How can you tell if you encounter a VFTT member on the trail?

I know it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke but how do you know when you meet someone on the trail if they belong to VFTT?
Is there a patch, poster, or secret hand shake? I’ve been doing more hiking lately, but have yet to meet up with anyone from VFTT.

4000'er said:

I know it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke but how do you know when you meet someone on the trail if they belong to VFTT?
Is there a patch, poster, or secret hand shake? I’ve been doing more hiking lately, but have yet to meet up with anyone from VFTT.

Click to expand...

Search back in the archives for 'alligator eggs'!

Edit: Hmmm, that didn't work very well after all, try this:

http://vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8699

Another way is just to ask!

There are patches and shirts, but not everyone wears them of course.

Some years back,when you met a vftt'er you would give or get a snickers bar. Alpine Summit and I got one from Harry K. on the side of Algonquin. That's going back aways. Some have patches on the their packs or napsacks.I will have to put mine back on my new one.The last time I saw Harry he gave me a beer.

Here is the previous thread

VFTT Secret Sign

I normally wear one of my VFTT shirts, but I've never seen anyone else do so. An of course, I'm every bit as handsome as my avatar.

Patches are a great idea. If any are made again I definitely want a couple. I'd even be willing chip in to front some of the manufacturing costs, I think that was done before.

Frankly, where I hike, I can simply look at him/her and see what kind of gear he/she is wearing and tell the serious hikers from the casual ones. Then simply asking the more in-grained ones if they've heard of VfTT tends to work pretty good... Seems like the majority of ones have at least heard of it. Has worked for me so far...

I have a VfTT shirt but being a baselayer, sometimes it's under clothes...

Jay

Quietman said:

Here is the previous thread

VFTT Secret Sign

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Thanks for the link...
10 amusing pages later I'm left with “alligator eggs”
I guess I’m not that brave, but will instead try to get my hands on a patch or sticker.

4000'er said:

Thanks for the link...
10 amusing pages later I'm left with “alligator eggs”
I guess I’m not that brave, but will instead try to get my hands on a patch or sticker.

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Ah, go ahead and try the alligator eggs... all of the cool kids are doing it.

4000'er said:

Thanks for the link...
10 amusing pages later I'm left with “alligator eggs”
I guess I’m not that brave, but will instead try to get my hands on a patch or sticker.

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And I'm sure it seemed like such a simple and reasonable question when you asked it.

Bob Kittredge said:

An of course, I'm every bit as handsome as my avatar.

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And a fine avatar that is.

-dave-

you could ask descending hikers, "how were the views from the top?"

or ask climbers, "think there will be good views from the top?"

Bob Kittredge said:

I normally wear one of my VFTT shirts, but I've never seen anyone else do so.

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Every time I wear mine, somebody recognizes it.

Bob Kittredge said:

An of course, I'm every bit as handsome as my avatar.

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Yeah, me too.

Look for the injured hiker (thats me) or the one limping away smiling.

Tom & Dr... spoilers!! I thought we were on our way toward another memorable thread. If I had time I'd re-read it, but alas, I'll just laugh again at what I remember. Classic. Thanks 4000'er

Kittredge: you might have to start a poll to see who really does have the most handsome avitar... currently, num-num-num has my vote!

David Metsky said:

And a fine avatar that is.

-dave-

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Well, the photographer does have a talent for capturing the sublime.

I thought "Alligator Eggs" was the final answer. I saw MEB hike the Franconia Ridge from Lafayette to Lincoln Woods saying "Alligator Eggs" over and over to all people she encountered. Seems like others remembered it too.

I must have asked about 10 different hiking groups over the past 3 months or so if they were members here. Mostly I just got blank stares with only one person that had even heard of this forum. I think I would be even more embarassed saying alligator eggs! I'm going to keep quiet for a while

Chas.

Yeah, I haven’t had any luck either. Somebody once asked me if I was an officer (or something like that) of VFTT, but I replied that I was just a fairly frequent poster.

When Susan and I climbed Hunter Mountain last fall I asked most of the people we met if there were ‘‘any views from the top.’’ It was a foggy day, and nobody said anything other than along the lines of ‘‘not today.’’

Come to think of it, Inge A. saw and recognized my patch between Emmons and Donaldson, but she’s the only one so far.

When I climbed Vose Spur, I met someone who later joined VFTT so he could contact me. I don’t think he’s ever posted, however.

How about a VFFT sweat band?

Tattooing the forehead would be a stretch, but would certainly be advantageous. But a headband . . . that would be a statement.

Alligator eggs worked for me to flush out Alpinsta, but that was in a downtown garage and the VFFT window sticker in her car was kind of a give-away.