by Jody Phillips
The Berks Community Hiking Club hosted Trail Magic on June 30 along the Appalachian Trail (AT) north of Reading. This was the fourth consecutive year that members of the club enjoyed being Trail Angels for thru-hikers on the AT in this area. All told, there were 17 hikers (plus 1 dog) from places near and far—Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. Many said it was the best Trail Magic they had ever experienced. One hiker consumed 5 hamburgers, 3 hot dogs, and several platefuls of salad, fruit, cookies, and other snacks. Another explained that she thought she was dreaming when she smelled hamburgers cooking, but then she noticed that her canine hiking companion was sniffing the air, too, and dogs have good noses for meat.
Twenty-seven members of the Berks Community Hiking Club provided food and a warm welcome to the hungry hikers. They arrived in the morning, and many hiked for about 5 miles, north to Route 309 and back, before returning to share their “picnic in the woods.” They eagerly listened to the hikers’ interesting stories and urged them to stuff their backpacks with as many granola bars and bottles of water as they could carry. They also shared a map of the AT route in Pennsylvania. They plan to return to this same area next year to share more Pennsylvania Trail Magic with their fellow hikers.
Hikers relax and share stories
A line of coolers offers a variety of cold drinks. Hamburgers and hot dogs are grilling near the parking lot
Medusa, who had walked all the way from Georgia with her owner, “Grub,” is eager to get back on the trail.
After lunch, Medusa, a through walker from Georgia, snoozes on her pack.