[pct-l] Re: Jack Fair (Long)

[troubadour@pcthiker.com (Stephen Martin)]

That's shocking news about Jack Fair's death. I wish I had now taken a 
bit more time and read some of the poetry he offered me when I stopped 
by his house on my thruhike.

I've copied a bit from my trail journal about my experience with Jack. 
The PCT will be a different place on the stretch across the Mojave now 
that he has passed.

Stephen

------------------------------------

The trail met highway 138. We crossed and walked up Jack Fair's driveway 
towards his house. The guidebook describes Jack Fair as "A concerned 
citizen who has generously offered water and camping to all through 
travelers on the PCT."

As we approached the house a shirtless, gray bearded Jack Fair, probably 
in his late 60's or early 70's emerged along with Yosemite John. 
Pointing at Yosemite John (YJ, as he is called for short) Jack asked, 
"Are all PCT hikers retarded or is it just him?" In unison Rerun and I 
responded, "It's just him."

Jack greeted us. He shook my hand and instantly I smelled like the 
cigarettes he chain smokes. He lead us to the garage to stow our gear 
and then invited us into the house. Jack said we could sit anywhere we 
liked except on a Lazyboy recliner that was dingy, dank and surrounded 
by cigarette ashes. He lead us into the kitchen and offered me a coke 
while Rerun stuck with his water.

This is the point in time that Rerun and I stepped off of the PCT and 
stepped into a wind tunnel of profanity.

Jack Fair is a former motorcycle rider. He has driven his motorcycle 
almost everywhere in North America and now describes himself as a 
philosopher. As I looked through his trail register, he dropped some 
articles and papers in front of us which he asked us to read. Rerun 
skimmed them slightly while I stuck to the register. Jack said, "Okay, 
@^#$*$& read them, or don't %#&$*%^# read them. What the %#^@&$^ do I 
care. You have to live your own @^#%$ life . . . I'm talking to 
my #&$%#% self now. So if you #&$^#%@ interrupt me, you'll 
be *^^#%#*%%#* interrupting a private *&%#$@#* conversation."

After a pause he explained his rates for the use of his house and 
facilities. "For $1 I'll drive you down the road to the store. For $5 
you can camp in the garage and take a shower and I provide the towel. If 
you just want to hang around for a little bit then it will be $5." Rerun 
and I looked at one another as if we had been scammed.

We asked Jack for the $1 ride to the store and got into the back of his 
car. His dog rides up front with him. As I moved to get into the car I 
glanced at the seat and found it covered in all manner of dirt and 
grime. Rerun and I looked at each other. Rerun said, "Don't ask."

As we drove down to the store I inquired about the fare. I wanted to be 
certain of the rate since we had just been duped. "Jack, is it $1 round 
trip to the store, or $1 each way?" I asked, feeling it was a legitimate 
question. There was a pause as Jack looked at me in the rearview mirror 
and said, "Are you some sort of &#^$%@^@ @&#^%@^%?" I took that to mean 
$1 round trip as Rerun laughed hysterically.

Still shaken from the verbal down dressing, I entered the store and made 
my selections. Rerun did the same and Jack waited outside. I felt 
pressure to get and pay for my stuff quickly. I hurried to the car and 
we were on our way back.

Jack was yelling and cussing up front. The noise of the car with all the 
windows down kept us from really hearing what he was saying. We both 
nodded and agreed nonetheless.

Since Rerun and I had been duped out of $5 for just hanging out, we 
decided to stay for a while and retreated to the garage with our store 
purchases. I bought two ice cream sandwiches, a Yahoo, some fruit juice, 
two Snickers bars and three power bars. I consumed everything very 
quickly except for the Snickers and power bars.

Jack came from the house to the garage in a huff. He yelled, "Okay who 
was the last #%@&@% @@^#%@^ to use the sink in the house to take a 
shave?" It was obvious it was neither Rerun or myself as we both have 
beards. "Perhaps it was YJ?", Rerun offered. "Well, whoever the #&$%$%#& 
it was pushed the @&@^#@& stopper down on the #^@@#%#% drain and now I 
can't get it #&%$@&#*$^ open," Jack screamed. His eyes looked away for a 
moment and his level of rage jumped up 5 notches.

"WHO THE #%$* OPENED THAT @#$&&#^$% DOOR!?!?!?!?" he yelled at the top 
of his lungs throwing his hands in the direction of a door behind Rerun. 
"THAT DOOR HASN'T BEEN OPENED IN 10 #^$%@%#$@& YEARS! ANY IDIOT KNOWS 
THAT IF YOU WANT A #$@^#%#$& CROSS BREEZE YOU GOTTA OPEN THIS #^$%%@%# 
DOOR!"

Jack slammed one door shut, and then opened the other. Rerun deflated 
the situation some by offering to look at the sink. Tradja, Neil, Wahoo 
and YJ walked in as Jack and Rerun were about to depart to the house. I 
could see the rage forming in Jack as he was preparing to unleash it on 
YJ. "Did you take a shave in the house?" Jack jabbed at YJ. "Uh, no 
Jack, I've got three days beard on my face. I was planning on taking a 
shave, but I haven't gotten to it yet," replied YJ in a half laughing 
tone. "Well, it's too #%##&& late, I've already blamed you for breaking 
the #^$%&3% sink," Jack said as he swung into full profanity to explain 
the situation with the sink again.

At this point I was ready get out of there. Rerun returned from fixing 
the sink and Jack paid him with 2 power bars for his services. We then 
handed Jack the $10 for sitting in his garage for 2 hours and got some 
water from the sprinkler.

I would have been really angry about the money Jack charged and the way 
he went about it. But, Smokey had come into Jack's with only a Discover 
credit card. And when the store, despite having a large discover sign in 
their window, declined to accept it, Jack, to his credit, covered the 
charge.


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