PHEW.
I have been on this trail for 6 days and 139 miles. My body hurts in places I’ve never felt before. My mind struggles to come to terms with the fact that I still have ~2500 miles to go. The truth about hiking is… it’s very difficult.. You’re locked inside your head all day, forced to examine thoughts you may not want to face. You are exhausted beyond explanation. You are absolutely filthy and crawling into a sleeping bag every night along with over 2 inches of dirt and sweat from the past few days. And you are HUNGRY. So hungry, always.
I want to take today to shed light on some of the brightest lights of this journey: The angels of the path.
Trail angels are humans who willingly choose to sacrifice their time, energy, and money to manage the hikers who wander through their respective cities. These people are the kindest and most selfless people you will ever meet. They give themselves and ask for nothing in return. These are some of those I have had the privilege of meeting in recent days.
Wayde and Kristina
The first thing I saw after limping into Burnt Rancheria on Saturday night was a container full of pies, honey buns, and Coca-Cola. As if these delights weren’t enough, there was a sign advertising a cookout at one of the campsites. When I arrived at the site I was greeted by a bunch of hikers, as well as Wayde and Kristina. These two had a fire going, accompanied by a table full of the most delicious food: hot dogs, fresh fruit, homemade guacamole, chips, s’mores, soda, candy, literally all the food we hikers crave after a day of high mileage. They even had charging stations. To top it all off, they made signs that said “Happy Mother’s Day” for us to take photos and send to our worried moms at home. They entertained us with stories of their adventures. They asked us about ourselves with genuine interest. This husband and wife duo are SO cool. I feel honored to have spent time with them.
Desi, VJ and Ashlyn
Miah and I were filtering water the next day at the Pioneer Mail picnic area. We were about to hit the trail when a kind woman and her family approached us to let us know that they were setting up a magical trail. Denying help, they single-handedly covered a picnic table with delicious hot dogs, chips, candy, and vegetables. It is important to note that this was Mother’s Day. Desi chose, of all the days she should be the one to be pampered, to spend her vacation feeding hikers. She didn’t ask us for anything and just gave. Being a mom is the hardest job in the world, your generosity and desire to care made me cry. I am in awe of her and her family.
Joe and the doodles
It was just eight in the afternoon on Monday. I was curled up in my tent after a long day when I heard «Hiiiikers!» followed by the barking of three little dogs. Joe and his babies walked towards the field where a group of us were staying, a cooler bag slung over their shoulders. This amazing man fed us HOMEMADE ribs and cheesy potatoes. Did I mention it was 8 pm? I couldn’t believe our lucky trail magic before bed! Joe is full of wisdom. He told us stories of the flora and fauna along the PCT while we ate and gave us tips for staying hydrated. Your dogs gave me a lot of love. I went to bed with a full stomach and an even fuller heart.
Honorable mention: The hitches
Getting in and out of town can be tricky on the PCT. Some towns are just a short drive away. While hitchhiking is not always accepted in “normal life” these days, it is a very common part of hiking. Miah and I have been lucky enough to meet some people who have helped us when we needed to get into town. Rayngel (Raymond the Trail Angel) leads the hikers to Julian. He saw us coming out of the desert and decided to wait for us in case we needed a ride to the city. His knowledge of the trail, his passion for the outdoors, and his beautiful outlook on life were a breath of fresh air. It really is a great company. There have been a few other people (whose names I won’t mention for privacy reasons) who have taken time out of their journey to get us where we needed to be. These people are not even track angels. This blows my mind and reminds me how many good people there are in the world.
I will do my best to make this weekly. These people deserve a lot of credit. If you are a path angel reading this, know that we simply couldn’t do this without you. ❤️
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