Last night a Trail Angel came to my shelter. Trail Angels are people who help other hikers with anything they might need help with. I didn’t know he was one yet. He arrived late. I was almost asleep and he settled in next to me in the shelter.

In the morning, I woke up early, as usual, and quietly went about my morning routine. It’s only when you try to be quiet so as not to wake someone else that you realise that all your stuff makes an awful noise when you pack it up. Even the zip on your sleeping bag sounds like a fighter jet. Everything crackles and rattles, and does so even more when you try to make it as quiet as possible. So at some point he gave up, the poor man, and said good morning. I apologised profusely, but he understood.

He’s hiking the Bergslagsleden from north to south while I’m heading north, and filled me with a wealth of information and advice. It was amazing and I’m so grateful for it. He introduced and invited me to two Facebook groups, Bergslagsledens vänner and Trail Angels Sweden, where I can always ask for advice or help. I have to admit that this is where social media platforms really come into their own. Not only that, he happens to live not too far from here and will be finishing his hike in a few days. So if there’s anything he can help me with later this week, I should just let him know. A true Trail Angel he is. And I may well take him up on it. In the end, he even gave me a portion of freeze-dried food that he had left over. I had it for dinner. It tasted heavenly (Thank you so much, Knut).

After an extra cup of coffee, I got going and had a great day. It was beautiful walking through the forests and along lochs. It was warm and sunny. When I arrived at my shelter in the late afternoon, I made a fire first and then I took a dip in the lake. What more could you want. I enjoyed it extra because rain is forecast for the next few days. The earth really needs it badly. I don’t need it quite as badly, but even if it stops again, I shall be happy.