The title of the thread is somewhat misleading.
ATC is not saying trail magic is bad. The original meaning of trail magic is something we celebrate.
We are trying to restore the original meaning of trail magic, which refers to small, spontaneous and unexpected acts of kindness; or serendipity (finding or being given that thing you lost and needed desperately and didn’t expect to find for days), or sometimes, experiences with nature that are so wonderful they take on a magical quality.
Yes, we are trying to discourage hiker feeds, especially in the backcountry, for the reasons a number of you have stated above. There is disagreement about whether they are appropriate at trailheads, where it’s not wild backcountry and there aren’t plants to be trampled.
There is little disagreement among those who take care of the A.T. and the land around it that unattended food is not good for the bigger picture of the Appalachian Trail, even if the vast majority of thru-hikers are enthralled with both the contents and the gesture of kindness behind it. Unattended food can have negative effects on animals, and even plants and soils if the “magic” causes people to congregate in large numbers or even small numbers in the same location over a period of time. And for those other than thru-hikers, even a well-maintained cooler can seem like an unwelcome human intrusion into the natural landscape.
I’m not sure, but it seems to me these feeds and coolers seem to eclipse the often quieter and more subtle, but in a way more extraordinary trail magic. When I hear hikers talking about soda, beer, and hamburgers being the pinnacle of their A.T. experience, then I feel they are really missing out.
While it could be debated whether there are enough or too many well-meaning people who provide feeds and leave coolers in the woods, it cannot be debated that the Appalachian Trail needs more volunteers to maintain and repair trails, privies, shelters and trailheads, clean trash and graffiti, perform boundary work, remove invasive species that are destroying our diverse and beautiful native plants and animals, provide education and outreach, develop policies on emerging threats, and advocate for the A.T.
If there are any trail angels reading this, I encourage you to join your local trail club and find out where your love for the Trail and hikers can be used to serve hikers and the Appalachian Trail in other more essential ways.
Check out the web page or Facebook page of your local trail club, or go to
www.appalachiantrail.org/volunteer.