Volunteers near the Pacific Crest Trail, known as 鈥渢rail angels,鈥� are accustomed to stashing cold drinks and chocolate for hikers attempting to walk from the border of Mexico to Canada. Thru-hikers call those surprises 鈥渢rail magic.鈥�
But with the closure of a 55-mile section of the PCT, Mark Trent is providing another kind of magic in the form of logistical support for those caught in the path of the Shelly Fire. It鈥檚 burned over 9,000 acres as of Thursday with zero percent containment.
鈥淚've been, for the last several days with several other angels, shuttling hikers who have been diverted from the Etna summit, which seems to be kind of the stopping place for fires for the last several years,鈥� said Trent.
He said he鈥檚 shuttled several dozen hikers so far this season from the Northern California wilderness. Although he said that鈥檚 only a fraction of the rides provided as a handful of other volunteers rush to help those stuck in this remote region with little public transportation.
Trail angels also monitor fire maps and post updates on the group鈥檚 . Trent, who is based in McCloud and has volunteered as an angel for the last seven years, said helping hikers navigate wildfires is an increasingly important part of the gig.
He said most hikers know there鈥檚 a risk of wildfire interrupting their hike, but it can be frustrating to interrupt an adventure that takes months to plan.
鈥淚t can be demoralizing. I find, as a rule, hikers are super resilient and able to make on-the-fly decisions about what to do,鈥� said Trent. 鈥淏ut you can kind of tell in their body language that it can be disappointing.鈥�
Every year, thousands begin the 2,650-mile trail. According to a by the Pacific Crest Trail Association, last year around 7% of hikers quit because of fires.
