General Information about Item:
- Genre: Customary Lore- traditions
- Language: English
- Country where Item is from: USA
- Informant: Stephanie Everett
- Date Collected: 11-3-17
Informant Data:
- Stephanie Everett is a female, class of 2019 Dartmouth student from Silver Springs, Maryland. Stephanie is currently an intern at Northern Stage in White River Junction, Vermont and is an avid singer. She has a passion for hiking and has even worked the AT as an emergency medical responder to those participating in the Dartmouth 50 (50 miles of hiking on the Appalachian Trail).
Contextual Data:
- Social Context: Running into a trail fairy is said to happen in times of need. A fairy provides a sense of relief to hikers that tend to be exhausted or in need. Fairies tend to be hiking retirees or people that live close to the trail.
- Cultural Context: People that hike for hours and days on end have a tendency to be low on supplies or require repair/replacement of their equipment that has a lot of wear to it. The extensiveness of backpacking makes people vulnerable for any assistance that may be offered.
Item:
- The term “trail angel/fairy” is used to identify an individual that provides gear or support to hikers passing bye.
- Using the term “fairy” or “angel” helps depict just how significant of an impact they have; they are thought of as inhuman because of the help they provide during desperate times.
Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):
- https://journeys.dartmouth.edu/folklorearchive/wp-admin/media-upload.php?post_id=8302&type=image&TB_iframe=1
Transcript of Associated File:
- “There was this guy in NH who had propane tanks and a kitchen set up to make omelets for hikers. He goes through about 90 dozens eggs at the height of the summer when many people are passing by. He is a perfect example of the kinds of trail fairies you might run into”
Collector’s Name:
Brittany Champagne
Tags/Keywords:
- trail fairy, omelets