Cannon Ball, Baltimore Jack, Swiss Cheese, Noy and Bull Dog were gathered together in the Tabard basement yesterday. These aren't new brands of beer -- they're a special breed of Hanover visitors called thru-hikers.
These thru-hikers, who go by names they have accrued since the trail's start in Georgia, are resting for a few days in Hanover before they move on to complete the last stretch of the 2,200-mile trek. Though the hike is no small feat, these hikers claim to be just normal people taking a break from the stresses of everyday life.
"Most of us are professional people," the man known as Canon Ball said. "We just don't look like it by the time we get to Hanover."
"By the time we get to here we have been hiking for five months without a shave or a haircut," he continued.
Canon Ball, whose real name is Lacy Sutton, broke away from his seven-year job on the New York Stock Exchange floor to attempt to conquer the Appalachian Trail.
"I was becoming an angry person. I came here to avoid the stress," he said. "Within a week, I was glowing."
Swiss Cheese, born Andreas Zimmerman, and his wife Swiss Mix, flew over from Switzerland to hike the trail, having heard about it from a 1987 National Geographic feature story -- an article that largely popularized the Appalachian trail.
Hanover-based author Bill Bryson is credited for popularizing the trail. He has showcased his bestseller, A "Walk in the Woods," on such shows as "Good Morning America."
But these hikers said they aren't hiking the trail because it's what's popular or what's cool.
"About 80 percent of the hikers are going through some kind of change in their life," explained Canon Ball Sutton who credits the hike with personal stress relief. "There's nothing like seeing 50-60 miles out from the top of a mountain."
Baltimore Jack, who enjoys the trail's challenge, added that the six-month hike is so tough that only about 17 percent of the hikers finish.
Noy, a tall, athletic, young man who just graduated from Colby College in Maine, began the trek with his girlfriend, but she had to take a break after a bit, he said.
They will be re-joining shortly on Mount Washington. Noy, whose real name is Casey Hufnagel, spoke of his enjoyment in meeting the other hikers. "They are such a diverse group of people -- and so friendly."
Of the thru-hikers who talked with The Dartmouth, Canon Ball, Baltimore Jack, Swiss Cheese, Noy and Bull Dog all spoke of their time spent at campsites line the trail about every 10 miles with the other hikers as some of their greatest memories.
"People are genuinely, sincerely nice," Canon Ball Sutton said. "When you're on the street normally you may say hi to the person you're walking by -- probably not."
"But on the trail you stop and talk. You may end up talking to someone for 30 minutes and meet up with them later at the campsite," he said.
In addition to the friendliness among one , hikers also spoke affectionately of the random acts of support and kindness they've been given from townspeople who wish to support the trail-hikers on teh trail.
"'Trail angels,' are what we call them," explained Noy Hufnagel. "They are the people that leave stuff on the trail and the people in towns that give us rides."
A bit of "Trail magic," that Noy Hufnagel experienced was a batch of 60 cans of soda he found sitting in a stream after climbing down a mountain. "That kind of stuff really happens," he said.
Baltimore Jack made a point to thank the kindness of the Dartmouth people. "For Alpha Theta, Panarchy and Tabard to take in dozens and dozens of smelly strangers is just awesome. Giving us a chance to use a shower, use their kitchen -- its small acts of kindness like that you experience hiking on the trail."
Most of the hikers started out the trail alone, and though The Dartmouth was unable to speak with any, women hikers are almost as common as men.
"And women are statistically more likely to finish," Baltimore Jack claimed. "The women that are attracted to trail-hiking are usually very into it, whereas some of the men are just out for a good time and don't know what they're getting into."
Concerning the dangers for women trail hiking alone, Baltimore Jack said, "There's always the whole security question, and unfortunately, it's always going to have a greater impact for women.
But Jack, who's lived in Hanover for the past five years and hiked the trail six times, said "I've seen more danger in Hanover than I have during six months on the trail."
