“Oh Jeez!” I muttered as the sudden urge to pee startled me out of a deep sleep. I ripped off my quilt and scrambled out of the tent. I was en route to the men’s room (ie: anywhere in the meadow) when I stopped in my tracks. The stars gleamed with a brilliance that was beyond compare and their glow pierced every facet of the boundless midnight sky. My emergency bathroom break was suddenly unimportant. Time ceased while I stood motionless in the silence marveling at the masterpiece above. It was like nothing I had seen before! The marvels of my journey never ceased and two days later I would experience a miracle of a totally different kind.
I found myself in the tiny town of Packwood completely exhausted. I had camped far too close to the road last night. The intermittent roar of passing log trucks and a heard of cow elk grazing around my tent had kept me awake all night. Unfortunately, I didn’t have accommodations in town and I now sat alone in a parking lot sweating in the late afternoon sun. I pondered the situation with my head in my hands. My messy hair hadn’t been washed in thirteen days and it left my palms greasy and speckled with dirt. “You really need a day off and a shower!” I thought to myself, “How are you going to make that happen?”
A moment passed as I scrolled through my phone searching for options. Suddenly my concentration was shattered when an old Jeep Cherokee came to an abrupt stop before me. A lady leaned out the driver’s window and inquired, “Are you on the PCT?” “Yes mam!” I replied. As I approached the open window I was shocked to see familiar faces inside. It was Scotsman and 85. I had met these two a couple of weeks ago and it was great to see them again. The lady explained that she was a trail angel and she’d be happy to host me for as long as I needed. An overpowering feeling of relief washed over me as I said yes and thanked her profusely. Before I knew it, we were barreling down a back road into the forest.
The trail angel’s home was a quaint tiny house nestled amongst massive fir trees. It’s cedar siding and green tin roof just looked at home in these surroundings. I was so happy to have a place to stay I could have cried. I asked, “I know I smell like a dumpster but can I give you hug?” My host laughed and embraced me despite my pungent perfume. It felt like I had another mom.
We all spent the evening talking and watching movies. I learned Scotsman and 85 had both hiked too hard and now suffered from overuse injuries. They had also been rescued by our trail angel. She had not only hosted them for nearly a week but had shuttled them to the distant hospital several times. We spent the next two days talking, napping, running errands, and pigging out on town food. I did some sink laundry and took a much needed shower. At night we’d gather around to watch a movie or laugh at one of Scotsman’s mid 90’s sitcoms from back home.
The time off was great but we were all ready to continue our journeys. We each pitched in an unsolicited donation to help defray the cost of our stay. Scotsman and 85 wanted to attend PCT Days and arranged a ride with Broken Toe. I met Broken Toe all the way back a Harts Pass where he was feeding hikers. I hadn’t seen him in a month and now here we were chatting again in my trail angel’s kitchen. The next day my host graciously agreed to drive me back to the trail. At the trail head we said our goodbyes and exchanged a slightly less stinky hug.
That evening I sat in the dirt beside a small pond eating some leftover spinach from town and a handful of sun-dried tomatoes my trail angel had given me. Darkness blanketed my surroundings and transformed the landscape into an intangible mural of gray pigments. In silence, I reflected on the incredible kindness I had just experienced. During our long conversations I had learned so much about my trail angel. She was a disabled veteran, had survived an ugly divorce, and was living on a fixed income. Despite all of this she was accepting, generous, and wore her heart on her sleeve. I was incredibly thankful for the profound impact our chance encounter had on my journey and life.