Date: 2013-08-01
From: New York

To: Trail Magic
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Trail MagicTrail magic is something that is quite hard to describe. The simple explanation is a person that supports the trail, be they a trail angel, trail enthusiast, former hiker, current hiker or common civilian provides something that helps out a hiker. The first time I heard the name trail magic, I must have read it in a journal or some Appalachian Trail book; quite frankly I found the name a bit corny and imagined this ¢magic¢ to be fabricated, rare or at least sparse.Now I could venture to say that the magic is real, frequent and aptly named. It is magic, because the trail generates these chance happenings. Let me give two recent examples, on a hot, steamy afternoon coming down from the smoldering mountains of Pennsylvania, I was joking that there will be a cooler near the road with four empty cans of Mountain Dew. The trail heard me, instead as we got to the road there was a cooler with four full cans of Mountain Dew, one Pepsi for Quaker because he likes Pepsi and several other sodas. It was as if the trail was showing me to stay positive.Two, in New York somewhere after receiving a bunch of trail magic earlier in the day. St. Croix, Davy Crockett, Nutella and I were remarking how our plans for the day were shot and I quoted Steinbeck, ¢The best laid plans of mice and men¢¦¢ That night someone else brought up Steinbeck and his book Grapes of Wrath and the significance of the book in relation to our time period. I think¢¦I¢ve never read that book. The next day I am thinking about Steinbeck, how he was a voice of his generation and how I would like to read The Grapes of Wrath. Sure enough, I take a break in William Brien Shelter and there is book laying there!!!!What prompted this entry was the multitude and frequency of trail magic in New York. I wanted to take a brief sojourn from the updates and thank all of the kind souls and people that helped me out in New York.The first day in New York, Marty and his son approached us at Bellvale Creamery and gave us two full deli sandwiches which he had purchased for himself but thought we could use them. Not ten minutes later Chris, who had just finished reading AWOL¢s book approached us and said he was a bit embarrassed and had never done anything like this before, he saw us sitting there went back to his house got a twelve pack out of the fridge and ran back up here to see if we wanted any beer?The next day, I am going through my food bag and I think, ok I have plenty of dinners and breakfast until my next drop, but I am going to come up short on snacks. In the afternoon, Hobo and his wife are at a road crossing, they have soda and tons of snacks, I even cross her again the very next day. I find the above mentioned book that same day and then a day hiker, Harris from NYC, talks with me and as he is leaving he gives me at least a day worth of snacks.It continues, so I end up caught in a rainstorm and set up my tent at a stealth site. I¢m thinking I didn¢t get as far as I should have today, but maybe this happened for a reason. Man I stink and I am soaking wet and I really need to do laundry. The following morning St. Croix comes up behind me on the trail and mentions that Jolly, a hiker he hiked with back in the Smokies was picking him up to do laundry shower, grab a bite to eat and maybe I could tag along. Jolly a British fellow was happy to help, picked us up, drove us 40 minutes to his home and we showered, did laundry and had a excellent meal. Amazing he drove so far out of his way to get St. Croix and though he had never met me, he opened his home to me and provided me with a shower and laundry when I needed it most.After dropping us off back at Bear Mountain Inn, I am sitting in a horseshoe shaped pavilion, decide to check facebook and two of my friends I met on trail in Georgia are in the area and would like to try and meet up. I give them my number and location via facebook, shortly thereafter I get a phone call and they are a mile away in a hotel. They pick me up, take me out to dinner, give me a bunch of snacks and I can¢t express how happy I am to see these two. Candu and Yknot were some of the first people I met on the trail and to this day are still some of my favorite. They had to get off the trail due to an injury Candu suffered to her knee. I can¢t think of another person that has the mental capacity more than her to complete this journey, but honestly could not physically do it anymore. As if that wasn¢t enough they head north, meet up with some of the trail family further north and while traveling south they meet back up with me on trail and give me McDonalds and soda and yes I secretly wanted McDonalds, didn¢t mention it though and sure enough¢¦My last night in New York, I go into Pawling in the evening, I have to pick up a drop box at the post office and will get it in the morning. I decide to go have dinner and a beer at Pawling Tavern. While sitting there, I have a conversation with a couple named Christina and John; they offer to buy me a beer, awesome! As I am getting ready to leave and trying to settle my tab, the bartender informs me that Christina and John have already taken care of my food and beer! Absolutely unexpected, yet so graciously excepted!Needless to say, trail magic in New York was plentiful and abundant. Thank you everyone! Trail magic can be as simple as a bottle of water, tape when you need it most, a free meal, toilet paper, a smile and kind gesture when you are feeling low, the trail knows what you need and as we say out here, ¢The trail will provide!¢