Trail Magic

[Leah C. O'Leary]

"Trail magic" is a phenomenon talked about a lot on the A.T. which my son hiked this year. They talk about the many kindnesses hikers experience just when they need it on the Trail. I'm new to the Camino community so I don't know how it's referred to in Camino discussions. I've read many accounts of unexpected kindnesses that folks walking the Camino experience and they sound like what my son talks about on the A.T.

My story from yesterday: I'm in training (not enough) for starting the route from Sarria on September 30. At age 67 and not in great shape, I've been walking around the neighborhood trying to prepare. Yesterday, I set off for a mile walk around the neighborhood, and half way through my walk, I started to have a headache and not feeling well. I experienced dehydration on an earlier walk, so I recognized the symptoms. Then I realized I forgot to bring water. I leaned up against a telephone pole and began thinking about whether to finish the walk, or to return home. As soon as my head rested on the pole, I heard a voice yell out, "Do you need water?" I had to look around because I had no idea where the voice came from. Then I saw my elderly neighbor (who I didn't know) - long story short - he went into his house, came out and gave me a bottle of water. I told him I am in training for El Camino and explained what that means, he shared that his daughter is doing a pilgrimage in Czechoslovakia to some sight where the Blessed Mother appeared to some children.

I thought the experience was really interesting and thought I'd share the story.

 

[mspath]

Leah,

What a happy ending to your tale! Trail Magic on the AT is so similar to the efforts of Camino Angels on the caminos. These are good generous gestures which ease the burdens of others passing by. ...May we always continue these special traditions.

Welcome to the Forum, happy training ( with enough water ) and Buen camino!

MM

 

[wayfarer]

Yep, Camino angels. Have met a few.
Buen Camino Leah.

 

[Arminius]

Leah, wish you more "magic trails" on your Camino. Buen Camino!

 

[Introibo]

Divine Providence

Buen Camino

 

[Beebe]

I think Trail Magic is the biggest reason why we walk it..magic of others, local and pilgrim, magic of the earth, magic of magic...So much so, I wrote a piece called Trail Magic (link below, if at all interested). Thanks for sharing this.

http://www.perceptivetravel.com/issues/0715/spain.html

 

[Arminius]

I think Trail Magic is the biggest reason why we walk it..magic of others, local and pilgrim, magic of the earth, magic of magic...So much so, I wrote a piece called Trail Magic (link below, if at all interested). Thanks for sharing this.

http://www.perceptivetravel.com/issues/0715/spain.html

Walking the Camino in Spain means stepping into synchronicity, strange coincidences, and other forms of magic.
Nice quote Beebe! Wish you well.

 

[Beebe]

Walking the Camino in Spain means stepping into synchronicity, strange coincidences, and other forms of magic.
Nice quote Beebe! Wish you well.

Thank you! You too!

 

[Albertagirl]

I have never heard the term "Trail magic" but I have come across the phenomenon many times in the backcountry, most recently last summer in Banff National Park in Alberta. I had walked over Pulsatilla Pass, my avatar picture was taken that day at the top of the pass. It was a lovely walk, but by evening I was facing some challenging trail finding as floods the year before had obscured or destroyed the trail and washed out many bridges. I broke my hiking pole at a tricky stream crossing and arrived in camp at twilight to find many other walkers there. As I shared their fire and described my day, I mentioned the incident. In the morning, one of the previous night's group came to me and offered one of his pair of hiking poles for my use. I could send him some money when I got home, he suggested. I gratefully took him up on his offer and paid him on the spot, with the usual polite argument as I insisted that the pole was worth more than he asked for it. After he and his group left, it became apparent that the stream was going to be very challenging for me to cross. The sturdy bridge which had been there my last time through was gone. Three very small, sagging poles replaced it. Another couple who had share the camping space the night before offered to help me cross the stream, and with hands out to me from one of them on each end of the sagging poles, I made it across safely. Later, in Lake Louise, I met the man who had sold me his second hiking pole, and he was happy to see that I had finished the trip safely. This type of event is so much a part of backcountry walking that I tend to take it for granted. I am as often a giver as a receiver. I think that the source of this type of generosity and mutual care is the fact that we rely on one another when there are no other resources available, usually two or more days from a trailhead.
I am pleased that a similar sense of communal caring exists on the camino. If, as so many threads emphasize, don't take anything with you that you don't absolutely need, because the camino is not the backcountry and you can buy what you need along the way, then there must be another reason why this impulse to help seems to be frequent. Is it the pilgrimage?