When I hiked the PCT in 2019, I was always amazed by trail magic. These random acts of kindness within the hiking community, provided by Trail Angels, came in many forms: an all you can eat taco stand alongside the road; a lone cooler in the middle of the woods filled with chilled soda; a rare hitch into town from the middle of nowhere; or a dry roof over your head for a night as it storms outside. These moments can turn an arduous day into a great one. Even two years later, my heart is still filled with gratitude for these people. I remember while hiking and receiving this compassion for months, I began planning how I’d like to give back when my thru-hike came to an end.

Fast-forward to May 2021, I find myself in California working a travel physical therapy job south of Sacramento. The snowpack this past winter was low and was now melting quickly, and I suspected this allowed PCT thru-hikers to navigate the Sierra Nevada mountains much earlier this year than usual. On this hunch, I packed up for a long weekend and headed towards Kings Canyon National Park. Planning on hiking the Rae Lakes Loop, which joins the PCT in the higher reaches of the Sierra Nevada mountains, in only a couple of days, I had plenty of room in my bear canister to include 14 cans of beer and soda. I started my hike up the canyon towards Glen Pass loaming at 11,926ft. Every step was weighed down by an extra 10+ pounds of cans on my back, yet made lighter with excitement of reaching the junction of the PCT to start my trail magic.

I easily could've driven to a road junction on the PCT to do my trail magic with more food and beverages; however, the Sierra Nevada section attracted me because it’s one of the longer, more remote sections of the PCT. A section where a hiker could potentially not see another soul for a few days. A section that beats you down as you climb up to high altitude passes. A section where you could be in the backcountry for more than seven days before exiting the mountains to resupply in town. I would argue that no hiker would ever suspect receiving Trail Magic in the backcountry of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

I saw this to be true on the faces of skeptical PCT hikers as I asked them if they wanted a cold soda or beer. Their skepticism turned into surprised elation as I pulled my bear canister full of cans out of my pack. I enjoyed listening to various hikers tell their own story of their hike so far. I reminisced about my time spent hiking north. Knowing the challenges of the trail, I was happy to provide a gift to help them continue on. It was an awesome trip in beautiful country with great company. Thinking back to 2019, the material gift of trail magic, in the moment, was momentous to a hungry, tired hiker; however, today, I’m more thankful for the resurgence of understanding the importance of giving to others: something I hope to incorporate into my life to a greater extent.


Gear:
GoPro HERO9: https://amzn.to/3yVcbCS
GoPro Max Lens Mod for HERO9: https://amzn.to/2X7lYc2
Sony Alpha a6300 Mirrorless Camera: https://amzn.to/3zVVaJZ
Sony - E 10-18mm F4 Wide Angle Zoom Lens: https://amzn.to/2VwX8BG
Sony - E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 Lens: https://amzn.to/38PL9Cf
Sony 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 Lens: https://amzn.to/3yT5UY9
Sigma 16mm F1.4: https://amzn.to/2WZXGAg
Osprey Exos 48L Backpack: https://amzn.to/2YFX6Zp
Nemo Hornet Ultralight Backpacking Tent, 1 Person: https://amzn.to/3zY1IrA
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite Air Mattress: https://amzn.to/3zWlnbr
BearVault BV500 Bear Canister: https://amzn.to/3ngxKLW
Brooks Cascadia 15: https://amzn.to/3yTxjcn

Instagram:
k.g.adams - https://www.instagram.com/k.g.adams/?...

Music:
Fade by Voyageur
Streams by Voyageur
All I Wanted by Voyageur
Civilized by Voyageur

- May 2021