Several factors fueled my belief in humanity, such as the kindness experienced during long distance journeys. The hiking community calls the serendipitous acts of kindness they experience “trail magic.” With my Google Alerts set to “trail magic” and “trail angel,” I will occasionally curate the results for trail magic updates.
Trail magic has changed over the course of my lifetime. Originally, trail magic was something that happened by serendipitous surprise. Now there is more of an expectation that at certain town stops or trail crossings some trail magic is expected. My curation will emphasize the former. With this first update I found one story that meets my standards.
“But in the Bear’s Den Hostel in 2003, “what those other hikers didn’t know was that I didn’t give a shit what happened to me back then,” says Riddle. He’d been on the AT for three years running from law enforcement after skipping town on parole with a hefty prison sentence hanging over his head. That September, he planned “to hike down to McAfee Knob and take a headfirst dive into oblivion.”
Reformed hiker who once ran from the law gives back.
An amazing testimony to the power of creation to heal a person.
Wow, thank you for sharing this, Kirk. It touches me in many ways.
Sometimes you just need to get away from it all to clear your head. Sometimes you need an act of G_d such as a tree crashing down next to you. Sometimes you need both. Apparently Riddle had both.
This shows that a person can change. I witnessed this with my Father-in-law, who graduated from AA (passed on while sober). He had many stories of a wild youth, but died an honorable and loved man.
Thank You for sharing this wonderful story of redemption and giving back.