One of the first guys I met was a 79-year-old retired San Francisco cop who was stronger, faster and tougher for four miles up one of the meanest trails in the South Bay. He told me he retired, bought a house in Milpitas and never returned to The City. Really, like never.
Another was an Iranian pharmacist who arrived in the United States with his family, a few thousand bucks and all the possessions they could fit into suitcases. He was the one who told me about all the cool hiking in the hills near Las Vegas.
Another was a young, smart, totally modern guy from India who was in an arranged marriage, and quite happy about it. I did note, however, that he didn’t have his wife along.
Don’t remember any of their names.
So what are your stories, folks?
Back when I was on the American Frontiers Public Lands Journey we were backpacking in the Gros Ventre when we came across a man by the name of Chuck Streeper. I wrote about it here, but this is the brief description:
“[T]his odd fellow was a true to form mountain man by the name of Chuck Streeper. In 1969 he went out into the woods on a horse for a short trip
Jack English, the ~85 year old Korean War vet that lives in Pine Valley the Ventanas.
http://www.fedak.net/photos/MillerMountain/IMG_2877-standard.html
And of course I’ve omitted all the cool Two Heel Drive regulars I’ve hiked with: Russ, Dan, Cynthia, Bob, Randy, Steve, Rebecca, John, two Ricks, three Toms … chime in if I’ve forgotten anybody ….
Running across 4wheelbob on that Two Heel Drive meet-up at Las Trampas earlier this year was pretty special.
It was very cool meeting these two in October of 06 while on a hike at Mt Diablo. Robin (Laatsch) Grapa, and her mother Patty. At the time this photo was taken they were just completing their cross country hike on the American Discovery trail to raise awareness and money for bone marrow diseases.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/274788533_0223af1b01_o.jpg
More info is at their website:
http://www.ourhike.com/
Randy: that’s very cool: I tracked their progess across the country on the blog here.
I’ve met quite a few, but one who sticks out in my memory is a women that my wife and I met near the start of our first two-week Sierra Nevada pack trip. We were one day out when we met “Sig,” who was hiking alone on her first long pack trip – and perhaps her first pack trip period. She was very unsure of herself but figuring things out fast. She was also of an age that I considered “old” back then – about the age I am now – and I was astonished and impressed that such a person would head off into the wilderness alone.