* * Trail Magic

Trail magic.

It’s what hikers call the random, unprovoked acts of kindness that spontaneously happen as the weeks turn into months on the long walk from Georgia to Maine. Several days ago, at a little dirt parking lot on Craig Creek Road, I attended a feast of monumental proportions and astounding delectability, where several local people fed a free gourmet meal to more than 40 hikers.

Increasing numbers every year take on the challenge of hiking the entirety of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain in north Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. It’s a grueling physical challenge that takes several months, typically four to six. Most meals on the trail are simple, quickly prepared, and light in weight. Fresh food is particularly hard to come by. So a good, fresh, fulfilling meal is a special treat.

Lots of people who live near the trail have taken it upon themselves, for a variety of personal reasons, to do something special for the hikers. It’s common now to find coolers filled with sodas or sandwiches near trailheads. But this event was entirely grander.

As they sat in plastic chairs chowing down, I spoke with several of the hikers to get their impressions of the endeavor and the day’s event. All hikers adapt trail names, masking their real names.

“Geared Up” is from Portland, Oregon. He’s about 5’7” tall, about 170 pounds, having lost 30 pounds since he started. He has dark hair and a thick beard that “I just trimmed to look more human and less like a mountain animal. For the past three years, he’s been constantly adventuring. He’s made a reputation for himself in that he seldom consumes more than 500 calories daily. Most adults burn upwards of 2000 calories, over 3000 if extremely active. He had been hiking since February, starting well south in Florida. “I seldom get going until 9:00 am. I eat some cereal. I take a short break around 2:00 pm and I eat a snack. I don’t eat much. I keep walking until nightfall.” Geared Up sleeps in a hammock under a tarp, eschewing the shelters unless the weather is bad. “Virginia is great. It’s one of my favorite states.”

I talked with “Hot Sauce,” too, who was spooning steaming lasagna and beer-bread into his mouth. He’s from Michigan and has been on the trail since March 10. “It’s been everything I expected and much more. I’m in love with what I’m doing out here. I couldn’t think of doing anything else right now.” He had worked for a construction company for fifteen years and wasn’t getting ahead. He went back to college and got a degree in web design. Unsatisfied and unappreciated, he got antsy. He saw a National Geographic documentary about the Trail and decided to do it. His father died of cancer on March 10, six years earlier. He was walking for his father. “When I started, I was a 40 year old couch potato. I’m 5’10” and I went from 195 to 170, so far. I feel great.

“The people are great,” he continued. “We have a common goal. We pitch in to help each other. It’s a lot more of a social experience than I expected. I was seeking peace and quiet, and you can find it. But I’ve loved traveling with people and meeting them.”

I spoke with one of the organizers, named “Lizard.” She told me, “It’s all free. It’s about honoring what they’re doing. We believe they’re on a journey that will change them and hence change the world. They will pay it forward.”

Hikers continued to arrive. Some told me they sped up or slowed down the prior week to arrive on time.

Another organizer made a public address announcement, explaining their motivation. “We think what you’re doing is extraordinary. You are taking yourselves out of the everyday, mundane world. Nothing is repeated. You don’t go to bed in the same way or the same place. You talk with strangers. You allow people to help you. You see things that people in the car never see. When you do this, you can’t help but figure out more about yourself, and learn and grow. You get deeper and wiser. You deal with your imperfections and those of others. You help make the world better. We feel it is our moral obligation to help you on your journey. For us, it is natural.”

For the rest of their lives, those hikers will talk about Virginia, the lovely landscapes, the awesome views, the endless forests, but more than that, they'll be talking about the friendliness and unparalleled generosity and about the people who provide an amazing meal for free, just to make the world better.

Let’s all do something magic, something a stranger will never forget.