Rest in peace Jack.
Rest in peace Jack.
perrito
684.4 down, 1507.6 to go.
"If a man speaks in the woods, and there is no woman there to hear, is he still wrong?"
Hiker’s Welcome Hostel. Glencliff, New Hampshire. 2012.
A group of us current thru-hikers were hanging out and talking when Baltimore Jack walked in. I recognized him immediately from watching hiker videos of Trail Days: a smiling, stocky man wearing round glasses, a puffy hiking coat, and his ball cap on backwards. Friendly, he asked how things were going then gave us tips and secret stealth camping sites for the Whites we were about to enter. This chance meeting would be like Michael Jordon randomly showing up at a high school basketball team’s locker room just before a championship game, and giving them pointers.
I just found out about this today. As others have said, it was just the other day I saw him riding along with Ron on a bus in a YouTube video. Just there for fun and offering support - because he loved being around the trail, and hikers. RIP JACK.
Loner GA/ME Class of 2012.
I knew Jack primarily through this website, and we would go at it quite a bit over the span of years. After revisiting some of those conversations on WB some of the comments were rather harsh. Jack had a way with words, that is for sure.
Throughout it all I always held Jack in deep respect, and hope he could say the same for me. But who knows-- I certainly can be an itch at times.
The one thing I do know is on the occasions we met, he treated me as if we were long-time friends from the real world. Whether in Hanover or at a ATC or Aldha gathering Jack was more than gracious with me, and with my wife. He was not only a fun person to speak with, but a generous one. I expect that was just his nature.
While I was not fortunate enough to spend a great deal of real-world time with Jack, I particulary enjoyed speaking with him about issues that had nothing to do with the trail, and consider myself lucky for that. I will miss him more than I have a right to.
He made us a plate of toasted cheesy bread in Neal Gap when we passed through in 2014, just another of his quiet kind gestures. Thank you Sir!
"every day's a holiday, every meal a feast"
My stepson thru hiked last year and not too far into the journey (sorry, don't know exactly where this happened), he went into a hostel. Could have been Ron's I guess. He was hanging out with others when someone said, "hey, if you got questions, go into the kitchen and talk to Baltimore Jack."
Well, he knew Baltimore Jack from like 10 years before. My wife and I and ATTROLL have been doing the September hiker feeds in Caratunk and now Monson for years. In 2005 or there abouts, Jack was there. And so was my stepson. A teenager, far from ever thinking about hiking.
So Mainer goes back into the kitchen and starts talking to Jack. Whether he really did or not, Jack said he remembered him and they carried on for quite a while. Mainer went back out into the room with the rest of the hikers. His street cred had grown exponentially. "You really do know Jack."
Mainer summited on Sept 11 and was saddened to learn about Jack.
"If I get started in the right direction, I just might get to where I want to go." -- Tab Benoit
Spoke with jesters mom just now.
She was unaware of this thread.
She loved jack like all of us but with a catch.
He allways got either an apple ring cake or a cherry cheesecake from pat whom is in fact billvilles baker mom of choice....
So she sent bothto traildays.
Since im privi to the memorials shedualed....ill share that this is the hour .
Just now words of kind remembrence are being spoken far and wide of jack.
Lets join in and all have a drink or a thaught or a prayer for our beloved hikerdoms gain.
We are the benifactors.
For decades, only our kind remembrences will inform the newbee.........of just what hikerdom is.
How we grieve.
How we love.
Why we are family and who marches with our ranks.
Only in remembering our past, understanding our present.....and dreaming our future....may we triangulate the course.
Jack was a carrin.
We look for him to gain bearing.
He was a testiment of the truththat a manis more than his own.
We share life.
Tonight i made jesters mom laugh.
iys one of my missions to make her laugh.
I only xall if im dangerously funny , or if i have a bakeing emergency.
She liked my rememberence of a time jack asked ," matty, whats her name again?".
Jack was stayig at the doyel and in my room and sheneequa whom i adore and whom adors me,... and i had been talking.
When she left, jack asked that.
His eyes rolled up and his cheeks went real red , and he sort of combined smileing, with a deep thaughtfull inhale.
Like he was takeing in the scope of her natural beauty and also was happy for us.
That was a moment . But a powerfull one .
Shareing whom you love withanother is personal, deep and coolass.
Thats what jack was.
I, like many .....am happy i met jack.
But also im aware of the gift.
It will be shared.
His was to give to each of us treasure.
Mine is plenty for you all.
Thank you jack.
Wherever you are, my arms are stretched out hugging you fir a thousand lifetimes.
Holy cow Shutterbug. That's him. Although he's 6-2 and under 200 now. A hiking machine. Plans to do the PCT next year and complete the triple crown in 2019 or so. Thanks for the pic and for remembering.
"If I get started in the right direction, I just might get to where I want to go." -- Tab Benoit
A retire telephone pole climber, he volunteered in my 5th grade class. I said " Hiking this weekend; Wanta go? -Our trip was his first taste of the AT - Two years later he submitted Katahdin to complete his thru at 67. Leaving school on Friday he says "Doing trail magic at Stecoah Gap Wanta go? Fixin hotdogs - huddled under tarp opening Little Debbie boxes in the rain when a hiker that's waited for everyone else to feed moves up to the table and thanks us for helping hikers - offered his hand said Baltimore Jack - we talked while others ate - an old woman appears from nowhere - no hiker - the epitome of a gyspsy witch with mole & all - we stand stunned hotdog in hand - she ask for food we say of course - I lean into Jack's ear "Who and what the hell is that? Wide-eyes behind round glasses he answers "No ******ing idea, but if she pulls out a broom you're gonna see a lot of my ass!
Met him one other time at Miss Janet's place - mentioned witch he said "I was a little hung over when she appeared, thought, I dreamed that!" Same wide-eyed look! A lifetime memory w/ Baltimore Jack - priceless - honored to have met him !
Tapatalk
Hey Ron, here's the YouTube video filmed this year by Eric Lutz, aka AppleJack. The playback starts at Jack's part with you on the bus...
https://youtu.be/FJM_lyg8ntk
Loner GA/ME Class of 2012.
I've read a lot in this thread about the long time and far reaching impact Baltimore Jack has imparted to many of you. I only know him through Whiteblaze and a few videos clips I've watched. For those of you that have known him over the years I have some basic questions about BJ's life and would be greatly appreciative if someone would respond:
Did BJ have a career/profession before spending all his time on the AT?
How did he financially support himself hiking so many thru's year after year?
Where did he spend his winters when the weather prevented him from hiking?
It has been communicated he had a daughter. Was she his only child? Was he ever married?
Where will his cremains be scattered, if that's the family's wishes?
Thanks!
All week I have been thinking about how much Baltimore Jack missed by dying at age 58. To many of you, 58 doesn't sound "young", but there is potentially so much life left to live after that age.
I went through my "Done That" list and eliminated all the things I did before age 58. I was left with 510 things I would missed out on if I had passed on at age 58. The attached list is some of the things I have done after that age.
Shutterbug
That is impressive. The New England clam chowder has been on my list for awhile. I've done Texas chili cook-offs, which was one of the things I'll repeat once the wife and I begin RV'ing, but the bottom line here as I think you're suggesting, Shutterbug, is that we take care of our health.
Blessings as you add another 500 adventures to the list.
Shutterbug, I began reading through your list, intending to read them all. After getting a little past 100, I saw that there are 14 pages, so I'll have to save it for later. Wow, what an incredible list! So much to do! I think I'll skip #107 (passing a kidney stone). Inspirational!