@booghawk I just read the article above for the first time and found it fascinating. Having read this, I think it is entirely possible that Denim/MH had been on the lam. Here are a few more articles about “Bismarck”:
“But when he was finally apprehended
earlier this month, it turned out he had been a well-known figure on the Appalachian trail who went only by the name of ‘Bismarck.”
‘Bismarck was by hiking standards more honest than most hikers I've encountered from my experience,’ Karl Humbarger, who
knew Hammes as a ‘work for stay’ resident at his hostel, commented on a news story.
Known on the trail as an honest and religious man, his fellow hikers were shocked to find out their ‘
super nice‘ comrade had been featured on America's Most Wanted and American Greed: The Fugitives.
But when a former hiker recognised Hammes from television, he reported him to the authorities,
submitting personal hike photos that included the fugitive.
How can one be so anonymous, even among those who claim to have known him so well?
It all comes down to the culture of the Appalachian Trail (AT), where trail names are most commonplace form of identity.
Larry Luxenberg, president of the AT Museum, admits
he doesn't know the real names of many of the close friends he's made - including some he's known for 30 years.
[SBM]
Once a hiker answers to the name, and introduces him or herself by that name, it's shared with others on the trail via word of mouth and notebooks - ‘registers’ - that are left in the 250 rudimentary shelters along the way.
[SBM]
The trail didn't become popular with hikers trying to trek the whole distance until the 1970s, and at that point half of the hikers had trail names, says Luxenberg.
‘I hiked in 1980 and I like to say back then the names were not mandatory. Now they're pretty much mandatory.’
[SBM]
In a blog post on Appalachian Trail Bloggers, writer Evans Prater
explains the psychology of a trail name.
‘A trail name represents a new identity, a new beginning, and a chance to leave everything that was once represented by 'John Smith' or 'Jane Dougherty' behind,’ writes Prater.
‘
People don't come out here to talk about their jobs as lawyers or bartenders or car salesmen; they come out here to leave the hassles of everyday life - the stresses of rent, insurance, bosses, student loan payments.’
It's a way to leave the real world behind, something
that could appeal to both known fugitives and frustrated middle managers.
[SBM]” (BBM)
The man who hid behind a trail name
“CINCINNATI — He was known as ‘Bismarck,’ a genial, thick-bearded hiker who had become a familiar character along the Appalachian Trail over the past six years, and a regular at Susie Montgomery’s bed-and-breakfast in a small Virginia town — until the day the FBI showed up.
‘I’d say he was one of my favorite guests,’ said Montgomery, whose four-bedroom Montgomery Homestead Inn offers on its website a place to ‘forget life’s stresses’ for a slower, simpler life. ‘He was a smart man, interesting to talk to; a pleasant personality. All of the other people who stayed here liked him.’
He was in his room, she recalled, on May 16 during the annual Trail Days festival that brings thousands of people into tiny
Damascus, Virginia, when she responded to a knock on the door.” (BBM)
Friendly Appalachian Trail hiker turns out to be wanted fugitive
“
Hiding on the AT
So should we be shocked that a member of the Appalachian Trail hiking community could be a criminal; not in the slightest. In fact what better way to hide from the law:
- The majority of males have a beard and longer hair – perfect if you are trying to disguise yourself without standing out from the crowd,
- Hard to describe – ‘the man had a beard, dirty scruffy clothes, smelt bad, and a pack’; that’s the majority of the males hiking the trail.
- Anonymity – No one is suspicious when you don’t give your real name; in fact using a real name is suspicious.
- Not using bankcards – paying cash for everything is not unusual, in fact several hostels, some restaurants and stores only take cash.
- No technology – Not having a cell phone is not seen as unusual; being ‘off the grid’ is an accepted way of life.
- No job or visible means of income – No one questions you not having a job or income on the trail.
- New friends – A complete new start with new friends and ‘family’ without the difficult questions.
- Moving around – The ability to move around freely, changing locations often and never settling in one place.
- Minimal interaction with law enforcement.” (BBM)
AT Thru-Hiker, "Bismarck", Arrested at Trail Days on Embezzling Charges
Exclusive: Interview with Hiker Who Assisted FBI in Arrest of James "Bismark" Hammes
Reader comments on the last two pages are pretty interesting, too.
