What is Trail Magic?
As a relatively new hiker, and a very recent multi-day hiker, the concept of trail magic is very new to me. Just saying those words is exciting and as you learn more about the incredible phenomenon of the trail angels (perpetrators of said magic), the excitement only multiplies. Well, that's how it begins..
Reading a journal entry of a fellow hiker last year as they were plugging away at their Appalachian Trail thru-hike I noticed the words 'trail magic' being used in very nonchalant terms. 'Trail magic' echoed in my mind while images of fairies riding wild ponies dancing along the flowery trail paraded through my mind. When the connection to food was referenced all of the sudden the fairies were carrying happy meals and the pony had some beer for me. I mean what else could trail magic be, but this?
After some googling and poking around on other blogs I found out (to my dismay and simultaneous delight) that trail magic is actually the term for an act or gift of kindness bestowed upon a weary hiker. This gift can come in many forms such as food, water, showers and home stays, but it is meant as a form of support and is initiated by people known as trail angels, with the best of intentions. Brilliant, right?
Let it sink in. Further research showed photos of hikers at a junction eating tacos and ice cream and drinking cold sodas, people standing around at impromptu picnic buffets set up alongside the trail. Dig a little deeper and you see a photo of smiling faces scattered around at a neat little hiker shack where many tired hikers are slumped lazily into chairs on a lawn and stretching their worn-out bodies into hammocks (with their scrappy feet dangling out) in euphoric relaxation, at the home of said trail angels. I imagined the Grateful Dead on the radio and the smell of BBQ anything hanging in the air. The happiest people on Earth, right there. Another photo showed a guy by a similar shack, standing with his arm in a cast giving a teary-eyed thumbs-up, no doubt being comforted by the crowd of smiling faces around him. An all-comforting scenario, these hiker havens.
Then I did a bit more reading and the tone (and my excitement) faded into a cautious optimism. I found several problems with the discussions I read regarding trail angels and trail magic.
If I were to base my opinion of a typical trail angel purely off of what I've read on the internet, I would picture them as an uneasy, jaded hostel owner that sits silently in a state of mild frustration waiting next to a broom and a worn-out rag waiting to attend to the next inevitable fuck-up stemming from the lousy group of freeloaders that's currently stinking up their couches and erasing the last romantic notion of their attempt at creating paradise from their minds. But this is wrong, I know it has to be wrong. But the question remains: How can something as perfect in theory, and as theoretically perfect in practice as trail magic be so negatively-skewed as to kind of make me consider avoiding it?
Most of the negative thoughts on trail magic and angels were planted in my mind by the trail angels themselves. They came in the form of rants and moans about everything that was wrong with hosting hikers (i.e. me) in their homes. Since 2004 I've hosted hundreds of CouchSurfers (completely for free) and I have been part of the Burning Man community that embraces 'no commerce' as a guiding principle, so I am extremely familiar with gifting and hospitality. I know how it's supposed to work and how it could work, but I am also aware of the handful of dirtbags that ruin everything, everywhere they go. So without experiencing this in a trail setting, these are my thoughts on it.
It CAN work.
The main way a hiker can help? PARTICIPATE! Participation can come in many forms. Donate money, if you can (and if accepted) and if you can't then see if there is something else, like your time, that you can donate by cleaning or helping with chores. For instance: No money to spare? Clean the dishes after dinner. No dishes to clean? Straighten the common room. No cleaning to do and no money accepted? Tell a story, help a fellow hiker, do SOMETHING to add to the experience rather than just absorb it. Be a participant rather than a spectator.
The subject of money is touchy (in every situation ever involving it). However if I am being honest this needs to be said:
Hosting people in your home costs money. Trail angels aren't looking to get rich. You won't roll up to a Trail Angel's place and see tired hikers waxing the TA's Lamborghini. They're not eating lobster with golden flatware while watching through their windows as you cook (my) discarded oatmeal. The angels do this because of the love they have for the hikers, but it isn't free. Consider the following..
