The People You Meet on the Trail

Making friends on a trek is such an interesting phenomenon.

With conventional friendships, you take your time getting to know the person because you have the luxury of time. In fact, often you deliberately take your time getting to know the person because you don’t want the friendship to wear thin too quickly.

On a trek, you find yourself on a path with mostly like-minded people; by chance you cross paths on the trail, you share a table at breakfast, you bump into each other at the only pub in town at the end of a long day. You can’t help but visit because you already have a common interest, the walk. You know you only have a short time with these people, maybe no more than a few minutes, so you share and learn at a rapid pace. Your curiosity is heightened… where are they from? …have they done a walk like this before? …what did they think about that campground yesterday? …have their knees recovered from that steep descent two days ago? …where’s your next walk going to be? …any exciting trail news since we last saw you?

We’ve had the good fortune of connecting with some absolutely beautiful people, and were able to spend several days with many of them Eventually everyone goes their own way, whether it’s mid-way through, when they take a recovery day, or when you reach the end of the trail and say your goodbyes.

With conventional friendships, you often never say goodbye - you just drift apart so slowly that you don’t really feel the loss. But on the trail, you say goodbye and you know you’ll likely never see these people again. Maybe you’ll get lucky and reconnect with one or two down the road, but that is rare.

There’s a sense of grief after you part, but you’re left with wonderful memories and in our case, photos to help us remember the characters that made our journey that much better. This post is a tribute to the lovely people we‘ve spent time with during the Coast to Coast Walk. Thanks to everyone who passed along photos.

Since completing the West Highland Way, I’ve added a few more photos of the characters we met along the way.

We met Arlen on our second day. At the request of his kids, he was traveling with a plush purple monster on top of his pack. We received a lovely photo of him when he finished at Robin Hood’s Bay, with his kids climbing all over him.

Friends at Black Sail Youth Hostel in the Lake District, just before an incredibly difficult climb. We hadn’t hired someone to transport our packs yet.

Our friend Dave, whom we spent time with at the beginning of our walk. Very interesting fellow with a daredevilish hobby of flying micro-lites.

Trail breaking with Brits and Swedes to abbreviate a long, tiring walk.

Enjoying a brief break in the shade on our way to Shap. It was hot, sunny day on the trail.

Elated to reach the New Ing Lodge at the end of a long day.

Walking and talking with Mr. Justice, a very pleasant trail companion.

One of the Yorkshire Six, showing me the correct path after I’d erroneously led everyone off course.

Bob following the leader of the Yorkshire Six.

Saying our goodbyes to Peter of the notorious Yorkshire Six after a pleasant night‘s visit at a pub in Reeth.

A fun evening of drinks and conversation in Richmond. Our last night with Robert, Jane and Ann.

Tea time on the trail. These Aussies would take two tea breaks every day. The Brits and Americans that traveled with them called it a UN Convention.

Drinks at The Lion, a very remote 16th Century freehouse.

The Lion must have known the Americans were coming, as their servings were gargantuan.

Mr Justice and the Americans stopped for tea. We met a very friendly guy from Bozeman MT who was handing out map magnifiers to walkers he met along the way.

Mr Justice conversing with a friendly local.

Mr Justice and the Americans walking into Grosmont to catch a glimpse of a historic steam locomotive.

Sharing dinner with James at a working farm. We were certainly not too posh to stay at this B&B.

Walking towards the coast.

Dipping way more than our toes into the North Sea at the trail’s end.

Ann, a Canadian transplanted to London with a very big heart!

Jane and Robert, consulting their maps.

Two strange Ohioans, taking a break before a big climb.

Jane and Robert, celebrating with a toe dip at the end of the trail.

James, who found warp speed on the last day.

Bryan and Gary, walking for a cause. We wish we’d had met them on the trail instead of at the very end. They were a delight!

Ann sent word that she’d dipped her toes and made some new trail friends along the way.

We met Neil and Dominic early on during the West Highland Way. We ended up staying at the same places for several nights and enjoyed eating, drinking and walking with them for the first half of the trail

Dominic and his midge-proofs.

A fun collection of people who we enjoyed seeing on and off the trail. US, UK, Germany, Hong Kong and Brazil were represented at this table.

Ditte is our travel hero… 47 countries!

I can’t leave Smudge off the list. Not exactly a trail friend, but a very spoiled pub dog!