A new "hermit"?

pat t · 01-12-2007, 09:07 AM

Police have located and arrested a man who has been living in the woods near the Pharoah Lakes region for a number of years.
Click here for the news story.

It will be interesting to hear his story, if he ever tells it.

Pat T

hawk · 01-12-2007, 10:22 AM

From the newspaper article (and we all know how accurate they are) it would appear that what we have here is a homeless man who has some survival skills. I think he may have been in the woods more from necessity then from choice. It's a shame about the thefts.

One of my fears has always been is that with the amount of people who are becoming homeless, many of them might take to the woods to try to live. I am concerned that if that is the case it could become a real problem. People getting sick or hurt because they have no outdoor skills, possible litter or garbage because they wouldn't have the respect for the outdoors most outdoors people do. We had a fellow in Wells a couple of years ago who had a shelter just back from the road a little bit up where the road closes for the winter. He had actually made it with some 2x4's and some plastic. He didn't steal anything. I did go in there and take out a lot of junk after he left though.

Hawk

AdRegion · 01-12-2007, 10:33 AM

I think this is one of the coolest stories we've had lately. If it's true, 20yrs in the woods, then I'm pretty impressed. To say he is a "homeless guy w/skills" is not doing him justice. It is too bad about the thievery, but clearly this guy was not playing by our rules.

Tracking the story here: Adirondack Bushman Captured After 20 years in the Woods

Jay H · 01-12-2007, 04:44 PM

There are people everywhere living in the woods... I believe there was a guy who lives in a tent across the river where I would bike to work when I lived in a few towns from where i live now. I was back there doing some exploration of a Weird NJ story and ran into an (empty) tent with living items around. Nobody was home (I was looking at the tent via binoculars) from a ridge above the tent.

Also, when I was on the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii, I gave a ride to guy who lives out in the wood, off the grid and in a somewhat commune like group. I gave him a ride to the post office so he could pick up his mail. I never asked if it was legal or if the authorities knew it or not but he was nice and we chatted about the island and stuff before I dropped him off.

Have yet to run into anybody out back in the catskills on any of my CAT102 or regular hikes though.

Jay

1ADAM12 · 01-12-2007, 06:32 PM

Your right its to bad about the thievery and I think the punishment would not be as harsh if he was just a man living in the woods. He definately has some survival skills.

Dick · 01-12-2007, 07:50 PM

I think Redhawk got it right. To live in the woods for 20 years (if that is in fact what he did), may be "impressive," but to do do it by robbing others is less than impressive to me. I do understand the desperation of those who do what they can to survive. But let's not elevate them to the status of folk hero because they have "skills." I'm willing to wait until the full story comes out...if it ever does.

Dick

hawk · 01-12-2007, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdRegion

I think this is one of the coolest stories we've had lately. If it's true, 20yrs in the woods, then I'm pretty impressed. To say he is a "homeless guy w/skills" is not doing him justice. It is too bad about the thievery, but clearly this guy was not playing by our rules.

Tracking the story here: Adirondack Bushman Captured After 20 years in the Woods

Thats the whole reason i don't like the "hermit" description. I don't think Noah John or others like him ever resorted to stealing. To call this guy a hermit is to do them an injustice.

And If his skills were so good,why did he have to steal? I missed the chapter in the survival manual about stealing, and I have the teachers edition!!

However you want to slice it, the man's a thief, plain and simple, end of story. I find nothing "cool" or romantic about it.

neighbor · 01-12-2007, 08:35 PM

thief!!!! get outta my house and leave my belongings behind!!!! theif!!!
p.s. if i ever caught a thief inside my pad and i owned a gun(which i don't) i'd shoot'em!! simple!

alombard · 01-12-2007, 08:43 PM

No way can you ever compare this man to Noah John or French Louie etc.....they were real mountain men who lived off the land, not other people. This man was (is) a theif who deserves little credit for his so called skills. Of course, we do not yet know the entire story...when it comes out, I would like to read it.

AdRegion · 01-13-2007, 09:40 AM

...they were real mountain men who lived off the land, not other people.

I think he did the same, just not in the sense we are used to. Really, he is just a "normal" homeless guy, it's just that we get so few in the Adirondack mountains that it is kinda unusual.

Definitely don't like the thievery, but now that tax-time is here...

I'd rather "pay" a guy like this than continue to be a victim of institutional theft.

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01-12-2007, 09:07 AM	#1
pat t aka "Mother Nature" Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 79	A new "hermit"? Police have located and arrested a man who has been living in the woods near the Pharoah Lakes region for a number of years. Click here for the news story. It will be interesting to hear his story, if he ever tells it. Pat T Last edited by Neil; 01-12-2007 at 09:37 AM. Reason: fixed link.

