After summiting and exploring Mcafee Knob and Tinker Cliffs VA while backpacking the Appalachian Trail, Leo Eschenbrenner and Zumi Hersey from Troop 1203 set up camp at the Lambert Meadows Campsite. The boys cooked dinner utilizing their lightweight stoves as they have so many times. Dinner was Leo’s tried and true favorite, chicken and broccoli with rice.
About the time we had all we could eat a south bound, AT hiker named Bob hiked into our campsite. Bob was a south bounder or SOBO as they are called. He started his AT journey in Maine on Mt. Katahdin and had been hiking sense the spring. AT hikers don’t typically carry a lightweight stove or cook meals but live on cliff bars and fruit.
Leo offered a hot meal to Bob and Bob gladly accepted.
After Bob enjoyed his hot meal, Bob spoke to the boys about trail angles. Trail angles offer kindness to AT hikers and the kindnesses the boys offered to Bob was some magic that made his journey a little more special. We talked to Bob for seemed to be about 45 minutes and discussed his amazing experiences and the people he had come to meet along the way. Bob departed before sunset with the goal of seeing the sunset from Tinker Cliffs. Leo spoke about Bob and the friendship they shared over his trail angle hot meal.
A Scout is friendly and a Scout is kind
ASM Dave Eschenbrenner
Troop 1203
California, MD
