[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[at-l] Introduction

No shy lurking for me.

I'm Joan Norris, trail angel/significant other/landlady to Wanchor (Jon
Phipps) who has done the AT twice, the Long Trail, and the Florida Trail.
 Felix told me that he'd had a couple of contacts regarding Wanchor and I'm
hoping anyone who knows Wanchor whom I'm not already writing will e-mail me.
 I'll print out your messages and send it to him at the next mail drop.

Wanchor is about 1800+ miles into the 2700 miles of the PCT.  He started at
Campo (the California/Mexico border) April 30.  He's run into a number of
folks he knew on the AT--including Rob of Loxley and Flower Power.  His
achilles tendons are starting to bother him--the same tendons that caused one
of his AT thru-hikes to be a flip flop with a long layover in the middle.

Johnny Reb who also did two AT thru-hikes has already quit the PCT and is
back in Orlando.  He was having a lot of knee problems.  

I also have word that Let It Be (senior) has completed his AT thru-hike this
year and has started his southbound PCT hike.  He's attempting to be the
first person to thru-hike both trails in one year.  Maybe you AT-Lers already
know this.

Wanchor's finding the PCT  on the whole less hiker friendly than the AT.
 Fewer people in trail towns know about long distance hikers and hitches are
more difficult.  Of course, there are a lot fewer hikers trying to go the
distance.  He says the views are better--no green tunnel, lots of open spaces
high up. 
  
Oh, yeah, me.  This is my third year of doing trail support for Wanchor.  I'm
an active Florida Trail member and do a good number of work hikes--stuff
grows fast in Florida.  I've met Wanchor along his trips in the Shennandoahs
(where we took a short backpacking trip and a car trip to visit at Rusty's),
in Massachusetts (loved Mt. Greylock), in Vermont (went to the State Fair in
Rutland--and the marble museum), and now in San Francisco.  (No, the PCT
doesn't go to San Francisco; Wanchor got off the trail and took a bus to meet
me at the airport.)  The PCT requires a lot more food drops; it's more remote
and mail drop spots often don't have even a convenience store, so I'm
spending most of my free time packaging and mailing.

Last winter we also put up "Jesus" a 96 thru-hiker who decided hiking was so
much fun that he'd try some of the proposed route from Springer south, down
through Alabama and on to the Florida Trail.  He made it into Florida and
eventually to my house.  We had met him at Rusty's.  (The FT goes through my
town.)  We put him up for about a week. 

Does anyone know where Doc Vapor (AT 95) is?

Joan
bluetrail@aol.com



* From the Appalachian Trail Mailing List | For info http://www.hack.net/lists *

==============================================================================