View Full Version : I am looking to do some Trail Magic
turtle fast
05-20-2010, 18:02
I was looking to do some Trail Magic in the 1st week of June and was wondering where you folks think that the bulk of the thru hikers are going to be.
Blissful
05-20-2010, 19:15
They are all spread out. Hard to say. I saw eight today in SNP by South River in a span of one hour. My guess would be SNP on north.
I was looking to do some Trail Magic in the 1st week of June and was wondering where you folks think that the bulk of the thru hikers are going to be.
Why? Of all the woes in this world, of all the unfulfilled trail needs, charity for those on a six months vacation, seems a bit misplaced.
Spontaneous trail magic towards those one meets on the trails is always appropriate.
Planned trail magic strikes me as mostly a way for one to live vicariously someone else's achievements. It's the needs of the giver that are being assauged, not the real needs of most thru hikers.
Weary
pick any part of trail...section hikers appreciate trail magic too
I was looking to do some Trail Magic in the 1st week of June and was wondering where you folks think that the bulk of the thru hikers are going to be.
You should have no problem finding thru hikers from Northern Virginia to Southern New York.
modiyooch
05-20-2010, 20:03
Why? Of all the woes in this world, of all the unfulfilled trail needs, charity for those on a six months vacation, seems a bit misplaced.
Spontaneous trail magic towards those one meets on the trails is always appropriate.
Planned trail magic strikes me as mostly a way for one to live vicariously someone else's achievements. It's the needs of the giver that are being assauged, not the real needs of most thru hikers.
Weary
I really appreciated the water last August in MA as trail magic when it was 90 degrees.
wcgornto
05-20-2010, 20:31
Why? Of all the woes in this world, of all the unfulfilled trail needs, charity for those on a six months vacation, seems a bit misplaced.
Spontaneous trail magic towards those one meets on the trails is always appropriate.
Planned trail magic strikes me as mostly a way for one to live vicariously someone else's achievements. It's the needs of the giver that are being assauged, not the real needs of most thru hikers.
Weary
Actually, I believe it is very much mutually beneficial. I appreciated every instance of trail magic I received last year, whether spontaneous or pre-planned. It certainly lifted my spirits and added to my appreciation of the goodness along the trail. Also, many of those giving trail magic are past thru hikers themselves and to me this act is a great way (among others) to "give back" to the trail and the trail community.
Granted, I was going southbound and trail magic was less frequent and less abundant than that encountered by some of the NOBO waves. I am aware that some hikers become jaded by too much trail magic, stop appreciating it, start expecting it and begin to feel entitled. I assure you that I had no such experience and I appreciated every instance of it that I encountered.
Actually, I believe it is very much mutually beneficial. I appreciated every instance of trail magic I received last year, whether spontaneous or pre-planned. It certainly lifted my spirits and added to my appreciation of the goodness along the trail. Also, many of those giving trail magic are past thru hikers themselves and to me this act is a great way (among others) to "give back" to the trail and the trail community.
Granted, I was going southbound and trail magic was less frequent and less abundant than that encountered by some of the NOBO waves. I am aware that some hikers become jaded by too much trail magic, stop appreciating it, start expecting it and begin to feel entitled. I assure you that I had no such experience and I appreciated every instance of it that I encountered.
As did I, when I walked north in 1993. But at the same time I thought it terribly misplaced charity. As I have dealt with realistic trail needs in the 17 years since, I've become more and more convinced that the true trail magic is efforts to protect the trail, not to ease the passage of thru hikers.
Though in the long run protection of the trail environment will do far more for far more hikers than trailside hot dogs, hamburgers, and free beer, and probably at far less total cost.
