Bootlegger Hilltop along Route 745 to
Ditch along Route 61, Kentucky
~ 12.5 miles - Wednesday - February 18, 1981 - Day 313Click on photos for larger versions. Click on text links for additional content.
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Kentucky map
Kentucky route information |
The Progression of HikaNation - Kentucky
details the journey with various organizational
memos, letters, newspaper and magazine articles. |
Unofficial Kentucky campsites
Unofficial HikaNation Campsites List
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From William Ewart's journal:
People up and off really early today - 730-9am. Only Tim, Howard, Reggy and Phil remaining when I departed around 945am. Light to heavy rain, in the 50's, till about 430pm. A brief lull from 430-530pm.
More horns overnight from the locals - one went by slowly "Y'all get up - hey you - get up". Turns out I heard wrong and they were yelling "Go home" and "Get out of here". Friendly bunch.
A multitude around the 2nd store today (about 11 miles into the day's hike of 12.5 miles). I seem to remember it was on a lonely stretch of road without any other structures nearby - definitely not in a town setting. I stayed there from 115-4pm...no point in getting to camp - in the roadside ditch!! Many others lingered as well.
Store had a small sandwich/deli inside. Beginning sandwich prices were 65cents, ended up at $1.50. Candy bars started off at 25cents, and ended up at 40cents. Lady was unfriendly. I seem to remember she accused people of taking chips or cookies without paying for the items, but guess that was cleared up since we didn't get shot or cattle-prodded (see next three paragraphs).
Found out several days later (2/21 in Columbia) that people at this store had formed a vigilante group when they heard we would be stopping at the store and today's ( 2/18/1981 ) vigilante group had loaded guns and cattle prods hidden on them and "with-in reach". Apparently a guy in the corner sat there all afternoon with a cattle prod under his chair ready for any disturbances!
Apparently earlier this year, some sort of "gang" had taken over the store so today's vigilantes gathered to protect the store this time around.
All this information came from one of the vigilantes that met up with some of our group at a Columbia cafe days later on 2/21. Said they were there armed, "just-in-case". Turns out they were favorably impressed with us (after they realized we'd cause no trouble) and were glad we came by. They were afraid we might be gypsies and one or two would try to occupy the attention of the owner while others would rip the store off.
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