Date: 2003-05-17
From: Thunder Ridge Overlook 

To: Trail Days, Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

It was interesting last night here at the "camping area". My immediate neighbors were up talking for a long time. The group at the end of the "road" were playing music from a vehicle. Another group was shooting off fireworks. With my earplugs, I was much less aware of the nighttime activities. Unfortunately, I woke up at 5:30 this morning, and didn't go back to sleep.Swallowtail gave me a Krispy Kreme lemon-filled donut! Lemon-filled! She said it was a couple of days old, but it was yummy! I also had a banana, some milk, and about 6 brownies! Thank you, Swallowtail!Since it had been a couple (or four) days since my last shower, I thought it might be nice of me to take one today. There is a restroom, with two showers here, and I headed to the shower. It was a c-c-cold shower! But there was shampoo and soap, so I didn't have to use Camp Soap to wash with. I felt good! Until I had to put my dirty clothes back on. Smelly! Actually, not too terribly bad. No one said anything anyway.I was supposed to meet Detour, Regan/f-stop, Hotdog, and Amy at the Post Office at 11am. It started raining just before then, so Swallowtail decided to drive into town instead of walk. I got a ride with her and before we got out of the camping area, we picked up Detour and Jitterbug and Hoover too. Jitterbug and Hoover were on hikersRus Yahoo group too, and started their hikes May 1st. Very cool to meet them.After the rendevous, the five of us went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. Mmmm... chips. Salsa. Good stuff! We stopped by WalMart briefly, then went back to Damascus to get ready for the Hiker Parade. Amy made a sign on posterboard "In Memory Of Ted Soleman Anderson". Amy, Detour, Hotdog and I carried that sign, and Ted's American Flag through the parade. We were joined by Bumpkin and her husband Jerry, Mudbutt in a wheelchair, Lite Shoe, Footslogger and wife Turtle, and Gary. Among us all, the Flag and sign were in good hands. Ted would've loved the Parade...I'm sure he would've done something crazy!Some hikers wore costumes in the parade, but most just wore regular hiker clothes. Throughout the parade route, water balloons were sailing overhead, squirt guns to water cannons shot water, and buckets of water were dumped on people. It seemed everyone had a great time!I am so glad I got to see Bumpkin, Regan, Mudbutt! They were three of the ones I really wanted to see at Trail Days, and if I'd heard Bumpkin wasn't going, I might not have come here. It was awesome to see her again, and hear she's doing well, and to see Mudbutt and hear she's going to get back on the trail in several weeks when her stress fracture heals. I wish them both nothing but good luck, and a great time on their adventures.I met more at-l members, and saw Felix J. McGillicuddy. It took him a bit to recognize me. Last time he saw me I had long hair, and was about 10 pounds heavier. I wanted to talk to him longer, but someone else came up to talk to him, and I saw someone I knew. I meant to get back over to him, then the parade started. I figured I'd see him during or after the parade, but never did. Bummer.I was wearing out by the time the parade was over, but we wandered through the park where the booths were, and through town, looking for more familiar faces. Around 6pm, Hotdog, Amy, and I went to the hotel room to hang out, use internet and send and receive pocketmail. Then we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Halfway through our meals, in walks Bumpkin, Jerry, and Jitterbug! I'm glad I saw them again because I wanted to make sure I said Goodbye to Bumpkin before heading back to the trail. Jitterbug's husband Hoover went to the hospital earlier today because his ankles were very swollen. Gladly, it's only due to some medication he just started taking, and with a few days rest with feet propped up, he should be fine. I was glad to hear that's all it was.It was very cool to meet people I only knew from internet groups. And even more cool to see people I had already met! I am glad I came here. I wish Subman had come back down, and Fly, Smoothie, Guana, and Sonic were here too. It was great to see those I saw, but it would have been a lot better to be tenting around those people, and at night, sitting around chatting with them. Tonight, it's just me by myself, in my tent. I'm familiar with some tented near me, but would've preferred to be around those I'd spent time with on the trail.Maybe because of the hard rain earlier a lot of people packed up and left. Luckily, my tent faired well in the rain. When I got to it and peeked in, everything was dry! Aaahhh.... nice to have dry belongings. I know my tent will be wet, and therefore heavy, but my stuff shouldn't be more than damp, and I'm very happy about that.Not long after the Hiker Parade, I was about ready to be back on the trail. I'd seen everyone I wanted to, and was tired from my early rising this morning. Ever since the ride off the Blue Ridge Parkway on the curvy roads, I haven't felt my best. I think I got a little carsick then, and it never left. I'm ready for the trail, where the scenery doesn't fly by fast enough to make me ill. We're planning on a fairly early start tomorrow, and depending how well the plan works, we might hike the 10 or 12 miles to the next shelter. If we're running late we'll just camp somewhere. Hopefully it won't be raining. If it is, I guess I'll get wet... But, the sun will come out... tomorrow. Or the next day. Eventually, anyway. I'm incredibly happy I've made it this far, and am looking forward to the next 2/3 of the adventure too!