Date: 2023-05-24
From: Low Gap / US 421

To: Damascus (!!)
Miles today: 15.0

Today was a perfect day, but it didn¢t start that way. We were slackpacking the missing miles, however in my sleepy morning state I had forgotten to put in a fresh processor battery and the low battery warning beeped 30 minutes into the day. I thought to myself, ¢well fuck, let me turn it off to conserve battery,¢ and then of course we run into someone I had been wanting to get to know better as we kept crossing paths at hostels but never had the time to have a good conversation. She was waiting around for more hikers to come through so she could caravan up through the section around Abington shelter which had the aggressive juvenile bear stalking the area. Another friend bumped into us and then we moved off as a convoy - of course which I was the lead for and SP hid in the back (¢I did my time¢ was his reasoning, and fair enough. He did fend off the bear that night back in NC). But I was kicking myself the entire time for having forgotten to change batteries as I could hear they were having what seemed to be a lively chat behind me, but I couldn¢t hear well enough to join. I banged my sticks and shouted to scare off the bear, even though Phoenix requested I hold off until she got eyes on the bear and was able to get a video (can you tell she hadn¢t had a bear encounter yet at this point?). We stopped at the Abington shelter to quickly refill water, keeping our packs with us as to minimize chances of them getting swiped, and moved on. During the lunch break with the convoy and a bunch of new folks I met, I was able to see folks¢ faces and join in the conversation, which recharged my social battery and made me feel better. Post lunch I really wanted to sprint back to the hostel and change my battery (when it¢s dead and I¢m out and about it feels like a limb randomly fell off, and it drives me mad. I can¢t stand the sensation, but when I¢m home alone I never have my ears in and it¢s blissful. Context is everything). SP was fine to head off with me, but Phoenix wanted to digest her food, so we said we¢d see her at dinner, and sprinted into Damascus. It was an excellent slackpack, went by super fast and felt like a nice stretch versus being strenuous. Once in town, we walked past the Virginia Creeper trail, we made a pitstop at the new and incredibly nice AT visitor center (Damascus is ¢Trail Town, USA¢ as it¢s at the confluence of various trails), and I shopped my feelings away at the Damascus Outfitters. SP picked up a sick mushroom-patterned Kavu hat which got him compliments from literally everyone who saw him today. Strangely enough the hat reminds me of a Vermeer portrait even though it¢s literally the furthest thing possible, but I think it¢s because it frames the wearer in a black halo that¢s quite painterly. Post shopping and exploring town, we got back to the hostel and I was able to change my battery! Felt like the limb eas reattached. After a few hours I texted Phoenix about dinner and we settled on the diner. We walked over with our new hats, and saw Air Quotes was there! So we had dinner with him and everyone we saw today. While eating we saw 3 more hikers we knew come in, including one who just did 32 miles into town and looked ROUGH - I would too if I did that much mileage in a day. I haven¢t even crossed 20 yet, I keep flirting with that limit but never crossing it. Dinner itself was chaotic but super nice, it felt like dinner with a big family with bubbles of conversation happening up and down the table. It was one hiker¢s birthday so he got banana pudding and we sang him Happy Birthday. I don¢t think there¢s a person alive who enjoys that song being sang at them. Post dinner the party kept going as we walked through town, enjoying yet another pretty sunset! A perfect end to what became a perfect day.