Date: 2015-05-09
From: Stealth camp near mile 461.0

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I write this entry from Chez Cherokee in Fancy Gap VA, sifting in a recliner. It doesn't get much better than this!This morning I had no trouble whatsoever getting out of my bag, because Town Day! And not just any town, but Damascus VA, trail town par excellence. And not only that, but mrs Cherokee was going to pick us up there from some much needed clean up and RnR at their house! So yes, getting up was easy today. All of our food bags were pathetically empty, but on the bright side this meant our packs were nice and light. We had about 8 miles to go before hitting Damascus but as per usual they flew by. Before we got to Damascus though, we hit the TN/VA border. In so far that I have a home state, Virginia is it, so you could say I walked home. Except of course that I live on the other end of the 500 miles of trail in Virginia, but that's a detail.Damascus was having their yard sale weekend, so the place was hopping when we got there shortly before 10 . And who is the first person we run into but Fiddler! He had gotten in the night before and was zeroing today before hiking out tomorrow.By now we were pretty hungry (shocking, I know) and Shimmy and Tarp Man told us breakfast at Cowboys was good, so that's where we headed. Oh my, was it ever! I had my first ever real southern biscuit with bacon and egg, and we resolved on the spot to go back there before hiking out on Monday and pack out a couple of these for lunch! After a quick stop for a latte (first one since Gatlinburg!) we went back towards the main part of town where the outfitter was. Yoda wanted to look at shoes, Cherokee at insoles and I had care packages to pick up. I took my packages outside to the picnic table while humming Charlie Brown Christmas and checked out all the goodies! It was great! Chocolate, cheese, tea, Cliff bars, fancy venison jerky sticks, truffle popcorn, all I can say is, my friends know my snobby food ways so well! I will be eating so well again on the trail these next couple of sections! We headed back to the coffee shop because that's where mrs Cherokee was going to pick us up, and we sat and chatted with the various hikers who came by. Fiddler came and visited so we fully caught up with him, which was fun.The drive to Fancy Gap was pretty but the curves didn't agree so well with all the milk in my stomach. Fortunately we got to a more regular road after a bit and the queasiness ended. Note to self: maybe two large lattes in three hours is not such a stellar plan.My shoes had arrived and I am thrilled to say I did not tell Gary the wrong size! I'm very excited to be hiking in new shiny shoes. They look so new and clean, I'm sure everyone will think I'm a section hiker! We all got cleaned up, relaxed on the lovely porch with views of the golf course and tried to get used to a clean shaven Cherokee. Also, we weighed ourselves and if this scale and mine at home are in synch, I have lost 5-7 lbs. I have also gained significant muscle, I think. After a lovely dinner, Cherokee's friends who were at Amicalola Lodge with them when I first met him came over. They had been following the journal but of course there were lots of details to fill in.A couple of weeks ago in Hot Springs, I ran into BonBon. She had just spent a couple of days at a friend's house and said 'I can't do that again, it's too hard to leave!'. I can totally see what she means, but I am planning to enjoy my zero here all the same!Open map in new windowWant to add a map to your journal?