[at-l] RE: Trail Angels & RE: SOPs

[nealb@midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

I met a lot of trail angels or at least what I call trail angels.  Some were
regulars in that they regularly "huanted" the trail or roads, towns, etc.
nearby.  They are a constantly changing bunch.  Although I understand that
some have been at it for awhile.  

One lady I met saw me dragging tail down a road to a country store from her
house.  She called to me and invited me up.  I ended up with some homemade
tea that took care of my headache (migraine), biscuits, and homemade jam.
As we say down here, she was good folks.  Another (a couple) stopped and
took me in to Helen, Ga.  Turned out a couple of other hikers saw me hike by
the camp ground outside of Helen, and mentioned it to the couple who gave
them a lift into the campground.  They turned around and spent awhile
helping me look for a motel.  Almost late for a church meeting.  Nice folks.
The kind that give Christians a good name.  Then there's the guy I heard
about who maintains or helps maintain one of the shelters.  He always leaves
his leftover "bheer" in the mountain stream near the shelter.  Only the time
I got there, I got there 15 minutes after the last one disappeared.  No-one
would own up to drinking the last one.  Guess John got it.  Heaven maybe
filled with angels watching over us, but around the AT there are plenty and
to be honest, for me they are part of the reason I love the AT -- as
compared to solo hiking on the Moon :-)

As to SOPs: I washiking through their training area for the first time.  & I
had seen cast off ammo casings and talked to one hiker who found a good
olive green L shaped military flashlight, but I did not expect to see any
Rangers or other SOPs.  But that night I felt the call of Mother Nature.  &
While walking back to the little house out back, I got the strangest
feeling.  I came fully awake, and looked right into the eyes of this guy
with tiger stripping across his face, night camo clothing, and a LARGE
automatic rifle cradled in his arms.  He smiled & I smiled back (never frown
at a bear or a Ranger).  Then I realized we weren't alone.  So I nodded and
kept on walking.  Strangely I no longer had Mama Nature calling.  So I
turned around and went back down the trail.  No one was there.  I almost
feel sorry for the other side in this sorry mess.

One last thing about SOPs.  I heard that in 92 a hiker got lost and
dehydrated.  And the brush where they found him was so thick that they could
not airlift him out.  So 6 Rangers had to carry him for about an hour to a
place where a copter could get to him.  They don't just fight; they serve in
other ways as well.  

William, The Sweet Turtel