Date: 2011-06-12
To: Pizza and Rails-to-Trails
Miles today: 0.0

I arrived in Damascus yesterday and settled in to an absolutely charming cabin along a stream. There are ducks and geese; a beaver¢s dam; and families here, spending quality time together. It makes me feel a little nostalgic and wistful for the days when my own beloved children were small, and we too had such family vacations together. I went out to lunch at a pizza joint I¢d eaten at when I was here in Damascus during Trail Days: Quincy¢s Pizza. It is a little unexpected gem of a place that one would never expect to find in a small town such as Damascus. I can honestly say that I enjoyed some of the best pizza there that I have ever had. If ever you¢re in Damascus you HAVE to try Quincy¢s Pizza! When I was here during trail days I had a feta, broccoli and chicken pizza. Yesterday I had a Philly Cheese steak pizza. Yum! Much to my delight, I ran into a friend in Quincy¢s: Scratch. Scratch was the fellow who convinced me of the merits of hammock sleeping. I met him probably a month or more ago, in a hostel called Hemlock Hollow. I ran into him again at Trail Days, where he was headed home due to an ankle injury. He¢s had time to heal, and is back to the trail for more. He and I are going to try to catch up to Tortoise and Minutia, who are about 60-80 miles ahead of us. In fact, Scratch joined me in bicycling the Virginia Creeper Trail later in the afternoon. The Virginia Creeper Trail is just amazing! It¢s a 34-mile trail that was formerly a railway for steam engines. When the trail fell to disuse and disrepair, the U.S. Forest Service took control of the land and turned it into a multi-use trail. They removed the rails, and now bicyclists, horseback riders and pedestrians use it for recreation. It¢s just lovely! It crosses over numerous rivers, streams, and gorges, using the original trestle bridges from its days as a railway. Scratch and I did 17 miles of the trail, as the other portion of the trail was closed due to recent tornado damage. This past week¢s hiking was really pleasant. Although the days have become rather warm and the mosquitoes have been pretty thick at dawn and dusk, things have otherwise been really great. The trail has become far less rugged, and the beauty I have experienced these past days has been the best yet. From Elk Park, NC at Roan Mountain, thru to Jones Falls, Dennis Cove, and Laurel Falls, sight after sight took my breath away. Frustratingly, I am still suffering the repercussions of the scumbag who stole my stuff sack: I had no spare camera battery because they were in that pouch. As a result, I was unable to photograph some of the most scenic spots I¢ve seen yet. (Fortunately, all is now resolved: Pat mailed me spare camera batteries and memory cards, so hereafter I should not run out of power. As additional insurance, I am going to carry a spare back-up camera. I never want to lose photographs again!) After Laurel Falls came Watauga Lake, which was spectacularly beautiful! Oh how I wanted to just leap into into its depths and take a cool refreshing swim! (I actually did so at Laurel Falls, and it felt wonderful! I slipped into the water fully dressed and really enjoyed the cooling dip. My wet clothes kept me cool for several hours afterward, too.) I am just happy to be back on the trail and moving forward, ready for more fun and adventure. I really enjoyed the stretch of the AT between Elk Park and Damascus, and if I could choose only one section to hike out of all that I¢ve seen thus far, that section would be it. During my home stop I decided to retrieve my water filter. I¢d been using Aqua Mira drops, but I just didn¢t feel good about it. I decided to go back to filtering, and boy am I glad I did! The water sources in this most recent section have been dismal at best as far as drinking. Although pretty to look at, the water in the falls I¢ve encountered these past days is filled with sediment. I¢m back to filtering and much prefer it. I don¢t mind the added weight of the filter. I have accepted the fact that I will never be part of the ultralight backpacking crowd, and I accept that. I like my comforts. I sacrifice the ability to do more miles per day by carrying as much as I do, but I accept this sacrifice in the name of my own comfort on the trail. To me, hiking the AT is not just about walking. It¢s the whole thing, and if I¢m not comfortable I¢m not having fun. I am, as they say, hiking my own hike. It may not be the best way, but it¢s the way that I¢ve found that works for me, and I¢ll stick with it, thank you very much! I bought myself a new pair of shorts yesterday. Size 6!!!!!!!!!!!! Hooray!!!!!