I'm seldom asked for advice, or am given unsolicited advice. There aren't a lot of backpackers here since it's pretty much a cool weather sport, and I don't backpack in the summer when the tourists come here.

More than anything I get warnings about bears and mountain lions and wild hogs, and warnings about how easy it is to get lost. I used to get a lot of warnings about stumbling across meth labs with crazed druggies waiting to murder those who do that, but not as much anymore. Almost always the advisor tells me "I would never do that!" Of course, this comes when people hear about me backpacking, not on the trail.

What I have noticed is that when urbanites come here to hike and they meet me on a trail they are very often fearful of me. Hillbillies aren't at all. They'll always stop and jaw a bit, but some of those city folks practically shake out of their Merrells when they see me out there.

I don't know what it is. I know I get scruffy when I'm backpacking, and I don't fit the Backpacker Magazine Cover Boy image at all. I'm just a little old fart and most of them could toss me 50 ft or better if they ever tried, so it's not my size. My best guess is that I remind them of a hillbilly axe murderer in the movies, but you'd think they'd see I'm not carrying an axe with me.

Whatever it is, it works pretty good for me