Bramble

I Love that Kilt!

The real question is, did he carry that pup all the way up the ascent out of the Gap! To me, that was one of only two tough climbs for me in Georgia.

I don’t know how long this will be on the ’11 Alive’ website, the Atlanta TV station’s website, so I hope no one minds if I post it here. - DwM

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=60344

Man Walks to Fulfill Promise
Web Editor: Manav Tanneeru
Last Modified: 3/15/2005 7:50:13 PM

Carlos Adames has been a lot of things.

He was in Army Ranger school and broke both feet, he was a volunteer fireman, he was married, divorced, spent time in prison for a fight, and at one time used drugs, but for four years he says he has been clean.

And since his aunt died a year ago he has been on a mission. \"[I] promised my aunt for five years that I\'d let the world know who she was,” he said.

Her name, Marie Colligan, is tattoed on his back. He raises money for cancer research in her name.

Adames told us his drunken step-father said he would never be able to live up to this foolish promise.

“I just think that every time I think about when someone told me I couldn\'t do it or my step-father told me I\'d never amount to anything. It makes me angry. I always gotta prove myself,” he said.

Adames is 6\'2\", 250 pounds, he intimidates some folks, but he doesn’t see it that way. \"I\'m still like this 10-year-old kid with a big heart. I weigh 250 and I feel like 200 pounds of it is my heart, especially when my aunt died,” he said.

He doesn\'t want people to give him money. He gets a $500 a month pension and that’s all he needs he says and he doesn\'t really consider himself homeless though he doesn\'t have a home.

\"I live each day by, I don\'t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow. Yeah I really don\'t have a home. I never really thought about it until someone asked me that,” he said.

His walk around the world is sponsored by a hiking shoe company, a tent manufacturer, and sports kilts.

Sports kilts?

\"To me it’s just like a pair of jeans, its more comfortable, its hygiene wise, it’s a lot healthier,” Adames said.

The Atlanta Humane Society gave him a dog named Chase to replace his last dog named Bramble. Bramble just got tired of walking, Adames said, and when Chase gets tired he carries him and just keeps on walking.

Carlos is walking at woody gap in Georgia right now. He should hit North Carolina in a couple of days.

When he finishes this trek he will walk across New Zealand and then somewhere else. He has four more years to fulfill the promise.

If you want to donate anything he says give to the Humane Society, the American Cancer Society or anyone you choose.

I saw hike in Hot Springs, NC at TrailFest last weekend.

I met him at the Whiteblaze Gathering 2004 at Steve Longley\'s at The Forks, Maine. Nice guy.

Re: Bramble
Bramble is like a big puppy himself. My daughter hiked with him in '04. I too met him at the '04 WhiteBlaze gathering in Maine. I wonder where he is these days.

RainMan

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Re: Bramble
A banjo, a black lab and a kilt. This is possibly the toughest dude I have ever seen in my life!