Ashley Barham
12/2/15
Before this class, I had no idea that thru-hikers had their own community. It never occurred to me that they would have websites dedicated to blogs that they all write and read while on trail, and it certainly never occurred to me that hikers are as close-knit as they are. From what I've gathered in this course and from various research on my own, long distance hikers are a family. They share stories, they provide shelter and food, they give rides into town, etc. It seems like a club that I would be interested in joining. By far the most amazing thing about thru-hikers to me is the trail magic. When I first heard this term, I didn't know what to think it was- some sort of psychic table set up along the hike to tell a hikers future? I had no idea. Once I learned what it was- random acts of kindness from locals and other hikers- the name made more sense. Dr. Redick has shared some of the trail magic he has experienced while hiking, and I have read about it on trail blogs. Some examples of trail magic includes slap-packing, grilling a meal off the trail and sharing it with hikers, and letting tired hikers stay in their homes for cheap or at no cost at all. I think this is so fantastic that complete strangers just hand you a beer and a plate of food because you are a hiker just like them. What a great community of people.
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