Date: 2003-05-11
From: Camping beyond Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Yesterday morning as we were breaking camp we received a visit from the Baptist minister from Damascus out in his hiking boots and accompanied by some of his flock! He was delivering copies of the New Testament to some of the shelters in this area, and invited us to his Sunday service.Yesterday's hike was long and hard for me even though the weather, the elevations and the underfoot conditions were nearly perfect. Fifteen miles a day seems to be about my limit at the moment. But about 4.00pm we were able to say "We are in VIRGINIA."An hour later we were walking along Laurel Avenue, the main street of Damascus, towards a well-known hiker haven called "The Place". Almost there, we were ambushed by an elderly, white-bearded gent called Russ Shaw, who very easily talked this weary hiker into taking a room with beds, mattresses, etc at his B&B. I hadn't had a real bed all to myself for three weeks, so I was easy prey.Most of the town is wedged into a neck of land bounded on three sides by Laurel Creek (really a river) and its tributary Beaver Dam Creek. The town is set out on a grid pattern, about four streets parallel and the same number cutting across Laurel Avenue. Most of the stores and public buildings are on Laurel Avenue and all facilities are within easy reach for hikers. Surprisingly, to me anyway, the town is very neat, well maintained, and looks quite prosperous. Lawns and other grassed areas are very well kept. Private homes and guest houses are usually wooden immaculately painted white; public buildings are nearly all red brick.There are four churches on the main street, the Laurel Fork Church of God, Damascus Presbyterian, the Methodist, and the First Baptist. The Baptist is running evening sessions for "Anger: What causes it and How to control it." I saw 'Anger Management' a few nights ago and I bet the Baptist version is much more entertaining.'The Place' is owned and maintained by the Methodist Church as a hostel for hikers and cyclists. It's a large house with five upstairs rooms concerted into dormitories, and is very well accommodated.[tbc] We had thought that Dimple Rock, Wrong Way, Chafe, etc must be about half a day behind us, and so it proved as they came trooping into town around lunch-time. We had been a bit concerned because the rain had been hammering down for much of the morning, but they were fine.The big event of the day was to be a spaghetti dinner laid on by church members for hikers in the Methodist church hall this evening. We duly turned up to discover that our hostess was none other than 'Sheepstuff'! It was great to see her with her husband John, and to learn that she is still on the Trail and in better shape than she was in Hot Springs. With his help, she has been doing quite a bit of slackpacking. We may be doing that ourselves tomorrow, but 'Wrong Way' has been having problems with her throat and is seeing a doctor in the morning, so we'll figure out what to do after that.Damascus promotes itself as "the most hiker friendly town on the Appalachian Trail" and most hikers seem to agree with that. Its festival, "Trail Days", officially started yesterday but reaches its peak next weekend, 16th-18th May, and is widely viewed as the greatest event on the AT calendar. The programme of events includes talks and slide showns, a Civil War re-enactment and a parade of hikers past and present on Saturday afternoon. It's likely that we will arrange a shuttle to somewhere like Troutdale, 50 miles north of here, on Tuesday and hike back in time for the Trail Days weekend.Also staying in our B&B are 'Jo Jo Smiley' and 'Nomad', a married couple who are very well known in the hiking community. 'Nomad' reminds me of Burl Ives and and they are very good company. They live on the road in a Winnebago and go wherever the mood takes them. 'Jo Jo Smiley' will be speaking at Trail Days on Friday. In June, they will be coming over to the UK to walk the Pennine Way with some English friends.