Good deeds on the Track or random acts of kindness?

[frank_in_oz]

Just got back from walking the Overland Track with a couple of newbies. The weather was a bit wet for a few days and we spent a fair bit of time in the huts with the other hords that were around.

Leon, one of my co walkers, discovered he had "lost" his brand new Goretex overpants ($180) when we crawled into Narcissus Hut late on Saturday afternoon. Now Leon is one of those "arrive and spread your gear" types and I expected something like this to happen as for the previous couple of days I had been finding his stuff everywhere........

This morning I got an email, via my blog, from a young American couple who had noticed the pants at Kia Ora , thought they were Leon's and carried them out to the visitors centre at Lake St Clair. Good effort I reckon.

Has anyone else had an experience like this while they were bushwalking?

When I was in Uni in the US I was hiking the Appalachain Trail when I met three other Uni kids from the rival school in Georgia (2 guys and a gal). They, being the good little engineers they were training to be, had each taken a set amount of water, figured out the total distance to walk, calculated the time they would be walking for over the distance, and the total amount of water they were carrying, and then set themselves a water-drinking schedule, based on the concept that a small sip every 30 minutes would keep you sufficiently hydrated for a Summer hike in 35c+ degree weather. On a dry trail nonetheless.

SO anyhow, the girl, who was absolutely gorgeous, was starting to show serious signs of dehydration when I met up with them. I politely explained the problem with their well-planned theory, which it turned out was the boy's idea, gave her my extra water bottle and an apple, and looked like a hero. Got a phone number and all.

Ain't I kind?

[wello]

There's a couple of guys who regularly set up a pancake kitchen at Cox's Bight on the South Coast Track. We met them in Jan 2007, after walking 5 days from Cockle creek. They set up for about two weeks each time, and cook pancakes for all the passing walkers (all free mind you).

When we arrived after 5 hard days walking, the kindness we received was amazing. Pancakes a plenty, freshly brewed coffee, a chair to sit in, a day old newspaper and test cricket scores, and dinner on the beach with red wine and classical music.

So why do they do it? Something about khama and giving something back to bushwalking that has given them so much pleasure over the years.

Now that's a random act of kindness.

Wello

[gorby]

on our last trip to Lees paddocks we stayed at the hut for three days.
On the first day Muz,Betty and harvey dropped in on the way to do the kiaora,Mt Ossa,pelion loop and introduced themselves.
They called in on the way back a couple of days later on a particulary warm day and I asked if they would like a cold beer.
Harvey called me an a##ehole for teasing him.
I returned from the creek with a couple of cold ones for them and after an apology Harvey enjoyed a well earned drink

(We had walked in the previous weekend with a few heavy supplies)

We shared Kiaora with 9 others one night and we served up our freeze dried meal on a layer of toasted muffins.The smell of toasted muffins wafted thru the hut much to the dismay of the others who were on their third day of walking and had no bread left.one Swedish girl was almost watering at the mouth.
The next morning while she was outside we cooked up our remaining muffins and shared them around(breakfast in bed for two danish girls)her boyfriend had one as well.When she re-entered we made mention of how her boyfriend had just ate the last one! the look she gave him was very cool.
There was one left for her that was out of view,so all was well.
Of the eleven people that nite,only my mate and me was from the southern hemisphere and it was great to talk to others from different countries.
1 englishman
2 germans
2 danes
2 swiss
2 japanese

whatever national disgraces we committed that nite where forgiven by the offering of those extra muffins for breakfast

[frank_in_oz]

There's a couple of guys who regularly set up a pancake kitchen at Cox's Bight on the South Coast Track. We met them in Jan 2007, after walking 5 days from Cockle creek. They set up for about two weeks each time, and cook pancakes for all the passing walkers (all free mind you).

When we arrived after 5 hard days walking, the kindness we received was amazing. Pancakes a plenty, freshly brewed coffee, a chair to sit in, a day old newspaper and test cricket scores, and dinner on the beach with red wine and classical music.

So why do they do it? Something about khama and giving something back to bushwalking that has given them so much pleasure over the years.

Now that's a random act of kindness.

Wello

Yes, so this explains this picture taken by Annette , I think in December last year. Coyuld not work out what the heck they were doing http://members.tassie.net.au/~ahack/x_S ... 02021.html

[corvus]

Hey Gorbie,
Thats no act of kindeness cooking toasted muffins at Kia Ora ,almost as bad as reading the daily paper on the day of publication or the real torture of cooking bacon in the middle of the reserve

I hiked with a guy in the US who broke out a previously frozen T-bone after two days on the trail and cooked it over the campfire. He was very lucky to make it through the meal- I think it was my weakness from lack of protein that saved him.

[Nick S]

There's a couple of guys who regularly set up a pancake kitchen at Cox's Bight on the South Coast Track. We met them in Jan 2007, after walking 5 days from Cockle creek. They set up for about two weeks each time, and cook pancakes for all the passing walkers (all free mind you).

When we arrived after 5 hard days walking, the kindness we received was amazing. Pancakes a plenty, freshly brewed coffee, a chair to sit in, a day old newspaper and test cricket scores, and dinner on the beach with red wine and classical music.

So why do they do it? Something about khama and giving something back to bushwalking that has given them so much pleasure over the years.

Now that's a random act of kindness.

Wello

Yeah I also had the good fortune to be walking past when these 2 guys were cooking. Although we had just flown in that day, so the pancakes probably didn't taste as nice as if if was your 5th day on the track.. Supposedly they have done the same thing multiple times, and they get their flour and eggs etc. flown in by the same planes that fly people in/out.
Sure, there would be a reward in seeing people devour their pancakes, but I think they enjoyed finding out people's stories and where they were from. My walking partner was from overseas so they were quite interested in what he was upto

[tasadam]

I have started a new thread talking about the pancake guys, here - viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1225