back and wanting replacements. When they couldn't provide in certain cases they were taking names and addresses and promising to do so as soon as they got back. Probably didn't want to deal with that this year.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.

    • Rasty wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      I'm guessing there's one person who wished he didn't go this year. m.wcyb.com/news/6-years-on-the…ugitives-capture/33086304
      Probably went for the free pair of socks
      Free socks! I was in fuggin heaven! gif.013.gif
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • CoachLou wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      ya really don't need to steal $8 million to live the hiker lifestyle. after the first million he was really good to go.
      8 mil.....I would be on a tropical island, not under a tarp eating dehydrated fruit!..................................just sayin'
      Tropical island? Not me. I burn like a lobster. I'll put a paper umbrella in my drink and think of you.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • Mississippi hiker helps nab FBI most wanted

      [IMG:http://www.cdispatch.com/images/articles/m_fc5jc5202015103030AM.jpg]
      James T. Hammes’ wanted bulletin from the FBI.
      Photo by: Courtesy photo/FBI
      William Browning
      May 20, 2015 10:31:57 AM
      A tip from a Mississippi resident led authorities to one of the FBI's most wanted criminals Saturday in Virginia.
      James T. Hammes, 53, had been wanted by federal authorities since 2009, when he allegedly embezzled more than $8.7 million from a Kentucky bottling company. After being indicted, he vanished. Throughout the last six years, Hammes' case has been featured on TV shows like "America's Most Wanted" and "American Greed."
      The "American Greed" episode, in fact, aired several months ago. When it did, a northeast Mississippi resident who hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2014 was watching.
      The resident -- who granted The Dispatch an interview but wishes to remain anonymous until the criminal case concludes -- recognized Hammes as someone he or she hiked the Trail with last year. The hiker emailed the FBI.
      Several days later, an agent called, asking for specifics. The Mississippi hiker told this story:
      The man on the "American Greed" episode was a frequent Appalachian Trail traveler. They had spent time together last year along the trail. Everyone called him "Bismarck" and he traveled with a blonde woman he introduced as his wife.
      The information eventually checked out.
      "Nicest guy ever," the hiker told The Dispatch on Tuesday.
      The hiker met the man known as "Bismarck" not long after taking off on the Appalachian Trail for the first time on March 1, 2014.
      Over the next several months, the hiker bumped into "Bismarck" here and there: at a shelter during lunchtime, at a hotel they were both staying in, at a resting spot along the trail, which is a historic 2,200-mile footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine.
      "Bismarck," the hiker said, had a big beard and wore glasses. He wore a cross around his neck and prayed before meals. The hiker took several photographs with "Bismarck" during the six-month trek to Maine. In each of them, "Bismarck" is smiling. The hiker passed the photographs along to the FBI.
      The hiker also let the FBI know "Bismarck" had mentioned attending Appalachian Trail Days Festival in Damascus, Virginia, a small town along the trail, in years past. The 2015 festival took place this past weekend. The northeast Mississippi resident was attending and notified the FBI that the word was that "Bismarck" was in town.
      On Saturday morning, federal agents arrested Hammes at Montgomery Homestead Inn in Damascus. The bed-and-breakfast owner said Hammes, who she knew as "Bismarck," had been staying there off and on since 2010.
      "He was one of my favorite hiking people," she said.
      The FBI has not said publicly how it found Hammes in Damascus.
      Hammes remains in custody in Virginia and will be returned to Ohio to face 75 charges, including 38 counts of wire fraud and 37 counts of money laundering.
      As for the Mississippi resident who played a part in leading authorities to him: Did the truth behind the acquaintance known as "Bismarck" spoil the pleasures of hiking?
      "Oh heck no," the local hiker said. "There's probably worse people than him out there, but they are few and far between. As a whole, the hiker community is safe."
      Information from a Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader story published Tuesday was included in this article.





      Read more: cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=42131#ixzz3amKOBBcj
      2,000 miler

    • I get he was a nice guy...

      That was wanted for leading a double life outside the law with resources not many will ever attain in a normal life time, who knows what a person like that is capable of. Glad he got pinched. The trail dosen't need the press for hang outs and hide outs.

    • i think he was over confident.

      he changed his appearance, but his picture is all over the internet. he is also mentioned in trail journals a lot. while he may have disappeared from his past life, he certainly did not keep a low profile on the trail.

      kinda made easy for the police to catch him. when they got the word that he at trail days, they had to think...does a guy who steals $8 million stay in tent city or an expensive b&b? lol. and they had pictures of him to show the innkeeper and others.
      2,000 miler

    • i think this is kinda funny.

      i read in one of the articles that part of his back story was that he was from north dakata.

      last week i saw a movie or tv show where one of the characters was going undercover. his buddy told him to tell people he was from north dakota becasue "nobody knows anyone who is from north dakota". of course on tv that backfired. :)

      edit when my memory kicked in: it was the movie the wedding ringer staring kevin hart.

      Doug gets together with Jimmy to go over made-up facts and stories that they will rehearse to sell it to Gretchen's family. To Jimmy's dismay, Doug has already told Gretchen's family that "Bic" is a priest that served in the military and is from North Dakota (since, according to Jimmy, nobody knows anyone from North Dakota). From Doug, Jimmy learns a few things, like that his favorite superhero is Pac-Man (even though he isn't one).

      The two go to Gretchen's family's home, where we also meet her sister Allison (Olivia Thirlby) and Grandma (Cloris Leachman). The family takes to Jimmy well enough, until they ask him what part of North Dakota he's from. Doug starts to get nervous and nearly spills the beans when Jimmy purposely spills hot chili on Doug's pants. In a frenzy, they knock over a candle that rolls off that table and sets Grandma on fire. They take her to the emergency room.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • max.patch wrote:

      Mississippi hiker helps nab FBI most wanted

      [IMG:http://www.cdispatch.com/images/articles/m_fc5jc5202015103030AM.jpg]
      James T. Hammes’ wanted bulletin from the FBI.
      Photo by: Courtesy photo/FBI
      William Browning
      May 20, 2015 10:31:57 AM
      A tip from a Mississippi resident led authorities to one of the FBI's most wanted criminals Saturday in Virginia.
      James T. Hammes, 53, had been wanted by federal authorities since 2009, when he allegedly embezzled more than $8.7 million from a Kentucky bottling company. After being indicted, he vanished. Throughout the last six years, Hammes' case has been featured on TV shows like "America's Most Wanted" and "American Greed."
      The "American Greed" episode, in fact, aired several months ago. When it did, a northeast Mississippi resident who hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2014 was watching.
      The resident -- who granted The Dispatch an interview but wishes to remain anonymous until the criminal case concludes -- recognized Hammes as someone he or she hiked the Trail with last year. The hiker emailed the FBI.
      Several days later, an agent called, asking for specifics. The Mississippi hiker told this story:
      The man on the "American Greed" episode was a frequent Appalachian Trail traveler. They had spent time together last year along the trail. Everyone called him "Bismarck" and he traveled with a blonde woman he introduced as his wife.
      The information eventually checked out.
      "Nicest guy ever," the hiker told The Dispatch on Tuesday.
      The hiker met the man known as "Bismarck" not long after taking off on the Appalachian Trail for the first time on March 1, 2014.
      Over the next several months, the hiker bumped into "Bismarck" here and there: at a shelter during lunchtime, at a hotel they were both staying in, at a resting spot along the trail, which is a historic 2,200-mile footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine.
      "Bismarck," the hiker said, had a big beard and wore glasses. He wore a cross around his neck and prayed before meals. The hiker took several photographs with "Bismarck" during the six-month trek to Maine. In each of them, "Bismarck" is smiling. The hiker passed the photographs along to the FBI.
      The hiker also let the FBI know "Bismarck" had mentioned attending Appalachian Trail Days Festival in Damascus, Virginia, a small town along the trail, in years past. The 2015 festival took place this past weekend. The northeast Mississippi resident was attending and notified the FBI that the word was that "Bismarck" was in town.
      On Saturday morning, federal agents arrested Hammes at Montgomery Homestead Inn in Damascus. The bed-and-breakfast owner said Hammes, who she knew as "Bismarck," had been staying there off and on since 2010.
      "He was one of my favorite hiking people," she said.
      The FBI has not said publicly how it found Hammes in Damascus.
      Hammes remains in custody in Virginia and will be returned to Ohio to face 75 charges, including 38 counts of wire fraud and 37 counts of money laundering.
      As for the Mississippi resident who played a part in leading authorities to him: Did the truth behind the acquaintance known as "Bismarck" spoil the pleasures of hiking?
      "Oh heck no," the local hiker said. "There's probably worse people than him out there, but they are few and far between. As a whole, the hiker community is safe."
      Information from a Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader story published Tuesday was included in this article.





      Read more: cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=42131#ixzz3amKOBBcj
      ".....but we just did.....and, to top it off, we gave more than enough information for the informant to be identified if "Bismark" has any kind of memory"

      ...
      If your Doctor is a tree, you're on acid.

    • max.patch wrote:

      i think he was over confident.

      he changed his appearance, but his picture is all over the internet. he is also mentioned in trail journals a lot. while he may have disappeared from his past life, he certainly did not keep a low profile on the trail.

      kinda made easy for the police to catch him. when they got the word that he at trail days, they had to think...does a guy who steals $8 million stay in tent city or an expensive b&b? lol. and they had pictures of him to show the innkeeper and others.
      Right! Pretty much a no brainer.

    • socks wrote:

      Dmax wrote:

      Now we just need to figure out where all that money is buried. .. I'm gonna start digging holes one mile out from each trail town.
      I hope it never turns up and remains a AT mystery, like the fella that jumped out of a plane D.B. Copper. Now that's a story.
      That was a good movie. I even enjoyed the Renegade episode that had his character on it.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      socks wrote:

      Dmax wrote:

      Now we just need to figure out where all that money is buried. .. I'm gonna start digging holes one mile out from each trail town.
      I hope it never turns up and remains a AT mystery, like the fella that jumped out of a plane D.B. Copper. Now that's a story.
      That was a good movie. I even enjoyed the Renegade episode that had his character on it.
      I don't know that I ever saw it before...what was it called?

    • socks wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      socks wrote:

      Dmax wrote:

      Now we just need to figure out where all that money is buried. .. I'm gonna start digging holes one mile out from each trail town.
      I hope it never turns up and remains a AT mystery, like the fella that jumped out of a plane D.B. Copper. Now that's a story.
      That was a good movie. I even enjoyed the Renegade episode that had his character on it.
      I don't know that I ever saw it before...what was it called?
      The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper

      imdb.com/title/tt0082958/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_4

      I believe Robert Duvall was the one chasing him.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      socks wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      socks wrote:

      Dmax wrote:

      Now we just need to figure out where all that money is buried. .. I'm gonna start digging holes one mile out from each trail town.
      I hope it never turns up and remains a AT mystery, like the fella that jumped out of a plane D.B. Copper. Now that's a story.
      That was a good movie. I even enjoyed the Renegade episode that had his character on it.
      I don't know that I ever saw it before...what was it called?
      The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper
      imdb.com/title/tt0082958/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_4

      I believe Robert Duvall was the one chasing him.
      I love Duvall, I'll have to look that up.

    • The woman that Hammes hiked with and introduced as his wife, Hopper, is the woman who was WB owner's hiking partner in 2010. His TJ implies that Bismark, whom he hiked with intermittently in 2010 and called one of his best friends from his thruhike, stole Hopper from him some time after they summited. WB's owner summited with Hopper but Bismark was involved with Blue Sky, whom he summited with later the same day. Bismark seemed to be a bit of a ladies man. In WB owner's own words "It played out like a high school drama."

    • Trillium wrote:

      The woman that Hammes hiked with and introduced as his wife, Hopper, is the woman who was WB owner's hiking partner in 2010. His TJ implies that Bismark, whom he hiked with intermittently in 2010 and called one of his best friends from his thruhike, stole Hopper from him some time after they summited. WB's owner summited with Hopper but Bismark was involved with Blue Sky, whom he summited with later the same day. Bismark seemed to be a bit of a ladies man. In WB owner's own words "It played out like a high school drama."
      that is crazy
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Trillium wrote:

      The woman that Hammes hiked with and introduced as his wife, Hopper, is the woman who was WB owner's hiking partner in 2010. His TJ implies that Bismark, whom he hiked with intermittently in 2010 and called one of his best friends from his thruhike, stole Hopper from him some time after they summited. WB's owner summited with Hopper but Bismark was involved with Blue Sky, whom he summited with later the same day. Bismark seemed to be a bit of a ladies man. In WB owner's own words "It played out like a high school drama."
      With Bismark's over $8m if the WB owner had played it a little better WB would not need donors. ;)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • I think the thing that would be sad bout a decline in Trail Days at Damascus is that a festival/show solely for hikers doesn't really exist anywhere else. There are other "events" but only one Trail Days. It is a shame that the "party" has become a lot sleazier than it was in earlier times.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.