Trail Magic

Trail magic is, as described by veteran hikers, the idea that when you're in desperate need of something, whether water, a ride, food, equipment, shade etc, the trail provides. By some divine intervention, or maybe just the amazing folks ("trail angels") that help take care of the trail and its inhabitants, the things you require turn up at the most unlikely of places and times. They serve at least a couple important purposes. Firstly, trail magic provides you with what you are desperately in need of, and secondly (and probably just as important) it provides an immediate, lasting boost in morale. You learn to appreciate things just a little more, and maybe have a small epiphany, like what we learn from "The Alchemist", that when we want something bad enough, the entire world conspires to make it happen! Something like that.

Well, Julia and I are still more than a couple months away from stepping foot on the trail but we feel as though we've already experienced some trail magic. Firstly, we've been extremely lucky in securing some important sponsorships to help make this a financially viable expedition. Without the help of a few KEY people, all of this would be much more difficult from a financial standpoint. Whether offering significant discounts, sponsoring us with free product or paying for a bunch of our expenses, to say we've been "lucky" would not do these kind gestures justice. Beyond that, we've already been offered (FREE OF CHARGE) by "Scout" and "Frodo" (Trail Names), trail angels extraordinaire to be picked up at the airport, put up at their place for the night, cooked dinner, driven to and from local shops and then driven the 75 minutes to the Southern Terminus of the PCT. ARE YOU FLIPPIN' KIDDIN' ME?!?! These people are completely selfless, they offer this service to as many (and it always ends up being many) aspiring thru hikers as they can handle, and refuse any sort of payment or gifts. What do ya do to repay that generosity? We'll have to come up with something.

The smaller details (and there are more than a few) are coming together, and they're coming together through the generosity of others. Makes you want to pay it forward. ;)