What has been the best trail magic?

[Onica Hanby]

Just curious. The kids and I are "following" my husband (Daddy Long Legs) as he thru-hikes NOBO. The long and the short of it is that we pick him and his hiking buddy (RUDY) up Saturday afternoons, they have a zero with us on Sunday, then we drop them off Monday morning back on the AT. We love hearing about trail angels and have even met a few ourselves. The kids are now constantly talking about when they get to be a trail angel.

So we are looking for some ideas. Homemade treats? Soda? BBQ? What's been your favorite?

And, if you see us on the trail on those days (we usually hike out to meet him and hike a bit with him when we drop him off) please say Hi! My kids love meeting hikers and so do I.

[RED-DOG]

I recieved my most Memorable trail magic on a Foggy Misty mornning, when i hiked into Rock Gap and this couple was sitting their they offered me two sausages biscuites, Cup of hot chocolate and a ride to Waynesboro that was on my 2012 thru-hike, on all three of my Thru-Hikes i received some really great and memorable trail magic but my Favorite is the most simple ones like Bologna and cheese sandwich and a medium sized bag of doritos and a Mountain Dew with a big slice of Banana nut bread for dessert, Yeah just keep it simple. GOOD LUCK.

[MDSection12]

Trail magic is, to me, those moments where you are just overcome with elation on the trail. It might be something someone did for you, it might not. For me the memorable ones are the sunsets on a deserted peak, the cold springs when I was thirsty, the birds singing me awake in the mornings... But then again I'm not a thru-hiker and it seems to thru-hikers those lose their effect and the free hot dogs or whatever become the focus.

[Rain Man]

If it's hot weather, any soft drink with ice in it. I fantasize about ice more than cheeseburgers! :)

Rain Man

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[Ricky&Jack]

I would think some of the best trail magic is getting picked up while hitchiking to/from town.

Its bad enough needing to go out of your way to/from the trail for food, but the locals will also be able to tell you if theres a better shopping choice (1mile to gas station or 2 miles to a walmart etc) and actually take you there.

When i was 16yrs old I lived in Iowa for the summer and every year there was a cross-state bicycle ride. One day i dropped my friend off for work at a gas station, and there was a biker out front who had given up. He asked for a ride as far as I could take him and his bike. I only lived 3 miles from the gas station, but I ended up taking him 172 miles to south dakota to his house. (almost 350 round trip)..... but I was 16, and the thought of an adventure was great. especially since my grandparents were out of town for the week and I couldnt get in trouble.

Turns out he was a tv personality for CNN and he does adventure reporting from around the world. He ended up mailing me a signed book that he wrote about backpacking in europe for a year.

And so, my "trail-magic" to him, ended up being a trail-magic for me and helping me gain a passion for this.

[colorado_rob]

My best moment was rather simple; I was in the middle of a long, dry stretch, getting low on water, 8 or so miles to go before next water source, suddenly came across a guy going the opposite way handing out nice plump, juicy oranges! Wow, an orange never tasted so good! Then there was the guy handing out ice cold beers a Dick's Gap. Sa-weet.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Always carry a bag of apples when you head to meet your husband. And maybe a bag of Snickers (or M&M's in hot weather). Just these little things are well received by hikers and a happy little introduction to "magicking" for kids.

-OR -

Let each child carry something he/she decided might be a good thing for long walk (apple, bubble gum, candy, a juice box, toilet paper, etc.), based on the weight of the goodies they can carry. When you encounter hikers, each child gets to be the angel with their own little gift, and the impact on the hiker is multiplied. Everyone involved gets a wonderful experience.

Stop and chat too if you have the time. Hikers always have great stories and love to talk to kids.


Ooh....new thought...hand hikers stamped post cards from the area you're hiking and offer to take them to the mailbox if they want to send a note home then and there! Hmmm.....I think Snacktime and I will have to try that one!

[Old Hiker]

I remember a few instances of Trail magic in 497 miles:

1. Spivey Gap: cooler with soda and fruit left by Mary and others. Decided to stay the night just on that. Who cares about the road !!

2. Mr. Booth at Newfound Gap: hot, freshly made grilled cheese on a cold, cold day from the grill in the bed of his pick-up truck, chips, home-made brownies and a ride into G-burg.

3. Can of soup and a Coke left at some shelter (don't remember which) for a cold lunch when I was running out of fuel. No one around, just a note to enjoy.

4. Allen Gap: Sampson and his wife (?): Belgian waffles, hot soup, desserts, soda and great Christian fellowship. No longer there, unfortunately.

I missed a few that were empty, but were welcome to see, as others had left copious thank-you notes.

[fsacb3]

I agree with RED-DOG and colorado_rob about simplicity. Finding a Coke or a candy bar is amazing. Truly magical. Coming across a large barbecue picnic is for me overwhelming and causes some anxiety. I'm sure other people may be the opposite.

But of course no matter what you do it will be greatly appreciated.

[Pedaling Fool]

Turns out he was a tv personality for CNN and he does adventure reporting from around the world. He ended up mailing me a signed book that he wrote about backpacking in europe for a year.

So, who was it?

