![]() Others accuse trail angels of scrubbing the AT experience of its challenge and making the trail “too easy.” Some critics also have claimed, without evidence, that trail magic is responsible for luring more and more - and too often, more unprepared - hikers to the trail. Caption: A hiker’s tent in a field near Newport, Va. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, tasked with preserving and managing the trail, has increasingly voiced concerns that more, and ever-more elaborate, trail magic may diminish the trail experience, negatively affect natural and human resources, and even generate a sense of entitlement among some hikers. You can do magic - you just have to do it right. ![]() There are some legitimate concerns, to be sure, but I think the problem has been overblown. In recent years, this venerable tradition on long trails has come under fire from critics who say it’s ruining the experience and even harming the trail, especially on the A.T. So, everyone loves magic, right? Well, not quite. The knowledge that they are “paying it forward” and “being the change” when they tidy up a privy, pick up micro-trash, or toss branches off the trail.Soaking up hiker vibes and stories (and politely ignoring the funk), especially for those who cannot undertake a long hike of their own.The warm-fuzzy feeling of bringing joy to tired pilgrims, aka the “ helper’s high” (which has even been demonstrated by science).Here is just a sampling of the rewards “trail angels” reap from their good deeds: Photo: Clay Bonnyman Evansīut here’s a little secret: The people who provide all that generosity and serendipity will tell you that they get just as much out of it as hikers, maybe even more. at a parking lot where the AT crosses VA 603 on May 9, 2018. John “Evil” Stout, left, of Glade Spring, Va., provides trail magic to hiker Anna “Soupspot” Fornili of Richmond, Va. Whether you’re having a great day or feeling ground down, hot, cold, tired or sore, an unexpected treat or random act of kindness by a stranger- food, a ride to town, some sage advice, a swept shelter, a clean privy, just about anything - can provide an instant jolt of joy and gratitude. It’s no mystery why hikers in the midst of a grueling long-distance journey love “trail magic.” ![]() I recently had this piece published on the excellent long-distance hiking site The Trek ( - that’s. ![]()
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