TRAIL DAY 60
Wed, Apr 20, 2016 Damascus! Virginia!
Two big words to thru-hikers. Damascus is a hiker-hub. Every year they host TRAIL-DAYS! Put “trail days” in Google and the annual event will pop up. In 2016, the festival was from May 19-21. I was arriving well ahead of the event.
Virginia: another big word on the AT. Virginia is the 4th state and the longest by far. More than 1/4 of the trail passes through this state – a total of 550.3 miles! Hikers talk of the “Virginia blues” and some leave the trail because of them. You’ve proved to yourself you can hike a long distance and now you face a monster haul which won’t even get you half way to the finish. It’s April-into-May and it can be rainy. My hike through Virginia would be during the wettest May in Virginia history. For some reason, I didn’t mind it at all. My wife has long commented that I don’t seem to be bothered by the weather, hot, cold, dry, wet, freezing or sweltering. I’ve been fortunate not to have my home flooded or blown away – wind-and-tree damage but that’s about it. Short of a volcano, tornado, flash flood or the like, the weather is a kiss from Mom.
My goal this windy morning was to pack up and hightail it across the TN/VA border into Damascus for breakfast. It was a 6.4-mile trek which we did in just under 3 hours. The border was 3.5 miles from our campsite leaving 2.9 to town and “home-cooked” food!
When I descended out of the southern Virginia hills into Damascus it was like a real-life “Wizard of Oz,” going from black and white to technicolor! The lawns were alive with the sound of music and the flower beds with the silence of butterflies.
The trail entered the town in a residential area at the south end and followed Water Street to the southern end of the town park along the banks of Beaverdam Creek. There was an elevated sign you could pass under like a gateway into town. It welcomed Appalachian Trail thru-hikers.
I crossed the park northward and came to other hikers, including a couple of guys with Sweet Potato. They helped me with directions and places to eat. I crossed the bridge on Laurel Avenue and follow that road into town. Places to eat were at the far end.
The adventure of not knowing where I am, where I’ll stay, whom I’ll meet or where I’ll eat helps keep my blood moving. That’s the way it was on the trail and that’s what I wanted.
I followed the directions and near the far end of town came into another residential area and there saw a nice, neat-looking white house with a sign out reading: HIKERS INN. I went onto the porch and saw a sign on a chair by the front door reading: RING BELL; IF NO ANSWER, CALL: with numbers. Someone answered the bell and I was early for the day so there was room. Paul from Belgium was the owner and he showed me to the bunkhouse in the back. I basically had my pick of bunks and took the lower one to the right along the front wall nearest the house. Roof extensions covered the space between house and bunkhouse.
What memories there would be here!
I set my gear under the window along the side wall by my bed. At the other end of this wall was the bathroom and shower which I was happy to use before breakfast. Out of boots, into crocks, cleaned and comfortable, I set off for a late breakfast – or perhaps brunch. The recommendation was MOJO’S Trail side Café & Coffee. The name said it all. I could continue on down Laurel and then take a right or I could take the diagonal through a couple of back streets by some hidden residences, cross Laurel Creek on a footbridge and continue down a cinder path to MOJO’s on the left at the edge of town. Having done well in geometry in school, I took the diagonal and was there in short order. Service-dog Theo came with me. Would I ever leave him if I didn’t have to?
I always asked first if I could bring Theo in to restaurants or other public places and would advise that he was a registered service dog. That opened doors to the hiking pair. The owner was short, wiry and perhaps just a little testy. He wasn’t sure about Theo or his official status (neither was I for that matter) and kinda kept an eye on us.
My AWOL notes tell me I ordered eggs and French toast for me and pancakes for Theo. I recall very well eating them outside. Theo came inside after his pancakes. Of course, people stopped and said “Hi” to him or otherwise ooooh’d and aaaaah’d about him and I always loved it! Theo was such an icebreaker he’d have to swim to the poles if he were headed to either – and soon this would happen in spades!
After our totally relaxed meal in the sun it was time to cool off inside with coffee in an easy chair. MOJO’s was long and narrow extending back from the front door. If you walked straight in from the entrance, you passed comfortable stuffed chairs facing left and right with a coffee table in between. Beyond, was a counter extending at right angles from the right-side wall with a sign reading: ORDER HERE. A long counter extended from the ORDER counter to the back of the Café. Beyond was the restroom. There were tables all along the wall opposite the long counter.
