Becoming a mobile trail angel....

[TD55]

Ignore the naysayers, critics and party poopers. Prolonged road trips with an RV or Pick-up camper are fantastic. My suggestion would be that your primary purpose would be to have a fun adventure and the trail angel stuff be secoundary. Explore the Appalacians and all the wonderful things they have to offer. See the sights and meet great people. You will meet lots of folks doing the same. Don't miss all those church and volunteer fire company dinners! Good food at ridiculous low prices. Your main concern at this point should be what kind of rig do you want. Pulling a tag-along RV can be hard on your vehical. Make sure you have a pick-up with plenty of muscle. Them hills can be steep, curvy and long, up and down. If you decide on a self contained unit, the smaller the better. If you make one of your purposes to map your route, write a journal, etc., that would be great and probably helpful to others.

[fcoulter]

I'm not near the AT, but I provide a little trail magic here in Florida. The FT has road crossings near my job, and is usually pretty dry.

I buy water in those 24 bottle packages at a big box office supply store. When I run out in my office, I buy three packages. One goes to my office. One goes to a road crossing to my south. One goes to a trail crossing to my west. When I drop off new bottles, I pick up any unused olds ones and any trash left behind. (Only once was there trash left behind, and it was easy to pick up.)

This time of year is not hiking season, so there are left overs when I restock. The bottles disappear during the winter, which is high hiking season here.

(I'm interviewing for a new job on Wednesday. Assuming I am offered a job and decide to take it, I've already decided where the new bottle drop would be.)

I know this violates one of the rules on the PDF file, but there are so few hikers on the FT that hanging out and waiting would probably be an exercise in futility. And I haven't seen much, if any, evidence that the local wildlife is trying to eat the water bottles.

[HikerMom58]

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[MDSection12]

I thought that PDF was very well written. It addresses the pure joy that a hiker can feel when receiving a cold drink on a hot day, but it also addresses the eye-sore that a pile of well-intentioned goodies can become in some circumstances. Neither point of view is 'right' but neither one should be ignored either.

^I think water is the simplest, most thoughtful, least detracting thing that a 'trail angel' (still don't like the term) can supply. I still kind of cringe at leaving bottles somewhere, but it's not nearly as problematic as candy bar wrappers or other small, food-scented trash. Leaving some water at a trailhead with a note that says 'next spring is an unpleasant walk, fill up here' makes perfect sense to me, cooking two dozen burgers to hand out to passing hikers does not... Different strokes I suppose.

[HikerMom58]

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[rickb]

this year was a banner year for so-called "angels" here in damascus. lotsa vans supporting walkers on vacation. pretty sad and disgusting. no sense of discovery and adventure on the AT anymore

Before anyone puts a plan together to interject themselves into another individual's adventure, I think it is incumbent upon them to ask whether their well-intentioned activity has the potential to change the character of the hikers' adventures-- even if only for a hour.

Then, they should ask themselves what the impact would be if 10, 20 or more like minded individuals came to the trail to do exactly the same kind of thing. I can almost see a day when Grandma and Grandpa follow the grand kids up the AT in the same way they folles the Dead in the 70s.

To my way of thinking, the answers to these questions should make one's choice clear.

[TD55]

Perphaps a supply of over the counter medicines and first aid supplies made available to hikers would be more helpful than free grub. Different kind of trail angel activity. Let people donate the cost or at least what they had available at the time at the particular location. Sounds like lots of hikers could have used that assistance this year. Leaving coolers full of drinks and bottles of water sucks. Not doing the trail and bulk of hikers any favors. Actually, as well meaning as it sounds, it's doing a diservice and helping to trash the trail. If hikers can't figure out their water supplies they don't belong on the trail.

[Rasty]

To each his own. My opinion is that excessive trail magic would ruin my hike. Even having to walk past the well intentioned "trail angels" would bother me if it was every road crossing. At some point this is supposed to be backpacking. What's next, a Starsucks at each trail intersection, solar panels on shelters for recharging your iPhone, flushing toilets?

[HikerMom58]

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[RED-DOG]

Would you also be willing to offer free shuttling to and from towns, and how about letting the hikers take showers in your R.V, and how about slack-packing? these types of services is what the Long Distance hiker really needs Not FOOD.

[MDSection12]

Your way of thinking may change when you're not hiking the trail as opposed to hiking the trail. Jus sayin...

In this type of adventure (life) we all need 3 things, everyday.... shelter, food (and H20) and clothes. Thank God for people interjecting themselves into another's individuals adventure/life, when needed. You make a good point- sometimes it's not helpful but we are so thankful for the times when it is....

Comparing a thru-hike to life just doesn't work. A thru-hike is really only an option for those that already have the basic necessities covered at home. A thru-hike literally is a luxury, despite what it may seem.

Every time this comes up you (HM) say something to the effect of 'I know how happy it can make a hiker, so I know it's right.' I really have a problem with that logic. Just because something has a positive effect on an individual does not mean it is a positive thing for the group as a whole. That's really just a poor rationalization.

And a couple of these for good measure:

[HikerMom58]

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[max patch]

and how about slack-packing? these types of services is what the Long Distance hiker really needs

LD hikers don't need slack packing services.

[Lone Wolf]

LD hikers don't need slack packing services.

or feeds......

[MDSection12]

or feeds......

In my ideal world all LD hikers need is a trail...

[Lone Wolf]

In my ideal world all LD hikers need is a trail...

and a town to hitch to every so often

[max patch]

The ATC document on trail magic is a well intentioned effort that apparently no one pays attention to.

DON'T do trail feeds on the trail; do it close to the trail on hard packed surface.

DON'T advertise feeds in advance.

[MDSection12]

and a town to hitch to every so often

Ah, so now they need a ride somewhere? Asking too much, I think... If we let that slide someone might call it 'magical.'

[max patch]

WF used to state that trail feeds were really for the benefit of the giver, not the recipient.

Lot of truth in that statement.

[Lone Wolf]

Ah, so now they need a ride somewhere? Asking too much, I think... If we let that slide someone might call it 'magical.'

hikers don't suffer anymore. weather gets bad? call for a shuttle from a shelter. then they get to town and bitch about the price of the shuttle while drinkin' $5 beers and $18 pizzas