Date: 2005-09-30
From: Near Rt. 58, Grayson Highlands, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: broken clouds

16.9 miles todayDave's Place HostelDamascus, Va. I guess I slept ok last night considering I was sleeping on hard packed ground. My Z-Rest is so worn thin that I always try to find soft ground to sleep on. It was close to the road and convenient to Grey Fox's car though. I woke up at 6am and made my coffee and ate 2 fried pies. I wasn't in any rush to get going because I had a short day into Damascus. I started packing up at 7am and Grey Fox woke up and also packed up. He seemed happy to be heading into Damascus where he was going to leave my backpack at Mt Rogers Outfitters. I was hoping he would still be in town when I got there, but he had other stuff to do back in Boone, NC. I started hiking at 7:25. It was a nice, cool morning which I found out later was in the upper 30s overnight. I could still tell that I wasn't feeling all that great. I wonder if this penicillin has anything to do with that. I've taken it before and never felt bad. I walked to Lost Mountain Shelter and stopped by to sign the register. There was a hiker there by the name of Patagonius that's doing a section hike to Hot Springs, NC. We talked a short while, then I hiked on. I walked on the Virginia Creeper Trail for about a half mile where it and the A.T. are the same trail. It's a nice little area with a stream running along side. I then headed back up into the forest. I walked by Saunders Shelter without stopping. About half a mile after I crossed Rt 58, I had to work my way through a tree that fell across the trail. I couldn't go up or down from the tree because of the steepness of the trail, so I had to work my way through all the branches. I kept walking and soon started hearing traffic. I got to the Virginia Creeper Trail again and had a 1 mile walk into town. I got to town at 12:40, so I had a nice long rest day ahead of me. I went right to the outfitter to see if Grey Fox was still around, but he had left. Tom smiled and said they had been warned that I was coming. Jeff came out of the back room talking about how he's got a pair of plyers and could fix my tooth in a hurry. It's so nice to have friends like that. ;-))) Jeff got me a room at their place across the street, but I did a little shopping before I left. My hipbelt was about worn out on my backpack, so I bought a new one. I love these ULA backpacks. I didn't have to replace the whole pack, just the hipbelt. I wouldn't have bothered replacing that except the pockets had holes in them and I was afraid I was going to start losing stuff. Not bad for a pack with about 6000 miles on it. I walked to where Cross Tracks used to be and had a steak burrito. I believe it's called the Baja Cafe now. I mailed some maps home that I was done with and then got my shower and washed my clothes. I'm going to The Gathering next week, so I went to a barber and got a hair cut. I was getting kind of shabby after being on the trail for almost 3 months. I stopped by the outfitter again just to waste some time and the phone rang, so Tom answered it. He said; "Stumpknocker?? Yeah, he's here." Great, now I'm getting calls on business lines. It was Chief. I guess he misses me already. :-))) He wants to come out next Wednesday and cause trouble. Hey Chief, bring chicken noodle soup. :-))) I went back and spent time going through my stuff and drying out a few damp things. I was sitting in the hostel writing my journal and Damascus Dave showed up. I was afraid I wouldn't get to see him this time because I heard he had left earlier for his cabin, but he had to do something with his grandaughter.We talked for about an hour before he had to leave. I had more trail magic for dinner. Someone had ordered a bunch of sandwiches from a local shop, but never showed up to pick them up. The shop owner brought them over in case there were any hikers here and left them with Tom. I had 2 roast beef sandwiches. My plan as of tonight is to take a zero tomorrow and give my body a chance to heal from whatever is bothering it. I did hear tell of a shuttle already heading out in the morning to the trail which would give me a 16 mile day though. :-))) I'll see what my body is telling me in the morning and I'll listen to that. Sorry about sounding so bad for the last several days, but I warned everyone that I'm not a good, sick person. That last section of trail from Partnership Shelter to Damascus was the hardest section of trail I've ever hiked before and the longest 60 miles I've ever walked which is a shame because it's such a beautiful area. Now I even feel bad for not saying anything to those feral ponies when I walked by yesterday. I always talk to the animals I see on the trail.