[at-l] More tall tales from DWG!!!!!!!

[kahley7 <kahley7@ptd.net>]

Reposted with permission from kendall.
More tall tales from DWG!!!!!!!

The following hikers have passed through the Village of Delaware Water
Gap
(DWG) this week:

(these hikers seem dedicated, mature, intelligent, well paced, with a
civilized and sane approach to hiking the AT.  They seemed more
focused on
the day to day experience, rather unlike the goal-oriented
forced-march-20-mile-a-day-or-die bunch that passed through earlier. 
I
don't know why but almost everyone I ask says that they started on
March
12.)

One Note, GWHayduke, DirtyBird,
PicanteGirl, HungryJack, Radar, YoungBlood,
Sundance, Squirrel, FarGo, Spiff, Granny, Pofferbelly,
Loavesn'fishes, Abol, Bushbad, Dogman, Buglady, T-Solo,
Amy, Loon, Lowtide, Dude, Wunky, JustHarry, BlisterFree, Banjo,
Violet, Roscoe, Bubba, Baltimore (not Jack), Lost Frog, Jon,
Boomerang,
DoughHead, ScreaminAnkle, Wander, GnatCatcher, Dana and Toad, Rooster,
LandCruiser.

Someone said that they stopped in the Village because "they wanted to
go to
church".  Another said that they took some time off because the
weather was
bad and they didn't want to get frustrated and quit.  Another hiker
reported
having seen a rattlesnake not far back south....about 10 feet long and
the
snake had a lump somewhere around the five foot marker about the size
of a
couple of loaves of bread (kittens?)...a snake like that is a hard
vision to
overcome.   One hiker, who tented out behind the church reported that
she
slept like a baby the first night but stayed awake all night the
second
night.  She was kept awake by the haunting question of whether to stay
in
town another night or start hiking the next morning.  By morning she
was too
exhausted to resume hiking so she stayed another night.  Another hiker
stayed an extra night, because he wanted to go to a movie (X-files). 
Some
hikers plot their week so that they can get to a television by
Thursday
night to see Seinfelt.  Another hiker was visited by his back-home
girlfriend.  When it was time for the hiker to depart, the home-town
girlfriend gave him a BIG KISS, so passionate that the whole Village
broke
into a sweat....cold showers were required all 'round.  There was no
doubt
in the world about the kind of SACRIFICES this kid was making to hike
the
AT, even I wanted to go home with her!!  Other hikers rented a room at
the
Ramada Inn to watch the World Cup, drink beer, and party at the Ramada
Inn
Disco where the New York City Weekender-Babes hang out.....a smelly
Daniel
Boon meets The Nanny from Brooklyn ....a place where Tevas do a
hobbling
dance with High Heels...the "Fox Trot" looks more like "The
Chicken"....remember "The Chicken"?  Did I say these people were
mature and
intelligent?

My Cousin Roscoe, who is NOT to be believed in most instances, has
reported
that a certain attractive Blond Hiker Babe was running low on funds
and
asked around town for some work.  She was hired by a rich old guy to
paint
his big front porch for $50.  A short while later she came to the door
to be
paid.  She seemed to have done the job very quickly, but he paid her
anyway.
As she walked away from the house She shouted back at the old
guy...."by the
way...that was NO PORCH...THAT was a FERRARI!

There were two dogs pass through this week; both were unusually well
behaved.  Both were big strong shepherd type dogs (not pure German
Shepherds), on lead at all times, carrying light packs of dog food.
They
were smart, well trained, confident dogs who didn't need to bark at
every
human movement.  As much as I like to discourage Dog Hikers, I must
admit
that a well trained dog can do the trail- where legal.  Most Dog (and
Cat)
Hikers are a disaster.

Another pet, a ferret, was trotted through the village this
week....probably
weighed 6-8 pounds.  The hiker had a pouch around his neck for the
ferret to
ride in, and he kept it on a lead.  The hiker was young, tall, strong,
and
didn't seem to mind carrying the extra weight. The ferret brought the
hiker
lots of attention.  Everyone wanted to pet the ferret and to talk to
the
hiker.  I've often wondered about all the things we do to get
attention.  Is
hiking all of the AT just another way of getting attention?  Oh
well....that's a little DEEP for the ATML....maybe I'll pose that
question
over on the Psychotic-Chat-Line....where I REALLY fit in.

There was some trail magic this week.  A hiker left his old dirty
beat-up
boots sitting around outside while he was taking a shower down at the
hostel.  When he came out they were gone.  What would anyone want with
hiker
boots that already had more than a thousand miles on them?  Anyway,
the
hiker was stuck without boots.  He was hitch-hiking up to the mall
several
miles away to find some replacements.  He got a ride with a local man
who
was a little leery of this beat-up smelly homeless ruffian.  After
telling
the driver the whole story of being a thru-hiker and losing his boots
and so
on, the driver changed his attitude.  When he dropped him off at the
mall,
the driver took all of the money he had out of his pocket and give the
hiker
$60 for some new boots.  The hiker refused....the driver insisted and
left
the hiker with $60.  No brag, no scandal, no demands, no glory...just
good
old fashion human kindness.  So it goes in DWG.
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