Trail Magic

You will not believe who we ran into at the park this weekend.

We gave a couple of hikers a ride at the Hardcore Trail Build event in May 2008. We knew this girl only as Pearl, chatted with her in the car on our way down the mountain, and wished her well as she and her partner went on their way north up the AT.

On Friday evening, our kids crossed paths at the playground. While we were chatting as they played with a jump rope, we discovered our previous connection.

This type of thing happens all the time in Pittsburgh. Last weekend I helped my neighbor's girlfriend move...also helping with the move was another friend I know from a completely different circle. Keven Bacon may have six degrees, but in Pittsburgh, it's more like 2 or 3.

However, I was completely surprised to run into a hiker from Virginia, who we met on a mountain top in Tennessee, 4 years ago, never having exchanged real names or contact information.