Weary
wcgornto
05-20-2010, 21:30
Sorry Weary, I don't consider it charity, rather goodwill to fellow hikers. And I don't consider trail magic, trail maintenance, trail $$ contributions, etc. to be mutually exclusive actions. I would concur with you that trail magic should be of less importance than the other trail supporting actions, but I see no reason to pursue some to the exclusion of the others.
mountainman
05-20-2010, 21:56
A woman gave me some cheese earlier this year when I couldn,t kept anything down that I had. I managed to finish the day OK.
Now that's magic.
You should have no problem finding thru hikers from Northern Virginia to Southern New York.
I agree with Pootz. The "bubble" should be anywhere between Virginia and New York.
Have fun and report back on your most memorable encounters!
Gray Blazer
05-20-2010, 22:13
I did it one time. If you look at it reasonably, maybe there is no good reason to feed well off hikers. I just wanted to do it cuz it sounded fun and I like to camp out on the AT.
I had the time of my life camped out for 3 days on Rocky Bald, temps not getting out of the teens, lots of snow and sharing food and drink with a lot of cool hikers.
One thing that I regretted was not getting their names. Fortunately a WBer who was a Nobo knew and named them for me after seeing pics in my WB gallery.
Have fun!
You can find some more suggestions on how to do trail magic responsibility on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's website at www.appalachiantrail.org/trailmagic.
People who return to the trail to give back some of the experience they had when they were hikers are certainly doing it for themselves. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. There's lots of things you could do with your weekend and hanging out with hikers or leaving them a surprise on the trail is pretty benign considering all possibilities. It's also fun.
warraghiyagey
05-21-2010, 08:41
As did I, when I walked north in 1993. But at the same time I thought it terribly misplaced charity. As I have dealt with realistic trail needs in the 17 years since, I've become more and more convinced that the true trail magic is efforts to protect the trail, not to ease the passage of thru hikers.
Though in the long run protection of the trail environment will do far more for far more hikers than trailside hot dogs, hamburgers, and free beer, and probably at far less total cost.
Weary
Well, evereybody doesn't have to adhere to your personal feelings. . . this thread is about where to find the most hikers to help out as they would like, not whether or not you approve. . . . get over yourself. . . .
warraghiyagey
05-21-2010, 08:43
I was looking to do some Trail Magic in the 1st week of June and was wondering where you folks think that the bulk of the thru hikers are going to be.
Looking forward to hearing how it went. . . . :):)
David@whiteblaze
05-21-2010, 09:10
hmm... an accidental trol... intruiging.
Well, evereybody doesn't have to adhere to your personal feelings. . . this thread is about where to find the most hikers to help out as they would like, not whether or not you approve. . . . get over yourself. . . .
Best post ever.
max patch
05-21-2010, 09:19
Planned trail magic strikes me as mostly a way for one to live vicariously someone else's achievements. It's the needs of the giver that are being assauged, not the real needs of most thru hikers.
Weary
Weary, you are of course correct although the anything goes whiteblaze crowd will certainly shout you down.
Weary, you are of course correct although the anything goes whiteblaze crowd will certainly shout you down.
Again, the OP asked for a good place to set up trail magic for thru hikers would be, not whether or not some of the self-righteous WB crowd approved or not. I'm sure neither Weary nor Max Patch are the OP's mother or wife, so telling him what to do is nothing shorrt of wasted keystrokes. As in Weary's case, Max Patch, get over yourself and either contibute in a constructive manner to the OP's question or keep out of the thread. It's just that simple.
warraghiyagey
05-21-2010, 09:31
Again, the OP asked for a good place to set up trail magic for thru hikers would be, not whether or not some of the self-righteous WB crowd approved or not. I'm sure neither Weary nor Max Patch are the OP's mother or wife, so telling him what to do is nothing shorrt of wasted keystrokes. As in Weary's case, Max Patch, get over yourself and either contibute in a constructive manner to the OP's question or keep out of the thread. It's just that simple.
Best post ever. . . . :)
Alligator
05-21-2010, 10:20
Turtle Fast your question has been moved to Straight Forward (here (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=62215)) since it got hijacked.