[pct-l] Trail Magic

[Susan Alcorn]

I never expected trail magic, but I loved it every time I experienced it and often felt that I couldn't have completed the PCT without it because it provided such a lift (both physically and mentally) to be the recipient of a stranger's gift. Several tales I could tell, but one for today: Ralph and I had hitched about five miles into a town, but couldn't find a ride back to the trail so Ralph went into a laundromat and offered a $20 bill to anyone who would take us back to the trail. A woman and her two teenage daughters, who looked like typical vacationers and were pretty unfamiliar with backpackers, offered to drive us. We chatted as they drove us back and I guess they decided that hiker trash wasn't so bad, because when we arrived back at the trailhead and offered the woman the money, she declined the money and wished us luck.   Susan "Backpack 45" Alcorn