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Alan ... er, Gonzo,
I am Shawn Jarman, remembered by you as one of the "Fatheads".
I was talking with a friend recently, speculating on what
we would find if each of us Googled ourselves on the internet.
He said I might be surprised (pleasantly or otherwise) at
"what's out there". So I typed my name in, hit the
button and your web site came up. Just reading your journal
entries brought back many pleasant memories: the lean-tos,
Krogering, the elephant lynching (not so pleasant), and "Anglehead"
among many others. When I got to July 5th, imagine my extreme
surprise to learn I was mentioned by name, and a picture as
well !!! It made me realize, I have forgotten so much...
You mentioned frying a steak for yourself using my already
running stove. Funny thing, I not only still have that stove,
but I hauled it out of the shed and fired it up not two weeks
ago, out of curiosity to see if it still worked. It was if
28 years had not even happened; it worked just as well as
ever! Made me want to boil up some Ramen noodles, melt some
cheese into it, stir in some sauteed "ramps" (remember?)
and have an "AT feast" just for the memories.
Many thanks to you for your wonderful web site, keeping alive
special memories for all of us who have hiked on the AT. I
hope the years since then have been kind to you, and wish
you well. I think I'll go home after work tonight and fire
up that stove again!
Regards,
Shawn Jarman
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Hi, I found your report about your 1983 AT Hike. I have only
read a few pages but wanted to let you know how much I am
enjoying it.
Connie
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I really enjoyed your trail journal of the AT. I am taking
my son on our first backpacking trip on the Knobstone Trail
in Indiana in Sept. We have hiked before but not overnight.
My goal is to one day hike the AT, but it may have to wait
until I retire…..
Thank You for sharing your experiences.
Bill
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Hello Gonzo. I will make this email brief and will keep in
touch if you like. The A.T. has been my passion since about
1970 when I first started reading about it in high school.
I found your journal today and was flabbergasted on how we
both used the same Vasque boots and read alot of stuff on
Ed Garvey. I through hiked the A.T. in 1981 leaving on March
29th. I will be getting to know you by reading your journal
in the next few days. I seemed to have a connection with you
immediatly upon reading a few pages of your journal. I have
my 1981 journal online also with pictures which were taken
by a 110 camera. Times sure have changed on the trail in the
last 30 years. I rehiked the A.T beginning in 2004 and finished
it in 2006. I did my second trip from north to south and used
the same Kelty frame pack I used in 1981.
Mike
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Hi Gonzo, I am a 71 year old grandma. I found your journal
online and am reading it a few pages a day. I really look
forward to it. I envy you the trip. It seems like something
I would like. I live in PA and very close to Moyers Grove
Campground where you stayed. I wish you well and thank you
for sharing your experience with me. Good wishes and health.
Carol
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Hi, Alan!
First of all, let me to say: thank you very much for yours
great website.. Story about your hike in 1983 inspired me
to do the same in 2006. I'v red it before my hike, I'm reading
after. I red a lot of stories, but yours will be always my
favorite. I started AT on May 15th 2006. I do not finished
my journey in 2006, because I broke my ankle near Zealand
Hut, NH on ugust 29th. This 2008 year is my year. I klimbed
Baxter Peak on September 9th after month of hiking NH and
ME.
Arius
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Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed spending
the last few days reading your journal. I was out on the AT
this morning on a little training expedition out of PenMar
Park and I had a great time remembering some of your tales
as I walked. Someone was even setting up for a picnic and
I was tempted to see what I could "Yogi" out of
them!
Regards,
Paul
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Howdy,Lewis In Buford,Ga...have started hiking lately..just
tooling around..found your story........quite the adventure...thanks
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Gonzo,
I am one of what I can only assume would be thousands of people
that have dreamt of an A.T. thru-hike but I still have not
made that dream a reality. First I must congratulate you on
your trail journal and website. It is one of the most complete
and detailed journals that I have read, and I have definitely
read many. I guess Im hoping that you can lend some advice
on how to turn my dream into a reality. Ive read all the books
and done all the research but yet I still haven't actually
gotten into the car and had someone drop me off in Georgia
with my backpack yet. Do you find any common reasons that
people don't just do it? And if so what advice would you be
able to give for me to able to get over it and just do it.
I know you must get many many people emailing you everyday
about A.T. stuff but if you have the time to respond I would
be forever grateful.
Kyle
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Hi Gonzo,
I enjoyed reading your journal and picked up a lot of useful
information from it. In those early planning / dreaming days
I found your journal and Brawny's to be the most useful in
information and pleasurable reading - which helped me mentally
prepare for the hike. So I just wanted to let you know.
Pete
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Sir,
I have read every syllable that you have written about your
1983 hike and I am absolutely without words.
I have been a resident of Northeast Tennessee all of my life.
I live about 45 minutes from Roan mountain, and about 45 minutes
from Damascus Virginia. I was a weekend and "extended
trip" hiker for years, but the curse of age and life
have caused me to not be able to do the entire trip.
I was a new high school graduate in 1983 and chose to join
the Navy instead of going to college. While you were hiking,
I was running in circles, trying to figure out what to do
with my life.
I feel like you did the trip "for me", and I am
forever appreciative.
I have done many cumulative miles on our AT, but I never had
the time or the means to throw everything to the wind and
just do it all.
Your site is "bookmarked" and I will be re-visiting
it from now on.
