And by Boshart, I’m referring to Cara, Greg, Devin, and Moxie Boshart, the amazing family living in Manchester Center, VT that were the source of an angelic trail magic experience and quite possibly, the greatest hospitality I’ve ever encountered in my life.
The story is that on Thursday, we were hiking 21 miles to the road going into Manchester Center in order to hop off the trail for our family vacation in SC. We were going to hitch into town and then rent a car so we could drive south. The day was going well until we got slammed with a thunderstorm over our last three miles. The lightning stopped just in time and we were able to quickly get a hitch into town, saving us an extra 5 mile walk. After quickly finding out there were no cars available to rent in any of the nearby towns, we sat down in front of the Rite Aid, soaking wet and cold, to figure out what to do next. I was using the internet on our phone when a woman, Cara, pulled up in her mini-van with her two year old son Devin in the back, along with their black lab, Moxie in the front seat. She asked if we needed a shower or a dry place to relax a bit. Julie and I looked at each other and quickly accepted the offer as none of our other plans were working up to this point.
They live only a few miles from town so we went back to their place and took warm showers. Cara fixed us dinner and helped get our laundry going. She was also quick to help us try to figure out a plan to accomplish our goal of getting to SC. We talked through the possibility of cars, planes, and trains, and all the while, she insisted she’d be happy to help us get where we needed based on what option worked best. She even offered up her car if we wanted to run into town and pick up more food to eat. We were invited to stay for the night and spend the evening with their family too.
We were amazed and somewhat in awe throughout the experience but gladly accepted the spectacular hospitality. We picked up a pizza to share with the family for the evening and watched the NBA finals game with Greg. In the morning, we picked up bagels and were then driven over an hour to Albany, NY where we could pick up a car to drive to SC.
In thinking about this amazing act of kindness, it’s staggering to believe that a woman with a small child, pregnant with another, would pick up two strangers, invite them into her home, feed them, invite them to stay the night, and then drive them well out of her way the next day simply to be kind. But these things happen in the world and for me, are one of the best parts about adventuring as Julie and I have. We have met some amazing people and are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend a day with the Bosharts, true trail angels that we will never forget.