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Uncle Milt's Scrapbook #1Just a few photos of Class of '97 hikers starting at Amicalola that I had the priviledge to shuttle. By the way, that's me on the left taken near Blood Mountain... Also, check out Gweneeth's Trail Days Photos and The Sole Sisters '97 hike |
| This is Friar Tuck and Gypsy (Marty Manzano) the day she started her hike. Uhh, Friar Tuck's the one on the left... We are in front of the Lodge at Amicalola after finishing a gargantuan breakfast at the all-you-can-eat buffet. They spent the previous night at the shelter behind the ranger station where he helped Gypsy trim down her pack weight (but we don't want to get into that...) Friar had a 4WD and shuttled Gypsy to the USFS42 road crossing near Springer. Gypsy is sending me her Journals to transcribe and post to the AT-L and ATML mailing lists. I feel priviledged to be able to share Gypsy's hike in this way. |
Friar Tuck and Gypsy - March 2, 1997 |
Don "Pianoman" Johnson | Don "Pianoman" Johnson, from Jefferson City, MO., is section hiking from Amicalola to Hot Springs and started April 22, 1997. Don and I had exchange email several times to arrange the shuttle, but I didn't know his last name. He called me on the phone a couple of days before he arrived and said, "Hello, Milt? This is Don Johnson." Well, being in a somewhat relaxed state of mind I immediately thought, "What's that guy from Miami Vice calling me for?" ...guess you should have been there. Don and I had a great ride up to Amicalola. He was very excited about starting his hike, it was great starting weather with many clear days in the forecast. |
| I got a last minute call from Scott "Pause" Sharpe two days before he was suppose to start the trail on May 10th. Seems his ride fell through and he'd called Wingfoot trying to locate a shutle in Atlanta. Scott is from Tulsa which is a fairly long trip by Greyhound. A college student, Scott told me he once built log cabins in the mountains of Colorado and recently worked two part-time jobs to purchase gear and set aside money for the AT. Scott had everything except a spoon - a quick stop at a convenience store took care of that. Scott is getting a fairly late start for a thru-hike but he was in great shape and a very experienced woodsman. I wish him well on his journey. |
Scott "Pause" Sharpe |
Bob "All The Way" Seiler (full of BBQ!) | This is Bob Seiler, of "Bob and Jan" from the AT-L, taken March 23rd. Bob is from the Philly area and when he contacted me to set up the shuttle he had an unusual request (well, not that unusual if you live in Atlanta) and that was "Could we stop and get some REAL southern BBQ on the way to Springer?" Not needing much of an excuse to partake in this southern delicacy, I said, "Sure, no problem." We stopped at one of my favorite establishments, The GA Pig! Now, there's a name to remember if your ever in town... Bob wolfed down a large pork (the only kind of BBQ) sandwich w/slaw and fries and then put away a huge bowl of homemade banana pudding. Plus, a couple of beers. He then picked up the menu and said he might like to have another sandwich...I said, "Bob, do you plan to hike at all today?" Bob is a great guy and I enjoyed our brief visit on the way to Amicalola. The stick Bob is holding was given to him by his children...he'll get that hiking stick all the way to "K" and his kids will have something to cherish for many years. |
| This is Matt Bockol from NJ. Matt travelled to Atlanta by plane and upon arrival couldn't find his stuff in baggage claim. He packed all his stuff in a big box and his empty external frame pack wrapped in plastic. After a mild case of panic we found it at the end of the baggage claim area where they put items that are too large for the conveyors. Matt called himself a "novice" hiker, bet he's not now... What a great guy, full of energy and excitement. I helped him unload his stuff at the Lodge at Amicalola and filled his fuel bottle. He had recently gotten a pack from REI and had not spent much time loading it. As I watched him stuffing candy bars in every pocket I said, "Matt, do you have a plan there?". "Well, not really" was the reply. I'm sure he has it all worked out now, the trail takes care of that. Oh, I forgot to mention this was where I first tasted Dr. Bonners Soap/Toothpaste/Shampoo/Bug and Tar Remover...that was sure a taste I savored during my ride back home. If anybody has run into Matt and knows his trailname please let me know. |
Matt Bockol - March 14, 1997 |
Terri | I couldn't finish this up without sneakin' in a picture of Terri, my hiking partner, soulmate and best friend. I'm very fortunate to have a partner who actually likes to hike and climb mountains. We spend most of our time around the AT in North Georgia with an occasional trip up to Standing Indian Mt. We're really weekend hikers but plan to start section hiking in '97 and '98. Unless we win the lottery at which time we might become thru-hikers ;-) |
I hope you enjoyed the scrapbook. You can mail me at mfw@mindspring.com.
-Uncle Milt