Date: 2013-05-27
From: Bryant Ridge shelter

To: Marble Spring campsite
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: few clouds

Very slow getting going ¢ I was the last one out today. Yesterday I thought most of the flowers were gone. Now on Floyd Mtn., I'm seeing Trillium still (fading). Also lots of spiderwort, wild geranium, several colors of what I think is Cohosh, &, oh yes, Garlic Mustard, a non-native invasive species. When I got to Thunder Hill shelter, I found that the rhododendrons had grown in 7 years. Last time there, I could see thru an open area to the privy. Now it's overgrown [& the privy has been moved anyway!]. While there, I met Burning Man & Ice Tea [from Germany]. Next I continued my streak on trail magic [not getting much]. I thought of the possibility of trail magic at the Forest Service parking lot just before the Thunder Ridge overlook. To see the lot, you need to go up over a little rise on a side trail. There was no sign announcing trail magic, & when I looked down the parking lot all I saw was one car way at the far end, with no people. I continued on the Trail down to the overlook There was another entrance to the parking lot opposite the overlook, but, seeing no sign, I didn't bother to check that out. There was a woman with some kids & fried chicken at the overlook, & after I took some pictures, I saw a man coming from the parking area. None of them said anything about trail magic. I went on about 3/4 mile & found a place where I could call Susan, so we talked a while. While I was talking, Ice Tea came by & told me there was trail magic back at the parking lot. That was just before 5:00, so I hurried back to see if I could get some. On the way, I met DipNSip & his group, plus another 5-6 hikers. None had seen any sign of trail magic; & all had passed the overlook before 5:00. I was determined to get to the bottom of it, but finding no one at the parking lot now, it remained a mystery. I was able to do the 1.5 mile investigation hike quite quickly without my pack, but it still took up some time, so it was almost dark when I reached Marble Spring campsite. I set up next to Bottle Cap & Fun-Size and UV & Whole Bean, & spent some time visiting with them around the fire they had built. Nice couples! Three miles earlier, I had seen Little Sass tenting right next to the Trail, with some others farther back in the woods near Harrison Ground Spring.Sometimes plans need to change. I had thought maybe I could do a 20 mile day today, in order to get lined up to visit a couple of hostels in the next 2 days. Rocky hillsides, especially with poison ivy, really slow me down. >         ¢ ADVICE TO TRAIL ANGELS: ¢I appreciate what you do & want to accept it totally as a gift & not something to be counted on; so you have the right to do it when & how you like. However, if you are interested in serving most of the hikers, I have a few suggestions.Choose your location at a place where hikers are likely to see it. Most have an eye out for Trail Magic at road crossings, especially on week-ends, but if it's not very near the Trail & there is no sign or other indication, they may miss it. Choose your time according to when the hikers are likely to come by. At most places, two larger cohorts of hikers will pass in a given day: in the late morning, those who came from the previous shelter; in the late afternoon, those coming from the one before that (or maybe an earlier one if they are not far apart). I'm not saying everyone hikes in groups, just that's how the concentration of hikers works. SO if you want to serve the first group, you might try to figure out how long it takes for that first group to get to your location & open up then; similarly with the later group. I know you have other things going on in your lives that determine your timing, but I would suggest that if you close up at 5:00 you'll miss a large number of the second or later group.Thanks again for all that you do!