Who hiked with guitar and their story

11 Dec 09 - 04:33 PM (#2786397)
Subject: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: t.jack

I`ve hitchiked across North America a number of times always with my Gibson J 45.The Atlantic to Pacific and to the Arctic .If there was traffic,never waited more than 10 minutes..Met lots of interesting people and situations encountered..I`m curious to here someones story,and thanks .

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11 Dec 09 - 06:04 PM (#2786453)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: GUEST,Richard in Manchester

Hitching south on the M6 (UK), I was picked up by a chap in a van, front seats only. Says, as I climb in, "throw your guitar in the back", which I did. Then he noticed the Greenpeace sticker on the case. "Oh terrific", he says. "An environmentalist".

He was from British Nuclear Fuels at Sellafield. Small talk there wasn't.

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11 Dec 09 - 08:31 PM (#2786543)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: Don Firth

In 1959 in Berkeley I met a fellow carrying a guitar case (not unusual in Berkeley at the time) with a sheet of butcher paper taped to it that said ", please." I asked him what that was all about. He opened his case and under his guitar, he had two more sheets of butcher paper, one of which said "East" and the other said "West."

He said that when he was going to hit the road, he would tape either one or the other in front of the ", please," then stand there at the edge of the highway with either "East, please" or "West, please" facing oncoming traffic.

He said he never waited for more than about ten or fifteen minutes before someone stopped to pick him up. Crossed the continent several times that way.

Don Firth

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12 Dec 09 - 05:59 PM (#2787130)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: iancarterb

Once coast to coast U.S., 1965. TWO guitar cases, which was a hassle, but didn't hurt the frequency of getting rides from the musically curious. I remember one ride in particular from a navy chief meteorologist who was keen to play the twelve string, and we had a nice jam at a truck stop. On shorter north-south east coast trips I also put a toothbrush on an old suitcase handle which got a few rides from people with a quick eye and sense of humor. Only felt threatened once, and nought happened. Wouldn't recommend it these days. Probably just my increased caution.

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13 Dec 09 - 04:55 PM (#2787611)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: GeoffLawes

Back in 1970 when the world was young, my wife and I set off from England, hitching East to India. My wife was carrying her Tatay Spanish guitar with her in a case. The first night near Cologne we were dropped off beside an autobahn in the middle of a torrential downpour. Not being able to get a lift we slept under a hedge and in the morning, thoroughly soaked, we went to a youth hostel to recover and dry out. It wasn't until we reached Yugoslavia that she took the guitar out of the case to play and discovered that water had penetrated the case and being trapped inside had softened the glue with predictable results. We posted the guitar back to England with the hope that when we eventually returned home it could be fixed.When we did get home she bought a new Tatay instead. But she still sometimes says that it is not any where near as good as the old one

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13 Dec 09 - 08:40 PM (#2787725)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: GUEST,999

SN, I'll tell you about it the next time we get together. I was 15 and it was summer. I had a blast.

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14 Dec 09 - 07:26 AM (#2787928)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: Mooh

Hitchhiked around Ontario with a guitar lots during the '70s. No problem getting rides except on a lonely stretch of the TransCanada where every vehicle seemed to be a family car fully loaded for camping. Generally, as others have said, the guitar generated a lot of curiosity.

Once was picked up by a drunk driver who drove terrifyingly fast and I had to jump out at a stop; an older lady who drove an hour out of her way to take me closer to where I was going; a chance ride with a friend who happened to be going minutes from where I was headed several hours away; a lonely trucker who simply missed his kids; and most drivers were just kindhearted folks.

I don't see many hitchhikers these days, but I do stop for them when I do see them.

Peace, Mooh.

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14 Dec 09 - 10:44 AM (#2788055)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: Howard Jones

Back in 1976 I went on a big Greyhound trip around America. Skytrain had just started (relatively) cheap transatlantic flights to Toronto. From there I went across Canada to Vancouver, down the west coast to LA, then back across the USA via Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Denver, to Washington DC. Then New York and Boston before going back into Canada and around the eastern provinces. Finally back to Boston for a few days before flying home.

