This was my worst day on the trail. After all the rain last night the trail was a muddy mess. Slippery hardly describes the condition. Oozing goo is close. Footing is difficult both uphill and down. On top of that my Camelback hydration bag started to leak as I was preparing to leave the shelter soaking my dry clothes in my pack. After three weeks on the trail my mental state was not the best. Could not come to grips with why I was doing this. The more I walked the more I fretted about my condition, the cold, the wet and the futility of climbing up one hill only to trudge down another. Feeling pretty sorry about ME.
Then it happened. At Stecoah Gap, mile 150.7 a couple had set up a Trail Magic stop. Grilled hot dogs, soda, fresh fruit and homemade oatmeal raisin cookies that were to die for. Then the realization
The clarity I needed. Here was a couple who chose to hand out snacks on a cold windy Easter Sunday to unknown hikers. They were real Trail Angels. They may never know how they made me feel. Truly an act of kindness.
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