You are my personal hero, and I appreciate you're sharing
your experiences with me. Congratulations, Sir!! You are "The
Man"!!
James
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Hello, my name is Tim, I live and work in Rhode Island and
have always had a interest in the AT . I found your trail
log on the internet and I have been reading it for a while
now. I wanted to let you know its been great reading your
daily experiences on the hike. It has given me numerous temporary
escapes at my desk during work. I envy you and your experience
on the AT. Just thought I would take a shot to see if this
email address is still active. Thank you for writing this
, its the best one I have read,including books on the AT.
How can I obtain a copy of your book?
I am both a collector of AT memoirs and maintain a bibliography
of them .
Dave
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Hi Gonzo!
I was just google-ing and came across your AT hike website.
It's great - you wrote a wonderful journal. I'm heading out
the first of April to thru-hike with my friend Marc - we're
from Springfield. It's great to hear about another Illinoisian
that made the trek.
Liz
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Gonzo,
I found your site online, and wanted to send you a message
to say Hi.
My name is Jeff, and I was a Caretaker at Stratton Pond in
the sumer
of 1983. We talked on August 11, according to your journal.
I have to
say that 1000's of people go through Stratton Pond every summer,
so
I'm not sure that I remember you, but your picture does look
familiar.
It was really great to read your journal. I recognized some
of the
names, but you started later than most people, so you didn't
run into
a lot of the "characters" from that year. Your description
of
"Pigmania" reminded me of the Pigs games from the
year before that
were immortalized in the song "Appalachian Pie".
I'm not sure who
wrote it, but it was all about AT Through hikers. It was sung
to the
tune of "American Pie". The chorus went like this:
Ouch, ouch, my feet are so sore.
Wish I could be like Warren and do 20 more
and Andy and Bernie playing Pigs on the floor
singing this is the day the blazes ended,
this is the day the blazes ended.
I was the caretaker at Griffith Lake in 1982, and I had the
song
transcribed in my log book. Unfortunately, someone took out
that page.
Warren was Doyle (of course). Andy and Bernie were Kelly and
Borelli
(or Bonelli?), the ones credited with starting the Pigs craze.
Thanks a lot for your journal. I can't believe it's been
25 years!
Jeff
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Alan,
I just finished your story on the Internet. Pissed away about
2 days of productivity on the clock, but oh well. Great story
and some nice pics to go along with it. Thanks for taking
the time to share your experience with those of us too busy
at this point in our lives to take 6 months off for a real
challenge.
Chuck
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Gonzo!,
I just wanted to write and say thank you for putting your
journal of your travels on the AT online (and thank your boss
for he server space). I grew up on the East Coast, in central
NJ, and was always cognicent of the AT, and during a day camp
when I was 11 or 12 we spent two days on the AT in the Sunfish
Pond/Catfish Tower area. Since that time I have moved to the
midwest and life has gone on, but it is still a dream of mine
to hike the AT, to have that freedom and have nobody to answer
to but myself and the trail. Reading about your time on the
trail, which began at a time that I was less than a month
old, has renewed that dream and I wanted to thank you for
that.
-John
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Thanks Gonzo! That was an awesome read! I just spent 5-6 hours
reading your entire saga. I really loved how you documented
your travel on the AT one day at a time and then backed it
up with photos dedicated to that day! I have read 4-5 thru
hike journals now, and yours was the best designed, and the
best told. What an inspirational journey. I'm a "wannabe"
at this point. I have hiked and lived on the Na Pali coast
for 4-5 months, back around the time you were doing your hike,
but nothing quite so ambitious as the journey you just related.
If I get out there this summer and make that trip, I'll let
you know how it works out. Just wanted to give you a quick
email to let you know how much I enjoyed your story. Thanks
so much for posting it. Yes, the internet is a wonderful thing.
Clark
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Hi Gonzo
-
I just wanted to let you know that I finished hiking the AT.
I summited Mt. Katahdin on the 20th and summited again with
my son on the 23rd. If you don't remember, I sent you a thank
you note about your website and your emails three years ago.
Your site and your emails answered some of my questions when
I was just learning how to hike.
Pete
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Just read the mouse in the face entry.
I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!
And I can't believe I drank that much beer! Is that accurate?
What a hoot!
Chuck
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Hi Gonzo,I just read your journals online from 1983 thru-hike
on the Appalachian Trail and I really enjoyed them all
and the pics too.I was wondering was that the last time you
did it?I wish I was in shape to do it and sure footed but
I am not and besides 44 is too old for me to even try it.I
live in Georgia about 3.5-4 hours south of Amalicola Falls
and have been there and walked through the approach arch but
that is all.Do you have a page or group on Facebook if so
can you
send me the link so I can like it or join it?
Thanks
Steve
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Thank you for the time and effort you have made that others
might enjoy
reading your journal. I fell in love with the AT in the Smokies
during
1975 while stationed at Fort Bragg NC.
My daughter will graduate high school in May 2011 and is looking
forward to
our thru hiking of the AT. I will be a young 64 then and get
a chance to
realize my dream of 35 years.
In 'your ending thoughts and the journey home page', the
ending of your
job as a museum technician touched me enough to write this
note to you.
It described a scene played out several times in my own life,
some of
which took years to get over, life happens even though we
don't always
know why.
Sincerely,
Winton
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