I didn't take my own guitar (something cheap and Japanese) but everywhere I went I found people were willing to lend me a guitar, and these were usually good ones - mostly Gibsons, Martins and Guilds. I've always regretted not buying a guitar while I was over there, but I'd spent most of my money on the trip. However when I got home and picked up my own guitar it felt so rubbish after playing so many good instruments that I ended up buying a new one anyway.

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14 Dec 09 - 08:47 PM (#2788469)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: t.jack

Great Stories,man it is so good letting things flow as you are hiking,Got picked up by a BARE BARE hunter in northern British Columbia .The more stories he told me about hunting bears ,the more he started to look and sound like a bear! He told me he lassoed a bear with a 3\8 cable and the bare turned on him and his truck and smashed the f--k out of it .I was let off in Fort ST.Johns wow.what a freak.Interesting trip..

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14 Dec 09 - 08:52 PM (#2788472)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: Jeri

These stories collected would make a great book, you know!

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14 Dec 09 - 08:58 PM (#2788476)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: Mark Ross

I used to be able to hitch all the way across the US in 3-4 days. Using white surgical tape on a black guitar case I would spell out my destination on the side of my case. Haven't done it years though. I like freight trains a lot more, I was always getting rides from guys who wanted me to keep them awake after I had been traveling without any shuteye for 2 or 3 days. On a train I could just crawl in and unroll my bindle and go to sleep. These days I have started using tickets, trains are my favorite mode of travel.

As Gamble Rogers once said to me over breakfast, "Mark, trains are the most civilized method of travel man has ever devised."

Mark Ross

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14 Dec 09 - 09:36 PM (#2788491)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: GUEST

RE: > lots of interesting people and situations

Mr, Tamarack - great thread continue.

May I suggest a template - for your story telling...

Scene
Charactor
Conflict
Action
Resolution

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14 Dec 09 - 09:43 PM (#2788494)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: olddude

When I think about all the time I hitched back and forth to college in the rain , snow, and everything in between with my d-28 Martin and a sign on it saying central PA Please. How the heck that thing held up all of these years. Good grief , I mean I remember being stuck in a snowstorm, thunderstorms, heat ... and yet I am still playing the thing and it still looks good ... amazing ...

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14 Dec 09 - 11:34 PM (#2788528)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: Beer

Tamarack,
Time I step in for a wee story.
Tamarack and I decided to hitch from Montreal to Saint Thomas Ontario for a quick family reunion. We took off with guitar's in hand. Arrived about 5 miles out of Montreal we spotted a train oh going so slow. There were open freights and empty flat beds so over the fence we went. Tamarack took the first leap over a ditch filled with shit, piss and swill only to miss the other side and landing in it. Maybe it was just as well as it took a mean right turn up to Ottawa and not Toronto.

Any way we ended up under an overpass where we were going to sleep for the nigh but changes our minds so we decided that maybe we better head it back to the city and visit our pick up club. Here is a paste of that nigh in which we didn't get back for than goodness.

On September 1st, 1972, patrons of Montreal's Blue Bird Café and the Wagon Wheel, the country and western bar above the café, were celebrating the end of another summer. In the main entrance to the Wagon Wheel, however, 3 young men, drunk and upset over being refused entry to the bar began a fire on the staircase. With one exit now blocked by fire, victims sought out other means of escape. However, conflicting city regulations had left the Wagon Wheel with too few fire exits. This left only two escape routes, through the kitchen onto a foldaway fire escape, and through the window in the ladies washroom onto a car parked below. Due to these errors in judgment, 37 people were unable to escape the fire and smoke that night. Fire escape regulations have since been standardized to prevent another disaster of this magnitude.

I guess we were blessed that night.


Mark Ross,
Tamarack and I would save our money and book the most expensive spot on the train (Forget what it was called. Maybe room et.), open the doors to our spot and have two 40 oz. of whiskey and vodka as we took out our guitars. This was called the Bistro train from Montreal to Toronto. In minutes we would have our room filled with folks all the way up then we would turn around and come right back. Pissed of course by the time we got back. Hay!!, but when you are 19 and 20 you can do a lot more that at 60
Beer (adrien)

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15 Dec 09 - 09:42 AM (#2788803)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: t.jack

Listen Beer ,
Wasn`t it you that jumped in the ditch??Great time had by all...Comming up from Halifax i got picked up by a couple of French girls near St. Somethimng .After dropping me off it was getting near dark so i slept under a highway over pass 2-20 going west.Well the traffic was so loud and unanle to sleep,i took my DENTENE chewing gum and used it as ear plugs.Not knowing my body heat would activate the sticky gum,i slept well. Well that is till morning and guess what? I had Dentene gum all over both sides of my face on my unshaven beard and was pulling long stretching gobs out a me ears,what a mess i got myself into,great trip and memory. And Dentenc commercial?