Feeding people costs money. If you stop and add up all of the strictly functional utilities associated with sucking in a herd of dirt-covered, hungry and sleepy hikers and shoving them out the door as clean, fed, well-rested folks, you can already start to see a deficit in this trail angel's pocket with such gifted hospitality. Then there are the luxuries and basic upkeep to consider such as blankets, mattresses, house repairs, trash bags, storage areas, gas for rides, trucks for rides, hammocks, new additions to housing, food, lightbulbs, pots and pans, soap to wash the hippies and soap to wash the areas that washed the hippies, and...you get the idea of the actual cost. And what value do you place on the rest of it? You know, the main reason you're there, the part where you cultivate friendships, swap stories with new buddies, swap info/gear/food (and leave your oatmeal), and basically reawaken your happy mind.
So it's not free to host folks. Trail angels (real ones) are not running hostels/businesses. Money is needed, but not asked for, and donations are optional. The value of the stay comes to you in many forms, and the stay is in every way built to be beneficial to you, but there is no fee required. But karmic reciprocity and good intentions don't pay the bills.
Suggested donation amount? Everyone seems hesitant to clarify this even though they very clearly have an idea in their minds. So I guess this is up to the guest. Personally I think $20 is fair for a home stay with a TA but that's me and my thoughts. I also plan to ask about helping with tasks/chores if money is thin. And on nights when I roll up at 8pm and camp in the yard to keep my snores to myself and leave early in the morning I will definitely leave less. The important thing is to try and offset your impact on the host if you can and be thankful.
The other side of the money conversation is that money should be left out of it. As a 10-year burner and huge fan of the Burning Man gifting economy, and as host to many CouchSurfers, I get this thought. I know how good things can be when money isn't involved and I cherish the community revolving around this hospitality. But there's an inherent reciprocity that needs to be in place for this situation to not totally put out the TAs and I don't think it's situationally possible to completely rule out money. But if you decide to not donate monetarily, I get it, this is why I suggest other ways to contribute.
Bottom line: Don't be a freeloading jerk. Even if the TA isn't asking you for donations of money or time you should do your part to chip-in* and contribute to the collective good time and the future of trail magic. If you don't want to be a contributor in any way then you have NO place at one of these trail angels homes. No one is forcing the TAs to host us and no one is forcing you to stay there, and absolutely no one owes you any form of magic. So contribute, don't be an asshole, don't expect anything and be gracious for what you're presented with and by all means try to tread lightly and reciprocate as best you can towards the collective good!
Let it sink in. Further research showed photos of hikers at a junction eating tacos and ice cream and drinking cold sodas, people standing around at impromptu picnic buffets set up alongside the trail. Dig a little deeper and you see a photo of smiling faces scattered around at a neat little hiker shack where many tired hikers are slumped lazily into chairs on a lawn and stretching their worn-out bodies into hammocks (with their scrappy feet dangling out) in euphoric relaxation, at the home of said trail angels. I imagined the Grateful Dead on the radio and the smell of BBQ anything hanging in the air. The happiest people on Earth, right there. Another photo showed a guy by a similar shack, standing with his arm in a cast giving a teary-eyed thumbs-up, no doubt being comforted by the crowd of smiling faces around him. An all-comforting scenario, these hiker havens.
Then I did a bit more reading and the tone (and my excitement) faded into a cautious optimism. I found several problems with the discussions I read regarding trail angels and trail magic.
If I were to base my opinion of a typical trail angel purely off of what I've read on the internet, I would picture them as an uneasy, jaded hostel owner that sits silently in a state of mild frustration waiting next to a broom and a worn-out rag waiting to attend to the next inevitable fuck-up stemming from the lousy group of freeloaders that's currently stinking up their couches and erasing the last romantic notion of their attempt at creating paradise from their minds. But this is wrong, I know it has to be wrong. But the question remains: How can something as perfect in theory, and as theoretically perfect in practice as trail magic be so negatively-skewed as to kind of make me consider avoiding it?
