Date: 2003-05-17
From: Low Gap Hwy. 421

To: Trail days parade
Miles today: 0.0

We meet Mudbutt for breakfast at Cracker Barrel before going into Damascus for Trail Days. The Florida Trail Association put on a program at 9:00, followed by Springer to Katahdin by Ankle Express which was a poetic narrative about hiking the A.T. As with any outdoor event there were plenty of food booths, some craft booths and a host of hiking equipment booths. The fire department was selling chicken dinners and they were good! I continue to run into people who are hiking the trail either in front of me or behind me. There are several that I have yet to see that I want to see. Wench, Hotdog, Subman, A Train. Most of whom I started at Springer Mtn. with on March 1st. It is so funny, the first question you are asked by everyone is "Where are you at?" At first Papermaker (Jerry) thought this was really a dumb question. Well, what do you mean where am I, I am right here in front of you. In hiker lingo, they are asking you where are you on the trail. Are you north of Damascus or south? He hasn't been a hiker long enough to understand the language! The annual hikers parade starts lining up at the far end of town. There in front of me are Wench and Hotdog. I was so very glad to see them! Pack 3/1 will carry Ted Anderson's flag for the parade. Ted was to begin his thru hike on March 1, 2003. Four days before leaving he died of an anurysm. We were all devastated by his death and his American flag that he was going to carry with him on his hike is going on, being carried by his fellow hikers. I was priviledged to carry it from Springer Mtn. that very first day. The local folks line the street for the parade and some are ladened with water guns and balloons. Of course the hikers are well prepared for the fight with their own guns and balloons as well as trash bag armour, with Jerry pushing Mudbutt's wheelchair and her holding one corner of Ted's flag and me just behind them, we go down the street with at least a thousand other hikers. The wheelchair seems to keep most people from blasting us with water, that is until we get to Mudbutt's brother, Charles. He has absolutely no qualms about shooting her with his water gun, the very one she gave him! Of course as we passed by I thought I was safe, but no, I got blasted too! Too soon we came to the end of the parade route. It has been an incredible day. I am not sure how many miles I walked today, but I know it was a lot. Back at the motel, a hot shower revives me, and I set about packing our food bag for the next four days. Papermaker has gotten a reprieve from his boss (thanks Randy) and does not have to be back at work until Friday. We are going to hike to Troutdale, Va. Jitterbug had to take Hoover to the hospital this morning. We let them use our truck. He had an allergic reaction to some new medicine. They have to take a few days off so they are driving our truck to pick up their car, then drop the truck off for us. I notice that when I am in town for any length of time, I get really antsy and uptight. It seems like all my things get strung all over and I can't find anything. Or maybe it is just all the sensory overload that grates my poor nerve, the only one I have left. It has been a great day, but I am ready to get back on the trail for awhile. It is amazing what a good pair of shoes will do for a person. I still do not know how far I will go. I think I have what it takes to go all the way. I just have to go way down deep inside me to find it. I can certainly understand why over half the hikers that make it to Damascus will not go on from here, but on I will go, at least for a few more days. bumpkin