[Pony]

Almost any kind of trail magic is always appreciated. While i always liked seeing coolers at road crossings or people grilling out for hikers, my favorite trail magic was small unexpected things. Here are my two favorite.

I met a French Canadian family on the trail in VT and stopped to talk to them for a while. Super nice people who were staying at the campground just up the trail. After talking to them i stopped at the campground to cook dinner and get water before hiking a few more miles and setting up camp. As I was eating I saw a little girl of about 6 running toward me from across the campground. When she got to me she handed me an ice cold budweiser and ran off without saying a word. It was the daughter of the family i had talked to, and i never saw the parents.

My girlfriend came to visit me in DWG for a few days, and when she left i had a hard time getting started again. Even though the weather was amazing for the next few days, all i could think about was home. Around Vernon NJ the temp shot up to 95° and I was having a miserable day. I stopped to get water and started talking to a guy who was out hiking with his two young boys. I didn't think the kids listened to anything we said because they were busy playing. As I started hiking away I heard one of the kids yell, "hey, mister!". I turned around thinking I had left something by the spring. When I did the kid said "don't give up!" Between the heat, bugs, and the rugged New England trail, it became exceedingly more difficult. Yet every time i was having a bad day and felt like calling it quits, I thought about that kid's advice.

[rafe]

"Lagunatic" thru-hiked in '89 and became a trail angel to the class of '90. I ran into her often between Springer and Damascus, and again at Baxter Park that fall. She'd be there at trailheads and occasionally on the trail with cold beer or munchies. That's her in the pic below, on the left with the Buckeye Bees at Unicoi Gap.

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Other than that, the magic mostly consisted of fortuitous rides with great people, sometimes going out of their way to shuttle me. Like my buddy Tom who shuttled me to the start of a short hike in Maine... pictured here above Lake Mooselookmeguntic. (Maine Rte. 17.)

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The best magic was finishing the trail at last, without major mishap or injury. Lots of folks helped make it happen for me.

[stillatit]

I've never liked the term "trail magic" since magic is phony (deception, sleight of the hand, etc.), so I prefer to call it what it really is, trail kindness. Here's my best:

Last spring I was doing a day-hike during a longer backpacking trip (mid PA to NH), just a little section in E PA, SB from Fox Gap to Wind Gap. I got started late and had to cut my hike short b/c my pre-arranged shuttle ride stood me up. I did the little day-hike, came out at Wind Gap, and was approaching folks coming into the small trailhead there, asking for a ride back to my truck. I kept striking out till later in the afternoon when a pickup pulled in to drop someone off. I asked the driver for a ride back to Fox Gap; he agreed. As he drove, we talked. Soon he said, "You got a cell phone?" I pulled it out, he gave me number to call, and said "put it up to my ear." When his wife answered, he said, "Honey, I've got an AT hiker I'm giving a ride to. Is it OK if I bring him home?" The family was extremely hospitable: when we arrived the laundry was ready to be used; I got an immediate shower; when I got out, the wife had a nice salad ready, followed by pizza. It was a big, conservative Protestant family with lots of kids from 2-23 years old, all very polite. I got one of the boys' rooms since he was out-of-town. In the morning the husband got up early and fixed me pancakes and sausage, lots of both. He then took me back to the trail, gave me their phone number, and invited me to come stay with them again when I was returning after finishing my hike up in New England.

I certainly did!

[adamkrz]

A couple of years back somewhere n Vermont , My wife got a call from her sister saying that her mother was in the hospital and may not survive the night, as my wife was on the phone and crying - a section hiker named Nomad who was passing us said his car was at the next road crossing and gave us a ride home to Ct.

[Lone Wolf]

A couple of years back somewhere n Vermont , My wife got a call from her sister saying that her mother was in the hospital and may not survive the night, as my wife was on the phone and crying - a section hiker named Nomad who was passing us said his car was at the next road crossing and gave us a ride home to Ct.

that's real "trail magic" all the feeds and coolers mean nothing. folks should be self sufficient when it comes to food and water

[Bumpa]

A number of years ago, I was hiking into Hot Springs NC and the trail ran along side the river. It was very hot and I was about 16 miles into walking in this heat when I stopped, took off my boots and stuck my feet in the cool water. I sat there thinking: no one knows where I am, no one cares about what I am doing and why am I doing this anyway. A raft full of people came bobbing down the river and one of the men in the raft pointed at me and said: look he's hiking the A.T. Everyone in the boat applauded and I felt that yeah...I'm ready to get going again. Most of us don't get enough applause in life. It was a lesson for me in the highs and lows which exist side by side when out for an extended time

[Onica Hanby]

Wow! Several of these made me cry a bit. I know, sappy. What can you do?

We will start making sure we are loaded with fruit for when we are near or on the AT to get/drop off Dad. He says that's the best stuff and that way the kids can stop and chat if they see anyone hiking. We got a bag of apples for Monday. I hope we get to meet some hikers!

Many people have showed my husband kindness already. They are 675+ miles in so it's hard to go that far without seeing the good in others. Heck, the kids and I even have had a few trail angels ourselves. :)