Trail Magic

My five day hike on the Appalachian Trail proved to be quite the cultural experience. My friend Loreen and I began our hike late Sunday afternoon at Jo-Mary Road, a logging road that cuts through the middle of the 100 mile wilderness in Maine. With our backpacks loaded with all necessary supplies, we embarked on our adventure through the last 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail.


I was previously unaware that 'hiker culture' even existed. But I now know that the AT is a world of mystical sites, psychological battles, endurance tests, and, as a thru hiker described to me, 'a place that restores one's faith in the human race.' Hikers even have their own lingo. Thru hiker means a hiker that is in the process of hiking the entire 2200 mile trail. You can smell them coming for miles. Section hikers hike portions of the trail - like Loreen and I did. Flip-flopping is when a thru hiker starts the trail at one end, and for various reasons may stop part way through, and then resumes their hike at the opposite end to continue the point where they originally left off.

Thru hikers, and some section hikers, are given trail names. These can be self designated or given to you by friends on the trail. I met a Chippy, Vegas, Half Step, Bird Dog, LT, and many more I can't remember now. Loreen and I joked about names we would give ourselves and each other, and finally decided on Pits for me. Apparently I have really rank smelling armpits. I have to be honest - I'm a little proud. :)

There is this phenomemon on the AT that hikers refer to as 'trail magic.' This is the word they use to describe the really good things that happen to you on the hike. I heard many hikers tell stories of the kindness and generosity they received from one another and from the people in the towns along the trail. I found this to be one of the most fascinating parts of the trip. Not that magical things were happening, but that people really did go out of their way to help each other out. All of the hikers I talked to on the trail said that this is what made their 2200 miles meaningful. That of all of the relationships they have made in their lives, these were the ones they would keep. I guess what fascinates me is that the kindness they received and the relationships they formed occurred in the middle of an isolated wilderness, the last place you would expect to find human connection. Who knows? Maybe there is something to be said about magic on the Appalachian Trail after all.

P.S. I uploaded photos of the trip - see link to the right