Date: 2004-05-13
From: Glascow, VA

To: Trail Days!
Miles today: 0.0

Trail Days. An annual festival in Damascus, VA that most AT thru-hikers look forward to. It's a time to get off the trail for a few days and concern yourself only with having a good time with the friends you've made without having to worry about putting in miles. A time to visit the many vendors who set up camp in town and get your equipment fixed after having hiked with it for 770 miles. A time to reunite with old friends whom you haven't seen for weeks (or possibly months) and find out how their hike is going, if they're still hiking, and how far ahead or close behind they are from you on the trail.   Of course I was excited.   I rode with Patrick and Michael (who picked Patrick and me up this morning at the hotel) and shortly after entering Damascus, we pulled up in front of my favorite hiker-hangout.   The Sidetrack Cafe.   Getting out of the car and walking across the street, I could see two people directly in front of me through the window of the cafe. Upon seeing me, one of them started up the video camera.   Heather and Arwen.   This was the highlight. Seeing everyone else would be great, no doubt, but I had spent more time with Heather and Arwen than any other hikers on the trail. I love the people I've met and will be in contact with many of the friends I've made, and will make, for years to come. But Heather and Arwen weren't just friends anymore.    Part of me still didn't accept that I was done hiking with them. It didn't seem to fit. And, though they were only 2 days ahead and it was POSSIBLE that I could catch up to them, I knew I probably wouldn't. Having to be back to work on September 1st, they were set on doing big miles without zero days so that they would have some transition time and wouldn't have to go straight from trail life "real" life.   And yet, knowing this wasn't enough to convince me that these would be our last days together.   Working behind the counter of the Sidetrack were Sarah (AKA "Grass") and Uncle Ben, who came out as soon as they saw me. Last time I saw Uncle Ben was a week and a half ago when he claimed he would see Patrick and me at the first shelter out of Pearisburg that night after seeing Grass off. I had thought about saying something, but I could tell he was uncomfortable enough. Not just uncomfortable because I knew he had no intention of meeting up with us that night, but because he knew that I had a bit of a crush on the girl who had eventually chosen him. But hey, I'll get over it.   Found out Sasha was off the trail.   Met the infamous Wicked Lobstah I had been reading the entries of in shelter registers since Georgia.   Met Heather and Arwen's roommate from Texas, Doug, who drove me down the street to Tent City (where hundreds of tents are set up by hikers who are in town for the festivities) so that I wouldn't actually have to walk down when I was finally ready to set up my tent. God, I hate walking. Thanks Doug.   Finally met Sugar Daddy (the guy who left me the knee strap and Snickers at Neel's Gap) and he was just as siked to meet me. Turns out he had remembered my monkey picture from my trail journal and left me those gifts out of appreciation for my sense of humor.   "When I found out you were hurt, I thought 'Oh no! This guy HAS to stay on the trail longer.'" Thanks again Sugar Daddy. Still appreciated.   Beers at the Sidetrack. Dinner at The Mill.   That night there was a huge bonfire between a couple of the fields at Tent City. Burn lived up to his name and made sure the flames leapt high into the night. It was good to see him again too.   Sounds like a good time so far, right? Then why didn't I want to be there? Why was I wishing I was on the trail? Part of me felt guilty for not hiking. Part of me felt hurt to see Uncle Ben and Grass. Part of me felt hopeful, like maybe I COULD catch up to Heather and Arwen.    All of me felt depressed.    Might as well drink another beer and hope to get a good night's sleep. Not a cure, but what a remedy!