VFTT Secret Sign

[skiguy]

I kinda of like the Vulcan Greeting...palm upright like your waving,with a split in the fingers between middle and ring finger.Works going or coming. This could be a problem in winter though with mits and what not...maybe we could where pointed ears that time of year.

 

[catskillclimber]

I hiked Twin in the Cats today and signed (VFTT) next to my name to see if anyone I ran into asked but I didn't really run into anyone. Sometimes I'll ask if I see the sticker on a car in the parking area.

 

[pocahontas]

On July 3rd we did the Ridge loop. Approaching Lafayette's summit from Lincoln, a guy was coming the other way, & we said "Hi"
he then said
" 'THE VIEW FROM THE TOP' IS GREAT ! "
Well, I'm still kicking myself for not asking him if he posts here>>we'll never know. Next time I definately will ask.

But I think that that's the best way to find out, it IS like a secret password .

Of course the VFTT shirts are the VERY BEST way!!
Will they ever go on sale again??
We missed out last time around

 

[dentonfabrics]

I like the idea of having a secret code. When I'm hiking with Glacial Pothead and Angry Man Ass, sometimes the trail talk will get somewhat off-color (boys will be boys), so one of us will yell out "Oak Tree" when we spot another person on the trail, knowing that we need to clean up our smack, lest we offend.

It was crowded on North Tripyrimid today and I mentioned to a couple of likely candidates that there were "no views from the top", but I didnt get any dap.


thanks,
Bob

 

[the starchild]

I sometimes wonder if people I meet on the trail post here. I met Kevin Rooney and another gentleman, whose name i can't remember, when i recognized brutus on top of carter dome.
maybe we could all hike with gigantic lovable dogs?

or ask about how the views from top were.

or settle on a color/pattern of 8mm cord and tie a loop onto the sternum strap of our packs.

 

[bobmak]

Any ideas? Perhaps we could start a poll once we have some good ideas. Maybe a little dance or a nose pick or something clever like that.

I like the idea of doing a little dance. Think of all the extra aerobic training you'd get!!!! Chica would like to suggest:

The Dog

With feet slightly apart, crouch down with arms bent and fists clenched. Move body and arms backwards and forwards with the beat.
Jerk clenched fists over shoulders alternately similar to Hitch Hike movement and jump to the left or right.

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Today I encountered VFTTer ROCKYSUMMIT (Tony) and his hiking partner at the Hurricane Ledge lookout on Kaaterskill High Peak. I met Tony for the first time just 10 days ago on the summit of Panther. What are the chances two Catskill VFTTers could randomly cross paths twice in that span of time? I regret that I did not properly introduce myself on that first meeting as we did not establish our mutual VFTT status. But Tony saw my Panther trail condition report and made the connection. As others have said sometimes just talking is sufficient.

 

[REK]

My kids and I ran into Poison Ivy and MichaelJ at Crag Camp last summer. I let them break the ice by quietly asking them if they recognized the decal on Michael's water bottle. "Hey! That's just like the one on your pack, Daddy." After a couple of quick "Who are you's" we got it staightend out and had a wonderfull time. It was nice having an additional thing in common.
I generally go solo, midweek so I don't get too much socialization on the trail.
Bob

 

[marty]

Roadtripper and I passed a green Subaru yesterday with 4 hikers, a VFTT sticker and NH plates. We passed it just south of Franconia Notch on I-93, giving them big thumbs-up. The driver did not appear to understand, perhaps because my VFTT sticker was hidden by the bikes mounted on a rear hitch rack.

I think a simple V would have been an easy way to let that vehicle know who we were. The worst thing that people might think would be that we were WWII victory buffs or that we were peace loving pot smoking hippie hikers (as discussed in another current thread). I think people might think you were a real weirdo if you gave them the Vulcan V on the trail, so the standard V gets my vote.

 

[dr_wu002]

Really Neil, I'm with Wu here, I wouldn't wish this on anyone........... I'm quite sure most people here will be quite thankful if we kill this idea RIGHT HERE.

