Date: 2004-05-30
From: Dennis Cove Road, TN

To: Pearisburg, Virginia
Miles today: 0.0

Good Lord it has been a long time since I made it to a computer. Sorry FOLKS... We have been enjoying our time in the woods so much lately that I haven't felt much compulsion to get to town, except to eat maybe shower eat somemore than leave... The trail has been spectacular in every sense of the word. This is my third time thru this section and I am loving life. I see stuff with new eyes. It is amazing and wonderful. How you folks justify sitting at home and not being out here in Gods Creation I will never know. After thru hiking in 2000 my heart has never been back fully in the material world. Everyday in my life the sun goes down in honey and the moon comes up in wine (yes that is a grateful dead lyric mister Jimmy Deane).I think i left off at Laurel Creek Lodge with brother John. It has been very intersting to go back to the Lodge without Dennis and Mary there. For us that fondly remember the two of those wonderful people and their friendship - they are sorely missed. But it is very nice to see John's warm smiling face gracing us with a kind heart. He let us stay in D&M's old apartment, which was weird. The stay there was a welcome respite from a section of hiking that, though improved greatly, still kicked my ass. Maybe in was the chaffing (digital aswah digital chaffing - old song, fond memeories). At John's request I put on a hiker feed using stuff John had picked up. We cooked a simple meal of Steak, potatoes, salad, beer, peach pie, cherry pie, ice cream and I am sure more. The night was spent in the perfect company of Loon, Lizard, Scout, Grandma Lala, Daytripper, and many others. I love being around other hikers. What a diverse and wonderful crowd. You have conversations with kind folks you never would do in what we call"babylon" or others call "the normal world".The next day we did all the traditional slacks... dam road to dennis cove road, 91 N to dam road. On our final day we went to 91 North after eating Eggs Benedict with the aforementioned people. I carried a slab of ribs, fresh ears of corn and cole slaw for our night in the woods. Lisa and I have not suffered in the food zone. We have only eaten ramens three time as of today, oatmeal only twice... After a day of hiking we found a beautiful site along the trail about seven miles from the virginia border. During the day we met Harry and CJ (since then we have been partying a lot with those kooky kids). I built a large fire to keep the bugs away and to cook our food. There is something obscene about eating like this while others are eating that dehydrated stuff. An almost guilty feeling came over me as I rolled my second ear of super sweet golden corn in real butter, salt and pepper. I decided if any hiker walked by I would of fed them. No hikers... We slept in and got a late start into Damascus for traildaze. I have been feeling a weird sensation as I near Damascus. Many bad old feeling to bury there. Gladly we ran into HILO and Worm which completely brightened our days. From Friday thru Sunday we hung out with those two and Mountain Mike. Hilos Jeep broke down and we had to drive all over the place on sunday. It was cool though. We laid in the back of brother Worm's pick-me-up truck eating and sleeping all day. A mobile bed and food wagon. For thru hikers - life just doesn't get any better!