Baltimore Jack (1958-2016)

September 6, 2019 1:50 PM

The Legend of Baltimore Jack A look back on the life of an AT antihero.
posted by maggieb (4 comments total)

I found this interesting - thanks for posting.

It's a shame his annotated "Walk in the Woods" was lost.
posted by namewithoutwords at 7:04 PM on September 6, 2019 [3 favorites]

Also thanking you for the read, maggieb.
posted by Meatbomb at 4:55 AM on September 7, 2019 [1 favorite]

This was a fascinating read. I went to college very near the AT in Tennessee and have several friends who have through-hiked it (and more that have done section hikes). And a close friend through-hiked the PCT a few years ago. I get the frustration of some that people use the trail as an escape from real life but everyone I’ve ever known who has spent any time on the trail confirms that it is, in fact, an escape - sometimes one that is therapeutic (as it was for Strayed) and sometimes one that is an exercise in self-delusion. I sense that for Baltimore Jack, it may have been a bit of both.
posted by devinemissk at 7:16 AM on September 7, 2019 [2 favorites]

Outside has some of the best, most fascinating, journalism around. This was no exception. Thanks for the interesting read. I love stories like this about people who sound very different depending on whose version of them you hear.
posted by biscotti at 8:30 AM on September 7, 2019 [3 favorites]