Mavs, I think you misunderstood me. I liked the idea of disfigurement and/or plastic surgery... I just thought it wasn't fair to single out one member of VFTT (other than Darren, but I believe he's too tall) for us to all look like. That's why I chose a neutral, likely non-VFTT'er such as Alonzo Mourning for us all to have the surgery to look like.

I got to thinking about it yesterday though and I now think it's a bad idea. While it would make us all easily recognizable to one another, think of the ramifications it would have with our families and stuff. They oftentimes already have trouble understanding the whole hiking thing ("why can't you find something that doesn't require you to get up at 3am on a weekend day!!??") so plastic surgery would probably be way too much for them. Also, think of the financial impact on some people's bank accounts! We're not all millionaires here (myself very much included) and this isn't something you can find cheap on campmor. Plastic surgery is a serious thing and this type of procedure probably won't be covered by your PPO or your HMO or whatever these plans claim to be.

I think a clever saying would be good, but I couldn't think of anything. However, just when I thought that I was out of luck I came upon this website. We could all learn to talk like Jabba the Hutt! This is something that would be instantly recognizable and cost effective! All you have to do is study this website!

Maybe Darren'll make some more patches for us. I was dumb enough not to get one the last time he did it. I might just take a pencil and write VFTT on my pack or maybe on my forehead for when I go hiking. In the meantime I will get to learning 'Huttese'!!!

-Dr. Wu

 

[dr_wu002]

I like the idea of doing a little dance. Think of all the extra aerobic training you'd get!!!! Chica would like to suggest:

The Dog

With feet slightly apart, crouch down with arms bent and fists clenched. Move body and arms backwards and forwards with the beat.
Jerk clenched fists over shoulders alternately similar to Hitch Hike movement and jump to the left or right.

I'd feel like a real nut if I did this dance in front of someone and it turns out that they just moved here from Spain and had no idea what VFTT was. I'd feel like a jerk!

Maybe the caterpillar dance!

-Dr. Wu

 

[una_dogger]

I hiked Twin in the Cats today and signed (VFTT) next to my name to see if anyone I ran into asked but I didn't really run into anyone. Sometimes I'll ask if I see the sticker on a car in the parking area.

Darnit! I hiked Twin and Sugarloaf in the Cats today, too, and I didn't think to read the register! I generally just count how many groups sign in! Sigh.....our paths may have crossed!

Here's our pic from the Top.

 

[Whiteman]

Papa Bear's Method with the fanny pack up front . . .

I like the creative use of patch, but doesn't this encourage a lot of crotch staring? Would one stranger rather hear "aligator egg" from another stranger on the trail, or have them staring at their crotch trying to read a patch?

 

[BrentD22]

No Offense...

Why does it seem like every time I see someone wearing a "fanny" pack they have short shorts on, JK/LOL.

Using a permenant marker to draw the letter VFTT on your shirt pack or other (maybe crotch area) would be a simple way.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Dunno why you'd need it. Doesn't everyone recognize everyone? It seems like everyone recognizes me?

If you really want something, say to the person, "Are you 'Bart', from Views from the Top?"

If the person knows nothing of VftT, they will say, "No.", and you say, "Well, you look sort of like him."

Simple, and everyone can do it, even if you can't dance.

 

[una_dogger]

So, Pete Hickey, does this mean you really hike bare breasted and carrying an axe?
COOL!
(hee hee)

 

[Pete_Hickey]

So, Pete Hickey, does this mean you really hike bare breasted and carrying an axe?

My kid does more often than I, but people have seen me hiking that way. My publicity agent that keeps telling me that I should hike that way all the time. A bitch in the winter.

http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/tmpadk/tw8.jpg

Rico took that picture.

 

[una_dogger]

Omg!

That picture is too much!!!!!

That may be a bit over the top for a VFTT secret sign!

 

[patrickbrusil]

Jesus that is a sweet pic. Way cooler than any picture I have ever been a part of. I am in awe.

 

[prino]

So THAT's why there are no trees on any of the summits in these parts!