Glampers and thru-hikers can exist in symbiosis. Meet the mobile trail angel: combining altruism and adventure. RV road trips never felt so charitable.
No RV? Check out www.outdoorsy.com to rent an angel-mobile. It’s time to hit the road!
Thru-hikers and Trail Angels
Thru-hikers are hikers attempting to complete a long-distance trail, such as the Pacific Crest Trail, in one season. Anyone who offers generosity to hikers in the form of housing, showers, laundry, meals, rides, etc. is considered a trail angel! Many angels provide services for hikers in towns near the trail, but a few angels hit the road in search of their own adventures in RV’s or converted vehicles.
Mobile trail-angeling has many perks. If you angel for PCT hikers the way “Coppertone” does, you have the opportunity to visit the countless bucket list destinations along the trail. Experience the Sierra Nevadas, Yosemite, Crater Lake, Goat Rocks Wilderness, and countless other gorgeous places.
Meet Coppertone
Coppertone’s self-made flatbed and truck camper hybrid was parked off the road near the PCT and HWY 173 near the Mojave River when I met him. I was ecstatic when I saw a circle of camp chairs filled with other dirty hikers. He offered my partner Sourdough and I an ice cream float, fruit, and donuts. The gratitude I felt was immense, like dull chest pains. A complete stranger went out of his way to show us kindness. Every encounter I had with a trail angel offered me a new perspective on humanity.
Pay It Forward
I was curious about these newfound altruistic people. I asked Coppertone what made him want to become a trail angel. Simple: gratitude.
“I hiked the PCT in 2006 and received many blessings from trail angels… this is a way that I can repay that kindness.”
Coppertone’s faith plays a huge role, too. “I was also a Christian missionary for 12 years,” he said, “so this is my way of sharing God’s love with the hikers.”
Coppertone began his trail angel work in 2013 by offering services for a few weeks with no long term plans in mind. He fell in love with angeling and returned year after year. 2019 will be his seventh year as a trail angel.
Thru-hikers are unique individuals. Coppertone enjoys connecting with hikers and hearing their stories. He’ll hunker down in one place for a week at a time before setting up farther up the trail to follow the hiker herd on their journey north. In 2016, he moved his RV thirteen times and ended up in Stevens Pass, Washington. He now has adventure partners all over the US and has visited several of them for hiking, climbing, and canyoneering trips. Hikers have also returned his kindness by offering him places to park his camper for a night or two.
Mobile Trail Angel Advice From Coppertone
- “You need to set limits so you don’t burn out”: trail angeling can be tiring, long, and expensive. Coppertone’s only day off is Sunday. He goes to church, does his shopping, and moves locations.
- Make sure you eat! “If I don’t eat breakfast immediately when I get up, I might not have time until mid-morning or noon. I sometimes don’t eat dinner until 8 or 9 pm.”
- Bring the whole crew! “If you have a partner or two, it is a lot easier. Don’t be afraid to bring your kids, or a dog (many hikers miss their dogs at home).” Coppertone has also teamed up with other trail angels who offer hikers cooked food. Hikers have strong cravings for anything they can’t get on the trail like fresh fruits, vegetables, hot food, sweets, and cold drinks.
- Think about providing a hiker box: a community box where hikers drop off what they don’t need and take what they do. You can put items like socks, bandaids, toothbrushes, and Ibuprofen in the box, too. Hikers will start to think you truly are a celestial being!
- Budget how much you’re willing to spend on helping hikers and decide whether or not you’ll take donations from hikers. There are days Coppertone has seen hiker herds of seventy-one people. “That gets expensive!” he said, “I have never asked for donations… When one hiker offers a donation, I accept, and that usually encourages others to give as well.”
Coppertone also recommends keeping a register of hikers you meet. “It helps to remember their names and see how many stopped by, and they like to see who is ahead of them… it is so much fun to look through later and reminisce.”
There are many options available for mobile trail angels. Consider following your partner, friend, or family member who dreams of hiking a long-distance trail. The potential for you to experience a life-changing glamping adventure exists behind the wheel of an angel-mobile. If gratitude is the secret to happiness, then adding nature’s grandeur and authentic human connection can help you create your own little slice of heaven on Earth.
