Date: 2005-05-13
From: Just north of Big Meadows Lodge

To: Rt. 211, Thornton Gap (Damascus Trail Days)
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: clear sky

start: Just north of Big Meadows Lodgefinish: Rt. 211, Thornton Gap (Damascus Trail Days)miles: 17.4day: 67Ugh, wake up time came much too early today.  I could've slept another two hours. As I was waking I heard an owl nearby.  Ignoring the sleeping Johnny Blaze nearby (he never wakes up), I called rather loudly for Goldilocks and Tea Break to get up at 5:40.  The goal was to hike at 6:00 and do 17 miles by 1:00, but we didn't get going until 6:20.  And then we spent time topping off water and using the campground bathroom.  Note: air hand dryers really warm you up when directed down the shorts on a cold morning.We made good time to Skyland, where we rationalized going to the dining room for breakfast.  Otherwise we'd miss a "unique trail experience".  Yeah right.  After a wonderful breakfast that wasn't quite big enough, we hiked on and came across Cotton Joe at an overlook.  He had tried and had given up hope of a ride to Trail Days.  Hah!  Underpants has rented a minivan, so there's room for one more.Now the race begins in earnest.  Hike as fast as humanly possible because we messed around doing other fun stuff and we don't want to be late as a matter of pride.  So we go racing along hooting and hollering.  We pass a couple of women day hiking and one says to me "Aren't vikings supposed to have ships?"  She seemed to have a good sense of humor so I hollered back without stopping "We're here to pillage your town.  The only protection is to throw food!"We make it to the trailhead a bit after 1:00, but before Underpants.  When they arrive we meet Underpants' girlfriend, Simone.  Poor girl.  She's never experienced hikers before.  She was a really good sport and I think she thought we were kind of fun to watch (like when you go to a zoo), if only we didn't smell SO DARN BAD.  I apologize for my friends.  I know they smell.  She peels an orange and uses the peel as a kind of gas mask, but I don't think it works.  We were in the van for about 5 hours (yeah, we've walked a long way from Damascus), and it must've seemed forever to her.They had all kinds of snacks for us to munch on, and later we stopped at Country Cookin' AYCE buffet.  Yeah baby.We rolled into Damascus at dusk and I got dropped off at Beth's house.  After saying hi and chatting to Beth and her friend Diane for a bit I set up my tarp in the yard.  Once set, I headed out to the campground a mile or so away.When I got there it was dark and I couldn't see who anyone was in the crowds.  Finally I found Tea Break and we went over to the Billville tent and watched their useless invention contest.  My favorite was the shelter clearing suit - a bunch of whoopee cushions stapled onto one's clothing.  When offered a mere 8 inches to lie down in a full shelter, simply don the suit, say thanks, and sit down in the space - braaaap.  Then lie down - braaaap.  Once you roll over a few times, you'll be given lots of space.  I don't think this would sell too well, though, as most hikers already have their own version of the suit.I got to say hi to Miss Janet briefly and then we just milled around until we ran into Goldilocks and Emma.  The drum circle was starting up, and they looked like they were gonna get into it.  I was tired, and felt raindrops, so I hitched a ride from some friendly locals back to my piece of lawn in town.  By this time it was raining real good.  Time for a bit of journalling and sleep.  I think it rained for hours.