Norwich, VT (USA)

Trail Magic (Hanover Edition) Day!  I started teleworking very early and, at 0930, departed for the Hanover Co-Op.  For the next three hours, our Trail Magic event in Hanover was a big hit!  We got very lucky with a day of wonderful weather after weeks of rain. I was joined by my neighbors and my Thursday Evening Happy Hour friends in hosting visiting hikers as they passed though our Appalachian Trail Town.  We usually see them walking by but don’t always get to welcome them personally or support them directly - today we did both!  Between 10 and 3, we were positioned in a location (Hanover Co-Op parking lot) that allowed us to meet SOBO hikers just as they exited the woods and NOBO hikers as they were leaving civilization.  This helped us to encounter 35 hikers and brighten their day!  As the day progressed, we gave away burgers (both beef and vegan), hot dogs, fruit, trail snacks and cold drinks - in return, we had fun listening to their stories.  Afterwards (1500), I cleaned everything up, thanked my friends and the Co-Op and then drove back to my condo to meet up with my dad (he'd just arrived from Cape Cod).  He wanted to rest and said he wasn't hungry for a big meal.  As a result, I dropped in for a celebratory drink ("this round's on me") at Jesse's.  Next, I retraced my drive from a few days earlier (Etna, Lyme and Norwich) so I could retrieve all of the signs I'd left at trailheads.  I arrived home at 1900 and did some more teleworking.  Before bed (2300), I spent some time visiting with my dad - we depart for the AT hiking zone in the morning.  Overall, the Trail Magic event was a big success and is definitely worth doing again!