[at-l] Gathering: Best of, Worst of NOMINATIONS

[tmcginnis@ucclan.state.in.us (Thomas McGinnis)]

     BEST NAME TAGS:
     Chase's AT-L.
     
     WORST SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS:
     The poor schmuck wrapped in fleece blankets on the blue poly tarp 
     20feet down slope and downwind from the campfire. He was still crashed 
     at noon on Sunday, looking like a murder victim except for the 
     occasional snore. I got cold just looking at him.
     
     WORST FOOD ARRANGEMENTS:
     Concord College. On the other hand, it was cheap. But it should have 
     been labelled AYCSILF, as in All You Can Stand In Line For. Lines 
     Outside? Down the Stair? Across the Corridor and Out the OTHER door? 
     Yeesh. We learned, a little too late, to hit our cooler and cruise the 
     Folklife Center.
     
     BEST CAMP HOSTS:
     14 year old Josh Lambert and his Mom, who adopted our kids and us and 
     really made us sad to leave.
     
     BEST SIGNAGE:
     That ALDHA symbol just says it all, doesn't it? Whoever designed it 
     should take a bow, along with the chap who placed the signs at the 
     road crossings.
     
     BEST WEATHER:
     I know, I know: Sunday's was just beautiful blue sky, yada, yada, 
     yada. But when we arrived and set up camp at 1:00am local time 
     Saturday morning, it was blowing 10mph, cloudy and cold. There were 
     two conversation areas going -- one near the bottom of the hill, and 
     the other at the campfire. I went to the campfire first, figuring I'd 
     freeze fast enough, then wander down the slope to the other talk-spot. 
     Got there, inside of 10 minutes the weather seemed to warm, the wind 
     slowed, and sky cleared. I got to bed after 4:00am. (Dreamed of bad 
     hiker jokes, too.) Thanks to the weather.
     
     WORST PHYSICAL PLANNING:
     Concord College, for having us tootle all over the landscape for what 
     was really a limited number of classroom needs. I feel embarrassed 
     about this one, though: why should a bunch of throughhikers be whining 
     about walking around campus?
     
     BEST TUTU:
     No nominations were received by the committee. Had heard rumors of 
     some pink thing going on, but only saw a subliminal-speed halucination 
     at lunch on Saturday. Assumed it was from lack of breakfast. It was 
     not pretty.
     
     BEST ORGY-NIZER:
     Bleeder Guy. Yes, the AT-L should do it again! (Meet in a 
     mini-Gathering)
     
     WORST AIM:
     All the guys, I assume, who utilized the plentiful porta-pots around 
     the camping areas. Disgusting. My wife didn't say anything, but I 
     think the reason the porta-pots ran out of TP so early was from the 
     clean-up required before you could sit. "Big Bucks with Short Horns" 
     my mother would say.
     
     BEST CROWD:
     ALDHA. The Folklife Center caretaker told us Sunday morning that she 
     was shocked at the lack of litter around the Center, after hearing the 
     goings-on into the wee hours of the morning. "This is just outrageous, 
     I though it would be a disaster area" she said. "This is the AT!" we 
     said. Good crowd.
     
     WORST TIME TO BE WITHOUT MY CAMERA:
     At the close of the "Endurance Running" session, David Horton asked 
     Gene Espy to step down and pose with he and Warren Doyle. Espy in the 
     middle, Doyle on his right, Horton on his left, arm in arm, all three 
     grinning big. What a trio. Where do I get my copy?
     
     BEST PUNT OF A SIMPLE QUESTION:
     I asked David Horton if he felt anything analogous to Bill Rodgers 
     comment on marathoners ("I have the greatest respect for those people 
     who run a marathon in 4 and 5 or 6 hours -- I can't IMAGINE being on my 
     feet for that long.") as far as throughhikers go (who generally take 
     more than 55 days to throughhike the AT). Did he think hiking the AT for 
     150-160 days was tougher in some ways than his 55? His reply was 
     something like "I respect anybody with the courage to come here (the 
     AT). Next question." I don't know. Maybe it was me. Maybe the delivery. 
     DH?
     
     BEST UNABASHED COMPETITIVENESS:
     David Horton. Shocking. Unrepentent, unabashed, unmitigated                
     competitiveness through and through. After the first shock, I have to      
     admit, it was quite refreshing. I wanted to go run or something. But I did  
        have to admit that for as much as I love running, and love hiking, this  
       guy is in another league altogether. Wowser.
     
     WORST PARENTAL MANUEVER:
     Expecting my kids to allow Alison and I to enjoy workshops without 
     worries. Gave up Saturday afternoon, traded off with Alison after 
     that. Sunday was much nicer. One day, they'll owe us! (Yeah, right. 
     Collect on that. Sure.)
     
     BEST WAY TO START A CONTROVERSY:
     Walk up to a group of 2000 milers and say "One should filter every 
     drop of water -- agree or disagree?" Wow. Encouraging to hear the 
     differences. Surprising to see a correlation between age and 
     filtering: the younger (or newer hiker) you were, the more likely you 
     were to filter your water, and to consider anyone who didn't an 
     irresponsible fool. Call me old and crusty.
     
     BEST LESSON FOR NEXT GATHERING:
     Stay at the tents. Talk. Listen. Learn. Runner-up? Bring your own food.
     
     BEST HIKER JOKES:
     If only I could remember. Not that I couldn't remember, except for the 
     beer....., more like I just suck at remembering jokes. But Kahley7 was 
     there SOMEWHERE!!??
     
     BEST-REPRESENTED BACKPACK:
     Dana. Hands down. At least among the ones which were visible. Too 
     heavy for my blood.
     
     WORST-REPRESENTED TENT SHAPE:
     Does ANYBODY own an A-frame tent anymore? I didn't see a one. Every 
     now-and-then I get a reminder about how much SOME things have changed.
     
     
     
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