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  1. #41

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    Quote Originally Posted by rmitchell View Post
    Two of us plan to do some trail magic Saturday. We will likely carry a pair of loppers, a saw, couple of swing blades and maybe a fire rake or shovel.
    This is a great idea and to me a substantial gift that keeps on giving.

    The AT is typically maintained by local volunteers through a local association or committee. Its a good idea to try coordinating with before doing work though. As a trail maintainer (not the AT) myself I have seen well intentioned people perform sometimes heavy work in trail sections that was incorrectly done (actually made conditions worse), had an association organized work party scheduled for the same work or area, or work done on bits of trail that were moved later in the season or the following year and the effort was negated.

    A quick email or call is usually all thats needed and 95% of the time your efforts will be greatly appreciated and accepted. On behalf of the maintainers, thanks!

  2. #42

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    Hiker feeds were generally negative for me. I don't like crowds, I don't like noisy trail crossings with the sound and smell of cars, I just want to get them over with and get back onto the trail.

    I'm responsible and prepared for my own nutrition, I don't want to be nagged to eat a cheeseburger right before having to climb up out of a steep gap. I don't want to be preached at if I stop and chat with another hiker for a moment. I don't want to be yelled at by drunken locals from 100 feet away, to come grab a beer. I even had one crazy lady yell at me for politely declining the "hiker hospitality" as I continued to walk. One guy in a bright yellow "Trail Angel" paint schemed pick up truck yelled "do you need any water?" from a service road, waking up the poor slobs who tented near the road, who I had just tiptoed by, so as not to wake them. Three of the balds were overrun with noise and feeds and parties.

    Then there was the sloppy leave unattended fruit and food to litter and screw with the local wildlife.

    In short, hiker feeds kicked my out of my wilderness adventure groove, and left me twitching for hours at a time. Yes, a great deal of that is about moderating my response to annoying things. (I'm still working on that.)

    One on one, real trail magic was more about a friendly local at a grocery store, who wanted to hear about my hike. Maybe an ex hiker wanting to reconnect, or a potential hiker wanting to learn about distance hiking. It was about chatting with a day hiker who shared local knowledge about flower identification or a blue blaze with a waterfall view. It was all the other hikers who found something in common to chat about. It was 100% unplanned.

  3. #43
    Registered User Theosus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ldsailor View Post
    A very good point! The article starts out with this:"Trail magic is a term that is often misconstrued. By the ATC definition, Trail magic is a serendipitous experience on the Appalachian Trail. Mostly it's unplanned acts of kindness by strangers, though a liberal interpretation might include a mesmerizing sunset after days of soaking rain, or a wildlife sighting so thrilling it makes your heart pound."
    Agreed! That's what I always thought trail magic was... You're hot and tired and thirsty and the water sources are awful, and there's a sudden rain and you put up your tarp and catch the water coming off the edge. Or you've hurt yourself and just as you get to a road crossing in the middle of nowhere, someone comes by and helps.
    A bunch of people in a parking lot grilling hamburgers is nice, but not true "trail magic". Although after eating food in a bag for a few days, and drinking river water, that fresh burger and a coke surely seem magical.
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  4. #44

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    Hiker feeds and planned trail magic are bad. Every year there are pack sniffers tripping over themselves in online forums asking where and how to get food/rides to hikers for free. I personally believe this is to stroke the ego of the giver and less to do with with the hiker.

    On the flip side, I don't have a problem with former Thru hikers doing trail magic. They get it and are giving back.

  5. #45

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    If you feed the hikers they will soon become conditioned and expect to BE fed. That may become aggressive if not fed when they expect. The only choice then is to trap and transfer.

  6. #46

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    Quote Originally Posted by rmitchell View Post
    Two of us plan to do some trail magic Saturday. We will likely carry a pair of loppers, a saw, couple of swing blades and maybe a fire rake or shovel.
    I did trail brushing last Saturday. I decided to have fun with the hikers coming down the trail. They would thank me for the work I was doing, I would than say they were welcome and I only had 200 hours of community service left on my sentence. They would then hurry on
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  7. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Francis Sawyer View Post
    If you feed the hikers they will soon become conditioned and expect to BE fed. That may become aggressive if not fed when they expect. The only choice then is to trap and transfer.
    That is the ideal situation. Unfortunately in the cases where the hikers become aggressive and attack a trail angel, the rangers usually have no choice except to trap and euthenize the hiker. Often during the process they will end trapping and euthanizing other hikers in the immediate area as well. A fed hiker is a dead hiker.
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  8. #48
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    Catered trail feeds probably adversely impact trail town businesses.
    Moving trail catering to trail towns would ABSOLUTELY adversely affect businesses.
    What is the ATC thinking?
    Wayne


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  9. #49
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    Perhaps the ATC should work to undo the attitude defined in the first paragraph?
    Wayne


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  10. #50
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    Just a short note to thank everyone for their varying opinions on trail magic. As the OP of this thread, I have enjoyed reading the responses. The various opinions are a real eye opener. They have made me sit down and think hard about this thing called "Trail Magic" AKA hiker feed. I don't know if I will pass up the next TM I see, but I sure will pause and think about it.
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  11. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by ldsailor View Post
    Just a short note to thank everyone for their varying opinions on trail magic. As the OP of this thread, I have enjoyed reading the responses. The various opinions are a real eye opener. They have made me sit down and think hard about this thing called "Trail Magic" AKA hiker feed. I don't know if I will pass up the next TM I see, but I sure will pause and think about it.
    If you bring up other threads on this subject (even fairly recent ones) you will probably still find a diversity of opinions, but you may find the overall tone very different.

    Hell, even Lone Wolf has confessed to bringing hikers (of all stripes) cheap beer every now and again.

