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Places of Power on the Trail

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    • Places of Power on the Trail

      Hello everyone, wondering about places on the trail that you would call magical or mystical. Places of power, where ley lines cross, where Sidhe dance, where Spirits dwell. I realize that not everyone believes in these kind of things, but I do, so if there are any places on the AT that feel magical, please, let me know, and tell me about the reason you feel that way. What did you feel as you went through these places.

      Thanks!

    • I thought the hundred mile wilderness in Maine was a special place. I don't know why but it was a place that had my attention much more than any other section. Maybe it was the natural beauty, maybe because it was our last section of the northern half of the AT, or maybe it was something else, who knows.

    • BT,


      The Penobscot consider Katahdin to be a sacred place, the home of the God Pamola. Pamola was an angry God, and the summit was considered taboo for mortals.


      Henry David Thoreau wrote a book about his exploration of Katahdin and the Maine Woods called 'The Maine Woods.' It was both a physical and spiritual journey for Thoreau.It is worth a read for its depiction of nature as a spiritual salve.


      Completing 2000 miles to get to Katahdin will certainly amplify the spiritual and transformative power of this destination. Many of the trail journals I have read attest to this. So if I were to pick one place on the AT for its seeming mystical powers, I will vote Katahdin.


      Having said all that, I truly think the most magical and transformative power of any long trail does not reside in a single location, but rather in the journey itself.


      Happy Trails!
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • I feel that the sacredness of special places is inside of us and is always very personal, not an itinerary of places to visit. We make a place magical by how we experience it. For me, there’s a particular place where I rested, soaked in the environment, grieved for my sister, and felt very close to her. That’s my sacred place.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • If you're looking for a place directly on trail that is rich that sort of lore then do some reading into the Bennington Triangle. It's an area in Vermont just over the Massachusetts border that is rife with claims of supernatural native lore, disappearances, tales of monsters, and stores of a stone which is a portal to another place.

      While I'm not a believer in such things I will admit that it felt like a very, very weird place when I hiked through it some years ago.


      If you're interested, here are links to just a few of the podcasts that have covered stories from the area:

      lorepodcast.com/episodes/67

      ournewenglandlegends.com/podca…-the-bennington-triangle/

      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • Sarcasmtheelf wrote:

      ...While I'm not a believer in such things I will admit that it felt like a very, very weird place when I hiked through it some years ago...
      I too don't buy into most of this lore either. The only place I've ever been to that weirded me out in an unnatural way was an old cemetery in Skagway AK where they buried a lot of the people who died during the Yukon Gold Rush. I've been to lots of old cemeteries (often related to my wife's family history research), some with tragic histories, and normally I don't have problems with them, but this one was different.

    • dmperkins74 wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      When I saw the thread name I thought it would be about where to charge your electronics. :rolleyes:
      Same :D I guess I'll just keep trying to plug my phone into trees and see if that works!
      Watch out for shelters that have "electrical outlets" that are actually connected to nothing. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Astro wrote:

      dmperkins74 wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      When I saw the thread name I thought it would be about where to charge your electronics. :rolleyes:
      Same :D I guess I'll just keep trying to plug my phone into trees and see if that works!
      Watch out for shelters that have "electrical outlets" that are actually connected to nothing. :)
      There is/was a shelter in New Jersey that had not only a fake electrical outlet in the back wall but also a satellite TV antenna on the roof.

    • Astro wrote:

      dmperkins74 wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      When I saw the thread name I thought it would be about where to charge your electronics. :rolleyes:
      Same :D I guess I'll just keep trying to plug my phone into trees and see if that works!
      Watch out for shelters that have "electrical outlets" that are actually connected to nothing. :)
      Bailey Gap Shelter in VA. The Romex wire was sticking outside the wall by a foot. Funny.

      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard