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How do you feel about scattering of ashes on the AT?

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    • chief wrote:

      Wise Old Owl wrote:

      "corpses are hazardous waste" If they are Cremated they are not.
      never said they were. heck, I've got some ashes of an old friend somewhere in my house. never knew what to do with them, she didn't exactly leave instructions.
      I just wouldn't recommend snorting them like Keith Richards.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      chief wrote:

      Wise Old Owl wrote:

      "corpses are hazardous waste" If they are Cremated they are not.
      never said they were. heck, I've got some ashes of an old friend somewhere in my house. never knew what to do with them, she didn't exactly leave instructions.
      I just wouldn't recommend snorting them like Keith Richards.
      nah, she was more a boozer than a doper. her mother distributed her ashes to her closest friends, i'll never forget receiving that package in the mail a week or so after her funeral. A little box wrapped in pink ribbon and bow that rattled when I shook it. Dem Bones!
    • montana mac wrote:

      When I was a kid (many years ago) I remember camping at the Spruceton Lean-to - Haven't been their since then - does the shelter still exist?
      Hmm. there are three lean-to's that are in easy hiking range of the Spruceton trailhead, and I don't know which one you might mean. (I'm guessing that you don't either.)

      The closest is Diamond Notch, which is about 1.2 miles from the trailhead and 0.3 miles from the waterfall in Diamond Notch - I'm guessing that's the shelter you're talking about. It's popular with mountain bikers and Devil's Path hikers (it's right on the old carriage road, now used as a MTB trail, and only a quarter mile off Devil's Path). It's within earshot of the brook. Just past the shelter to the south, the trail rises abruptly through some strangely shaped rock outcrops.

      Farther up the Devil's Path, right on the trail, a mile south of Hunter Mountain summit, there's Devil's Acre lean-to, right by a spring on a rare level patch. It's just below the 3500 foot mark, and the setting is all low plants, grasses and shrubs because all the broadleaved plants are struggling to survive while somehow the balsams haven't seeded there. The patch was leveled artificially before it was state land, and once had a stationary steam engine to haul logs down a long cable incline to Stony Clove. Until a year or so ago, it was pretty grim because of water leakage, but it now sports a new cedar roof. It has a reliable spring and tasty blueberries in season.

      The third, John Robb Memorial, is on the Spruceton bridle path about 2/3 of the way up Hunter. near the spring and the junction to where the trail turns off toward the top of the ski lifts. This is the newest one of the lot, built in 2009. The previous lean-to was in woods on the opposite side of the trail (and too close to the trail). The new one is in a fantastic spot, on a ledge with a flume-like walk down to it. It has a great view of West Kill Mountain and the Spruceton valley, and a nice array of tent sites (also with good views) nearby. The big disadvantage is that the shelter faces west, into the prevailing wind, so it seems that all the weather blows right in the front of it. I've been up there on snowshoes with a group that brought a big tarp to hang across the front of it, and once we had the interior shoveled out, it was great! We even got a period of calm wind in the evening, rolled the tarp up and enjoyed a roaring fire until it was time to bank it down and turn in.

      There aren't a lot of lean-to's that aren't there any more and haven't been replaced, but there are some. The pair that were once on the top of Slide Mountain have been gone for many years, along with the fire tower. (Camping above 3500 feet is now forbidden.) The lower Rider Hollow lean-to, built by the CCC in 1935, fell victim to arson in 1994. The lower McKenley Hollow lean-to was destroyed in a flood in the late 1990's. I hear there was once a shelter near the Denning trailhead, but I don't know anything more than that. Several that have gone too far to salvage (Mink Hollow, Batavia Kill, Elm Ridge) have been demolished and rebuilt at sites near the original ones. I'm guessing that Michael Kudish's book might have more information.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.
    • Astro wrote:

      chief wrote:

      Wise Old Owl wrote:

      "corpses are hazardous waste" If they are Cremated they are not.
      never said they were. heck, I've got some ashes of an old friend somewhere in my house. never knew what to do with them, she didn't exactly leave instructions.
      I just wouldn't recommend snorting them like Keith Richards.
      Keith had real issues...
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:
    • I was duck hunting in Arkansas last week with my son and I told him if I died during the trip to take what he wanted off my body (I recommended the fleece lined pants and my Filson jacket for sure) and push me off in the river. That would be a good pirate burial and save everyone a lot of money.

      My wife survived a house fire as a child thanks to her Grandmother (who did not survive the fire) so there will be ZERO cremations around here.
      If your Doctor is a tree, you're on acid.
    • Rude Dog,
      Welcome to the Cafe!
      We are sort of like family, we will make you laugh sometimes, think others, and while you may not always like all of us all the time, you probably will appreciate us.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Jake Ace wrote:

      Tin Man wrote:

      Jake Ace wrote:

      Tin Man wrote:

      I plan to become a force ghost.
      so I gotta ask, what’s a force ghost? Oh, and did ya even get your luggage? That blows!
      I think you have me confused with StalkingTortoise. I haven't left Western CT since mmm August and I went North ... in my Jeep ... to canoe ...
      aye, right you are...but you knew that already :D
      And to answer your force ghost question... It is an actor who plays a Jedi in Star Wars, asked to be killed off because they are sick of playing a Jedi, but are open to coming back in a cameo role, looking ghostly because only their body is dead, they can still appear and talk to those who are stupid enough to listen.
    • Tin Man wrote:

      Jake Ace wrote:

      Tin Man wrote:

      Jake Ace wrote:

      Tin Man wrote:

      I plan to become a force ghost.
      so I gotta ask, what’s a force ghost? Oh, and did ya even get your luggage? That blows!
      I think you have me confused with StalkingTortoise. I haven't left Western CT since mmm August and I went North ... in my Jeep ... to canoe ...
      aye, right you are...but you knew that already :D
      And to answer your force ghost question... It is an actor who plays a Jedi in Star Wars, asked to be killed off because they are sick of playing a Jedi, but are open to coming back in a cameo role, looking ghostly because only their body is dead, they can still appear and talk to those who are stupid enough to listen.
      oh! a Zombie.
    • Jake Ace wrote:

      Tin Man wrote:

      I plan to become a force ghost.
      ...Oh, and did ya even get your luggage? That blows!
      Singapore Airport 01:20 Sunday morning

      [IMG:https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/Singapore-Malaysia-Trip-118/i-cnV8MbD/0/08eb092e/M/20180107_012401-M.jpg]

      Caught hell from security for taking a luggage selfie in the secure area.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • First time I moved to Brazil we had several duffle bags along with suitcases. So customs pulled us aside and told me tonstart unlocking all of them. While I am focused on doing that my wife takes out the camcorder and starts videoing my 10 month old daughter. I hear some commotion and look up and see a customs guy going nuts trying to tell my wife to shut it off. And then they let us go without even checking our bags. I assume they figured anyone foolish enough to start videotaping in a customs area must be innocent. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Jake Ace wrote:

      Tin Man wrote:

      Secret Service didn't seem to mind when I took this selfie with The President...
      musta been the glasses, prolly thought you were “on the job” :thumbup:
      Actually they observed he was looking in the wrong direction all the time. The sun, the girls butts, scary clowns, oh and that occasional squirrel. Clearly diversions.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:
    • Words can't quite describe how truly beautiful this is to do for a loved one. Wasn't sure how I felt about putting my mom's ashes in the ocean but being there and being a witness and part of it definitely made it much easier. What they provide is something so intimate and lovely that I can't quite put into words to do them justice. For the remainder of the ashes we will be using Well Lived to scatter my moms ashes in the Smoky Mountains. They will be taking care of the ashes getting there so we dont have to deal with the regulations from TSA and airlines and pulling the necessary documents to scatter there. We will be attending this scattering also and have it photographed to hold onto those memories forever. welllived.com/collections/destinations
    • mabiquibil wrote:

