Page 20 - SMH 2017 2nd edition

Trail Angels

with Denise Cameron, Debra Ferrell & Teri Samples

“Trail angels” are responsible for what is known as “trail magic,” which is a simple act of kindness that folks do to
bless the AT thru-hikers traveling from the 2179-mile trek from Georgia to Maine, or vise-versa. On many occasions,
“trail angels” invite the AT thru hikers into their homes for cooked meals, do their laundry, offer a place to sleep, as
well shuttle service to pick up supplies. They typically live close to the trail and have a true appreciation for these long
distance hikers. “Trail angels” also have been known to provide simple acts such as leaving coolers full of drinks,
snacks and common hiker necessities along the route as a generous shared “Spirit of Giving.” On many occasions,
hikers are feeling down and physically fatigued, then all of the sudden, something unexpected such as trail magic or a
trail angels appears. We were told that this really boosted their moral and helped lighten the load when they have been
on the trail for so long. We witnessed first-hand hiker’s spirits totally lifted when they saw us on the side of the road
with our trail-magic. They expressed that it was an exhilarating and uplifting experience to have trail angels throughout
the journey and they looked forward to meeting all of us.

On Good Friday, 2017, the three of us had the heartwarming
pleasure of serving as trail angels for a fun-filled day. It was such
an awesome privilege and we had such a good time! We met so
many hikers, and they openly shared their personal stories with us
as to why they were doing
this, and taking on this special
challenge. They shared their
unique “trail names” with us
as well, and we learned how
they acquired them. We were
educated on why these people
were hiking, all for a variety of
reasons, whether it be for a personal quest or for a significant cause. One such
thru-hiker that touched us was hiker Jennifer Giddens. She told us that she was
hiking the Appalachian Trail to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Her
website and blog is TrekkinForChange.com. Jennifer told us that the trail angels
were so important to the hikers and they really look forward to anything fresh,
such as fruit. Well, we certainly delivered this on this day. Denise had a car full of
oranges, apples and bananas., and both sides were certainly blessed on this date!

20 Smoky Mountain Hiker