Date: 2015-05-15
From: Laurel Creek, VA

To: Damascus, VA (Trail Days)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke bright and early despite having the day off from hiking. Tossing and turning just after 6:00am, I was quickly up and meandering along the flag-lined path leading the mile into town from Tent City. With no real idea of where I was going, I hobbled along with the other early risers. I walked along the empty streets, the businesses a couple hours from opening still, and found myself standing in a long line at the volunteer fire department for a breakfast held in the bay normally filled with fire trucks. For $5.25 I received a plate of eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage, coffee, and milk. A solid start to the morning.Back on the streets, I headed a block away to the Dollar General and exited with a 2-liter of Cola and 2 packs of M&M's - a second breakfast, if you will. I posted up on one of the lone benches dotting the downtown and did nothing in particular as I snacked and hiker-watched. Macgyver (McGruber) who I hadn't seen since before the Smokies walked up and we caught up. He was recovering from a wicked sunburn he had received a few days earlier after a day of relaxing and enjoying a few too many beverages while shirtless. He has another month left for his hike and hopes to reach Harpers Ferry, WV by then. Cheers, friend. He also informed me of free showers being held at the city pool. I was soon off in that direction. Arriving at the pool with a few other hikers, it was like a return to high school as it was a communal shower. Gradually becoming more and more comfortable with being comfortable in my own skin, I was soon naked and enjoying a warm shower.After my shower I met back up with Moosehead and Hobble and we would spend the rest of the day doing nothing of real significance - walking, talking, meeting former and current hikers, and seeing what all cool equipment the outdoor vendors had for show. The weather was sunny and hot, the smell of food from a variety of food trucks filled the air, and the sound of various live bands echoed through the town.I was able to meet David "Awol" Miller, the author of the yearly AT guide which many hikers use - providing terrain details, shelter and town locations, distances between specific points, and interesting things to see or do along the trail. He recently included a quote from Rock Boat in his some of his advertisement material so I let him know I had been spending a lot of time with him since the beginning. Awol even set up a board with all of the pages of the guide laid out in order showing the entire terrain of the trail and asked hikers to write their name on a sticky note and stick it to where they were currently at before arriving in Damascus. It was neat seeing some people as far back as the Smokies and others near the north end of Virginia. Other than standing on Katahdin, I felt my group was in one of the best possible locations - in between 2 larger bubbles of hikers.Normally use to hiking away entire days, the day seemed to drag by slowly until evening when the festivities picked up again. Back in the labyrinth that was the Tent City woods, we spent another night roaming from one camp to another, mingling and accepting any beer that was offered. Between the camps of Clif Bars, Riff-Raff, and Billville, there was no shortage of beverages. It was during this evening that we'd also meet 2 of Hobble's friends that began the AT only a couple of weeks ago - Rock Licker and Pinecone. I can't say enough about these 2 individuals other than they're simply some of the most genuinely nice, accepting, and free-spirited people I've ever met. The bond we formed almost immediately was awesome and it's too bad they're not able to be hiking with us on a daily basis. Staying in another town just outside of the crowded Damascus, they even took both Moosehead and my gadgets to their place over night to recharge them for us. What a fine gesture since I was completely out of juice for the past 2 days. I have no pictures from Trail Days, however, due to no battery plus the fear of losing my iPad.The evening began in solid fashion as a ton of hikers were treated to a meal of BBQ pulled pork, pork chops, potato salad, and chips free of charge by the Four Pines Hostel. Such an act of generosity as hikers spread out around the large open field of Tent City and got lost in the smoky flavors. Moosehead, Hobble, Rock Licker, Pinecone, and I retreated to an empty corner along the outfield fence of a neighboring baseball field where we spent the next couple of hours talking about the trail, life, and everything in between. The night reached its high point once again at the bonfire pit. Hundreds of hikers - girls and guys, young and old, drunk and more drunk - crowded around as the atmosphere gradually shifted from that of a party to that of a more primal experience. With a constant beating of drums filling the night air, chants, yells, and horns rang through the night as hikers danced in a continuous circle around the fire. Taking a more lax approach to the spectical, Moosehead, Hobble, and I laid on the ground just outside the edge of the circle, watching shooting stars and commenting on the beautiful contrast of the silhouetted mountains against the star-filled backdrop. Between that and several repeated trips through our collection of camps to keep our cups topped off, we had a solid evening.Finally retreating to my tent around 1:30am, now situated along a creek flowing through the woods of Tent City after relocating earlier in the day, I would fall into another deep sleep, knowing another day of the same waited for me in a few hours. Others wouldn't fair so well like one hiker I know who awoke to a tent and all of their gear covered in urine. I remember my first Trail Days...Here's to communal showers, $4.00 bottles of wine from Dollar General, and positive energy.- Cambo