I got my coffee and sat in an easy chair facing the tables. Theo was by my side toward the door. We were very comfortable – off the trail – in Virginia – relaxed – on our way north in time for Katahdin but now was a time to rest.
Soon a young woman, in her 30s perhaps, came in with a young daughter. She went to the ORDER counter but I didn’t see any food or drink. She moved toward the spot where the counter turned at right angles and was talking to someone. Her daughter was looking over at Theo. I caught Mom’s eye.
“She can pet him if she’d like.”
They came over and the little girl pet Theo. So did Mom. They crouched down on the floor to get closer to my fury friend. We chatted. I told them my trail name,
“Sojo. It stands for Sojourner or Soul Journey. My real name is Soren West.”
They were Kazi (Mom) and Zoe.
Our conversation turned friendly and more personal – not just chatter among strangers. Kazi was an ultrasound technician at a nearby hospital. I learned Zoe’s grade in school. In the course of conversation, I mentioned that my whole family was going to be with me on June 4th wherever I’d be to celebrate my 75th birthday.
I enjoyed both Kazi and Zoe and the fact that they enjoyed Theo. Our conversation was a very nice interlude in the pure-trail talk that was natural and great among thru-hikers. I had entered into a nice, polite sociable conversation with a lovely woman and her daughter.
As Kazi and Zoe got up to leave, I noted Kazi chatting with Paul, the Hikers Inn owner, before she left. I thought it nice that she knew the locals.
MOJO’S was the place to hang out in town. I would be back a few times to work on blogging once again. The Wifi was free with outlets available at some of the tables. All were welcomed for however long.
After chatting with Kazi and Zoe, Theo and I returned to the Hikers Inn. At some point during my stay at Hikers Inn, I weighed myself on a digital scale outside the bathroom. My naked weight was 145 pounds! In 469 miles I had lost 25 pounds! Knowing I would lose weight, I had taken a picture of my naked torso before leaving Hiker Hostel for Springer. I had planned to take another after my finish at Katahdin. If I show these at all, it probably should be at the end so I don’t gross you out and lose you before we’re even halfway through.
As supper time approached, I was out in the common area outside chatting with folks before departing for Hey Joe’s Tacos & More two blocks away. I saw Paul before leaving and he happened to ask me what I was doing around 6:30 that evening. I figured there was going to be a songfest or the like and said I was off to Joe’s Tacos but could be back by then. He said, “That would be good.” I was slightly suspicious of something being cooked up.
At Joe’s Tacos, I ordered some food that fit the name and enjoyed a couple of beers with my fare. I was joined by one or two hikers I knew. We talked trail and being out of the woods for the time being. We were in the iconic town of Damascus, the mother of all trail-friendly towns along the AT.
I got back to the hostel in plenty of time and just hung out with “Skink,” Paul’s trail name from his thru-hike a few years before, and others.
“Farel-Dad” or just “Farel” and “Pop-Tart” were not among the folks hanging out. I would meet them that night.
After a while, I saw someone coming down the drive alongside the house. It was Kazi with Zoe! I will admit, I had wondered if she was behind Paul’s concern about where I’d be at 6:30.
She was carrying a huge tray of incredible homemade cookies with a delicious crust, cream cheese or the like and fruit. One had a candle in it. I don’t know how many were there before Kazi and Zoe arrived but in short order people gathered and Juan took out his practice banjo and played Happy Birthday.
Polar-Bear and Justice were there. El-Tejano, Sweet Potato, Clutch, Monster and others. All the folks who rescued me from the bear and more.
Damascus! A very pleasant meeting with a lovely woman and her daughter. Those who gave to me showing up to give again: the Watauga Lake crowd and the solicitous and generous PB.
God seemed to be smiling on my election to hike the Appalachian Trail this year. He seemed to be saying, “Soren, you have chosen well. I approve and am well pleased.”
I took several pictures of this wonderful event and of Kazi and Zoe and had to have one of me with all of the folks gathered and then with Kazi and Zoe, the lovely ladies who covered me in southern hospitality like an Amish quilt in winter or the sprinkler spray of friendship on a hot and thirsty day.
I was indeed blessed. I slept well that night.
Day #60 Unnamed Gap > Damascus 6.4 miles