Trail Days

Jane came out for Trail Days, in fact all the spouses from the tramily came out. Brian, Simmer’s husband picked us all up from a road crossing at mile 610 and drove us back about an hour and a half to Damascus.

Jane and I actually stayed in Abington about 15 minutes from Damascus in a tree house that was built by a master treehouse builder on a  lovely farm. The treehouse had two stories, indoor plumbing.  It was super nice.   A quiet romantic getaway that overlooks the Virginia Creeper Trail and the river.

We went into town Friday and Saturday for Trail Days.  There were a lot of informational booths from the Appalachian Trail organizations, lots of gear vendors, artists, artisans, live music, and food. Over 20,000 people came out. The regular population of Damascus is 700. Hikers from past years and trail enthusiasts, it’s sort of a celebration/reunion festival of the trail and hiking community.

Many hikers camp and stay in tent city and party all night long but Jane and I stayed outside of town and just came in for the daytime activities.   I got to meet up with my friend Wonder (who I know from PA) She hiked the trail 20 years ago! I am sure that her love of the trail was part of what inspired me to do this.

 I especially enjoyed a panel discussion of Hiker Hostel owners. They all had different takes on it.  One woman Neville runs  a hostel that her grandmother had started years and years ago, she kind of inherited it.  Her hostel, Woods Hole, is an organic farm and yoga retreat in addition to hosting hikers.  She serves vegan food and runs group meditations.  Bob Peoples runs a donation only hostel (Kincora).  He has no staff. He is 83 and he feeds the raccoons, opossums and bears.  I love this quote from Bob:  “ The Trail’s Southern Terminus is Springer and the Northern Terminus is Katatan, but the real terminus of the trail for each hiker is when they figure out why they are out hiking the AT.” He spoke of all the people on the AT in life  transitions.  Poet and Hippy Chick are 3^rd owners of Shaw’s in Maine. They have a large team because they are the last hostel before the 100 mile wilderness.  In addition to over night bunks and laundry, they make sure hikers have enough food to make through the last leg of the trail.  Others spoke of bad weather times when the team at Shaw’s were actually out there saving lives.  In a couple of months I’ll get to see them again. 

There were a lot gear raffles but we didn’t win any.  I did spend a lot of time in the sun holding little red tickets and hoping.   Jane got a really nice Gregory pack and some other items as gifts for friends back home at the charity auction.   I think Jane kind of got the spirit of the hiker community. She met a lot of people I have been hiking with or around including Journey Man, Banana Bread, Rule Book, Dragon Ball and many others.  I believe she is really excited about hiking with me and the kids next month and doing more backpacking in the future.

Saturday we went back for the hiker parade. All the hikers line up by the year of their thur-hike. We march through the town and all the townspeople watching the parade cheer us on and shoot the hikers with squirt guns and throw water on us because hikers are smelly.

Later that night the tramily and spouses  went out for Greek food in Abington. It was nice to see HQ again, Windbreakers husband, he section hiked with us at the start on Georgia.  He does a lot of our remote logistics like booking hotels for the tramily for Neros.   

Sunday we got up real early in the morning to get back to trail.  After the hour and a half drive I realized I forgot my sticks…oh no!!  I was now Sir Sticks-forgot instead of Sir Sticks-a-lot.

I was greaves my sticks that had walked with me for over 600 miles.  The ones I was carving.  They were not just trekking poles but extensions of my own arms. I tried out some other sticks I found.  Even named one Virginia, but it was not the same. 

 Jane drove back to the tree house to get my sticks and arranged a shuttle driver (Honey Buns) to deliver my sticks to Angel’s Rest Hostel where we were headed for the evening in Pearisburg some 20 miles North. 

When I got to camp, I was totally exhausted  but my sticks were there so I was happy.  So happy I decide to go out for margaritas with AT and Banana Bread, but that is when I realized I could not find my wallet.  Oh No!!

That started the whole ordeal of canceling credit cards and trying to figure out what to do about the wallet and money etc. 

Rooth and Carbon were also at Angel's Rest.  Rooth, mentioned in previous blog who I prayed with is coworkers with Carbon in real life.  Carbon has the best positive attitude and is great fun to hike around.  When hearing about my string of lost and founds and losts again, Carbon tossed me $40 and said, “Go get some Margaritas.” As they say ‘The Trail Provides,” which usually means people give generously with no reservation of expectation of reciprocity.