Date: 2004-05-20
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We were up early this morning, even Burnie. Pokey and I had each eaten breakfast and taken down our tents/hammocks before 6:30 AM. The two of us left camp before 7:00 while Burnie was cooking and eating her breakfast. We reached the TN-VA border before 9:30. That was 6 miles in 2.5 hrs. We took a break here and some pictures waiting for Burnie so we could take her picture at the state border. Three states are now finished with only 11 more to go. It will take a month and a half to finish VA the state with the most AT miles. (almost 500 miles in Virginia)We gave up waiting for Burnie after just a few minutes being anxious to get to town. A fast pace toward town got me to the park in Damascus about 11:30. I dropped my pack in the display shelter to wait for Pokey and rest my feet. I took off my boots and put on my camp shoes while waiting. Instead of Pokey coming around the corner Burnie showed up first. She left camp 1 hour after us and was only minutes behind me getting into Damacus. She really can fly when she is motivated. Pokey showed up a few minutes later. He apparently needed to do some business in the woods.We headed directly to The Place to claim our bunks and take showers. The Place is run by a local church as a hostel for hikers. It is a pretty large house with several good size bedrooms. It is way more spacious then other hostels I have visited. Santa was there with a paint brush painting the walls on the first floor. Thumper has been here for more than a week. She has some kind of foot injury. Her habit for hiking is to hike fast and do huge miles then spend several days in town. I think this approach has caused her injury. She is stressing her body too much with the big miles and no rests. A lot of hikers are hurting. I'm still doing well. My feet were a little swollen this afternoon but that could be because I did not take the time to drink enough water in my eagerness to make it to town.At the out fitter Burnie bought a hiking skirt and some other items. Pokey bought a Hennessey Hammock. I just picked up my mail drop.We had a pizza and salads at Sicilys then did laundry and visited the post office. Back at the hostel we sorted thruogh our maildrops and set up our backpacks to prepare for our hiking tomorrow.Burnie had been planning on a zero day tomorrow. I talked with a hiker who has become disabled with a knee injury who would be willing to help us slack pack for the price of gas. I figured we could zero tomorrow then slack the next day on a 22 mile south bound hike back to Damascus. Burnie would rather not disrupt the continuity of her hike by going in the wrong direction. Besides, she has decided to not zero tomorrow because her parents want to visit for Memorial Day Weekend so she will save the zero day until then. So now we will start late morning tomorrow with full packs heading north.Dinner at the cafe was adequate but not outstanding. Nuffy has been working there since getting off the trail due to injuries. She expects to start hiking again next week. I was following Nuffy's hike on Trail Journals before I started my hike.Pokey and I decided to walk the mile to the food store to use the Ben and Jerry's coupon Linda Patton sent me in a mail drop. Burnie needed to phone Mike, her boy friend. Burnie was still on the phone as we headed back to the hostel. We tried to get her to finish her phone call and come back with us to eat the 2 flavors we had chosen - Chunky Monkey and New York Chunky Chocolate. Pokey and I tried to eat the ice cream slowly but it was melting fast. We polished off just before Burnie got back. I'm stuffed but it was goooooood!!Life Is Good!! "Gabby" aka Art Cloutman