Date: 2005-07-22
To: Trail Magic!!
Miles today: 0.0

I, Grey Fox, am an addict. No, I'm not talking about alcohol, or videogames, although some people probably think I should, I¢m addicted to Trail Magic. I did realize how quickly it can take a hold of you. I'd seen other people do it, even received some myself, but I never thought I'd be a dealer. It happened on my 04' hike when I took time off in Boone to let more people come out on the Trail. A snowstorm had just come thru the area, and I knew there would be cold and hungry hikers up on Roan Mountain. Hoping to meet up with Magic, a hiker I had met earlier, I drove up there around 3 in the afternoon. Pizza, bar-b-queue, candy, doughnuts, milk, anything I could carry I brought. My girlfriend and I waited for thirty minutes or so and were just about to leave when 2 thru hikers showed up: Stanimal, Cactus, and Gus the Manimal (a dog.)They ate as only thru hikers can, thanking us constantly while still trying to shove food in. That was it for my first taste of dealing out Trail Magic, it wasn't much, but I was hooked.   When I got back in the Roan Mountain area I slackpacked for a few days so I could stay nights with my girlfriend. Hiking from Carver's Gap to 19E was going to be a real easy day. Just as I'm coming down the backside of Big Hump Mountain I spot 4 hikers: Lwop, Slim, Biscuit, and First Light. They had been sitting enjoying the weather and pondering what to do. Apple House shelter was just a few miles away, too soon to stop at for the night, and the next shelter was too far away to make it before nightfall. Well, I figure I'm heading back to Boone and a warm apartment soon anyways, might as well bring these guys, we could get AYCE at Golden Corral. When I mentioned the idea the 4 hikers became a blur of packing. They had been on that rock for hours but were packed up and hiking within seconds. Down at 19e I called my girlfriend and we were on our way!   AYCE, showers, laundry, movies, doesn't get any better. My apartment smelled like armpit for days. (I love that thru hiker smell so it was ok.) I had planned on hiking with the guys the next day but I got so badly sunburned the day before I could barely move. I dropped the guys off and wished them happy trails.   When the next hiking season got started (05)I knew I could get another fix, it had been awhile since I had done Trail Magic and I was itching to go. Since I had left early in the year on my hike I knew how lonely it could be, so I decided to do some Trail Magic in February. I didn't have much money; I had just started a new job, so I brought what I could back up to Roan High Knob Shelter. It was COLD!! I hadn't dressed as warm as I should have and the temperature was dropping quickly in the failing light. Grandma's peanut brittle (the best ever) and some fresh fruit were gladly accepted by the loan hiker I found at Roan High Knob. Her name was Hydro and she was busying herself with supper when I got to the top. I had a lot of fun talking with her, I never get tired of trail stories, and didn't want them to stop just because I had to go (it was getting fairly dark) So, I offered to drive her to Boone to the house I was now living in so she could stay in the warm tonight. Again all I could see was a blur and she was packed and ready to go. I can only imagine how great central heating and a real bed must of felt after that climb up Roan. I wasn't done yet!! I needed more!! The next day I offered to slackpack her from carver's gap to 19e and then bring her back to Boone again. She gladly accepted and took a leisurely day of hiking over some of the most beautiful parts of the AT. Another great night in Boone talking Trail left me feeling great, I was hoping to slackpack Hydro all the way to Kincora that day, but we decided because there was so much snow it would be better if she took her pack with her. Another great day.    I just randomly get the itch to go hiking, and I usually end up in the Grayson Highlands or Roan Mountain area since they are so close to Boone. I didn't have much money that semester, but every time I would go out I'd always bring food for hikers, even if I had too sell a DVD or something to buy the food. (It an addiction as I've said.) The next real big Trail Magic fix I got came just before the end of the semester when I had to go to the Grayson Highlands for a class project. I was working with Dan Winters, who hiked the Trail in 03 (I think) His name was Trail Yeti. Well, I knew it was definitely that time of year for thru hikers to be in the area, so I decided to go all out. I had some extra money that I had gotten for my birthday, so I went to the store and bought everything I could think of. Ice Cream, beer, fruit, veggies, random snacks and all types of other food. I hiked it all in my pack and a big cooler that I had to carry in my arms. I set up my tent at Wise Shelter and then Trail Yeti and I did our work. He wasn't able to stay the night so as the sun was going down he decided to leave. I had a few hours to play around so I just hiked up Wilburn Ridge to the Fatman Squeeze. Along the way I pass a hiker. I was sure this person wasn't a thru hiker; she was way too pretty and didn't smell like a boot! Silly me, when I caught up with her later I found out she was a thru hiker, she had just washed a few days a go and hadn't had time to reacquire the Thru hiker stink. Her name was Odyssa, and she said there was another hiker named Jay behind her. We played with the ponies for a little while and Jay showed up. He was cultivating a good bit of the hiker smell, so that made up for Odyssa. (Sorry Jay, like I said, I LOVE that smell!-I love it because it brings back so many memories of my hike-I think my exact words to those two were "It's like crack! I can't get enough!" They came down with me to Wise shelter and were astounded by the food I brought in. I never have seen anyone enjoy ice cream as much as Odyssa did that day. Another thru came in and ate, although his name escapes me. Jay and Odyssa were a BLAST. I hadn't had so much fun in ages talking and joking around with them. In fact, I was so disappointed when I found out they were gonna head to Old Orchard, that I decided to repack all my stuff, hike back out, drive to VA603 and hike in the Old Orchard to meet them. Along the way I bought some dinner for us, Bar-b-queue, chicken, potatoes, french fries, it was great. I still hadn't had enough of those two, in the morning I decided to stay in the area and offered to slackpack them. They accepted and decided to try and make it all the way to Atkins that day. I drove up to another trail crossing (about 9 miles up) with some food I got at a gas station and waited to see them again. Camping right near the road just off the Trail I found 2 other thru hikers!! Purette and Teabreak from Canada and England respectively. I gave them some food, and they drank some soda left by another Trail Angel and we waited for the other two to catch up. Teabreak was very, very disappointed to hear about the side affects of his new favorite drink, Mountain Dew, haha. They were off to a slow start and gladly accepted my offer of to slackpack them too. The next road crossing was about 6 miles away, I realized I could actually hike with everyone for awhile, and then hitch back to the car while they finished up. It was a great day for hiking, sunny with some wind but nice and cool. Hiking was great, talking and joking around. We took a long break in the field with the bus, and teabreak pointed out that there was a pizza hut near Partnership shelter (where he and Purette were gonna crash that night.) We decided that as long as I was waiting for them to show up, I could go get pizza for dinner. I left them behind at the road crossing (I'm can't remember which one, it¢s the one right after you cross the south fork of the Holsten River.) and started walking back to the car. I didn't take into account how slow the road was when I was thinking about getting a hitch. I walked about 3 miles when someone finally stopped.   Being disoriented because I was moving so fast in an area I had never been to, when the kind driver dropped me off I got mixed up as to what direction I should be heading. I ended up walking another 3 or so miles in the wrong direction, until I reached Partnership Shelter! Well, I was there, but the car was still at Dickey Gap. Thankfully I caught a ride fairly quickly and made it back to the car. I called in the order, drove down to the pizza hut and brought supper back to the shelter. Hanging out in the sun, eating pizza, nothing better. Team Vanity had shown up as well and we shared our Pizza with those crazy guys. (I wish I had more money, they seemed fun too and I wanted to do trail magic for them.) Purette and Tea Break stayed behind as Jay and Odyssa hiked the last leg to Atkins. As the sun was going down they made it to town. We had supper together at the Dairy Queen and I had them sign my Trail Magic Journal. (An idea I had just had to have people I do magic for sign a journal much like they do at shelters.) They got there packs and pressed on to the next shelter, and my wonderful day was done.   During my 2004 hike I had briefly met a hiker named Stumpknocker, we was doing a southbound hike and we talked for a few minutes when I met him just north of Tray Mountain shelter. He is currently doing another southbound hike, so I decided when he came through my area I'd do some magic for him. Well I was planning on meeting him in Damascus, but I was bored in town one day after class so I decided to try and meet him then. I did a rough estimate of where he would probably be. Bought some bananas, cokes, and cookies and drove out to the Grayson Highlands. It was what some people would consider to be a miserable day, cold rain, wind, cloud covered trail. (I say some people because I love the rain.) I parked at Elk Garden and hiked the 4 miles in to Thomas Knob Shelter. There was one other person there, a business man just out for the day and we talked for a good bit. I was a little worried that I had misjudged where Stumpknocker would be and I wouldn't find him, but sure enough he came walking in after 30 minutes or so looking worn out. He hadn't been feeling good the last few days after a string of ailments, so he was really happy to get his hands on those cokes. I've never seen anyone who loves coke so much!! Good thing he only drinks them when he's on the Trail. We had talked through email and I had said I'd slackpack him for awhile. So when we reached my car I took his gear and he set off. I was to meet him at the next road crossing after doing