Trail Magic Question

[Jack Tarlin]

I was briefly on another Trail forum today, and there was VERY lively thread about Trail Magic.

In brief, this guy had left a bunch of goodies out on the Trail with a sign indicating that they were intended for thru-hikers. He later discovered that they'd been almost entirely eaten by day-hikers. He proceeded to have a major hissy fit.

My question to Whiteblaze folks?

*How do feel about this?
*Is it OK to "restrict" trail magic to certain hikers?

I know how I feel about this, but I'm curious about what other folks think. I'd especially like to hear from Trail Angels who've left baskets or goodies.

Oh. This is NOT a discussion about Leave No Trace principles or the propriety of leaving things in shelters, etc. Nor is it about self-sufficiency, or about modern hikers being spoiled, or about what the Trail's founders originally intended. That's all been covered elsewhere.

The subject is simple: Is it cool to give out Trail Magic or treats in such a way that certain hikers are excluded?

[Lone Wolf]

Simply? NO. That's elitist BS. Like I said on that forum, if you want your friggin "magic" to be for through hikers only then sit there, check their credentials and dole out the goodies.

[smokymtnsteve]

No it is NOT COOL.

it is an individual choice, but it is not cool.

LW is COOL


also It is not cool to leave unattended food along the trail.

but no one says U have to be cool...

[Lone Wolf]

No Steve. YOU'RE cool! How's your frozen ass doing anyway? You miss Hotlanta?

[SGT Rock]

Trail Magic is trail magic. If I take something out for others, then everyone is invited. I don't ask for credentials since in my upbringing that would be bad manners.

[tribes]

I responded to the other thread as well on TF and will respond here as well.

I agree with LW and SMS on this one. It is not right to be selective with trail magic.

TRI BES

[Lone Wolf]

A few years ago myself and 3 others walked up to the picnic area next to the Fontana Hilton shelter. There was a hiker feed going on. A lot of the hikers I'd been hiking with since Springer were present. The hosts asked us if we were thru-hiking, I said no just doing a section. We were not invited to eat. These were former thru-hikers putting on the feed. I knew one of them. The arrogance and elitism pissed me off royally. Since then I refuse roadside feeds put on by ex-hikers "giving back". *** em.

[smokymtnsteve]

No Steve. YOU'RE cool! How's your frozen ass doing anyway? You miss Hotlanta?

actually it has been quite warm here in Healy for the last couple weeks..

temps all the way up to +39 with mostly day time temps in the +20's and night time temps down into the teens...

very sunny the last few days, good clear nights, with some good northern lights, so i've been singing at the moon with the dogs at night,

right now our team,DALTON GANG, is running in 5th place in the Yukon Quest, so we are in the money,,,and the good news is that the team has only dropped one dog while the rest of the teams have droped lots more dogs spo the Dalton gang is heading into the home strech with more "dog power" than the rest.

U can follow the race at www.yukonquest.org


nascar..Alaskan style

[SGT Rock]

Hey Wolf, I thought about setting up at Springer with some steaks and other fresh goodies doing a cookout right there at the shelter with a grill with the sweet aroma of lean steak enticing the thru-hikers, then offering them a steak to quit now LOL. Seemed sort of cruel (we do this in the Cav for spur rides) but maybe a feed just for section hikers might be a funny way to poke at thems that think thru-hiking is something other than a bunch of section hikes in a row.

[cutman11]

The interesting thing about that post was he was "preaching to the choir" about some day hikers eating all the trailmagic. Unfortunately, the folks he was complaining about would obviously be highly unlikely to be even reading or knowing about a hiking forum much less one for long distance hikers. I think trail magic, although for anyone who passes by, is one of those "honor system" items. I, as a section hiker, would certainly not be scarfing down all the snickers and cokes en route to my waiting vehicle and ride home. I've wondered often about the places such as the Smokies shelters and the one near Katahdin reserved for "thru hikers"; other than the honor system, how would anyone know, or be able to verify whether or not you hiked 10 miles and claimed you were thruhiking just so as to use the shelter. I like to think the vast majority of AT hikers whether thru or sectioners are honorable enough to do the right thing. Perhaps the answer lay in one of the other posts, dont restrict the magic to certain hikers, but plan to put it in places more likely to be gotten by the thrus and not by some silly knownothing day hikers, who more than likely didnt even know what "trail magic" was!

