Where to do Trail Magic

[soilman]

Now that I have got your attention, I'd like to talk about the less controversial kind of trail magic. The ATC is now accepting volunteers for trail crews. You want to meet thru hikers? Good chance you will while working on a crew. One of the most memorable thru hikers I met was years ago on White Cap Mt. We were building water bars and after work one night we hiked up to the summit. I met a thru hiker at the shelter who was finishing up his hike. I asked how his hike had been. He said he hated every minute of it, but he was military and he never quits. I have met lots of interesting people besides thru hikers while working on crew. The first time I met Bob Peoples was on crew. We were building rock steps at Laurel Falls and base camp was down the road from Kinkora. Bob worked with us every day. I have worked with TEHCC several times on crew and have a couple of their patches. Have also got a T-shirt from CMC when they worked with us. Got a hat from NJ parks when I worked in NJ.

Don't know where to do trail crew magic? There are crews in Maine, Vermont, PA, Smokies, and VA (Kincora). For those planning a thru hike 5, 10, even 20 years from today, what better way than to spend a week or two now working on the trail? Then when you thru you can proudly point out the good work you did. When I did my thru it was great to walk over the side hill I cut in the GSMNP just north of Birch Springs, cross the board walk I help build in the Pochuck Swamp in NJ and the other board walk I help build near Scotts Farm in PA. The water bars I built on White Cap and the stone steps on Gulf Hagas Mt and Laurel Falls are still there.

[moldy]

Cold sodas in a cooler are great as well as just about any item marked, Little Debbie. If you want to cook that hamburgers and hot dogs are excellent. Thanks

[Gambit McCrae]

Hey ask wannabe88 he knows all the great spots to do magic work now! :clap

[Lauriep]

Trail crews and former thru-hikers are a great match. It's really awesome to have strong, fit volunteers to work on trail crew. Often trail crew is really heavy-duty work moving rocks and swinging picks. Sometimes you have to carry pretty heavy tools in to the site in addition to your own gear and food. But not all crews are as demanding.

Details on the different crews are at www.appalachiantrail.org/crews (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/crews).

The SWEAT (Smokies Wilderness Elite A.T. Crew) and Rocky Top crews that work in the Smokies can *only* take strong and fit volunteers. Sometimes you have to carry heavy packs on longer and steeper uphill climbs to get to the work site than any part of the A.T. in the South. But then you get to set up camp and stay in the woods for several days just off the A.T.--and not in a shelter. It's a really cool experience that no member of the public gets to have.

I do understand the drive to do other kinds of person-to-person trail magic, especially after a thru-hike. I think it's innate. You want to connect with your tribe. The bond of participating in a thru-hike experience is almost indescribable. But in time, the pull of the physical trail and the desire to give back directly to the path and place that made it all possible can become stronger and more powerful. It can take a while to build the skills and confidence and relationships. But in the long run, it can be more gratifying and rewarding.

To adopt a section of trail or a section of boundary and maintain it as your very own--now that is an incredible feeling.