Friendship is a sheltering tree.
~Samuel Taylor Coleridge
There is a very unique and special fellow named Rusty who lives down the BRP from our section of AT in a secluded mountain abode called Hard Time Hollow. One of our oldest maintainers (length of service .... and otherwise :-) met him there while on a thru-hike and they have been good friends over the years ever since.
In the past, Rusty has helped us maintain the AT and sometimes thru-hikers staying at his place would help him as their way to 'give back' something to the Trail. Rusty has hosted tool sharpening work days for us at the Hollow. He is a talented, certified welder and made the racks in the tool shed and the two bear poles at the Paul Wolfe Shelter.
Racks welded by Rusty keep the tools organized in the maintainer tool shed.
One of the two bear poles at the shelter. (Photo: Merlot)
This video about Rusty's return to his church after 25 years away from their fellowship shows a rare glimpse into a side of Rusty that most of us acquainted with him have never seen. He's a very private person, but Rusty obviously wanted to share his story, so I'm sharing it with those of you who know and care about this fellow maintainer and friend, both to us and the AT. A subsistence lifestyle at Hard Time Hollow can be a lonely proposition and personally, I'm very glad that Rusty has found his way 'home' ~ Merlot
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