Do you believe in miracles?

[jefals]

I'm not sure what a miracle is, but I think they can be just little things. Here are some that I experienced on my recent backpacking trip:
1) After a long day of hiking, I had my tent set up, it's getting dark, I crawl inside, empty my pockets -- and my keys aren't there. Feel all around, can't find em. So, thoughts start running thru my head -- "you dummy, you KNOW you should have secured your keys and your wallet when you left the parking lot!. Now I'm gonna have to call AAA, or probably a Hyundai dealer -- who probably won't even be open"...
About an hour into thinking thoughts like this, I rolled over -- and, within the recesses of my air mattress, I felt the keys!". So, that was a lesson. After that, first thing in the morning, I secured the wallet and the keys!

2) One of my goals on this trip was to see how good I could stay on this trail. And for the most part I was doing really good. But I was walking for hours without anybody else around. The one time when I wasn't sure which way to go -- I heard somebody behind me. Turned out to be a forest service person, and she pointed out the ducks and where the trail was! ( I may have seen them without her if I kept looking, but maybe not).
3) Just the fact that I made it back to my car ok! After I discarded my pack, I wanted to walk across the street to see something called Inspiration Point, overlooking Emerald Bay. But there was a lot of traffic on that road, and I didn't trust my legs that were really aching at that point. So decided against trying to walk across.
Then drove about 90 miles home, and when I got there, I found my right knee was in bad shape. It's getting better now, but it's amazing to me that it held up long enough to get me out of the woods!

I know we all have these kinds of experiences -- not just in hiking, but different areas of life in general. And they could be just small things we appreciate and take for granted. Are they miracles? maybe...?

[Sarcasm the elf]

The stories you have above are examples of original definition of "Trail Magic". People today like to use the term to describe planned hiker feeds, but the actual definition of the word refers to how the trail very often provides what you need most at the time when it is most important, and it is uncanny how often this can happen when you hike.

My favorite personal trail magic story:
I was on the A.T. near Dennytown rd. in NY., about 200 miles from where I live. There is a large state run car camping area and supposedly there is also a free A.T. hiker campsite but we couldn't find it. My buddy and I were exhausted and frustrated so we eventually dropped out gear and laid down in one of the empty sites to take a break. A few minutes later, one of the people in the next site over walked up to say Hi, when he got close we suddenly realised that he was the manager of my local outfitter that we had spent hours with while buying all our gear. We ended up camping with them them that night and drinking their good beer.

[peakbagger]

My favorite, I was in 100mile widerness at a shelter and two new SOBOs mentioned that someone they had been hiking with had stopped at lunch dumped much of the contents of his pack in bag and headed home. He told them whatever they wanted was free. Next morning I walk by the bag and there is a full jumbo MSR fuel bottle. I decide to take it as I worked with a local scout troop who could use it. I get to Hurd Brook and there is aspiring southbounder with the contents of his pack spread out everywhere. The guy looked destitute and I very quickly smelled coleman fuel. I asked him what the problem was and told me his fuel bottle had leaked all over his packs contents and was just about empty. He was bummed as he was going to have to find a way back to Millinocket and leave all his buds to get more fuel. I then set my pack down and handed him a full MSR fuel bottle. I told him it was his first piece of trail magic, he was real happy. I offered to haul out the old bottle but he decided to keep it as he had just bought it.

[Lone Wolf]

I'm not sure what a miracle is, but I think they can be just little things. Here are some that I experienced on my recent backpacking trip:
1) After a long day of hiking, I had my tent set up, it's getting dark, I crawl inside, empty my pockets -- and my keys aren't there. Feel all around, can't find em. So, thoughts start running thru my head -- "you dummy, you KNOW you should have secured your keys and your wallet when you left the parking lot!. Now I'm gonna have to call AAA, or probably a Hyundai dealer -- who probably won't even be open"...
About an hour into thinking thoughts like this, I rolled over -- and, within the recesses of my air mattress, I felt the keys!". So, that was a lesson. After that, first thing in the morning, I secured the wallet and the keys!

2) One of my goals on this trip was to see how good I could stay on this trail. And for the most part I was doing really good. But I was walking for hours without anybody else around. The one time when I wasn't sure which way to go -- I heard somebody behind me. Turned out to be a forest service person, and she pointed out the ducks and where the trail was! ( I may have seen them without her if I kept looking, but maybe not).
3) Just the fact that I made it back to my car ok! After I discarded my pack, I wanted to walk across the street to see something called Inspiration Point, overlooking Emerald Bay. But there was a lot of traffic on that road, and I didn't trust my legs that were really aching at that point. So decided against trying to walk across.
Then drove about 90 miles home, and when I got there, I found my right knee was in bad shape. It's getting better now, but it's amazing to me that it held up long enough to get me out of the woods!

I know we all have these kinds of experiences -- not just in hiking, but different areas of life in general. And they could be just small things we appreciate and take for granted. Are they miracles? maybe...?

no. god has more important things to do than make your keys appear

[Another Kevin]

no. god has more important things to do than make your keys appear

Not a great argument. Most believers would say that God isn't bound to space and time. It doesn't matter how many people need Him, when you call Him you don't get a busy signal.

