Date: 2016-05-12
From: Damascus, Va

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It's time to get back on the trail. My pack is loaded with 7 days of food and my oh my, it sure is heavy! A thunder storm rolled through around 6 am, and it was nice to lie in bed and listen to it pass. I rolled out of bed about 7, and went down to the kitchen to make my tea and oatmeal. Taking it out to the front porch of the B and B, I found Barnum already there enjoying his morning coffee. While chatting, I found out he got his trail name because he used to work in a circus in the Tampa, Fl area! He is a very interesting young man, and I was surprised to find out that he is only 23. He has definitely got a good head on his shoulders. Finishing off his coffee he left to go find some breakfast, and I sat in the peace and quiet watching the town come awake. Damascus is a very small town and the Trail Days Festival brings in over 1000 hikers, or so I am told. It starts tomorrow yet the town is brimming with hikers and vendors already. There are freebies everywhere, free haircuts, free laundry, free dinner Friday, free knitted 'toboggan' hats, and even free showers, which a hiker desperately needs!Calling an end to the people watching, I finished packing up and Kangapard and I went in search of a belt for me. I have dropped about 10 pounds, and I am in danger of losing my pants! Back at the B and B, we bid the owner goodbye and headed out the door to follow the trail down the street. The blazes were on the telephone poles! The Va. Creeper Trail is in this area, and we got to walk on a flat surface for .4 mi.!I was thankful for this part of the trail because I was wobbling all over the place trying to balance. All those wonderful days of slackpacking, dancing lightly down the trail? OVER!! Gone was my balance; gone was the strength in my legs; all so disappointing! It reminded me of the first day of slackpacking when I kept tripping and stumbling trying to adapt to the lightness of the daypack!It was a long climb today in the heat and humidity. I was moving at snail's pace, and had to sit and rest often. I think carrying 7 days of food is a big mistake, and I need to look ahead and be sure this doesn't happen again. Five days is probably a good compromise.No views today, the trees are fully in leaf. There were lots of springs we crossed, and it is always refreshing to take a break and just listen to the water. We met lots of day hikers going southbound as well as some through hikers who had shuttled to the Grayson Highlands area and were hiking south back to Damascus for the festivities.I got to the shelter about 5 pm and set up immediately as the skies were rumbling. Just as I finished, the rain began, and I sank gratefully into my hammock to wait it out. Dinner would just have to wait.That shower passed, I ran down the trail to fetch water, got dinner started and more rain came. I was cooking at the picnic table by the shelter, so I stayed dry while watching hikers come pouring in. I didn't think it would be so crowded here, but with everyone headed south to Damascus, there are at least 30 people here tonight.The rain has stopped, just drops on the tarp. It will be wonderful music to fall asleep to, smiling that I survived the first day of a full pack!!