Date: 2014-04-17
From: Watauga Lake

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 40.1
Weather: clear sky

Buffalo is back! No, I have not become "bear magic"- didn't y'all watch the Guy on a Buffalo videos? I chase off bears!OK, actually I have not even seen a bear out here, but I keep hoping! I made it to Damascus, VA, just over the state line (3 states down, but I'll be in Virginia for a while). Mum filled you in pretty well about what I've been up to. I hiked with Anthony (the GOAT, it stands for Greatest Of All Time) for 4 days going into Erwin, where we camped out at Uncle Johnny's Hostel and Outfitter. GOAT kept me entertained with summer camp and college stories, and we had a good time. At Erwin, Mango and his wife met us and took us to dinner at the Hawg-n-Dawg. Amazing salads and constant refills on the sweet tea. Thanks so much Mango!! Good luck on your CDT section this year!Trail magic is still going strong. Some AT '13 hikers stopped by Uncle Johnny's pretty late and told us they were doing magic about 12 miles down the trail. I woke early and hiked fast the next day, telling everyone I met about it. Along the way, I came across a guy named BT serving sweet tea and home baked treats out of his truck. Awesome! Then I met Catch-22, Tugboat, and Liferaft (all AT '13) at Beauty Spot gap for their Trail magic that they had told me about the night before. As Mum said, they had sandwich fixings like lettuce, tomatoes, and hummus (I'm getting hungry just thinking about it, probably should have eaten lunch before I came to the library!). I've been hiking mostly on my own since Erwin, and I've gotten to meet a lot of hikers. A few days ago, way back in North Carolina, there were several miles of walking on balds, so the views were amazing. During that time, I met Moose, Reroute, and Eastwood, and we stopped at the Overmountain Shelter, a converted barn that is now a giant shelter with incredible views down the valley. BTW, I heard it was an epic day when Eastwood (he looks like Clint Eastwood) stayed at the Laughing Heart Hostel (same place I stayed in Hot Springs) which is run by Chuck Norris (who also looks like his namesake!).The tarp incident that Mum mentioned was quite an adventure. I walked 7 miles to the town of Roan Mountain, but the grocery store hadn't opened yet so I got breakfast at Happy's Cafe. I was planning to send home some layers from there, but some other patrons told me it was supposed to snow in a day or two! That night I made it to Kincora Hostel, run by the famous trail maintainer, Bob Peoples! So great! Shroomer, the PCT and CDT hiker I met early on in the trail, was also here. He's great friends with Mango, since they hiked together through the Sierras in 2010, a very high snow year. Unfortunately, he had to get off trail, at least for a while. I also learned that he helped organize the PCT Kick-Off last year! Thanks Shroomer! And thanks for the advice on the Continental Divide Trail (1000 miles of trail, 1000 miles of dirt roads, and 1000 miles of cross-country!)It did indeed snow as I left Kincora (everyone there thought I was crazy for leaving), but stopped later in the evening, and I camped below snow line that night, from where I gave Mum the most recent update. It has been clear, though cold at night, since then. I stopped at Abingdon Gap shelter last night, and ate dinner with Roshambo and Shakespeare. Roc Doc and Purple Blaze came in late last night- they were at Kincora at the same time as I was. Purple Blaze had brought the eggs they had decorated to hide around the shelter and along the trail as an Easter Egg hunt! I crossed into Virginia with Blitz (her average speed is my top speed!) and we both decided to stay at "The Place", a hostel run by the Methodist Church of Damascus. It's an awesome hostel- spacious and clean, with a lawn to dry my gear on! The AT runs right through this town, beside hostels, restaurants, outfitters, and the library where I am right now. Well, my stomach is grumbling at me so I'd better go find some food. Thank you to everyone who's reading this and to those who've signed the guestbook- you're my inspiration to keep writing!