[BirdBrain]

I do. They are all over the place if you look for them. I share many stories with my children as they face the uncertainties of life. These stories are encouraging. I hope to read many more in this thread. I will share one. It is not the most spectacular or valuable or even a trail story, but is one of the most important miracles to me.

My parents divorced when I was 4. I am one of those odd people that has memories from every year of my life. It was an ugly divorce. I saw my father only a handful of times as I grew up after that event. One of the last outings we had before the divorce was at a fair. At the fair there was a machine that made aluminum tokens. You put a quarter in and spun the dial to the letters and put what ever info you wanted on it. It had my name and address on one side and a four leaf clover and goodluck on the other side. I carried that token with me for decades. It was worn smooth by the time I was a teenager.

Fast forward to the late 80's. My wife and I spent a 3 day weekend in Boston. We took the T everywhere and walked in between spots. When I got home, I realized that the token was gone. So, back we went. At 2 AM we arrived back at the hotel. Not much was said on the way down. As I left the car to ask the front desk if they had it, I just simply told my wife that I could not go home without that token. She said she knew. Of course the clerk did not have it. My wife said "What now"? I said, "I am going to find my token". We had covered Boston over the weekend. It could have been anywhere. I started walking to the nearest T. Several hundred yards later, I saw a patch of grass in the sidewalk no larger than a dinner plate. I reached down and picked up my token. I no longer carry it with me. It is too valuable to risk losing. It is in my curio cabinet along with other similarly priceless items.

Not a hiking story. But ya, I believe in miracles.

Note: I purposely left out the private conversations I had with what many would describe as my imaginary invisible friend so as not to offend the sensitive or invite redicule from those inclined to argue such things.

[Pedaling Fool]

If these things ever happen to me, then I'll start believing in miracles...maybe... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kGbmCyO87M


BTW, I had a very similar thing happen to me when I thought I lost my wallet on a bike tour. I was sure I left it in the last town I stopped and was almost ready to start making phone calls when all of a sudden I found it in a seldom used pocket in my handlebar bag. I think this probably happens to us all. Although, I could talk about times I know I should have died -- seriously; those do make you wonder...

[Abatis1948]

Several years ago I was on a section hike from Amicalola Falls State Park to Neel Gap when I had a very unusual encounter with a Trail Angel on Ramrock Mountain at a rocky overlook. I had been walking in the rain for four straight days and all I wanted to do was to make it to Neel Gap and get off the trail. As I was making my descent from the overlook I noticed a man walking toward me dressed in all white. He was carrying an umbrella with prints of kittens on it. I said hello and he looked at me and stated “walk over here, where you are about to step is very treacherous”. He walked passed me turned around and walked pass me again heading north on the trail. When I turned the next bend he was no longer in sight. I found his tracks, but they seemed to just disappear. Even though he was dressed in white, he had no mud on his shoes or pants. I believe he kept me from slipping on the rocks. I have no doubt this was a true Angel.

[kjbrown]

I would say the best trail magic that I have been lucky to recieve was a snowmachine ride back to my car. I went for a winter snow shoe hike in BWCA in northern Minneasota with my husky Sasha. We planed on a 8 day hike of about 90 mile loop. Everything was going fine until day 4 when Sasha found a porcupine and decided to say hello and got swatted filling her muzzle with quills. Trip over and back to the car as fast as I can to get her back to the vet to get them pulled out. I tried to pull some in the woods but after about 30 quills she had had enough of that and was not very happy with me and let me know. Now I need stitches in my thumb, cleaned it out and put on the magic duct tape and off to the car in a 39 mile long haul back to the car. About 1.5 miles back to the car I hear two snowmachines and they stopped to ask where they were because they were off the main trail and mot sure where they were. I showed them where they were and they offered/insisted on giving me a ride back to my car. A few hours later back in the car on the way to an emergency vet to drop off Sasha and across town to the ER for me and all worked out great.

[ocourse]

no. god has more important things to do than make your keys appear

Where did you get that info?

[jefals]

These are great stories. The weirdest small thing that ever happened to me : I'm on a cruise, standing in line to disembark and catch a bus for an excursion - and - all of a sudden I have to blow my nose. I ask my gf if she has any kleenex. She doesn't. So I look around to see if there's a restroom close by. There isn't, but, on the floor right behind me is a brand new box of kleenex!

I agree with Kevin. The concept of God does not jive with the idea of being too busy to doing anything.
(And if this were a different forum I'd love to discuss the concept God existing outside of time. ..interesting stuff! )

[Pedaling Fool]

Several years ago I was on a section hike from Amicalola Falls State Park to Neel Gap when I had a very unusual encounter with a Trail Angel on Ramrock Mountain at a rocky overlook. I had been walking in the rain for four straight days and all I wanted to do was to make it to Neel Gap and get off the trail. As I was making my descent from the overlook I noticed a man walking toward me dressed in all white. He was carrying an umbrella with prints of kittens on it. I said hello and he looked at me and stated “walk over here, where you are about to step is very treacherous”. He walked passed me turned around and walked pass me again heading north on the trail. When I turned the next bend he was no longer in sight. I found his tracks, but they seemed to just disappear. Even though he was dressed in white, he had no mud on his shoes or pants. I believe he kept me from slipping on the rocks. I have no doubt this was a true Angel.

