A long anticipated meeting on the Black Forest Trail

Geez guys, it was only a first date.

"Geez guys, it was only a first date."

And, you know, since I didn't come home with a cold, a rather tame one…..

Nice report, Ike. Seems both your characters came through in less than ideal situations.

I had to chuckle a bit at the mention of all the ups and downs. It's no straight shot like a 14er, but PA will still let you rack up the elevation change.

Edit. Re edit. Every response I have sounds like something out of Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo and isn't in compliance with BPL's fairly loose standards of decency.

Douglascide, I'm a recovering Prius owner as well. In the words of Marky Mark, it 'twas a tampon on wheels. Loved that car.

Looks like a great hike.

"instead it was a freaking Prius. This explains the dating problem"

(warning: partial thread hijack)

Ha! This is pretty common guy-think; in fact, several weeks ago on Car Talk they revisited a question posed by a fellow who asked for advice on what model car to buy to attract chicks. Tom and Ray advised either some 4×4 Jeep thing or a Miata. Apparently hordes of women wrote in to say they were way off the track; the Jeep said "macho jerk" and the Miata screamed "Hi, I'm having a Midlife Crisis!!!". Apparently the cars that guys think women are impressed by are really just the cars that impress other lonely guys…

(But then, my BF drives a Leaf and I a Honda hybrid, so of course I think a Prius is just fine!)

I get that Nick was joking, but I certainly can't even imagine Doug in a Hummer (IMO that screams "macho jerk" in all caps, italicized, bold, and with lots of exclamation points)…I have been the recipient of his generosity (remember the thread about "who gets cold feet?" – I am now the grateful owner of a pair of Goosefeet booties, courtesy of Doug) and from that, his BPL presence, and one GGG meeting, I'd have to say that "macho jerk" is so not him. I'm not surprised that he toughed out the calf injury (despite my lame joke above) and kept his date with Ike.

I would venture to say that Doug's love life would improve if he pulled up to the valet at the local hot spot in a Range Rover. :)

On another note — about 13 years ago when I was dating I had a two year old Ford Ranger. Very clean looking mini-truck. I picked my date (who had gone out previously with me in this vehicle). Our date was to go to a Jazz club at a high-end hotel in Rancho Mirage, Ca. As we approached the valet area, she asked me to let her out of the truck because she didn't want anyone to see her in a truck. I complied with her request, drove past the valet and headed home. About 5 minutes later she called my cell phone wanting to know where I was. My reply was that if she didn't want to be seen in my truck, I didn't want to be seen with her. Don't know how she got home and I never saw her again.

"Apparently the cars that guys think women are impressed by are really just the cars that impress other lonely guys…"

I once owned a Dodge Caravan. Talk about a chick magnet! Man! Of course, they all had young kids. Can't have everything…..

"I would venture to say that Doug's love life would improve if he pulled up to the valet at the local hot spot in a Range Rover. :)"

It certainly would in DC! Until, you know, they saw how I was dressed…

As we approached the valet area, she asked me to let her out of the truck because she didn't want anyone to see her in a truck.

Had a similar experience with each of our children when dropping them off at junior high school dances … they wanted to be dropped off two blocks from the dance.

Nick, were you dating eight graders?

"Nick, were you dating eight graders?"

Nah, a woman close to my age to was obsessed with what others thought of her. But she could out drink most men, that should have been a warning sign.

"On another note — about 13 years ago…."

I like your style.

"In a Hummer (IMO that screams "macho jerk" in all caps, italicized, bold, and with lots of exclamation points)."

Hey now, I've been seen driving one (a black H1) many times. ;^) And my wife thought that the hummer club we camped with was one of the nicest group of guys I've ever been associated with. :^) Much nicer that my non-hummer driving friends!

Oops. Well, I guess that just goes to show that I haven't met the right people! (though I still have a problem with the pitiful gas mileage, but let's not get into that here) Sorry to paint you all with such a broad brush. Not the first time I've made that mistake…

I will say that my opinion of 4-wheelers changed abruptly (for the better) many years back, when I actually met some; a whole passel of them pulled over and piled out of their vehicles to help us out of a rut when we were driving on some very sandy dirt roads in the desert and had gotten stuck (in our non-4wheel economy rent-a-car).

"Sorry to paint you all with such a broad brush. Not the first time I've made that mistake…"

Ah, just goes to show that people are people. Except, of course, the ones who are soylent green…..

BTW, the H1 wasn't mine. Those things are way to expensive. Only people with more money than brains buys one. ;^) (It was a friend of mines).

We were at the Pismo Beach sand dunes and they took all the kids that were camping with us (and anyone else who wanted to go) for an evening ride in the hummers. And they made sure no one was left out. That is what impressed my wife. Treat her kids right and it's all good. :^)

And yeah, you need to avoid those soylent green people. Wouldn't want to be mistaken for one!

"Oops. Well, I guess that just goes to show that I haven't met the right people! (though I still have a problem with the pitiful gas mileage, but let's not get into that here) Sorry to paint you all with such a broad brush. Not the first time I've made that mistake…"

I don't know what it is about some women Prius drivers here in California. But several have approached me at the gas pump to chew me out for driving a Ford SUV.

So… my goal in these confrontations is to make them cry. When my wife sees a female Prius owner walking towards me at the gas station she jumps out of the passenger seat and asks me to please not cause a scene.

Well… I am just minding my own business, so "game on."

BTW, I think I am 12 for 13 in the crying game.

:)

No offense to any Prius owners here.

Great story guys!

Just for the record, Nick, I've never confronted anyone about their choice of car…unless you count my earlier post.

I was reflecting after being caught out in my Hummer statement, about how when I read your story about the date who didn't want to be seen in your pickup, I was thinking how dumb it was to feel like a vehicle somehow said something bad about her…ignoring the fact that I thought something bad about everyone who drives a certain type of car. ugh.

Among the MANY things that mystify me is the idea that a person's automobile somehow is a foundation for their sense of identity. I just don't get it.

NOTE: lest anyone be tempted to ask me what color the sky is in my universe, don't bother … I'm somewhat physically color blind and mentally almost completely so.

"I don't know what it is about some women Prius drivers here in California. But several have approached me at the gas pump to chew me out for driving a Ford SUV."

A classic case of sublimated peni$ envy. ;o)

The Black Forest Trail is surprisingly rugged, but definitley doable…preferably without a severe cold. I enjoyed the photos (brought back fond memories) and banter.
Tom