The Saufley experience was an amazing gift of love and passion for helping hikers and being total trail angels in the truest sense of the words “trail angels.” Since I lost track of journaling and the days are running together in my head, here is a snapshot of highlights of three zero mile days.
Hikers hanging at the Saufleys: Flamingo, Donna and Gruevg, Dave and Mary, Whistler and Chunky, “H”, Bliss, HikerBum (Brian from Oregon), Lobo, Todd, Shirley and Cheryl, Good Foot and Toaster, Charles (now Little Big Man), Nabor J., Chowda, David P, Jean Luc (now Slash), Laura and Brian, Psycho, Ladyface, Zing (formerly Grilled Cheese), Dom (Dominique) and Erika, Brian from Alaska, Phillipp and Bettina from Switzerland, Emmy and Robert from the Netherlands, Bad Moon, Happy, whoop Ass, Phantom, Good to Go, Doodlebug, Nitro, Squirrel (back to do trail magic), Opto, Marzipan and Country, Bono and Nightingale, Healer, Kenneth, B.S., Jessica, Evan, Jump Back, Pepper Man, Mountain Goat, Mountain Tripper, Cheryl, Shirley and me.
Highlights:
• Memorial Day dinner for 35 – lasagna, salad, sodas, and Nabor J’s grilled glazed salmon
• Throwing darts with Psycho
• Sharing the large tent with Phantom, Good to go, and Doodlebug
• Fresh cotton shirts, shorts and flip flops
• Backgammon with Ladyface
• Guitar picking, strumming, and singing around the campfire, thanks to B.S.
• Signing up and being called to get to take a hot shower
• Having Donna Saufley do our laundry
• The five days sharing the backyard with the hikers, especially Houdini, the OLD Taco Bell dog whose poor butt drags the ground when he hobbles around
• Trips to town in Big Red, the truck available to hikers on a signup basis, and trips in the Volvo, the other vehicle available to the hikers
• Getting to borrow Donna’s personal vehicle, the Subaru, to drive Doodlebug and Aloha Ann to the doctor’s office, Walmart, Taco Bell and the Sunshine Liquor store
• Witnessing Chowda’s impromptu rap songs about the hikers and the trail
• Seeing Nabor J’s amazing photos and videos from the trial which will be part of his multimedia production about the PCT experience
• Using the internet in the mobile trailer while the room was filled with hikers watching movies on VHS
• Watching Jeff and Donna Saufley graciously welcome and give care to each and every hiker
• Feeding the Saufley horses watermelon rinds
• Getting a ride from Remy and Heather to the trail for our slackpack
• Drinking great specialty beers with Zing, Chowda, and Nabor J
• Having Doodlebug, Phantom, Bad Moon, Happy, Opto, and Squirrel all together in one place
• Late night town trip with Bono, Nightingale, and Phantom to the grocery store in Agua Dulce
• Listening to late night tunes lying in my bunk in the tent
• Seeing Squirrel come back to the PCT to do trail magic after returning to Georgia when he decided not to continue hiking
• Watching Jeff and Donna Saufley give hikers huge hugs when the hikers finally hiked out to get back on the trail
• Listening to Donna and Jeff share their story about the very first night they helped a thru-hiker NINE years ago and how Donna felt a calling to do this trail angel work from now on. The heartwarming story was told to 48 hikers who sat around the campfire as Donna and Jeff passionately share their love of doing what they do for us.
The entire time we spent at the Saufleys was almost magical, like being in thru-hiker Magic Kingdom. The only low point was watching Good to Go pack up to leave for four days to attend a wedding in the San Francisco Bay area and the separation from our hiking group that resulted.