      Words can't quite describe how truly beautiful this is to do for a loved one. Wasn't sure how I felt about putting my mom's ashes in the ocean but being there and being a witness and part of it definitely made it much easier. What they provide is something so intimate and lovely that I can't quite put into words to do them justice. For the remainder of the ashes we will be using Well Lived to scatter my moms ashes in the Smoky Mountains. They will be taking care of the ashes getting there so we dont have to deal with the regulations from TSA and airlines and pulling the necessary documents to scatter there. We will be attending this scattering also and have it photographed to hold onto those memories forever. Link removed.
      Ahhh, nothing quite like a first-time poster including a commercial link in their introductory post. I can almost taste the spam.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • StalkingTortoise wrote:

      mabiquibil wrote:

      Words can't quite describe how truly beautiful this is to do for a loved one. Wasn't sure how I felt about putting my mom's ashes in the ocean but being there and being a witness and part of it definitely made it much easier. What they provide is something so intimate and lovely that I can't quite put into words to do them justice. For the remainder of the ashes we will be using Well Lived to scatter my moms ashes in the Smoky Mountains. They will be taking care of the ashes getting there so we dont have to deal with the regulations from TSA and airlines and pulling the necessary documents to scatter there. We will be attending this scattering also and have it photographed to hold onto those memories forever. Link removed.
      Ahhh, nothing quite like a first-time poster including a commercial link in their introductory post. I can almost taste the spam.
      good catch!

      "only" $1,590 for GSMNP scattering.
      2,000 miler
    • Re: Asking permission to scatter ashes.

      My Dad's final request was to have his ashes taken to Key West and set adrift in a small rowboat at sunset. Oh yeah... he wanted the boat packed with flammables and me to shoot a flaming arrow into the boat. My stepmother called a funeral home in the Keys and asked if they could help to set it up. They replied with a polite "No".

      Better to pay the fines than ask permission.

      As far as I know, his ashes are still in New Jersey.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • Rasty wrote:

      are we talking about campfire ashes or mom/dad/wife ashes?
      I've seen a ridge runner in Georgia scattering campfire ring rocks and ashes. But I don't think they got paid $1590. ?( :whistling:
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      are we talking about campfire ashes or mom/dad/wife ashes?
      I've seen a ridge runner in Georgia scattering campfire ring rocks and ashes. But I don't think they got paid $1590. ?( :whistling:
      Perhaps he was just doing it as internship to pad his resume and prepare him for this higher paying job. :D
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Re: Asking permission to scatter ashes.

      My Dad's final request was to have his ashes taken to Key West and set adrift in a small rowboat at sunset. Oh yeah... he wanted the boat packed with flammables and me to shoot a flaming arrow into the boat. My stepmother called a funeral home in the Keys and asked if they could help to set it up. They replied with a polite "No".

      Better to pay the fines than ask permission.

      As far as I know, his ashes are still in New Jersey.
      Instead of a flaming arrow, how about getting the ashes added to some fireworks and go out with a bang. I see a business opportunity for a fireworks manufacturer.
    • odd man out wrote:

      StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Re: Asking permission to scatter ashes.

      My Dad's final request was to have his ashes taken to Key West and set adrift in a small rowboat at sunset. Oh yeah... he wanted the boat packed with flammables and me to shoot a flaming arrow into the boat. My stepmother called a funeral home in the Keys and asked if they could help to set it up. They replied with a polite "No".

      Better to pay the fines than ask permission.

      As far as I know, his ashes are still in New Jersey.
      Instead of a flaming arrow, how about getting the ashes added to some fireworks and go out with a bang. I see a business opportunity for a fireworks manufacturer.
      As always, someone beats me to my million $ idea.

      heavenlystarsfireworks.com/