Date: 2012-04-13
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: few clouds

It was cold again last night but I only woke up a few times so must have been a wee bit warmer. I would also like to reiterate that I hate Superfeet. I only had a 10 mile hike, all downhill, to get to Damascus so it was alright. I knew I was going to do something, most likely buy a pair of sneakers, so my spirit was high. So I slowly walked down to town and it was actually really easy, I could have done it yesterday but I would have sucked BAD. So I got into Damascus, VA at 11 am and I was happy to be there. I had a list...1. Get new shoes2. Get food/beer3. Mail my boots home4. Find the Methodist Church Hostel Completed it all in that order. I got a pair of Montrail Mountain Masochist trail running shoes. I'd like to say I bought them solely for the name but they were also really comfortable and on sale. Met up with Switchback and we went to the pizza shop and both got large strombolies. They were made with a 16" pizza dough so it was intended to feed a family of 4 or 5. We each ate our own hehe. The hostel turned out to be really decent with the capability to house about 30 hikers. We grabbed some bunks in the room which Salt Bomb was in and relaxed for awhile. I found an alcohol stove in the hiker box so I decided I will now start cooking food. Big thumbs up. Whoop and Resource showed up and we all hung out some more. Then Resource noticed a sign posted in the hostel about a free hiker diner at the town park's gazebo. It said you got picked up at 6 and it was 530 so Whoop, Resource, Switchback, Salt Bomb, Boxhead and myself all headed over. We got to the park and met 2 guys at the gazebo and talked with them for awhile thinking it was who we were meeting. Really nice guys that wanted to hear all about out hike so far. Turns out it was the Mayor and a City Chairman who were restoring the gazebo. Then, at 6, Mountain Man pulled up and told us "If you like tacos, you should probably jump in the bed of this truck" We were off. Stopped for some beers and then got to the destination for the evening, The Flying Mountain Nubian Farm. Turns out Mountain Man (and the other guy whom I can't remember his name) has like a 100+ goat farm. It was such a cool experience. We showed up and the tacos, refried beans, spanish rice and all the topping were waiting for us. We made pigs of ourselves and then they offered to take us on the tour. We went into the goat pasture and we were instantly surrounded by 75 floppy-eared nubians (I don't know if I'm spelling that correctly). It was hilarious. There was also some kind of enormous herding dog that was still a puppy but like a 180 pound puppy that was playing and also 2 German Shepherds, one of which was 19 years old and still playing like it was 8. They took us up to the "cabin" they were building on top of the hill. It turns out that it was more of a 2 story house but they had built the entire thing from the ground up in their spare time. Really cool shit. We came back down and Mountain Man made a peach pie and cookies. We hung out until 11 and then headed back to the hostel. I'm so glad Resource saw that flyer for their diner. It was such a good time!