Date: 2016-04-30
From: Mile marker 487.2

To: 0
Miles today: 0.0

Today is Saturday, day 37. I am still in Damascus, VA.   Tomorrow Chrissy and Sammi will head home and I will start my hike at mile marker 487.2. The time spent with Chrissy has been awesome and while I hate to see her go..... it is time for me to start walking North. I have enjoyed some great food and nice down time. I know I'll see her again, while in Virginia, since that is where we are currently living.Today after breakfast, at Mojo's in Damascus (awesome!!) - - we sat in a park where the AT enters the town of Damascus and guess who we saw coming down the path.... - - -TROTTER!! I saw her last in Erwin, TN at Uncle Johnny's Hostel. It was so nice to see her and I was glad that she was able to meet Chrissy and Sammi. We visited, I brought her to Woodchucks Hostel and we made plans to see each other on Sunday morning. She will stay at Woodchucks for two nights and add a slack pack (hike part of the trail without a full backpack) day into her stay. I also saw Old Drum yesterday. He has already hiked the trail once and is doing it AGAIN!! WOW. I ran into Monkey (the guy from Louisiana) ... he too was staying at Woodchucks Hostel.   I saw several hikers that I have seen over the past few weeks - - some I know their names (trail names) but most, we just say hello and ask how things are going. On another note: When Chrissy picked me up and we checked into the hotel I found that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the choices of clothes. I had asked that she bring some items that I might want to use during my hike. But, as I looked at everything - - it made me realize how little one really needs. I have talked about this before but when I saw all the choices . .. and knowing that I was doing fine with what I had - - it made me pause and reflect, once again, that life can be simple or as complicated as we make it. Don't get me wrong I love nice things and the fact that I do have choices but being on the trail for 30+ days makes me look at things a tad differently. Back to food: Once again I feel like I have too much food for the next section. I have extra spam as it has more calories and is easy to pack. I am sending my stove back with Chrissy. She brought it as I thought I might reconsider and want to start using it again. But, I really don't want it. Again, that may change down the trail but for now I don't really want to cook - - I rather eat my summer sausages, peanut butter, bread, bars, etc... That works best for me (at this point). As I look at the next few days, I see that the elevation goes up to 5000+ feet for a bit but then stays in the 2 and 3000 foot range. I googled, the hardest sections of the AT, and when I saw that there were 7 listed and I have only crossed one of those my reaction was, ARE YOU KIDDING. OMG... But, then I realized that I should not even bother reading the information and just plan on hiking one day at a time - - -as I have tried to do since starting the trail. Again the entire trail is too much for me to grasp. I have to look at it in small sections.I too read trail journals and I have noticed that a few folks that I am following (reading) have decided to go home. Anyone who has done any part of the trail or the entire trail knows that taking one step or 5 million steps (what that say it takes to complete the trail) has succeeded. Each hiker hikes their own hike and stops where they see fit. Hats off to all the hikers who stepped one foot on the trail.I had the pleasure to spend time with 2012 Thru Hiker Woodchuck (who owns the hostel) and in our conversation he said, the trail was life changing for him. When I asked him to expound he said that he realized what life was really about and that it was the simple things that made him happy. So, when he went back home (Montana) he longed to be reconnected to the trail. He had fallen in love with the town of Damascus, Va, while on his hike, so he looked for property and purchased the hostel 3 years ago. He also told me that the key to the trail is to have PATIENCE. He advised that if you are not flexible with your "schedule" you will never make it. Things very seldom went as planned while he hiked.... when he took it one day at a time and accepted whatever came his way - - rain, a missed trail marker, cold, hot, not enough miles covered, etc...he was more at peace on the trail....Love to all my family back in Louisiana. I think of you all every day.