Friends Along the Trail (pt.II) and the Birth of the Hamburger Helpers

I previously wrote on the great experience I had in getting to, spending time with, and leaving my friend in New Haven, CT. Well only a few days later I was blessed again with an amazing off-trail experience.

A few years back (more years than I’d like to admit), I studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. There, I chose to live in the student dorms to get more a “fuller exchange experience”. I was randomly assigned a roommate, from American University, named Michaela. Michaela and I not only became friends quickly, but we stayed friends throughout and after the study abroad (you may recall that she is one of the friends I saw in DC when I flew there to begin my journey on the AT). At one point her parents visited us in Scotland, and took a group of us out for dinner. It was a great night and I really enjoyed getting to know them. That being said, I never expected I would see Michaela’s parents again (because they lived on the east coast, and I lived on the west coast).

That was, until her mom learned I would be hiking the Appalachian Trail and contacted me to figure out a time she could meet me (Shocker! I bet you totally did not see that curveball coming. Just kidding. I know that you saw this coming. Otherwise why would I be writing about my old roommates family  when I should be writing about the Appalachian Trail? Okay. Back to the story)

We shuffled around a couple of ideas and we landed on the following: she wanted to come and do some trail magic and then adopt me, and any hiker friends of mine, off the trail for the night! Let me tell you, this is literally two dreams come true for a thru-hiker.

I did not know what experience, if any, my friend’s mother (Michelle) had with thru-hikers (turns out she had actually done trail magic one time before). That being said, as I approached the location where I knew she planned to set up her trail magic, I told anyone and everyone I ran into about it. I even hiked past the location as fast as I could and caught some hikers who had passed through already to inform them about it, in the off chance they would want to turn around.

Well, let me tell you, Michelle did not disappoint. I will say that up until that point on the trail, the trail magic she delivered to us on that day was the best trail magic I had experienced. I mean, she had EVERYTHING. She had full deli-sandwiches, Gatorades, waters, fruit smoothie packs, snacks that were healthy (fruit) and snacks that were not (chips+cookies); snacks we could eat then and there, and snacks that could be packed out. And she had so much of it, you did not have to be afraid of eating too much! Truly she crushed it. And let me tell you, the hikers came.

(Fun fact: unknown to me at that time, here is where I met a group of hikers who I would continuously run into-time and time again in the future, and who would greatly liven up my trail experience)

After the lunch crowd had moved on, Michelle then packed the leftovers, Milkman, Paddington, and I, into her car, and offered to do what she could to get us ready to be dropped back off on the trail the next day. The three of agreed that we needed: gear (she took us to LL Bean), to spray our clothes with Permethrin (she let us set up and spray our gear down in her backyard), food (she went to the grocery store), and then on top of all that she offered to let us use her rec pass so we could go swimming.

Swimming?! We looked at each other in excitement. Yes please!!! Turns out not only did this rec have a pool… but it had a hot tub, a sauna, and a steam room!!! We felt very refreshed after our trip here.

Also, on our way to her house, Michelle showed me Daryl’s House, a music restaurant owned and run by Daryl Hall from Hall & Oates! I love Hall & Oates!

Now this is the second time Paddington, Milkman and I were adopted off the trail together and decided to help make dinner in the form of hamburgers. Thus, we felt it was appropriate to name our little group: The Hamburger Helpers.

Michelle and Michael’s (her husband) house was lovely (see the header photo of this post). They gave us a feast and the three of us had a wonderful time at their house. I failed to take many photos that night because I was carried away having a good time, enjoying good conversation, eating delicious hamburgers, and to top it off: drinking my favorite summer drink—Aperol Spritz! (Neither Paddington or Milkman had ever had an Aperol Spritz before, so we introduced them to it!)

I did get this great shot of Michael playing his guitar for us (Michael and Milkman bonded over music, coding/engineering, and grilling)

By the time Paddington, Milkman, and I left the next day, our hunger was satiated, and we felt refreshed, bug-repellent, and full of gratitude for the kindness of others willing to take in smelly hikers.

I continue to smile as I write this, thinking about the magic of how the trail continues to bring me together with others, new and old, who I never would have expected to meet or spend time with otherwise.