Tennessee Trail Magic

[Sacredrites]

August 7-13th I will be visiting Tennessee for a vacation from Florida. I want to do some trail magic while I am there. Where is a good place to do this? I am new to all of this. I know there won't be any NOBO hikers that late in the year. But I am assuming there might be some SOBO? I am hoping my timing isn't poor.

[Lone Wolf]

lotta section hikers. feed them

[MuddyWaters]

Your timing is way off

How about a homeless shelter........

[Ankle Bone]

lotta section hikers. feed them

Thanks for the offer LW, but I bring my own food. :)

Nuttin' magic about carrying pre-packed food back home

[Sacredrites]

Gonna have to plan for next year then. Or drive further north lol.

Thanks guys.

[Lone Wolf]

Thanks for the offer LW, but I bring my own food. :)

Nuttin' magic about carrying pre-packed food back home

i don't feed hikers. no need to

[Ankle Bone]

i don't feed hikers. no need to

Agreed. I always thought I was going out to take a walk, not to solicit free food. Geez

[TNhiker]

Where is a good place to do this?




in knoxville, on broadway, just before the viaduct.....

there's hundreds of people on a daily basis that are hungry right in that area.....

[Bansko]

Agreed. I always thought I was going out to take a walk, not to solicit free food. Geez

True, but if you really want to surprise some hikers offer them some cold, quality beer when and where they least expect it. I did that for a couple of CDT hikers a few years ago and they thought they were hallucinating. I departed rapidly. Nothing worse than a trail magic provider wanting to trade small talk for goodies.

[Ankle Bone]

True, but if you really want to surprise some hikers offer them some cold, quality beer when and where they least expect it. I did that for a couple of CDT hikers a few years ago and they thought they were hallucinating. I departed rapidly. Nothing worse than a trail magic provider wanting to trade small talk for goodies.

Beer is a completely different subject!

[rocketsocks]

For every hundred trail magic stories I hear about, one is magic the others are prestidigitation.

[Tennessee Viking]

Sobos are spotty Usually around Sept to Oct

[Traveler]

What kind of magic do you intend to perform? Simple card tricks are fun but not real impressive to long distance hikers and rabbits out of hats easily turn into stew then you are out a nicely trained bunny. I would suggest a portable smoke machine and some sparklers be lit between each magic trick.

[Sacredrites]

Good to see everyone has such funny jokes. I was looking to possibly drop a cooler full of beer and some snacks.

Anyway thanks for information.

[The Kisco Kid]

Here's more info on leaving coolers from the ATC's suggestions for providing "trail magic"

Be present if you provide food or drink. Unattended items—including their packaging—can harm wildlife that consume them, or hikers, when unrefrigerated products grow bacteria or become contaminated. Unattended items are considered litter and their presence detracts from the wildland character of backcountry environments. Dispense food and drink in person, and carry out any trash or leftovers.

[zig-zag man]

I don't care what anybody says.....if I've been eating a fairly consistent diet of instant mashed potatoes, creamy garlic shells, oatmeal, etc., I am certainly not going to turn away the occasional frank or burger because I want to come across as some backpacking elitist. I'll take it and eat it and have the manners to say, "Thank you". I don't know what's in a person's heart or what their motives are for giving out TM, nor do I wish to. When my 3 sons were young, one Christmas I got tired of the multitude of "I wants" and I took them to Dunkin Donuts with me and spent a percentage of available Christmas funds on several dozen donuts and two big thermoses of hot chocolate. We went to downtown Allentown, PA, set up a table, and gave free donuts and hot chocolate to the masses walking the streets and bus passengers. It taught my boys that giving is just as important as receiving. Please stop bashing providers of TM, as you don't know but what they may NEED to do it for reasons you don't even know about. And the hypocrisy - we don't need no stinkin hot dogs but BEER, oh yeah, we'd be real happy if you gave us some of that. What.....you think the homeless would turn down a cold one?

[egilbe]

Bring some loppers, a small folding saw, a rake and magically clear blowdowns and clear out water bar drains.

That would be real magic.

[rmitchell]

in knoxville, on broadway, just before the viaduct.....

there's hundreds of people on a daily basis that are hungry right in that area.....

Use caution. I drove by there this week and there was a shirtless guy waving his arms and yelling. No one in 40 feet of him.

Sorry for the drift.

[RuthN]

I just read an article in the ATC magazine about trail magic. It emphasized following Leave No Trace principles. The article isn't available online, but below are links to a couple articles that describe the same points:

https://www.appalachiantrail.org/docs/default-document-library/suggestions-for-providing-trail-magic.pdf
https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/the-trouble-with-trail-magic/