Trail Magic

I had a free Saturday and I decided to hike a new spot that had been on my radar: Hay Rock. I had seen it on several hiking lists online, but I am always skeptical of information until I get a chance to explore it. I looked up the starting point and drove out to Daleville, loaded up my knapsack, and began the hike.

The parking lot has a small connector trail to the Appalachian Trail. Following it southbound, it gained elevation for approximately 2 miles. I crossed railroad tracks, two stream crossings, log bridges, and underneath two power line sections. Once I started ridgeline hiking, I was not disappointed by the views. They were glorious, and you get a chance to see them below.

Overview of Daleville, VA

Making it to Hay Rock, I hung out on the rock and snapped pictures/video with my phone and GoPro (my new favorite “toy”).

Taken with Galaxy S7 Edge

Taken with GoPro Hero 5

As I was heading back down, I ran into a thru-hiker. Having a little knowledge of the AT and thru-hiking, I asked for her trail name (Nickname given to thru-hikers by fellow hikers). She told me it was “Kinda” as she responds to a lot of questions with that phrase. I asked if she minded sharing the trail with me and we proceeded to hike the ~3.75 miles back to the Jeep. A fellow former Colorado resident, Becky was a breath of fresh air to chat with. Sharing laughs and swapping hiking stories, I realized how much I miss backpacking and “getting back to the basics”.

As we neared my Jeep I asked if she was continuing on the trail or stopping in Daleville. She told me that she was stopping and hitchhiking over to Outdoor Trails to get some new socks and supplies. As I had some free time before I had to be back for work, I invited her to share some food with me, free of charge. As a hiker/backpacker, “trail magic” is a beautiful thing – an unexpected act of kindness along your route. She willingly took me up on the offer and while she loaded her pack in the trunk, I looked up the closest local pizza shop. We hopped in the Jeep and drove over to Bellacino’s in Daleville.

Entering the shop, it felt so good to be in air conditioning (I can’t imagine how good it felt for her). She got a chicken parm wrap and a Coke while I satisfied my sweet tooth with cinnamon sticks and a Cherry Coke (talk about a throwback!).

Seriously, the 1990's called and want their logo back

As she charged her phone, I again was floored by how legit she was for doing the trail solo (the two girls she had started with had both dropped out). I also realized how often I miss out on opportunities to practice hospitality and make new friends. I’ll probably never meet “Kinda” again, but for about 2.5 hours on Saturday May 27, we were best of friends. After dropping her off at Outdoor Trails, we had the chance to snap a quick picture. Good luck on your thru-hike, Kinda!

Two kindred spirits, sharing a love for food and sweet sugary Coke