Great information Amy, I didn't know the term "shoulder season". Thank you for encouraging people to become trail angels, it's a delicate balance in Ohio. We want to encourage locals to offer trail services, but it's a stretch to ask people to give away rides, food and lodging for free. I'd be curious to learn how trail angels become so generous without feeling like they are being taken advantage of. I suppose it comes down to frequency of visitors.
Hi, Jody! Always good to hear your thoughts on trails and communities! I think that the term trail angel comes out of the backpacking community and peoples' experiences on trails like the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. Typically people commit kind and helpful acts on their own volition rather than via an organized efforts. It's like a random act of kindness that often brings value to the person on the giving side (because they are interacting with people from other parts of the world as well as enjoying the act of helping). I could see that if anything were too heavily organized people might experience burnout. And, yes, when it comes to rides and lodging, there's definitely a choice to be made. People can either do that because they enjoy hosting and helping (I'm thinking of Free Showers) or they may be able to monetize it and make it part of their livelihood. Talk soon!
Great information Amy, I didn't know the term "shoulder season". Thank you for encouraging people to become trail angels, it's a delicate balance in Ohio. We want to encourage locals to offer trail services, but it's a stretch to ask people to give away rides, food and lodging for free. I'd be curious to learn how trail angels become so generous without feeling like they are being taken advantage of. I suppose it comes down to frequency of visitors.
Hi, Jody! Always good to hear your thoughts on trails and communities! I think that the term trail angel comes out of the backpacking community and peoples' experiences on trails like the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. Typically people commit kind and helpful acts on their own volition rather than via an organized efforts. It's like a random act of kindness that often brings value to the person on the giving side (because they are interacting with people from other parts of the world as well as enjoying the act of helping). I could see that if anything were too heavily organized people might experience burnout. And, yes, when it comes to rides and lodging, there's definitely a choice to be made. People can either do that because they enjoy hosting and helping (I'm thinking of Free Showers) or they may be able to monetize it and make it part of their livelihood. Talk soon!