Characters in the Appalachian Play

ALthough me and Mike's favorite beings on this trail are not human, we have encountered many a variety of interesting hominid. Here is an accounting of our interactions with two of these hairy mammals:

Trail Name: Crawl
First Name: David

We met this man at Plum Orchard Gap shelter, GA. Mike describes him best as a 'bumbling character destined to be an AT folk icon'. The reason we know so much about him is because he didn't stop speaking (*or snoring)the whole time we were blessed with his company. I'm not sure how he manages to breathe and talk so much at the same time. At least his stories are quite interesting... Crawl is a retired truck driver and looks every bit the part. At 290 pounds, with a pack that weighs at least as much as me - full of food, even though his goal is to loose 60 pounds and walk to Maine. The only catch is, that he walks about 5 miles a day due to a 'bum leg' - he literally walks with two canes and at a hobble (think 5000 feet of wet Appalachian mountain - every day). He has three kids, one of which is getting married in June, he's 18 and his wife-to-be (17) wants 7 kids - I choked when I heard this, which is bad because i had to spit out my food and ALL food out here is more precious than gold. He recently found Jesus and quit trucking, he's been married three times and recently returned from Ukraine where he traveled for a week to go on bowling dates with brides to be. Unfortunately, as badly as those women want to leave Ukraine, and despite Crawl's awesome bowling abilities that made him the talk of the village, none of them wanted to leave badly enough to live with Crawl. Everyone we've met has run into him and remembers him best for his ear splitting snores that crack the night - due to sleep apnea. He warns everyone that strays to the shelter "I'm a snorer (chuckle), mighta wanna sleep in yer tent'. You have to give the guy props for his determination, though. Mike and I have recently decided that a constellation should be dedicated to this man - perhaps a semi truck, the headlights gleaming and glinting in the moonlight. This wish is due to the musings of us and everyone else that has met Crawl along the trail. Every night we all mention something like, "I wonder where Crawl has gotten to today???"

Trail Name: Croc
Real name: David (MIke and I call him Padre Dave)

Croc immediately jumped into step with us one day, explaining how lonely he was and how his feet had hurt so badly for the first week of his journey in GA, he wore only Crocs on the trail until he got new shoes - hence the trail name. Here is an excerpt from Mike's journal that explains the encounter:

" R A I N... again. It rolled back in with the fog a little before noon, but never escalated beyond a steady rainfall. Shortly before summiting Albert Mountain, we saw a local man with a truck full of hounds - dogs that were intended to scour the hills and frighten bears away from people-frequented sites. But this truck held something else, a man, and not just a man, but a hiker, and not just a hiking man, but a hiking minister. His name is David (Croc) and we joined paths for a brief moment before becoming separated in the mountain laurel of Albert. But it would not be the last we saw of the minister from the northeast...."

We've ended up sharing many a night in a shelter with Padre, and, of course, his newfound hiking buddy Mel who's trail name is Melski because he's a great skiier. Padre is in his 50's and Mel is in his 60's - both are in incredible shape and plow along the trail like no one's business. Padre always talks about how good a can of smoked oysters, a shot of scotch and a cigar would be at night. Most of all though, he LOVES to hear Mike play his dulcimer and always nudges me after dinner nodding at Mike's instrument, gives me a knowing look, and says "Work on him, will you - I'd love to hear his music again tonight." He has two son's - both working for noble causes and he wants Mike and I to stop by his church in Vermont (United Church of Christ) and meet his family who he obviously misses dearly. He's hiking the trail in order to get a fresh mind-set and decide whether or not to stay with the congregation he loves. Apparenty UCC ministers change churches every 7 years or so and he's been with his for much longer than that and can't decide whether it's best for his congregation for him to stay or impart his gifts upon another group of god-fearing Vermontiners (Vermontites)?. Another quest that the Padre is embarking on is MUCH more difficult... He's determined to see the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, or as it's called in Appalachian-talk, 'The Lord God Bird'. Mike says it's called so because when it was observed in flight, it's head was crowned in a red circle and the pattern of its feather pattern made a white cross from head too tail. Padre always says, anyone seen the Lord God (pause) bird today?" And, of course, we chuckle. No one's seen the ivory billed (at least confirmed sighting) for over 60 years and it's thought by most to be extinct except for a few random "maybe" sightings in Georgian swamps, but by darn it, if anyone is going to catch a glimpse it will be Padre.

More soon...Mike and I are exhausted and will wake up bright and early to traverse Great Smoky Mountain National Park... 5 nights and 6 days of a forest renowned for the greatest amount of diversity of plant and animal life in the Southern Appalachians. The parks 75th anniversary is this year - maybe some bears will share a glass of champagne with us. Some 1,500 bears live in the park, even elk are said to reside here. I'm most excited about the 1,660 species of flowering plant and Mike will be searching for mole salamanders and interesting reptiles galore. He caught an Eastern Ring Necked snake yesterday and pondered a salamander for over 20 minutes, smiling for hours after we left the little guy under a rock in a stream. Then, he painted a picture from his head of the little guy - it's a beautiful study - It's been a special treat to watch Mike paint throughout this trip...

Be in touch with y'all again soon. - Laura MISS you and been thinking bout' you today - how is the Squish/Tula??? Save some painting and weeding for me in Martha's house!

Love Lisa and Mike (Ramps and Warblers)