01-12-2007, 10:22 AM	#2
hawk Commander Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 873	From the newspaper article (and we all know how accurate they are) it would appear that what we have here is a homeless man who has some survival skills. I think he may have been in the woods more from necessity then from choice. It's a shame about the thefts. One of my fears has always been is that with the amount of people who are becoming homeless, many of them might take to the woods to try to live. I am concerned that if that is the case it could become a real problem. People getting sick or hurt because they have no outdoor skills, possible litter or garbage because they wouldn't have the respect for the outdoors most outdoors people do. We had a fellow in Wells a couple of years ago who had a shelter just back from the road a little bit up where the road closes for the winter. He had actually made it with some 2x4's and some plastic. He didn't steal anything. I did go in there and take out a lot of junk after he left though. Hawk __________________ To Boldly Go where no trail marker has gone before........... It ain't your daddy's Trail Food!!...HAWK VITTLES Redhawks Lodge

01-12-2007, 10:33 AM	#3
AdRegion Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Plattsburgh Posts: 32	I think this is one of the coolest stories we've had lately. If it's true, 20yrs in the woods, then I'm pretty impressed. To say he is a "homeless guy w/skills" is not doing him justice. It is too bad about the thievery, but clearly this guy was not playing by our rules. Tracking the story here: Adirondack Bushman Captured After 20 years in the Woods __________________ Adirondack Base Camp Adirondack Trailhead

01-12-2007, 06:32 PM	#5
1ADAM12 CRAZY COLD Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: In the woods! Posts: 2,291	Your right its to bad about the thievery and I think the punishment would not be as harsh if he was just a man living in the woods. He definately has some survival skills. __________________ "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."- Henry David Thoreau OUTDOOR SHOTS More hiking Pictures EASY CHEESE and The Cheez Whiz 10/46 ADK Easy Cheese and Cheez Whiz 7/46 winter EASY CHEESE and The Cheez Whiz 5/35 CATS

01-12-2007, 04:44 PM	#4
Jay H Softcore Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Have Ice Cream, Will travel Posts: 3,851	There are people everywhere living in the woods... I believe there was a guy who lives in a tent across the river where I would bike to work when I lived in a few towns from where i live now. I was back there doing some exploration of a Weird NJ story and ran into an (empty) tent with living items around. Nobody was home (I was looking at the tent via binoculars) from a ridge above the tent. Also, when I was on the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii, I gave a ride to guy who lives out in the wood, off the grid and in a somewhat commune like group. I gave him a ride to the post office so he could pick up his mail. I never asked if it was legal or if the authorities knew it or not but he was nice and we chatted about the island and stuff before I dropped him off. Have yet to run into anybody out back in the catskills on any of my CAT102 or regular hikes though. Jay

01-12-2007, 07:50 PM	#6
Dick Elder Statesman Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Voorheesville NY Posts: 1,281	I think Redhawk got it right. To live in the woods for 20 years (if that is in fact what he did), may be "impressive," but to do do it by robbing others is less than impressive to me. I do understand the desperation of those who do what they can to survive. But let's not elevate them to the status of folk hero because they have "skills." I'm willing to wait until the full story comes out...if it ever does. Dick __________________ "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while care will drop off like autumn leaves." John Muir

01-12-2007, 08:35 PM	#8
neighbor Bones Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: nh Posts: 304	thief!!!! get outta my house and leave my belongings behind!!!! theif!!! p.s. if i ever caught a thief inside my pad and i owned a gun(which i don't) i'd shoot'em!! simple! __________________ ny -> me "01" LT "01-04" AT "05" PCT "08" Last edited by neighbor; 01-12-2007 at 08:38 PM.

01-12-2007, 08:43 PM	#9
alombard Consultant Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lake George, NY Posts: 342	No way can you ever compare this man to Noah John or French Louie etc.....they were real mountain men who lived off the land, not other people. This man was (is) a theif who deserves little credit for his so called skills. Of course, we do not yet know the entire story...when it comes out, I would like to read it. __________________ -alombard #5624W http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...3&l=0f53aa7aae

01-13-2007, 09:40 AM	#10
AdRegion Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Plattsburgh Posts: 32	...they were real mountain men who lived off the land, not other people. I think he did the same, just not in the sense we are used to. Really, he is just a "normal" homeless guy, it's just that we get so few in the Adirondack mountains that it is kinda unusual. Definitely don't like the thievery, but now that tax-time is here... I'd rather "pay" a guy like this than continue to be a victim of institutional theft. __________________ Adirondack Base Camp Adirondack Trailhead

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