Date: 2015-05-05
From: VA 623

To: Laurel Creek Campsite
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: broken clouds

After a "zero" day in Bland on Monday at the Big Walker Motel (very hiker-friendly stay), I had a shuttle back to the trail this morning. For the first time on my trek since Georgia, I decided to listen to an audiobook as I hiked. Normally I like to hear the sounds of the forest, but I thought that listening to a book may be a nice change of the routine; it turned out to be a good complement to my hike (for the record I was "reading" former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice's memoir of her Washington years).Just about an hour into today's hike I saw a green garter snake just off the trail. It seemed to regard me as a friendly intrusion and interlude in its morning routine. I also saw Seth at this same point (Seth is the son of Bruce, the 1980 ETSU grad originally from Bristol, VA whom I had met at Fontana). Seth was admirably moving at a "hasten forward quickly" pace as Teddy Roosevelt said as he commanded his troops in Cuba.   As the darkening skies and suddenly accelerating winds portended a rain storm, I stopped at the Jenkins Shelter at AT mile 577.1 for lunch. The hikers here included Chet (North Carolina)and the brothers Weedeater (Massachusetts) and Invisibility Cloak. The expected rainstorm unexpectedly fizzled quickly and the group moved northward toward Laurel Creek and beyond. After a short climb up from Jenkins Shelter, the trail flattened out and then dropped toward Laurel Creek (5.2 miles from Jenkins Shelter). We had heard that Laurel Creek was a hiker's dream for a campsite as it was flat, would accommodate several tents, had a wide, fast-flowing creek as a water source, and did I say it was flat (having had tented uphill, downhill, and sidehill numerous times)? But we couldn't have dreamed of the trail magic/trail kindness that was about to make this nightly stop so memorable.Crossing Laurel Creek and VA 615 I saw some signs advertising trail magic a few hundred yards up the trail at a parking area. "Trail Magic" was an understatement as this very kind and thoughtful family (Dave and Deann Werner and family) grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, provided fresh fruit (hikers always need potassium from bananas), cookies, snack cakes, and so much more. "So much more" included a generator to recharge our cell phones, batteries, first aid and hygiene supplies, and other items. Here tonight are Chet, Seamster (Illinois), Button the Glutton (Florida), Dirty Bird (Indiana), Weedeater and Invisible Cloak.   You could easily tell that the Werner family had very thoughtfully and generously tried (very successfully!) to address the vast array of hikers' needs on the trail.All this was done so lovingly to honor the memory of J-Bird, a 2010 GA to ME thru hiker. The Werners explained that J-Bird, after his successful thru hike, had developed an aggressive colon cancer as a young man. To honor and perpetuate J-Bird's legacy of love for people and love for the trail, his family hosted this trail magic to encourage hikers. I regret that I did not personally know J-Bird; however, having the moving moments in time with his family on the trail gave me insights into J-Bird's life and his 2010 hike.   Long distance hikers can share a very special bond, even when we may seem not to have much otherwise in common or even when we may not know one another personally. The hiking bond trumps and prevails and unifies. THANK YOU, J-Bird's family, for your trail magic with its impact and deep meaning. Your hospitality will always be remembered---as will J-Bird and his legacy. He obviously was a very special human being with a very special family.I hung the bear bag as my instincts tell me this could be bear territory (stream, grilled food) and bedded down in the tent. Thanks, God, for enabling me to meet such wonderful people today as they shared your love and care in such a helpful way in the bounty and beauty of your creation.