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15 Dec 09 - 09:46 AM (#2788804)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: WalkaboutsVerse

Poem 10 of 230: LAND'S END TO JOHN O' GROATS

(TUNE:

D G A A B B A A
D A B B A A G G
D B B B A A G G
D A B A B A G G)

At the bold age of twenty-one
    (Via Hong Kong, China, Macau),
I flew from Sydney to London -
    Land's End to John o' Groats my vow.

I took a train out of London,
    Found a highway and thumbed a ride;
I headed down toward Brighton,
    Then hitch-hiked roads the coast beside.

On the face of my shoulder bag,
A sketched map of Aus. was my tag;
For said a Scot who'd hitched Europe:
"Some emblem may well boost your hope."

And drivers throughout the island,
Over a two month riding span,
Were the kindest folks I have met -
I swear not once did I get wet!

I stopped overnight in Portsmouth,
    And one or two nights in Torquay;
Then headed along to Plymouth -
    Still travelling beside the sea.

After viewing rugged Land's End,
    I began the long journey north -
North-east, rather, before a bend,
    Somewhere in a bit from Bournemouth.

On the way, I saw relatives,
Whom after leaving I did miss -
Their homes' cosy atmosphere,
And their local pubs' good cheer.

And the hitched-lifts came from many:
An off-work Bobbie, a truckie,
As well as on-duty soldiers -
Thanks, and I've not said where each was!

I headed west through South Wales,
    And viewed Cardiff Arms from afar -
I was hitching with local males,
    And they showed me from in the car.

I stayed a while at Swansea -
    Saw the local footballers play;
Then hitched north through Llandovery -
    Beautiful farmland, I must say.

I slept mostly in B. & B.s,
Where the full breakfasts sure did please;
But also stopped in Youth Hostels,
Where it's the comradeship that tells.

My favourite sites were Torquay,
Old St. Andrews (noted shortly),
The road Glasgow-to-Inverness,
The Lakes, plus London's spots, no less.

From Colwyn Bay, I headed east
    To Manchester, my place of birth;
Then on the Lakes my eyes did feast,
    Before I passed by Solway Firth.

Onto Edinburgh, Glasgow,
    St. Andrews, before Inverness;
Then waves from locals were the go -
    Warm folks round John o' Groats, I'd guess.

From http://blogs.myspace.com/walkaboutsverse (e-book)
Or http://walkaboutsverse.sitegoz.com (e-scroll)
(C) David Franks 2003

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15 Dec 09 - 09:47 AM (#2788807)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: t.jack

Thanks Jerry. you sort a hit the nail on the head,
I have been compelling these stories for some time for that reason and the wounderful shareing of them here.
thanks
t.j.

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15 Dec 09 - 01:02 PM (#2788929)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: t.jack

Thanks Mark Ross,I can relate.
My kid brother was brought home by cops as he was picked up in Hamilton Ont,rail yards.When he got home to St.Thomas Ont. he was black and really grungy looking ,told Mom he was just trying to catch a ride to school?He was about 13 years old,She asked why he had a packsack and not a school bag??

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15 Dec 09 - 02:08 PM (#2788967)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego

I have no cross-country tales to tell. For several years, however, I have packed a classical guitar into the high Sierras on backpacks and trail rides. The first time, I tried using a Martin backpacker's guitar, but it sounded too much like a fine wooden banjo. From that year forward, I have sung with my nine fellow travelers and with assorted folks who dropped into our campsite, using a full-scale Takamine. I've always felt that folk music and trout fishing were fine companions.

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15 Dec 09 - 08:50 PM (#2789303)
Subject: RE: Who hiked with guitar and their story
From: t.jack

Hey TJ in San Diego,Folk music and trout fring pan size with tea and camp fire.Thats good music,John Prine kinda time.thanks for the moment. t.j.

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