[smokymtnsteve]

Maybe we should ask the hikers if they are purist and then if they admit to be a purists tell them . that we would love to give them some trail majick but we wouldn't want to be responsible for messing up their purity, so move along purist

[Rain Man]

The subject is simple: Is it cool to give out Trail Magic or treats in such a way that certain hikers are excluded?

Yes, it is. Or, at least the reciprocal is not cool. That is, meddlers telling a trail angel what the rules are for him to follow are no more cool than telling a web site owner the ethical rules for running his own site. Capice?

Besides which, the question is so unqualified and open-ended... do I as a trail angel with a couple of cheeseburgers for bona fide thru-hikers have to give them to the Boy Scout Troop that comes along right ahead of the thrus? I think not.

Rain Man

.

[Alligator]

I very often pass on Trail Magic because I recognize how much more meaningful it might be to thrus. My chances of passing on an item decreases the longer I am out. Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages as well as baked goods stand no chance of being passed up . I would not bring goodies to the trail though and exclude certain hikers. If you are going to share, you should share with everybody. I would optimize, however, the probability that they would go to overnighters. Like maybe at a remote trailhead or shelter.

[SGT Rock]

Maybe we should ask the hikers if they are purist and then if they admit to be a purists tell them . that we would love to give them some trail majick but we wouldn't want to be responsible for messing up their purity, so move along purist

Should we make them skip a blaze to prove it?

Gawd, now I am turning into the purist tempter

[smokymtnsteve]

Never be afraid to re-invent yourself

[smokymtnsteve]

Yes, it is. Or, at least the reciprocal is not cool. That is, meddlers telling a trail angel what the rules are for him to follow are no more cool than telling a web site owner the ethical rules for running his own site. Capice?

Besides which, the question is so unqualified and open-ended... do I as a trail angel with a couple of cheeseburgers for bona fide thru-hikers have to give them to the Boy Scout Troop that comes along right ahead of the thrus? I think not.

Rain Man

.

i see your point Rainman...I had pictured the situation as a more 'organized' trail majick event.

[SGT Rock]

I'm sort of the other way, you don't set out a candy dish on your table unless you intend for folks to eat it. Just bad manners IMHO. Now on the other end of things, I probably wouldn't take any if I were just day hiking, but that is just me.

[rickb]

Not many people take delight in the grackles and squirels at thier bird feeder.

Those who insist on doing preplanned Trail Magic might as well do whatever makes them feel best.

[Footslogger]

I say if you leave it along the trail it's for anyone who is out hiking, regardless of the sign indicating otherwise.

I remember a few instances in 2003 where a couple of thru-hikers from a previous year had parked by a road crossing to meet and offer food and beverages to current thru-hikers. They asked if I was a thru-hiker and I replied yes. At that point they openned up the cooler and said ...have at it. While I was enjoying a cold soda and some twinkies a couple day hikers passed by. They indicated that they were not thru-hikers and were not offered refreshment.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[poison_ivy]

I read this question with interest, because I have occaisionally encountered trail magic left on the trail and as a section hiker, I've always been unsure of whether I should take advantage of it or not. If I'm only out for a day or two (or on the way back to the car as someone pointed out earlier) I certainly wouldn't partake of goodies.

But I was once out in the middle of a five day backpacking trip and found cans of beer in several streams. I walked past several streams with cans (and even directed some LT hikers to them when they passed me heading SOBO.) However, I later found one in a stream next to the shelter (and was the only person at the shelter that night) and drank it. To this day, I've felt funny about it, even though there wasn't a note or anything saying it was for thru-hikers. It's actually prevented me from taking anything else, even on longer trips.

I'm not really sure my story adds much to the discussion but there you go.

- Ivy