Off the Appalachian Trail for the winter
We're all home now, in Maine. Branchville, N.J., marked Tristan's return to family in Burlington, Vermont. Devon and I pushed through the cold just a handful of miles farther to the Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania. We each had as many reasons to come home as we did to press on. The snow-glazed beauty of the hike was countered by the gripping cold. The gratification of physically testing oneself was countered by gear nearing the end of its life. The excitement of seeing what town lies in wait was countered by social monotony.
In March, we will fly down to Springer Mountain in Georgia and resume the hike. Although, we originally intended to end our trip there, we have decided to hike north to get a more classic view of the trail. Most hikers start from Georgia in the spring and hike north. We're hoping to meet more people and see a different, more social side of life on the Appalachian Trail.
The trail, to me, isn't just about seeing the beauty of this legendary mountain range. It's about meeting all the unique characters who dare to call this footpath their home for half a year at a time.
Our conversations often lead us to reminiscing about the people we've met, and the stories that we heard from them. The people on and surrounding the trail are an interesting and diverse group of wanderers and trail angels. Everyone has a story, but trail people have trail stories. Everyone has a generous side, but trail people have trail magic.
There's something special about the community of individuals surrounding this historic trek. Everyone seems to greet one another with open arms and a sense of understanding. Understanding that may have roots in the experience of walking the same beaten path.
Since Massachusetts, our path has been all ups and downs. Not necessarily as a matter of hills, but a matter of extreme cold and terrific views. It's been rough, but we've grown to love it. On our first day out hiking in Maine, a hiker in the 100 mile wilderness gave us some advice: "Learn to enjoy the bad times as much as the good ones."
It's hard to enjoy pouring rain in 33-degree weather, but when it freezes over, the next morning it's easy to enjoy the icicles. As dramatic as our trip has been recently, and as desolate as the trail has become, the one thing that still stands out in my mind are the people we've met.
We have been gifted with countless incredible human experiences. We have been taken in like family, driven far and wide in search for a cheap motel, taken grocery shopping, been given food and clothing and simply been told stories as we sat in the company of someone more traveled than ourselves.
Meeting fellow hikers is something that happened less and less as the days grew shorter, but we still met other members of the trail community each time we had to find our way into town.
Many of these people surrounding the trail have history with it — a past hiker or a local who grew up on and around the section of trail. Many, however, have no connection with the trail at all.
At the beginning, I was convinced that hikers get help from other hikers because of their shared lifestyle; but It has become all too apparent that hikers get help simply because there are so many genuinely good people in the world. I never would have guessed that we'd be met with such kindness everywhere we went.
Trail magic is what hikers call the unexpected acts of kindness that we occasionally encounter.
Trail magic isn't around because of the trail, though. Trail magic lives everywhere, every day. It's just easier to see when we realized it could be around any corner. Hikers know that they are bound to run into something: A free quart of melted ice cream, spice cake, jolly rancher, or the warmth of someone's home. We've been warned of trail magic, and so we recognize it everywhere.
Since I've returned home, I've been seeing this magic all around me. People smile to one another and lend a hand where they can. There are a lot of little things. The trail has taught me to appreciate these little things in life. They go by unnoticed, but they add up. Seeing all of the small bits of "trail magic" has breathed life into my confidence in the kindness of humanity.
We all look forward to spring. The warmth and the change of pace will only be made better by the company of many other hikers making their way north. For now, we are surrounded by the warmth of our families and friends. Trail magic is everywhere, home and hiking.
Brothers Devon and Aiden Gordon, Tristan See and Taylor Benner, all from Rockport, spent the fall the Appalachian Trail to Georgia. They sent periodic installments from the tall spine of the East Coast, and will resume their hike in March.
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