A WOK in the WOODS

Another successful trail magic in the books! Today was special for many reasons. It was the first trail magic with our daughter, Charlotte. I've been dreaming of the day she would join me and here we are, both spreading joy to others in our own way 🥰 (her because she's so dang cute!) Five years ago today is the day I first stepped on trail, an adventure that changed my life forever. I had the help of my loving and always supportive wife, Ally, who pushed me to chase this dream and who I owe all the success of this page too. We fed 1 thru hiker, 4 section hikers and 2 AT alums along with my wife and I. Two of those guys I felt really needed this day and that gave me so much joy. ❤️ We made new friends, enjoyed a beautiful day on the mountain and shared the idea of trail magic to more than a handful of day hikers who didn't know the concept. Seeing their faces light up after learning about this ritual put a lot of pep in my step and maybe one day, they may share in the joy I get from doing the same. I cannot begin to express the joy today gave me. My heart is over flowing. And a big shout out to Blair Barnhardt Wiggins! She blessed us with a donation a month ago which fully funded this outing. Blair, you are the real MVP. Thanks to everyone who supports this page. I love you guys and your support keeps me going. And a big thanks to my wonderful wife for the super fly "A Wok in the Woods" shirt which is the new uniform of this outfit. I felt so official 😎

BIG NEWS COMIN THIS WEEKEND!!!

It was very cold and rainy weekend at Sam's Gap NC but you'll find out all about that soon! 😉

We fed some wet and hungry hikers, braved the wind, and on the way down, caught a glimpse of the fires burning on the AT around Luray VA.

Very lucky for these 3 kind souls to help with the set up. In exchange they left with full bellies and warm legs from the fire propane burner.

Heres just a peak of what's to come 🤪

The 🌮 is loaded and ready to make some trail magic happen!! Carolina here we come!!

Some very very exciting news. Our first outing of the season is set and only a week away!

Saturday March 22nd we will be setting up at an undisclosed location in North Carolina for A WOK in the WOODS! This will be a bit of a trail family reunion for us as 3 of my trail family members are meeting us to help support and cook some amazing fried rice for all you hungry hikers! We've got a very special guest helping me with some content creation and It's also the first big trip with our baby! We can't wait to start her early showing her the beauty that is trail magic. Plus she's the cutest baby ever so if you don't come hungry, you will deff still leave smiling ☺️
Cross your fingers for great weather and we are hoping to fill many bellies on a beautiful spring day in my home state of North Carolina.
And remember, as you head into VA, keep us updated! The area between manassas gap and front royal is where we are the closest to trail. If you or a loved one are hiking trail and could use a pick me up, have an upcoming birthday or anniversary, or just want to hang out, feel free to let us know and if we can help, we will help.

Love you all and safe and happy trails ❤️

Hey everyone, Happy New Year!

This has been a very exciting year for A WOK in the WOODS! Last year, we fed more than a handful of hikers, hosted a Cinco De Mayo to remember, and stumbled into a very exciting and personal form of trail magic I'm stoked to continue going forward.

And that was just the first half the year! In September, I married the love of my life, my partner in everything and the Co-founder of A WOK in the WOODS. It was a beautiful and small ceremony and we look forward to serving hikers as a married couple going forward!
And maybe the most exciting, we welcomed a new member to our team here, a beautiful baby girl right before the new year ❤️ It's going to be such a blast introducing her to the trail later this year and having her as our model and motivator this coming year!

As we look forward to 2024, and back to our successes of the past year, we've got some big plans in the works! This year, we hope to host a few hiker feeds including a second annual Cinco De Mayo, but also focus on trail maintainers, collaborating with local hostels and gear shops, meet up with some local long distance hiker clubs and most importantly, be a resource for the early lone hikers.

Last year, on a AT Facebook group, I sent out a call to the members there "If you have a loved one on trail who you'd like to surprise with trail magic, shoot me a message, maybe I can meet their group and set something up". Soon after, I received a message from a woman who explained that her husband was hiking alone in southern Virginia. He was fast and had out hiked most of his peers but was going through a rough patch and was maybe a bit lonely. Honestly, I was expecting to meet a big group, but the more I thought on it, the more it felt right. I reached back out, we set a date and one morning I drove a few hours into the mountains to cook breakfast and surprise a trail brother with his favorite snacks and some resupply before the next town. We talked and laughed, shared trail stories and drank coffee. His story in particular moved me and the memories made that day laid heavy on my mind, even into this coming year.

So, this year, that is the focus. The stories, the quality, the individual. And maybe I can share those stories with all of you this year. So if you have a loved one whose hiking this coming season, message me and let's give them an experience, like only A WOK in the WOODS can!!

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

Good Timber
- Douglas Malloch

"The proper function of man is to Live, not to Exist. I shall not waste my time trying to prolong them. I shall use my time."

- Jack London

"OH yeah.. it is Cinco de mayo!!!"

I heard this from almost every hiker yesterday. Man I miss not knowing what day it is 😊😅

Yesterday for , we set up at Compton Gap VA with chicken fajitas and all the margaritas!!! The weather was perfect and the area along sky line drive was so serene and peaceful. We filled a good many hungry bellies and handed out over a dozen margs.. because everyone deserves a margarita on Cinco de mayo! This was the first time I've ever cooked fajitas in a Wok but it came out so good and super fast which is perfect. This isn't "A pan in the woods" after all 😂

If we brightened just one cinco, then it was a good cinco 🙂

Most years I throw a big cinco de mayo party and invite all my friends to come. After this year, I think I'll be in the woods, throwing a different party for all the future friends I haven't met yet ❤️

Shout out to all my new friends 😎

All Around, Misfit, Moon Bunny, Swiss, Bearclaw, S.O.C, Blacksburg, Churchill, Maverick, Michelle and Xena the dog!

Also, shout out to Stumble Inn! They are a hiker hostel in Front Royal ran by hikers for hikers! The place is beautiful and would be a total treat for any weary thru hiker in need of a little friendly hospitality and a gorgeous setting. I can't wait to see them again!

What a wonderful way to do Cinco! I can't wait to see you all a little further down the trail 😉

Stopped in at Hightop Mountain Parking Area this morning to make breakfast for a new friend 🙂

This is Push, an early NOBO who's crushing big miles in VA already! We talked trail, the ups and downs of being solo and the highlights of both of our hikes. We enjoyed a beautiful spring morning with some fresh coffee, cinnamon buns, a chorizo omelet and all kinds of goodies! I caught him in between resupplying and hope I let him push a little further with a full belly, some extra snacks and a big smile 😁

This was my first hiker of this season😎

It wasn't the typical " A Wok in the Woods" experience of fried rice and and all that but a more personalized attempt to make a person's day. His partner reached out months ago with an interest in doing something for him. She mentioned he was hiking alone and I asked that she keep me in the loop as he got into Virginia. I wasn't sure if we could make the plans work but we kept communication open. I think I imagined my opening day to be this big huge thing with lots of hikers to feed and that it was important to go where I could get the most people. We connected again a few days ago and everything just felt right. I needed to remember THAT THERE IS NO TRAIL MAGIC TOO SMALL!

The smile on his face as he turned the corner was so big, I cannot express the joy that filled my heart. I gave him a big hug and made sure to grab his information before he left. What a good dude 🙂

I want to thank his partner for continuing to reach out and my partner for supporting my crazy idea to drive two hours into the mountains to cook breakfast for a stranger. I swear I'm not all the way crazy lol.

I'll be out next weekend the April 1st around Roanoke VA and then in NC the 15th outside of Laural doing the whole shebang with my amazing partner. What a good soft open for A Wok in the Woods ✌️