hitching post

We' had remarkably good luck bumming and thumbing rides into town for food and mail drops. The key: pickup trucks and minivans. Our first hitch came at a road crossing in rural PA. I asked the driver which way to a restaurant other hikers recommended and he told us to get on his tailgate. He drove us 2 miles to the place, which the proprietors said was closed on Monday (it was a Tuesday). So the guy took us to a general store the other direction for subs and root beer floats. Here's some other rides:
-Hellish hilly highway into Pine Grove, 2 Latino handyman in a pickup. Back to the trailhead, a retiree in a minivan offered us a ride "to the top of the hill". ( a 1,000 ft mountain)
-a cool Slatington native visiting a childhood friend met us on a late descent, he and his bud drove us to "jail" (free hostel in municipal bldg basement). In Palmerton (the most hiker-friendly town) several locals offered unsolicted rides back to the trail.
A teenage clerk at a country store drove us out of the rain to the warm, dry Episcoplean church basement in Vernon,NJ, and a researcher drove us back in her minivan today. The sole car ride was on triple trail magic day when a volunteer couple of trail maintaineers helped us complete our 'slack pack'. Moral of the story: if you need a ride, look for someone with a beat-up truck, NOT a new Lexus SUV. Anyway, we appreciate the rides from these trail angels on wheels and know that good Karma's coming their way.
-Billy Goat