some scouting of possible camping areas ahead. The day cleared up and became quite beautiful. After finding us a good camping area I laid my sleeping pad out and dozed in the sun. It didn't take long for Stumpknocker to show up, we sat and talked for a good while and then he headed off to do the last few miles to our campsite. I drove down there (it was right near a road-US58 Summit cut) and set up my tent. We talked until late in the evening and then went to sleep. The next morning he was going to slack all the way to Damascus. I had class that day so I took his pack and dropped it off at Mount Rogers Outfitters. Stumpknocker said he would probably take a zero day the next day so he could recuperate, so I planned on meeting him early in the morning the day after. Well, a zero day for Stumpknocker constituted a 15 mile slackpack from 421 back into Damascus. I got up early that morning and drove to Damascus. Stumpknocker was already awake when I reached Dave's Place at like 6:30. He had a long day ahead so we didn't waste any time. I dropped him off at 421 with the promise of food from a store down the road when he reached the next road crossing, a few miles away. He gave the money to buy everything and gas money, that helped out a lot and let me do magic longer than I had planned. The store down in Shady Valley has THE BEST sausage biscuits I have ever had. They are huge and inexpensive, 2 for me and 3 for Stumpknocker and I was one my way. He had hiked a little faster than I thought and was already at the road crossing by the time I got there. Good thing, because the Trail had been rerouted and I would have parked in the wrong spot. He ate quickly and headed off, long day today, so no time to dilly dally. Well, I had time to dilly dally; I had hours before he would reach 321 at Watauga Lake. So I hiked the reroute to see what it was like. It was amazing, it was a beautiful day and the reroute went through the fields of this old farm, very beautiful. With hours to kill I drove to Kincora Hostel to hang out with Bob. When he heard Stumpknocker would be in that night he said "There goes the neighborhood!" After awhile I drove down to the Lake and played in the water while waiting for Stumpknocker to show up. About the time he was suppose to be there I went and got us dinner at subway. He devoured a foot long sub in what must have been record time; I could see he was definitely getting his health back. He started the last 9 miles to Kincora and I drove up there. A few other hikers had shown up while I was gone. Another Southbounder named Tugboat and a section hiker named Big Orange. We had fun talking and telling stories and had started cooking supper when Stumpknocker got there. Since they were heading in the same direction I offered to slackpack Tugboat too. Stumpknocker was gonna hike from 19e back to Kincora, so in the morning I took Tugboat's back and brought Stumpknocker out to 19e. I took Big orange with me, his car was in Boone and he wanted to pick it up. I gave him my number since he is in the area a lot and told him to give me a call sometime. He did, just a few hours later. He knew I was taking Tugboat into Boone for some AYCE at the Daniel Boone Inn (AWESOME FOOD served family style) so he offered to let us stay at his parent's mountain house. We could eat ourselves silly, and then go to his place and all hang out. It was a great idea, so that¢s exactly what we did. Stumpknocker was to hike from Carver's Gap to 19e the next day, and I was to pick him up and bring him back to Kincora so he could go to "The Gathering", so I offered to slack Tugboat and Big Orange one more day. Big Orange drove the two of them to 19e in the morning, so after class I drove out there, left my car at 19e and took Big Orange's car up to the gap with their stuff in it. I decided I wanted some Trail fun so I ran from Carver's Gap to 19e. Along the way I met Bewildered, and Tugboat, Big Orange and I decided to meet up at Roan High Knob that night after I got off work. Coming down off of Big Hump I got lost and chased by a pair of dogs down into the woods. Completely lost I just ran downhill for miles knowing I would eventually reach 19e. A very nice woman gave me a ride when I reached the road, and I found Stumpknocker dozing on my car. I estimate I ended up running about 16 miles that day, it was amazing! We again got supper at subway and ate it at Kincora. After eating I wished him well and went on my way. After a frantic drive home so I wouldn't be late for work, only to realize I didn't have to work, I drove up to Roan. Thankfully the cloudland gardens were open, so it was a short hike to Roan High Knob shelter and a good time sitting by the fire with the guys.    Well, there are the tales of my addiction in brief, there is so much more I could have written about. Doing Trail magic is one of my favorite pastimes. I would do it all the time if I had the money. It feels really good to give someone something that perks them up, and I have been promised by many to have the favor returned. Maybe that¢s one reason I do it, so in my 06' hike I will have plenty of friends (with food) to look forward to meeting along the way. Thank all you guys and gals for being so much fun and sharing some of your grand journey with me. Long days and pleasant nights to you all!