TRAIL MAGIC

NOTES FROM BASE CAMP:

Saturday became my first full day alone at base camp with Jett. It's amazing how the time flies and here I was concerned with being bored. First up Jett and I walked out to the Primitive Camp in the park. It's only accessible by foot. There's a quite large pavilion, a sleep shelter and a privy up there. And of course I forgot to take pictures. :-(

When we returned to base camp I decided to take Jett into town to the local dog park. Poor girl hasn't been off leash to run in a few days. The dog park was not worth the effort. First no dogs, it's not much larger than a campsite, it's on a steep hill, no water, no grass ... Only rocks, dry mud and exposed roots from the trees. Jett made the most of it with a ball she found and she ran figure eights. 

As I was leaving a guy walking by with his dog told me that there's a dry lake bed on the river further in the park. Since Jett and I only had time to kill we headed out there. It was very pretty and if we have time once Tim and Alan are back I may take her back there to swim. 

NOTES FROM THE TRAIL:

I received a text from Tim last night and a call from him this morning. Their first night out was good. Tim is sleeping in a hammock and just needs two good trees. Alan is sleeping in a tent needing a small flat parcel. Their plan was to stop over night at 8.1 miles at the Hawk Mountain Shelter. When they arrived at the 6.2 mile where the A.T. Crosses a dirt road they found Trail Angels offering Trail Magic. 

There was a group of people from a local Georgia outdoors club set up handing out food. One of the guys was a firefighter from Atlanta. They all got to talking and they talked Tim and Alan into staying the night there with them. Tim has tried to send pictures from the trail but signal is just not strong enough. Fingers crossed he will get one to me. 

Trail Magic comes in many forms. It could be people cooking food trail side and handing out hot drinks. Someone stopping and giving donuts or pizza out. It could be that someone leaves a cooler of beer for the hikers. It could be a size fourteen hiking boots magically left behind at a cross point. 

While I was in town I stopped at the local Chic-fil-a. I had a plan! I bought eight sandwiches and bottles of waters. I knew of a place north of Helen, Georgia where the Appalachian Trail crosses Hwy. 17. Nine years ago Tim and I parked at this crossing called Unicoi Gap. It was here where we took our first hike on the A.T. And where we fell in love with hiking. 

I thought I would have to wait for Thru-Hikers to arrive. When Tim and I had been there before it was just us and one other guy waiting on his son who was Thru-Hiking from Maine to Georgia. When I pulled around the bend the lot was FULL of cars belonging to Day Hikers. Then with a look to the main sign there sat six Thru-Hikers! 

There by the sign I met them all. They had all just met each other with the exception of the young married couple and had been on the trail about five to six days now. They were from all over ... North Carolina, Virginia, Maine.  I only got one trail name ... The Pharmacist. Named because he has all kinds of vitamins and meds in his backpack. When I asked if they wanted hot chicken sandwiches from Chic-fil-a they of course all said YES. As I handed out my Trail Magic I truly felt like a Trail Angel. These guys and gals had not had a hot meal in two days. It was my best day and the best $40 I've ever spent.  

I took all their excess trash they were carrying, empty water bottles, sandwich wrappers and wished them safe travels ...