Give, Receive, Reciprocate

I have been thinking about the culture of the PCT and in particular trail angels and their contribution to the overall PCT experience. I have certainly benefited from the generosity of trail angels many times over the years. In Robin Wall Kimmerer’s wonderful book “Braiding Sweetgrass” she frames the act of giving so beautifully.

In her telling she refers to ‘gifts from the earth’ but goes on to explain these gifts can be shared among people…this got me going down the path of what trail angels do and who they are. The gifts Kimmerer describes “establish a particular relationship, an obligation of sorts to give, to receive, and to reciprocate.” It is this notion of reciprocity that stands out for me. As beneficiaries of the goodness of strangers we may forget to give back. We may take things for granted.

These interactions really have their foundation in a 'gift economy’ rather than a 'property economy’. Gift economies are based on reciprocation, that is 'what goes around comes around’, or 'paying it forward’, or 'one hand washing the other’. Whereas (private) property economies in Western thinking tend to be defined by a “bundle of rights”.

Rights that are associated with specific expectations such as if I say you can’t come onto my land I expect you won’t. Otherwise that is trespassing and in that exchange there is inherent conflict. Gift economies create, according to Kimmerer, a reciprocity or whatever is shared is then given away again and again. A good example of this might be 'hiker boxes’ found near stores or other public places along the PCT. Unused items are shared and maybe shared again if something goes unused.

As I consider the culture of trail angels I am drawn to this idea(l) of reciprocity. My friend Jim Peacock lives in Maine. A long way from the PCT. Nevertheless, Jim has spent many days and nights on the Crest Trail and knows how meaningful it can be to be a recipient of a cold drink or a ride from a stranger. In the late summer days he will go to where the Appalachian Trail passes near where he lives and bring hot coffee and donuts to the hikers closing in on Mount Katadin and the end of their journey.

This is a essence of the reciprocal nature of trail angeling and what has become a kind of cultural icon of the PCT. These gifts are not found everywhere we hike. In the northeastern United States these 'gifts’ can come at a cost. A ride between trailheads could be an expensive proposition. Realizing that my experience with the goodness of strangers was not the norm in Vermont I wondered if this is th future of trail angeling along the PCT.

I admit that passing out donuts, giving rides, providing shelter, or meals come at a cost to the giver. The fact that many of us receive it for free is unique and can’t be taken lightly. In this way the notion of reciprocity is essential for all of us to remember and act on. Gratitude seems to be an overused word these days. Despite this, gratitude can’t be diminished or undervalued. Our expression of being grateful, thankful, appreciative may go a long way to keep people like my friend Jim coming out to meet strangers with hot drinks and more. I hope it keeps the water caches in the desert available and filled. Thinking beyond where we have been and where the culture of the trail is going, who knows? Maybe you will grow your own wings and expand your heart in an effort to maintain the gift economy of the PCT. Just because you finished your section or your thru hike doesn’t mean your relationship with the trail and the people who walk it is over. You can give back in many ways. I hope you will consider this as each day brings us closer to getting back to the trail in whatever capacity.