    Interesting how people's opinions have evolved.

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    Quote Originally Posted by rickb View Post
    Interesting how people's opinions have evolved.
    What was OK when it was sparse
    Isnt the same when its being done everywhere by tons of folks

    Facebook has caused a literal explosion of it on trails everywhere by mis-guided people wanting to be associated with hikers, or wanting notoriety
    Its simply...overload

  13. #53
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    I have absolutely no problem with trail magic. I've been the recipient and the benefactor.

    Partake if you want and pass it by if you want to, but DON'T start telling others how things should be done.

  14. #54
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    The AT thru hike is not something unique in the course of human civilization but practiced by many cultures throughout history and into pre-history in different forms and under different names. What it is not is a hike, nor a vacation. It is to borrow a term a pilgrimage. It is life transformational and a rite of passage. It in it's context is not done alone, though it can be if one can persevere, but to live off of kindness of heaven and fellow beings. As such trail magic is ingrained into human culture because it is for the good of society and humanity. As such trail magic is an integral part of the AT thru, it is a needed component and that alone has had many thru hikers faith in humanity restored (or so I've heard that phrase uttered many times on trail by AT thru hikers.

    Why section hikers/day hikers don't count? Well if they are on a pilgrimage (again borrowing a word), it does. But for most they are on a vacation, or a weekend warrior (a vacation, just another form). They are just a day away from returning to society and whatever food and the like they desire. They are not giving up much and the addition of trail magic does not have the same meaning, as it doesn't matter much for a short term outing.

    But for a thru it means a lot, an incredibly lot. And that is the life changing element that so many people need in their lives to become the person that can understand what it means to give and humbly receive. To help them become the trail angels of society today.

    Will it stay with the AT, really I don't know, as regulation comes about, good will, and kind hearts, departs for more fertile ground and the AT is experiencing a trend towards the call for regulation.

    Is the system of good will and trail magic perfect, no but what is. If the problems overcome the benefits, and people take advantage of the system, and the appreciation is not there, the good will and loving hearts will depart and the trail will be a far different place then it is.

  15. #55
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    The best trail magic I ever had was the simplest. I was in a stretch of the AT in PA and had a nine mile stretch between water points. I didn't realize that until three miles in and that I had failed to fill up when I should have. I still had five miles to go and was almost out of water when I came across three gallon jugs at a trail crossing. Two were empty, but the third kept me going. I took half and left half, and I was extremely appreciative.

    Then there was the guy with a cooler full of cold beer after a long, hot stretch in VA, but that takes a back seat to the water.

  16. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bansko View Post
    I have absolutely no problem with trail magic. I've been the recipient and the benefactor.

    Partake if you want and pass it by if you want to, but DON'T start telling others how things should be done.
    I'm quite happy with the ATC telling people how to use the trail responsibly, it's sort of one of their main jobs.

    I don't think anyone here has a problem with being kind and helping hikers out, even I've been known to discretely hand out a few cold sodas if I'm just out for a day hike. The issue how to do these things without mucking up the trail and experience for others.
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  17. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sarcasm the elf View Post
    I'm quite happy with the ATC telling people how to use the trail responsibly, it's sort of one of their main jobs.

    I don't think anyone here has a problem with being kind and helping hikers out, even I've been known to discretely hand out a few cold sodas if I'm just out for a day hike. The issue how to do these things without mucking up the trail and experience for others.
    The ATC can suggest, but it shouldn"t "tell".

  18. #58

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    Quote Originally Posted by Starchild View Post
    The AT thru hike is not something unique in the course of human civilization but practiced by many cultures throughout history and into pre-history in different forms and under different names. What it is not is a hike, nor a vacation. It is to borrow a term a pilgrimage. It is life transformational and a rite of passage. It in it's context is not done alone, though it can be if one can persevere, but to live off of kindness of heaven and fellow beings. As such trail magic is ingrained into human culture because it is for the good of society and humanity. As such trail magic is an integral part of the AT thru, it is a needed component and that alone has had many thru hikers faith in humanity restored (or so I've heard that phrase uttered many times on trail by AT thru hikers.

    Why section hikers/day hikers don't count? Well if they are on a pilgrimage (again borrowing a word), it does. But for most they are on a vacation, or a weekend warrior (a vacation, just another form). They are just a day away from returning to society and whatever food and the like they desire. They are not giving up much and the addition of trail magic does not have the same meaning, as it doesn't matter much for a short term outing.

    But for a thru it means a lot, an incredibly lot. And that is the life changing element that so many people need in their lives to become the person that can understand what it means to give and humbly receive. To help them become the trail angels of society today.

    Will it stay with the AT, really I don't know, as regulation comes about, good will, and kind hearts, departs for more fertile ground and the AT is experiencing a trend towards the call for regulation.

    Is the system of good will and trail magic perfect, no but what is. If the problems overcome the benefits, and people take advantage of the system, and the appreciation is not there, the good will and loving hearts will depart and the trail will be a far different place then it is.
    It's sad to hear people argue that only those most worthy deserve help/trail magic/hiker feeds. The basis of kindness and charity extends to all people, even those who don't appreciate it and those who don't deserve it.

    Once limits are placed on kindness, you lose your humanity.

  19. #59

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    The best trail magic I've ever received is toilet paper.

    One morning I had a bout of gastroenteritis and used all my supplies, even my bandana. Everything. I hiked to the next road crossing and sat, contemplating bailing on my hike, when a vehicle pulled to the shoulder. Swallowing my fright about approaching the car, I asked if they had any napkins and this lady reached in the backseat and pulled out a full roll of toilet paper.

  20. #60

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    ...and the best trail magic I've ever done is, and always will, remain anonymous. It makes it so much sweeter to me.

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