That's a great story, but I wonder why my guardian angle(s) are less proactive in protecting me

It's as if they want to at least see me fall... Just one example: I was coming down some mountain in Vermont, feeling tired, but being very cautious, since it was a wet day and all around me were roots, rocks, much of which were moss covered and of course mud. I slipped on something and went down so fast didn't even have time to think, much less react. My left knee took 100% of the impact, it was as if my leg was a spear and my knee was the head of the spear. This could have been a serious injury, since I was going downhill, even if all I hit was ground.

However, my knee hit a completely soft, spongy mass of green moss, what's more incredible is that there were rocks all around my knee. Somehow my knee landed in the only soft spot around. I sat there with my knee stuck in the moss with all the rocks around and just couldn't believe my good fortune. I really had a feeling that this was no accident/coincidence. These are the times that really make you think.

That's trail magic.

[Uncle Joe]

I wouldn't call them miracles. Fortune? Perhaps a blessing. I think anything is possible with God so nothing He does is truly a miracle. Now when he grants such power to a human, then you have a miracle. But ensuring we don't strike a knee is good fortune. We can be thankful.

[Lnj]

Not a great argument. Most believers would say that God isn't bound to space and time. It doesn't matter how many people need Him, when you call Him you don't get a busy signal.

AK, that is a correct statement. He and I are very close and I know this to be true. He is my Father.

[rafe]

I don't believe in god or in miracles but I entertain myself by believing that some benign force has kept me safe and out of harm's way on my walks along the AT. So many things could go wrong, but mostly they don't. I pay respect to that benign force by blowing a kiss at a white blaze every now and then. It's silly, irrational, invites ridicule, but I do it anyway. I take nothing for granted, especially not my health and safety on the trail.

[BirdBrain]

To those that do not share our beliefs, thank you for the restraint being exercised. Thank you for allowing those that believe to share in this manner. I do not believe it was the intent of the OP to qualify the miracle or necessarily give credit to God. I also like the sentiment expressed about the happenstances of the trail being the true meaning of trail magic. That term has really been disfigured.

However, since the thread is bending, I will comment. If we are to believe in the Christian God (and I do), we must take the authority it Its Word. God most certainly is not bound by an attribute of our existence. God describes Himself in the present tense. "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." "And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you." "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Furthermore, prior to the creation, there was no linear timeline. There was no yesterday or tomorrow. "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." And lastly, eternal events are injected into our linear timeline so we can have a reference point. "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you," This linear existence is all we know. If you know your Bible and believe your Bible, this linear path is completely irrelevant to an eternal being. God is not bound by time any more than a book can bind us to a page.

If you are of the mind, look the verses up and read around them. If you are not, I thank you again for humoring us that are. Now back to your regularly scheduled show.

[ZenRabbit]

It's a miracle you didn't pop that air mattress with those keys, for sure

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[jefals]

It's a miracle you didn't pop that air mattress with those keys, for sure

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Yeah, specially since I decided at the last minute not to bother with taking the duct tape along!

But, while I started this out just talking about small, everyday things you wouldn't necessarily think of as a "miracle" -- you'd probably just go "WHEW! -- that sure was strange, but glad it happened! -- and move on, some of these really make you think!:
Abatis story of the man in white, Kjbrown's story about getting that ride back to his car from over 30 miles away when he needed to get the dog to the vet, and PedalingFool's one about the knee landing in the moss instead of the rocks.

Who knows how this stuff happens....Someone said they're (at least the small ones) aren't miracles because G-d's too busy". I don't know if they're miracles, but if they aren't -- I doubt that's the reason. I wonder if it could be our loved ones who've passed away that are "looking out for us" down here! Could it have been my Dad watching out for me, or KJBrown's , I don't know, grandfather maybe that made sure that two parties' paths were going to cross? That's probably not it -- but I kinda like to think it is!

[chiefduffy]

The sole seperared on one hiking shoe coming down Roan Mtn. Duct tape got me to Mountain Harbor, where I was in the process of ending my longawaited sectionhike when the housekeeper overheard me. She said someone had abandoned a nice pairof shoes earlier. They fit perfectly, and were my go-to hiking shoes for years afterwards.

[rickb]

I don't believe in god or in miracles but I entertain myself by believing that some benign force has kept me safe and out of harm's way on my walks along the AT. So many things could go wrong, but mostly they don't. I pay respect to that benign force by blowing a kiss at a white blaze every now and then. It's silly, irrational, invites ridicule, but I do it anyway. I take nothing for granted, especially not my health and safety on the trail.

Einstein was reputed to have said than one has two options in life-- to live as if everything is a miracle, or as if nothing is.