Trail Magic and Other Wizardry

“The Trail provides,” is a phrase often echoed in the long-distance backpacking community. Trail magic comes in all forms and sizes, from a small piece of chocolate passed from another traveler or a magnificent hiker feed, a feast fit for kings and hiker trash alike. Occasionally though, there is a kismet moment, a bit of serendipitous magic at the opportune time. I’ve had a few of these along various backpacking trips. These shine as burnished golden memories. 

1. A pair of camp shoes (the strap on mine had just broken)
2. A cold beer, passed through several car windows, while I walked down a scorching highway on a particularly hot day
3. A ground tarp (I had initially decided to hike without one, but changed my mind after a couple weeks)
4. Several Mountain House meals, donated to my food bag by a section hiker (hiker hunger had struck and I was rationing food)
5. Batteries (my flashlight had mysteriously died after a few days on new batteries)
6. A shower, coffee and dry place to sleep on a cold, rainy, and windy night when my pack liner ripped and all of my gear was soaked. 

These fulfilled a need at exactly the right time. “Eucatastrophe” was a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien to describe a sudden turn of events so the protagonist does not come to some horrible end in a story. Although I would (probably) not come to some terrible fate if I didn’t have camp shoes, batteries, or a cold beer, in my head these stand as moments in which there was some type of lack met in quick, surprising ways. Eucatastrophe would probably not be a good description of most trail magic, but it’s a concept I find intriguing as I stumble into the kindness of strangers exactly when I need it again and again and again. It’s humbling, it’s inspiring, it reminds me of Sam’s utterance “…there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” When I have access to the internet along a trail and can catch up on the news, it’s full of sobering stories of human cruelty. Trail magic in its various forms is a contrasting picture, a story of human goodness. 

My first encounter with Trail Magic along the TA was before I had stepped foot on 90 Mile beach. I was offered a ride to Cape Reinga, negating the need to hitch. Since then, I have stumbled into it by way of trail angels allowing trampers to camp on their lawns, offers of rides into town for resupply, someone paying for my coffee, wine and an amazing dinner, and pieces of chocolate. But my favorite bit of magic came after the arduous climb over the Dome forest track. It was one of the first hot days, and I was producing enough sweat to form a small lake. As I was climbing the last section, counting my steps and praying it would end, I rounded a corner and spied a large ice cooler. The large letters scrawled on the top declared, “Trail Magic.” It was full of cold sodas and fizzy drinks. It was the best damn Sprite I’ve ever consumed. Magic, indeed. I encountered more magic a couple days later when I reached Puhoi. A hiker turned Trail Angel lent A., Ro., and I kayaks so we could paddle the alternate route on the river rather than walk the highway. He additionally offered a place to stay in Orewa.

The next day we hiked into Orewa and parted ways. A. & Ro. were continuing on to Auckland, where they were planning on taking a few zeroes. After a lovely long morning in Orewa, where I was introduced to Rugby during the World Cup (All Blacks vs. Ireland), I walked to Stillwater and took a bus to Onehunga where I would pick up the trail again. I had already walked the 27-mile section of trail from Long Bay Beach to Onehunga over the course of two days while I was waiting for my bank account to finalize when first reaching NZ. I had been able to take a bus and leisurely stroll with a day pack, ducking into little cafes and bakeries, taking extra time to explore the tunnels on North Head, watching the sunset on Mt. Eden, and stopping in the Art Gallery and Museum in the CBD. 

I spent American Thanksgiving two days ago on a mountain ridge, rationing my food since I was still a day out from town. I had a stale bagel and peanut butter, a few cashews, and a handful of trail mix. Not quite the usual feast of pumpkin pie and turkey and all the trimmings. I made my last meal of mac & cheese and was eager to satisfy my rumbling stomach. Just as it was finished cooking, I accidentally knocked it over and pasta spewed over the ground. I attempted to salvage some of it, but it was full of dirt and rocks and inedible. Another hiker shared his ram-bomb (ramen and mashed potatoes) with me. Trail magic at its finest. I have a long list of things to be grateful for this year. 

 Mile Breakdown: 

Day 19: Pakiri on the Ridge- Dome Cafe 13mi

Day 20: Dome Cafe- Puhoi Tea Room 17mi

Day 21: Puhoi Tea Room- Orewa 15 mi

Day 22: Orewa- Stillwater 8mi

(Long Bay Beach- Onehunga 27 mi (two days of day hiking before officially starting the trail)