[at-l] July 28, 1999: It Was Twenty Years Ago Today. was "Stank"

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

     I posted this reply back in January, and was reminded of it today at 
     different times by very different people. Cool! But twenty years ago 
     today (and right about this time of day, too, and during a 
     heat/humidity spell, too!), I made it into Connecticut on my 
     Appalachian Trail throughhike, four weeks behind schedule, but flying 
     fast and making up time but good!........Hey, Norway John! Get on the 
     AT-L!


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Stank was Re: [at-l] Bill Erwin 
Author:  Thomas_McGinnis_at_UCCLAN@ima.isd.state.in.us (Thomas McGinnis) at ima
Date:    1/15/99 4:01 PM


     My sister and I just laughed about that a couple of days ago. When I 
     pulled into Kent, Connecticut to take a few days off, do food drops to 
     Maine and such, I hadn't had a shower since Deleware Water Gap. Not 
     only had it been hot, but EXTREMELY humid. I don't think my shoulder 
     straps or hip belt had dried out since even Harper's Ferry. I'm ripe.
     
     I didn't notice. I COULD, however, pick up "civilians" scent 10-15 
     minutes (half a MILE?!) ahead, either with cigarettes or 
     perfume/cologne or deoderant or even shampoo scent. (Can still do that 
     somewhat, but I know I don't have the range anymore.)
     
     Anywho, all my gear except my sleeping bag (which I kept scrupulously 
     clean) had a bit of mildew here and there. I guess I did too. I waited 
     outside the pizza joint, and when she pulled up, I siddled up to give 
     her a hug. Quick lookover, quick hug, quick kiss, then this peering 
     look into my eyes, searching for...what? She didn't find it, whatever 
     it was. She looked at me quizzically, like she didn't understand 
     something, and then said "Boy! You STINK!" ("Well!" thinks I, "there's 
     quite a welcome!") "Well thanks, Kathy."
     
     So we grab my pack (as I remember it), load it and me into the car, 
     and commence the familiar drive back to the parents' house on the 
     coast in Milford. We're tooling along, at a pretty good clip, and 
     Kathy opens her window. All the way down. The wind roars. Her nose is 
     wrinkling. "Do I smell?" I ask innocently? "Oh, Tommy," she says, 
     "It's not like B-O or anything. It's like this ANIMAL thing....But BOY 
     it's powerful!"
     
     I honestly couldn't notice a thing. But I know that even as late as this 
     past Labor Day (Davenport-->Hot Springs), I thought the H.O.F. (Hiker 
     Odor Factor -- how much we stink) was diminishing with each day we were 
     out. I am probably wrong about that too. By the way, I never noticed 
     another throughhiker's smell, either, although I admit I mostly saw 
     others only in towns, post-shower. But my sister still remembers that 
     pick-up, in detail!
     
     So lift a toast to the smelly hiker: "May you be downwind while 
     hiking, and upwind when not!"
     
     Have a great weekend, everyone.
     
     --TMc
     Sloetoe'79
     downHILL'??
     
     
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: [at-l] Bill Erwin (if e-mail doesn't delete my message again
Author:  hudsom@us.ibm.com at ima
Date:    1/15/99 3:10 PM
     
     
One of the newspaper articles about Bill and Orient mentioned that Orient 
used the scent of thru-hikers to follow the trail; I was impressed (for 
about 2 seconds) until I remembered what thru-hikers smell like....
     
Skeeter
     
     
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