トレイルエンジェル | #01 アラン & ナンシー・ハモンド (PCT) by リズ・トーマス

The first trail angel I interviewed was Alan Hammond of Limit Situation. Alan and Nancy Hammond won the 2023 Trail Angel of the Year award from the American Long Distance Association-West, an organization of current and future thru-hikers and those who support thru-hiking. The Hammonds are trail angels who feed PCT thru-hikers in one of the most remote sections of the Sierra and have been doing this work since 2015.

The Hammonds formed a non-profit, Limit Situation, with 12 volunteers that feed over 500 hikers annually, providing 1,000 meals. The organization adheres to principles of non-judgmental support and safety away from the alcohol and partying that can happen in trail towns. They also fundraise for the PCTA, contributing around $3,000 annually through live events.

Origin of a Trail Angel

Alan first heard of PCT hikers in 2015 on his annual men’s campout. Another camper told them about running into a PCT hiker walking 2,600 miles and Alan’s group of friends wondered if the hiker was hungry, so they decided to backpack food 1.5 miles up a spur trail and set up a table. “We didn’t know what to do and we didn’t know there was a name for it,” he said.

The first hiker he ever fed was named “Steady Eddie.” At the time, Alan thought he was just feeding a hiker, but Steady Eddie explained that Alan and his friends were actually trail angels. Alan put up a sign and fed hikers for two days. The more hikers Alan fed, the more he was struck by hikers’ profound sense of gratitude. The simplicity of hikers’ lives made the busy-ness of Alan’s everyday life look crazy. “It was a big revelation,” he says. “I knew I needed to go back up and do it again.”

Later, Alan needed to bail from a challenging backpacking trip in the Sierra. While he was able to self-rescue to another trailhead, he found himself far from his car and in need of a ride. A trail angel went 1.5 hours out of his way to get him back to his car. Alan tried to pay but the trail angel said, “‘No, I won’t take a penny, because that takes the blessing out of it.’” It reinforced Alan’s belief in the importance of trail magic.

These two experiences changed Alan’s perspective on life and led to a decision to make trail angeling part of his life.

The details of a trail angel’s magic

Alan’s efforts to provide for hikers grew. He convinced his wife Nancy to come with him to feed hikers the next year “She cried all the way home,” he explained. “She said, ‘I’ve never met people that aren’t there to judge you. They’re just grateful. They don’t care who you are or what you do, which is so rare in today’s world.”

The couple formed a non-profit organization with 12 volunteers built on non-judgemental, safe spaces for hikers to be fed. The organization focuses on providing good, nutritious food, including vegetarian and gluten-free options. After partnering with Darn Tough sock company and a local running store in Auburn, CA, the Hammonds’ trail angeling now includes sock and shoe exchanges. “Oh the look on their face when they get a fresh pair of clean, soft socks and a new pair of shoes!” Alan says.

The Hammonds set up near the PCT at Ebbetts Pass and Donner Pass each year for a month during peak hiker season. This requires extensive preparation, including shopping, prepping food, and loading and unloading equipment. They begin making pizza dough in March to feed hikers in July. Each volunteer is assigned a station and a task, from making fresh salads to making pizza. They even have a baker who bakes for hikers full-time during the summer.

Several natural disasters and extreme weather conditions have impacted PCT hikers over the last few years. In 2023, a record-breaking snow year, the Hammonds adapted to feeding hikers later in the year as many PCT thru-hikers skipped the Sierra in May and came back in September after the snow melted. Trail angeling, especially on-the-ground operations like what the Hammonds do, requires flexibility and adapting to changing conditions.

Memorable hikers and the best thing about being a trail angel

The Hammonds have trail angeled since 2015, so they have more memorable experiences than they can count. But the first one that came to Alan’s mind was a hiker with the trail name “Sensei.”

Alan went over to greet him and asked him what brought him to the trail. Sensei said that he was a retired law enforcement officer and that he was “out here just trying to find humanity in society.”

Two years later, Alan was surprised to see Sensei thru-hiking the PCT again. Sensei was crying so hard he couldn’t even talk to Alan. He was so overwhelmed. Sensei revealed that in the past, he had been the Dalai Lama’s bodyguard in the Canadian Special Forces. “That guy shook everybody’s hand as if they were the most important person in the world. The whole time, I stood around looking for only the bad guys.”

Hiking the trail, Sensei said, was a breakthrough for him. Alan asked why he was out hiking the second time. The first time Sensei hiked, he explained, he was looking for humanity in others. The second time, though, he was finding the humanity in himself and letting himself let go of looking for the bad everywhere he went.

Alan says, “There is so much healing on the trail. The people that come in are glorious because after 1000 miles, they’re not who they were when they started.” On the trail, Alan says, “you can step into the true self of who you are.”

Hiking provides a place for healing and personal growth. Trail angeling helps hikers experience the transformative power of the trail.

The Hammonds and their non-profit focus on hiker needs rather than trying to get their personal stories. “Hikers are used to solitude. They’re going to be overwhelmed. The number one rule is leave the hikers alone.”

Alan was inspired by hikers who come to the trail after experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after time in combat. “If they want to talk, they’ll come chat. We’re available if they want an ear to talk,” Alan explains. Not everyone is ready to share their story with strangers “We’re not there to ask 1,000 questions. We keep pulling our volunteers back.” The Hammonds and the people who volunteer for the organization know to give hikers space.

What do you want to do as a Trail Angel in the future?

Alan would like to see trail angel work continue to come from the heart, without focusing on numbers or the promotion of the trail angels themselves. The Limit Situation non-profit aims to maintain its principles of helping people without seeking recognition. That can sometimes lead to challenges finding volunteers who understand and adhere to their principles. Some volunteers want to tell their story or ask hikers lots of questions. That is not what Limit Situation is about.

Through it all, Alan emphasizes the importance of trail magic is giving hikers what they need: a simple respite to rest and recharge as they learn about themselves on the trail.