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

The few VFTT that I have encountered (sil74 & MEB) on the trail I recognized from the photos that they posted to their trip report. Several others I met on group hikes that I joined.

Every now and then I'll use the "good Views from the Top" comment when descending. I'm an early starter and usually the first or second car in the lot, so I hardly ever get to inquire about the views on my way up.

I did meet Summit1 on Wachusett but only realized it when I saw his avatar in another post on the forums. "Boy, those dogs look awfully similar to the ones I saw on the trail two days ago.....", so I dropped him a PM. Come to think of it, we need to get the girls out for another hike together, but I digress.

In fact, I really only post my weekly epic climbs of mighty Wachusett in the Trail Conditions section so that I might flush a few folks out of the woodwork that may have been on the mountain with me.

I have a VFTT decal wrapped on a trekking pole so the VFTT is visible, borrowed that good idea from "Lattinhill" or "Kevin" here.

Mods, the link to the decal sales has not worked since this thread was started, are you out of decals ?
We need something; decals, patches...SHIRTS !

I have only had one successful Alligator Egg exchange. That was with Truepatriot09, back in December.

Artex said:

Ah, go ahead and try the alligator eggs

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Ask Lattinhill, a recognized master of sliding "alligator eggs" subtly into every day conversation.

Unfortunately, perhaps too subtle as no one has yet responded. But then again, perhaps there are actually a few hikers out there who do not know about VFTT!

Chip said:

Mods, the link to the decal sales has not worked since this thread was started, are you out of decals ?
We need something; decals, patches...SHIRTS !

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Chip i had asked Darren about getting patches done, and said he plans on doing them but will be after the benefit ride for Brain Tumor Society, I also am looking forward to them!

I don't think I've ever had anyone ask me if I was fropm VFtT, but I have had a LOT of people ask me if my name was Pete.

whitelief said:

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.

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That did indeed work well once we got past the puzzled expression on my face and the initial thought that you should be committed to the looney bin.

I just ask....

as casually as possible "do you know Neil?"
w/ 1414 posts I'm assuming all vftters would say Doh!

meeting vftt members

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.

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Today climbing Osceola and East Peak my group passed a few hikers--Well I just came out and asked if they were vftt members. We did meet one -Danno (he offered to write the hike conditions). The others, since they weren't members, did think I was asking if there were views at the top of the hill.

the starchild said:

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

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

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This is EXACTLY what I say. Still havent met anyone yet....


bob

alpinista said:

That did indeed work well once we got past the puzzled expression on my face and the initial thought that you should be committed to the looney bin.

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That works at Sage's Ravine too, although I did get a warning from Chip and the Mini-chips that you were here and tenting up by Fred and I...

Jay

The Mini-Chips rock the woods, plus there's all those spare body parts I'll be needing...

Replies I have gotten when I have asked How the views from the top were:
We didn't see any, wheres the top? Why don't you just go look for yourself, Didn't you read the book? Not bad, pretty disappointing. I saw a VFTT sticker on the only other car in the PA and when I asked the only other hikers I met they replied: Oh, that was there when I bought the car, what does it mean? Stick with alligator eggs, at the least you get a strange look.

Chip said:

The Mini-Chips rock the woods, plus there's all those spare body parts I'll be needing...

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Love the Mini Chips--start them young and they are future VFTT. Maybe by then we'll have patches or shirts to identify ourselves

VFTT'ers meet on 93 North!

Bunchberry, was that you? I was driving on 93 North this am, on my way to hike Zealand, when somewhere around exit 24(?) this car pulls up in the lane to the left of me and then sits there. I see it in my peripheral vision, and I'm thinking, "This is weird..." Finally I turn and look at the driver who is gesturing the letters V F T T. She had seen my sticker on the left side of my car. I *think* it was Bunchberry, as it looked like her, but since I never met her before, I'm not positive. Anyway, when it finally dawned on me what she was gesturing I cracked up! I smiled and gave her a thumbs up. That was so cool! You made my day!! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

Roxi said:

I was driving on 93 North this am, on my way to hike Zealand, when somewhere around exit 24(?) this car pulls up in the lane to the left of me and then sits there. I see it in my peripheral vision, and I'm thinking, "This is weird..." Finally I turn and look at the driver who is gesturing the letters V F T T. She had seen my sticker on the left side of my car. I *think* it was Bunchberry, as it looked like her, but since I never met her before, I'm not positive. Anyway, when it finally dawned on me what she was gesturing I cracked up! I smiled and gave her a thumbs up. That was so cool! You made my day!! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

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Ham radio operators use code on the horn to say "Hi" to each other.

"H" is 4 dots and "i" is 2 dots, so "Hi" is 4 short beeps, a space, and 2 short beeps.

Doug
wb2qje

gator eggs? ayup, i've eaten em - many times...

I have asked perhaps a dozen groups if any of them have heard of the website "Views from the Top". No one has said yes... yet. It's concise, direct, the truth, and never elicits strange looks. Why not try that?

And because I am a "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" I would have to say that a T-shirt sporting one of Darren's photographs would be relatively inexpensive, stylish, and easily recognized by all of us.

Oh yes he is, oh yes he is!

I'm with the "just come out and ask" approach. Sometimes, I may modify and say: do you use online hiking sites? and then zero in on VFFT if they say yes. But a month or so ago I just came out and asked about VFFT and what do you know, it was Jay H and Funky Freddy on Mt. Race. Basically, I usually will only ask if I've overtaken someone going in the same direction on the trail, or we're all hanging out at a summit, trail junction or other stopping point. That way there's more opportunity for conversation than if you're just passing along the trail in opposite directions. I guess I'm also hesitant to ask on a busy trail with lots of traffic. I'm surprised at how many people have been asking and not finding anyone. I guess there's lots of hikers out there.