Most of the negative thoughts on trail magic and angels were planted in my mind by the trail angels themselves. They came in the form of rants and moans about everything that was wrong with hosting hikers (i.e. me) in their homes. Since 2004 I've hosted hundreds of CouchSurfers (completely for free) and I have been part of the Burning Man community that embraces 'no commerce' as a guiding principle, so I am extremely familiar with gifting and hospitality. I know how it's supposed to work and how it could work, but I am also aware of the handful of dirtbags that ruin everything, everywhere they go. So without experiencing this in a trail setting, these are my thoughts on it.
It CAN work.
The main way a hiker can help? PARTICIPATE! Participation can come in many forms. Donate money, if you can (and if accepted) and if you can't then see if there is something else, like your time, that you can donate by cleaning or helping with chores. For instance: No money to spare? Clean the dishes after dinner. No dishes to clean? Straighten the common room. No cleaning to do and no money accepted? Tell a story, help a fellow hiker, do SOMETHING to add to the experience rather than just absorb it. Be a participant rather than a spectator.
The subject of money is touchy (in every situation ever involving it). However if I am being honest this needs to be said:
Hosting people in your home costs money. Trail angels aren't looking to get rich. You won't roll up to a Trail Angel's place and see tired hikers waxing the TA's Lamborghini. They're not eating lobster with golden flatware while watching through their windows as you cook (my) discarded oatmeal. The angels do this because of the love they have for the hikers, but it isn't free. Consider the following..
Feeding people costs money. If you stop and add up all of the strictly functional utilities associated with sucking in a herd of dirt-covered, hungry and sleepy hikers and shoving them out the door as clean, fed, well-rested folks, you can already start to see a deficit in this trail angel's pocket with such gifted hospitality. Then there are the luxuries and basic upkeep to consider such as blankets, mattresses, house repairs, trash bags, storage areas, gas for rides, trucks for rides, hammocks, new additions to housing, food, lightbulbs, pots and pans, soap to wash the hippies and soap to wash the areas that washed the hippies, and...you get the idea of the actual cost. And what value do you place on the rest of it? You know, the main reason you're there, the part where you cultivate friendships, swap stories with new buddies, swap info/gear/food (and leave your oatmeal), and basically reawaken your happy mind.
So it's not free to host folks. Trail angels (real ones) are not running hostels/businesses. Money is needed, but not asked for, and donations are optional. The value of the stay comes to you in many forms, and the stay is in every way built to be beneficial to you, but there is no fee required. But karmic reciprocity and good intentions don't pay the bills.
Suggested donation amount? Everyone seems hesitant to clarify this even though they very clearly have an idea in their minds. So I guess this is up to the guest. Personally I think $20 is fair for a home stay with a TA but that's me and my thoughts. I also plan to ask about helping with tasks/chores if money is thin. And on nights when I roll up at 8pm and camp in the yard to keep my snores to myself and leave early in the morning I will definitely leave less. The important thing is to try and offset your impact on the host if you can and be thankful.
The other side of the money conversation is that money should be left out of it. As a 10-year burner and huge fan of the Burning Man gifting economy, and as host to many CouchSurfers, I get this thought. I know how good things can be when money isn't involved and I cherish the community revolving around this hospitality. But there's an inherent reciprocity that needs to be in place for this situation to not totally put out the TAs and I don't think it's situationally possible to completely rule out money. But if you decide to not donate monetarily, I get it, this is why I suggest other ways to contribute.
Bottom line: Don't be a freeloading jerk. Even if the TA isn't asking you for donations of money or time you should do your part to chip-in* and contribute to the collective good time and the future of trail magic. If you don't want to be a contributor in any way then you have NO place at one of these trail angels homes. No one is forcing the TAs to host us and no one is forcing you to stay there, and absolutely no one owes you any form of magic. So contribute, don't be an asshole, don't expect anything and be gracious for what you're presented with and by all means try to tread lightly and reciprocate as best you can towards the collective good!
And to the TAs: Don't judge the entire group on the handful of idiots that ruin your day. The vast majority still see the value of what you do and I look forward to the chance to chip-in and contribute to the magic!
* (Foot)note to self: One day become a trail angel and call my place the Chip-Inn.
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