Giving Back

I few miles away from I5, where I could hitch to the town of Shasta, I saw a cooler and of course opened it up hoping for trail magic. I was not disappointed and had a cold coconut water on this hot July day. Additionally, in the cooler was the number of a trail angel named Kellyfish. When I got to the road I called her and she said the guy I was hiking with and I could stay in her back yard. When we arrived we learned that she lived in a very cool “tiny house”. This movement is growing in popularity but I had never seen one in person. In her 10×10 house there was only a small bed, desk, and small wood burning stove. The kitchen was outdoors, as well as the restroom. We instantly hit it off with Kellyfish and decided to take a zero day there.

On most zero days you pretty much just sleep but on this particular one, we decided to go the complete opposite direction and work. It was all hands on deck. Princess, the guy i’m hiking with, fixed her sink. Five, another hiker in on the effort, cleaned and straightened, and I painted her trailer. At the end of the day Kellyfish was so grateful that she took us to swim in her favorite alpine lake. The rest of the afternoon was spent in relaxation, accompanied by a feeling of accomplishment. After having been mostly taking for the past few months giving back felt good.

Noel Nelson- (pct mile 1500)