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Get Out and Go
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PostSat Sep 16, 2006 10:07 am 
If you're not familiar with the fellow, check out the link: https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=201515&highlight=#201515 Anyway, I was a bit worried that he would not make it out of the high country before colder weather set in. Fellow hikers had assured me, "Oh, don't worry about Robert." Driving into Wenatchee yesterday about 5:30 in the afternoon, there he was alongside the highway about to cross the Highway2/97 bridge. Looking a bit haggard, he was hauling his footlockers uhh.gif and didn't appear to have lost any of his gear. I didn't have a chance to stop but I assume he was headed back over to the Spokane area. He had talked about the good food that they served at The Mission over there. Hope to run into him in the mountains next summer. up.gif

"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go." (Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart) "Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry. Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky." (Thanks, Tom Petty)
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salish
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PostSat Sep 16, 2006 2:22 pm 
So THIS is the famous footlocker guy! I too remember Stefan's report and read it with great interest. I love this man - there are too few genuine eccentrics left in this world. Id like to find him and hike with him. It would be sort of like the runners shadowing Forrest Gump as he ran across america. Does anyone know what he keeps in his footlockers?

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my short-term memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
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dwgdriver
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PostSat Sep 16, 2006 5:41 pm 
He told me he has 3 pairs of shoes, 6-7 pairs of pants, a bunch of shirts, canned goods, smoked salmon, 3 bags of pancake mix, skillets, etc. I ran into him at Buck Creek Pass in mid-August. It took him 12 days to get their from Phelps creek. Really eccentric guy, but fun to talk to.

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RichP
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PostSat Sep 16, 2006 6:57 pm 
This must be the guy everyone told me about when I was a wilderness volunteer at Lyman Lake in 2001. He would carry part of his gear a few miles down the trail, and then return for the rest.

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Nisquaww
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PostSat Sep 16, 2006 7:01 pm 
Ran into him on the PCT. Man talks a mile a minute.

"Why do you have a beard?" "I don't have a beard. It's just the light; it plays funny tricks." ~ Shel Silverstein
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obladi
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PostSat Sep 16, 2006 7:36 pm 
He sort of reminds me of a guy I might who called himself Jan (pronounced <yan>) that I ran into on a 10 day PCT hike in the Mt. Washington wilderness. He did not have all the extra duffles and shoeboxes but did have a pack with solid metal pans hanging off it. It took him great effort stand up with this 100+ pound pack on but he was self sufficient and made no complaints. He told me stories about living in the woods for weeks at a time then "refueling" at local hostiles or missions. His eyeglasses and boots were the two items that looked new which makes sense. Your eyes and feet are the most important tools you have when living in the woods. Jan also talked a mile a minute and told stories of being licked by bears while asleep in Alaska and eating mushrooms in Oregon that had very unexpected effects (or maybe just a bit more psychedelic than he had anticipated). Anyhow it was a unique meeting and I came away feeling happy to meet a real mountain man who definitely qualifies as an eccentric outdoorsman or just the last true outdoorsman.

As you push off from the shore, won't you turn your head once more, to make your peace with everyone And for those who choose to stay, You'll live for one more day, to do the things you should have done. -Ian Anderson
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LittleHikerMom
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PostSat Sep 16, 2006 7:41 pm 
Heh, I remember that topic. Crazyness. I thought it was a one time thing back then... like something some crazy guy was trying to do. But hey I guess he does this all the time! Whatever floats his boat I guess...

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Get Out and Go
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PostSat Sep 16, 2006 9:10 pm 
When we encountered Robert on the Buck Ck. Trail sitting on his footlocker rolling a cigarette and engaged in a conversation with himself, it appeared that he wasn't quite all together. But hey, he loves the mountains agree.gif and you know what - He's probably a lot safer deep in the wilderness than he is living as a homeless person on the urban streets. I wonder what he would think if he knew how many people are interested in his ramblings.

"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go." (Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart) "Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry. Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky." (Thanks, Tom Petty)
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Nisquaww
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PostSun Sep 17, 2006 12:42 am 
I guess he partied pretty hard in Las Vegas back in the late seventies. Said he did every drug in the rainbow. My buddy and I would refer to him as "Demerol" on account of his apparent fondness of the drug when he was heavily intoxicated. I think Robert rocked his melon pretty good. I've since promoted his nick/trailname to "Luggage," deeming it more respectful. The guy is great and I respect him a lot more than any nouveau rich shmuck struggling to make sure the starbucks logo on his cup is adequitely visible when strolling the sidewalks of downtown bellevue. Rock on Robert. I hope I see him again.

"Why do you have a beard?" "I don't have a beard. It's just the light; it plays funny tricks." ~ Shel Silverstein
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EF
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PostSun Sep 17, 2006 3:55 pm 
This sounds like an ideal topic for a segment from the radio show "This American Life". They love finding quirky people who are doing interesting things, and they always do a fantastic job of presenting the story. I sent them a note to the e-mail address they have specifically for being notified about potentially interesting topics: storypitch@thislife.org I've never seen Robert, so I couldn't offer anything besides a couple of links. If you have interesting stories about the guy or have met him on the trail, please consider sending a note to the address above and maybe some day we'll hear an interesting radio segment on him.

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David
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PostSun Sep 17, 2006 6:18 pm 
This is a definite Ira story. Someone who has met Robert should definitely email the this american life link and explain this as well. Really unique and interesting.... yepper!

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Nisquaww
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PostThu Apr 16, 2009 11:42 pm 
Where are you Robert?

"Why do you have a beard?" "I don't have a beard. It's just the light; it plays funny tricks." ~ Shel Silverstein
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tenaya123
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PostWed Jun 17, 2009 9:34 am 
He was seen near Mt Washington last weekend: https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7975770

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sarbar
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PostWed Jun 17, 2009 9:47 am 
I wish I had realized who he was when I passed him. I would have stopped and chatted - and gotten some video. I had this inkling but could not figure out why I had seen his face before. Ah well! Awesome to see the spirit alive. up.gif

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mossy mom
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PostWed Jun 17, 2009 10:28 am 
Get Out and Go wrote:
When we encountered Robert on the Buck Ck. Trail sitting on his footlocker rolling a cigarette and engaged in a conversation with himself, it appeared that he wasn't quite all together. But hey, he loves the mountains agree.gif and you know what - He's probably a lot safer deep in the wilderness than he is living as a homeless person on the urban streets. I wonder what he would think if he knew how many people are interested in his ramblings.
He is probably a lot safer in the woods then he would have been in some horrible back ward before the freed all the eccentrics. It is a pity though that they did not provide the community care that was supposed to replace all those hospital beds. I lot of people with problems like to walk all day but it seems that most of them are stuck walking in the city with all its dangers. I’ve never seen Robert, I wonder if he hikes in the Olympics at all?

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