Just curious like when people set up trail magic on purpose (I know, wingfoot hates that), during a busy hike time like at Neel’s Gap in early April, does it create hostile feelings when the trail magic runs out? I figure for example, if someone cooked hotdogs for trail magic, they would have to cook several 100 or run out. What then? Does that create any tension on the AT?
erkel
The adventure of hiking is serendipity. Trail Magic is part of the adventure and not knowing what surprises lie in store for you, either good or not so good. Your journey is is unlike any other journey. Why would you begrudge any other hiker some fun that you don’t get?
Marcia
Coolers are another part of trail magic that offer surprises. Sometimes you get the first brownie a Nutrageous Bar, some Gatorade and fruit and other times you just get to read the register entries of the hikers who came before and enjoyed the goodies. Still other times you open the cooler and all thats left is one Coke, but you’ve been dreaming of a Coke all day.
Celt
I once took three pepperoni pizzas and a huge bottle of root beer all the way from Kokadjo to where the AT crossed the B Pond Road at the bottom of White Cap. On a hunch, I went uphill - in dark and rain - to the Logan Brook Lean-to, not knowing if there would be anyone there.
But there were a few. They were totally asleep, but one of them woke up. I told him I had three pizzas for him. I told him ‘no spit’, or something close to it, just in case he thought I was joshing (the pizzas were wrapped in tin foil and my own beach towel which kept them quite warm).
He was either still half asleep or totally in shock and asked me where I had come from. I told him there was a road a little ways back (about 2 miles back, but I didn’t share that). And just like that, I left.
About two months later I went back to the lean-to around late October. I was just curious to read whatever comments they might have left, but alas, the register was missing. I continue to wonder what that guy thought of what certainly was in contention for a ‘mother of all trail magic’ award. I wonder what his pals thought, waking up the next day. I wonder if he left a message in the register at the next lean-to at either East Branch or Carl A Newhall. I wonder if he saved any for his pals. I also wonder if anyone he met actually believed his story or if they thought he was pulling thier leg (“Now lemee get this straight . . . 3 pizzas over 2 miles uphill at 8 at night in the rain . . . so where did he land his UFO, har har har har!”).
Anonymous
I did some trail magic once but nobody really semed to like it all that much. I had a little stand set up kind of like a lemonaid stand. Hikers would walk up and Id pull a quarter out from behind their ear. Sometimes Id guess their weight.
Virginian
The above post is not mine.
Somebody got a problem with me? If you do, please take it up with me personally, off this forum.
This is nonsense and I see why people give up on this forum.
Infantile crap.
Tyger (the real one)
Flame and I have done Magic at Newfound Gap for years. When we thru-hiked in '02 we had an ice storm when we got to Newfound Gap… nothing, no magic. Not a car in sight. We had to get to Gatlinburg for a maildrop and see family. It took us 3 hours to get off of the mountain.
Over the years we have been there in a foot of snow to hot weather in March and shuttled hikers down the mountain with torn hip flexors and just cold feet. We have seen hikers cry because they had run out of food and we had hot hamburgers waiting. We have even feed one hiker on this post… right Leki-less? If you want to do it… fine. I’ve never met a thru-hiker that turned down food. Have a great hike.
Papa Smurf