Yes, folks...you read it correctly: we had the lovely experience of Trail Magic not once, but two days in a row! And here's how it happened. (for all you people out there who think, like we do, that Trail Magic is AMAZING but you need some ideas, get ready to take notes! These are premium examples of Magic at its best!).
We were exhausted after a long day of major hills (Jordan says hills, I say mountains. Remember, I'm ONLY like 5'1" with short little legs...thanks Mom and Dad!) but really looking forward to making it to the top of one of the landmarks of the Trail, the summit of Max Patch. We were struggling up the last mile, soaking in the sun (and sweating our butts off in the process) and trying to overcome the "Jello-ness" that was our legs when our noses twitched with the familiar smell of charcoal. Jordan, obviously quite a ways ahead of me, turns around and states hopefully..."Trail Magic?"
I, not wanting to think of anything but our tent and my squishy purple sleeping bag, was like "at the top of the mountain? Yeah, right." Turns out he WAS right, go figure. As we finally rounded the last corner that put us on the beautiful top of Max Patch, we saw two guys, a cooler, a grill, and a person-sized bag of BBQ potato chips. DELISH! Turns out, they were two former Thru-Hikers with a passion for PBR, hot dogs, and snacks. Thank goodness for good people...Spyder and Fuzzy Beerfoot, you are our heroes!
We hung out for awhile as other Thru-Hikers came and snacked delightedly on the goodies then headed the 2 miles down to our shelter for the night: Roaring Fork. The next day we were up bright and early for another shot at those darn mountains. No matter how many we climb, the stubborn things just seem to keep popping up! We were about 12 miles in with 6 to go and feeling pretty sunburned and definitely peanut-buttered out when we crossed a road and saw a glorious green tub with the heavenly words " For Thru-Hikers. Take Only One."
Knowing already that anything we were instructed to Take Only One of just HAD to be delicious, we opened the top to find our own little bit of yummy goodness, just when we needed it! Inside were Ziploc bags, each containing a bottle of gatorade (trust us, water gets SO boring), a bag of trail mix, some mini snickers, a package of crackers, a sanitizing hand wipe (probably best used BEFORE eating...oops!), a bag of M&M's...and the best part, a note from our Trail Angel. It said: "This little package is to wish you Blessings on your way! Pass on the Blessings as your journey progresses. Drop a little note if you will at Bluff Mountain Outfitters for the "Blessings Princess" to let her know you're OK!
But her identity remains anonymous for reasons of her own. Remember to offer gratitude for your strength and health and smile every chance you get!" Yep, this Appalachian Trail thing is pretty sweet after all. :)
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