TRACK MATT AT

After the Damacathon, took a zero in Damascus May 5th. Stayed at Lady Di’s BnB Hiker Hostel “Where hikers are treated like royalty”. It was really nice.  Clean house with clean beds, laundry, bicycles to use for grocery store run.  York peppermint patty on your pillow and top notch breakfast the in the morning including blueberry cornbread, eggs, sausage, and fried potatoes.  (Me at the 500 mark near Grayson Highlands...out of Chronological order but I wanted it to the cover pic) (Breakfast at Lady Di's) The serving size was enough to take a 2 nd breakfast and first lunch ToGo.  Nice hot coffee.  It was hard to leave especially because it was raining HARD.  (debating if we should leave Lady Di's front porch) But we came to hike not hide, so into rain we walked.  Wednesday, May 6 th , hiked18.9 miles, and it rained most of the day.  My grocery bag and duck tape waterproof sock covers last about 2 hours....

Last I wrote I had just arrived in Hot Springs, NC.  I am Just shy of 200 miles further down trail in Damascus, VA.  I spent two very relaxing days with Journey Man, near Hot Springs, who I met in Georgia.  He was doing a section hike with his Dog Miki and an old friend Magellan who he had met on his thur-hike 10 years ago.  Journey Man Miki We played Disc Golf and hung out.  Drank a little Trail Candy (Journey Man's home brewed no coast IPA). Then set back off on the trail together.  Second day on the trail I pulled ahead of Journey Man after the Southern Cookie Lady's house and speed hiked to meet back up with my Tramily at the 300 mile mark. (you can see the 300 in sticks there) Got stuck in rain most of the next day☹️.  Wet feet, cold and tired.  First tent pitch in the rain, but I am sure there is more to come over the next few months.  (all our stuff drying out the next day onc...