[pct-l] Trail magic and the PCT culture

[Scott Williams]

Two gorgeous posts.  I've been describing the 2010 PCT experience to people
as, 1/3 the trail itself, 1/3 the wonderful people I hiked with, and 1/3 the
incredible trail magic I came upon, from Mike Herrera's where Gourmet fed us
on smoked chicken right out of the pit smoker and Theloneous Monk filtered
off over the chemise of a desert evening, all the way to the Dinsmore's
where this year, when I came back, Andrea had me go over to the Baring store
to meet Helen Thayer, first woman, and the oldest person, to have solo
trekked to the North Pole, one of the most inspirational people I've ever
met.  Magic from beginning to end.  But now I'm going to add to those 3
things, the meeting with myself that happened daily on trail, and for solo
weeks at a time when I finished my desert sections in Oct.  I hiked
primarily with folks I really liked and who hiked at my speed, and I loved
that.  But for many hours each day, I hiked in solitude, a very meditative
way to spend long periods of time.  I came to a peace with my father's
recent death, and simply had time to cry and laugh at the folly of much of
my life.  And at the same time, felt my own inner strength growing with an
awareness of my place in the universe.  One speck on trail, dead or alive, I
was just fine as a part of this world, this trail.  Muir's quote "I only
went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for
going out, I found, was really going in."  is so true of the long hike.

And Wait 4 It, your ode to the trail angels is absolutely right on.  So many
people and incidents seem to conspire together to make a hike happen.  I
just spent 4 days angeling to the PCT1 Trail Crew, touring them all over San
Francisco, up and down the stair streets of Telegraph Hill, and the coast,
and I wanted to encourage anyone with the inclination, to take our PCT crews
in on their days off.  These are great folks.  Max Chill, who I hiked over a
thousand miles with last year is the paid crew leader, but his 6 crew
members are Americorps Volunteers through the SCA, Student Conservation
Association.  They get a respite from their student loans while they are
working, and a small educational stipend at the end of the season, but they
are basically giving 6 to 7 months of skilled labor to the trail we love,
and best of all for any would be angels, everyone of them is an incredible
young person.  They're from Minnesota, Tennessee, Missouri, Nevada,
Nebraska, and Washington, and they all love the trail like we do, and have
formed a trail family like we do, and appreciate a trail angel like we do.

I had them stay for a few days several months ago, prior to re-hiking WA,
and Katie's comment to me when they left after they had cleaned up
everything they used while here, was that they were the nicest, most
responsible and interesting young folks she'd ever met.  They tried to split
my winter wood on that first visit, but I wouldn't let them as they needed a
break.  On this second visit, I did let them, and what is usually a several
week chore for me solo was done in a full morning's explosion of work, axes,
mauls and sweat flying.

They had a six day break for days off and transit from extreme Northern CA
to their next hitch south of Walker Pass.  They've built bridges in the High
Sierra, cleared many, many miles of overgrown trail north of Lassen, and
have 4 more hitches to go before they break up in mid December.  Man, that
is a lot of hard work for people not being paid!  For that dedication a few
days of pampering was all I could give.

I just wanted to put it out there, because these crews come off trail in
areas they know nothing about, and folks like me who live far from the PCT
do have an opportunity to give back a bit when they are making the drives
from hitch to hitch.  For 4 days, I got to feel a bit of what it is like to
be a Saufley, a Dinsmore, a Bratton, or a Piper's Mom!!!  You angels just so
Rock!!!

Shroomer