Mile 777. Jackpot!
If the number 777 represents good luck and magic, then ending today’s hike on mile 777 must be a good omen. Today’s 19-mile stretch includes over 6000 feet of climbing over rocky terrain. Some good luck and magic certainly will be useful!
Even after three sizable meals by 11:00am, I’m still ravenous. My stomach is crying like an inconsolable baby. Nothing will satisfy.
Except one thing: A hamburger. A big, juicy quarter pounder with melted Tillamook cheddar cheese, freshly sliced avocado, maple cured bacon, and smothered in ketchup and mayonnaise. In normal life, I might have a hamburger once a year. Maybe. On the Trail, however, I just can’t eat enough of them! And right now, it’s all I can think about.
The trouble is: I’m somewhere deep in the middle of the Jefferson National Forest. The best I’ve got is my dehydrated chicken & broccoli casserole. Sure, it’s good. But it’s not a big juicy quarter pounder.
I shake myself off and push aside these distracting thoughts. I must press on. I have climbed only the first of three mountains; and I have a long way to go.
After several failed attempts, I finally find my groove. The rhythm of my sticks on the rocks are a metronome, keeping my feet moving to a steady beat. Side, up, forward, down, back, left. The movement is a syncopation worthy of any Argentine dancefloor.
As I finish my second decent of the day, I see a white pickup truck parked in a gravel parking lot. And I hear the familiar deep-bellied-laugh of Doublewide and Up-Down, two of my favorite larger-than-life trail buddies. They are sitting in camp chairs, shoes off, packs to the side and – in their hands – are the biggest, juiciest hotdogs I have ever seen. Smokey is behind the grill, cooking another in anticipation of my arrival.
I hit the jackpot!!
Smokey is a seasoned Trail Angel. While he’s never through-hiked, he grew up in these woods and knew every side trail, creek, fox den, and everything in-between. He has a full appreciation for the challenge of this stretch. And setting up his Trail Magic station three times a week is his way to remain connected, paying forward the joy that the Trail has provided him over the years.
Smokey’s Trail Magic has all the good stuff. His hot dogs are first soaked in beer to make them extra plump and juicy. He tops them with his secret pickle relish recipe, aged a full year to reach the perfect balance of sweet, salty and sour. To wash the hot dogs down, he serves ice cold lemonaid – as much as we want to drink. While it isn’t a hamburger, it sure does hit the spot! I eat three. =)
In addition to the main show, Smokey also arranges several other goodies for us. He sets up a charging station so we can charge our phones and battery packs while we eat. He collects our trash, so we don’t have to carry the extra weight. He provides an assortment of sweet & salty snacks for us, including Little Debbie Nutty Buddy bars, my childhood favorite. And I am super excited that he provides dental floss, as I have been using the same thread for the last five days – bingo!
Belly full, feet rested, battery charged, and now happy. Smokey’s Trail Magic gives me just the boost I needed to tackle the last mountain of the day. Indeed, today is my lucky day.
