Is there “trail magic” even if you are hiking during a time that is different than when most thru hikers hike? So if most people start from springer in March, does trail magic only happen from march to September or Oct. heading north or does it occur for flip floppers or section hikers?
Friday
planned feeds by ex-thru hikers at road crossings or other places ain’t “trail magic”.
wolf
When you are on an adventure anywhere the trail magic will find you. People like to join in and be a part of your adventure. You need to be open to serendipity and communication with new friends who were strangers just a moment ago.
GottaWalk
The real trail magic occurs when and where you least expect it by people who least expect to do it and at exactly the moment you need it most.
Big B
There is magic everyday on the trail, be it from the silence and fantastic moment of solitude and sudden realization of how good life can be.
Its the cold beer in the stream crossing, its the box of chocolate hanging in a shelter with a note saying “Enjoy…-hikername–whatever year–”
Its that stranger appearing out of nowhere when your batteries go dead at 3 in the morning during an all night hike, and they just happen to be night hiking and have extra batteries.
Its the feeds, the caches of water in NY and out West, its the smiles and words of encouragment you get when you need it most.
What it isnt, is free food that people expcet to get and when they dont they get that old rejection cheated feeling.
Nothing worse to me then the hikers who complain about not getting any trail magic…thats just ridiculous as it comes when it is supposed to come, some expect it at every road crossing, but when it is there, it is fantastic and appreciateed, just dont expect it or ever think you deserve it…and by ‘you’ I dont mean you personally, I mean the overall you.
I have noticed in the last few years how much worse the "I deserve trail magic because I am thruhiking’ attitude has been…that needs to pass.
Whats great is the people who are the most open, unassuming and unexpectant get the best of magic, because they dont look for it, and when it happens, they truly appreciate it.
and the people who do trail magic are fantastic folks, so treat them with love and respect when you meet them.
Thats why its magic, because it just happens!:cheers
Lion King
I rmember on my Thru hike that I had the anti trail magic almost as much as the trail magic. That is, coming upon a cooler or box unexpectedly, getting all excited, opening said cooler only to find empty cans and wrappers. Very deflating in its own way. I came to call this trail magic “Tragic” . Then there is the horrible feeling when you come to a shelter and here tails of some awesome trail magic that you “just missed”. I remember one hiker in particular who useemed to take great pleasure in describing all these great things that others had missed. I initilaly thought it was just my imagination and that I as just being prickly and sensitive but then a couple of other hikers mentioned made the same observation. Its kind of like a weird form of shadenfreunde.
Sometime I think that Thruhiker should be treated like other animals: Do not feed sign should ber placed everywhere. “It will only encourage them away from their naturally healthfl diet of Ramen and mashed potatos”. “Next thing you know theyll be hanging around towns looking for hand outs”:girl
striper
I wonder how many “planned feeds” that Earl Schaefer and other early AT thru-hikers got?
We get anymore of these, you might as well not bother packing food up until you hit Virginia.
nrkybill