Damascus Part I

The Magic School Bus landed in Damascus for “Trail Days” on Friday afternoon (5/18).  During their previous visit, Daystar and her fellow hikers had befriended Bobbie and Billy who lived on the edge of town.  The hikers were invited to camp on the couple’s side lawn near Laurel Creek both Fri and Sat nights.  

Laurel Creek

Laurel Creek

The hikers changed into the 100% COTTON clothing that I’d brought from home (dresses, t-shirts, gym shorts, and socks) and headed into town to check out “Trail Days.”   After finding my own lodging in Abingdon, I headed to the Lost Sock laundry mat with all the stinky hiker laundry.  When I returned around 5 pm, our little party enjoyed Happy Hour on the lawn.    Gribley told me that he had begun the AT with all black gear and attire. Daystar’s artistic influence was evident. Wearing a tie-dyed shirt then hot pink and a colorful knit cap, he said that he was ready to trade his 8 pack for a box of 64 (Crayolas). I listened to stories about hiking in rain and snow, camping in tents and under the stars (cowboy camping), sleeping in shelters and hostels, and dining in towns and on the trail ... and in the pizza place where Pants on Fire became Dance on Fire, then Rants on Fire the next morning.  

Daystar and Pants on Fire

Gribley in tie-dye

Gribley in hot pink and Daystar

Cole and crispy TaterTot

The Fab Five

The Happy Hour spread

Later that night, I headed to my hotel, and they headed into town for pizza and dancing.  Saturday morning, the hikers dropped off gear for free repairs by Mr. Fix-It.  Daystar left her bug netting, rain coat, and hiking poles.  

Pants on Fire, Gribley, TaterTot, and Daystar

During the weekend, the First Baptist Church provided knit caps (see pics above) for all thru-hikers, free showers (including towels and toiletries), and foot washings and foot massages. The Fire Department hosted a Chicken BBQ lunch in the fire hall and the library had a book sale.  

BBQ in the fire hall

Windtalker, Damascus Dave, Lone Wolf, and Odyssa gave talks.  There were movies about hiking, rabbits and chickens for sale, face painting, fair food (hot dogs, funnel cakes, snow cones, ice cream cones…), contra dancing, a performance by the Gitty-Up Cloggers, and an auction with an old-timey auctioneer. Plus vendors for everything you could possible want or need on the AT.  Daystar summed it up: Trail Days is a mini-Bonaroo for hikers.  

Next post will be the Trail Days’ parade and talent show. 

Return to Woods Hole Hostel - Thurs 5/17

Unloading the Magic School Bus at Woods Hole

Daystar with hostess/owner Neville

Pants, Gribley, Tater Tot, Daystar, and Cole

One of many gardens

Fabulous assortment of lettuce

Breakfast on the porch

Breakfast around the fire ring

The bunk house - second floor loft lined with matresses

Daystar on the front porch

Oven for bread and pizza

A truly fab kitchen

Neville's kitchen

Yukon from Maine, one of 40 hikers that night

Posted in Woods Hole outhouse (worth reading)

Landscaping around Woods Hole

While the pictures speak volumes, I want to add my thoughts and observations...

Cole and I picked up Daystar and her fellow hikers in Catawba late Thursday afternoon.  We arrived at Woods Hole Hostel, truly 5 star, in time for dinner, along with nearly 40 other hikers – the biggest night of the season so far.  The simplicity and organization were amazing.  We first “circled up” (holding hands) around the fire ring out front and introduced ourselves and said where we’re from (all over the US and abroad).  Then, we added that for which we were thankful – the hostel, rain, sun, strangers becoming friends, reuniting with friends from the trail, a mattress to sleep on, Daystar and Cole -- for being together.  For dinner, we lined up for our first course: homemade bread, butter from the local Amish farm, and salad from an assortment of lettuces (see pic) with dressing so good you wanted to drink it from the bottle.  Next course, pizza made not in a hut but the dome oven (see pic) and old school macaroni and cheese.  For dessert, ice cream from the nearby Amish farm and “Kiki’s cookies” from home (Ty’d made a double batch of oversized-chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies; our love offering).  When dinner was nearly over, Neville (see pic), the owner/hostess, rang the bell with an urgent announcement.  A pig was lost.  Daystar and Gribley had seen it earlier when they'd set up their tents near the pig pen.  They assumed it was a “free range” pig like the “free range” chickens out front.  Thankfully, early the next morning, Gribley spotted it again, and the pig was returned to its pen.  He was a hostel hero!

Each meal has “sign-up sheets” for meal prep and clean up.  Daystar and Gribley helped wash dinner dishes then began the prep for breakfast.  Leftover bread was crumbled and mixed with butter and brown sugar for a crisp to go with berries and fresh yogurt in the morning.  I stepped in and ground coffee beans, and Cole helped fill giant jars from knee-high barrels of flour. 

Before the heavens broke, hikers headed to their camping area (by the pigs) or to the bunk house.  Thankfully, Cole and I headed upstairs to a simple, comfy, quaint room.  A hard rain began to fall on the tin roof and quickly lulled us to sleep.

Instead of staying for breakfast, we headed to The Waffle House, Tater Tot’s first visit ever, then to 81 South, and on to Damascus.  When the priest asked Ty where I was this past Sunday, he said, “The road to Damascus.”  More to come.

The Frizz

Missy delivered Cole to the Gang on Thursday, and brought everyone back to Woods Hole Hiker Hostel where they spent the night.  Missy and Cole spent the night inside while the intrepid hikers camped out back in what Missy described as the hardest rain she has ever heard.  They arrived in Damascus yesterday and set up camp in a yard where they were befriended by a couple when they passed through earlier in the month.  Last night they sat around their camp sipping some delicious red wines, munching on cheese and crackers and hummus.  It was during that time that Missy's trail name was bestowed upon her, The Frizz.  This is from Ms. Frizzle the driver of the Magic School Bus that takes kids to amazing places.  Hmmm.. how appropriate, so there you have it. 

There will be tons of pictures and posts coming later today and tomorrow or early next week.  On Sunday Missy will deliver the gang to The Homeplace Restaurant in Catawba, Va that was featured in the most recent issue of  Garden & Gun Magazine.

Cole joins Daystar!

Daystar, Mom, and Cole - Christmas 2011

Hello there! Cole here, Macon’s 20 year old sister. After a whirlwind of finishing my sophomore year at Sewanee, I am ready to start my summer and join Macon on the A.T. Like Macon, or should I say “Daystar,” I fell in love with the hiking world during Trailblazers at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. Since then, I have hiked the Art Loeb Trail in Pisgah National Forest, kayaked around Coastal Georgia, snow-shoed the Continental Divide in Colorado, along with a hand full of smaller adventures. Lately, I feel like I’ve neglected my love for the outdoors, as I’ve been wrapped up in college life. BUT I am so stoked to get back outside for a new journey. I can’t wait to be a part of all the trail stories I’ve been hearing and finally meet all of Daystar’s friends with these crazy trail names.

In preparation for the trail, my dad and I hit up Rock/Creek, our local outing store in Chattanooga for the last few things on the gear list. I’m still missing a couple of essentials – fuel for my stove, camp shoes (crocs), food (kind of important?) to name a few, but my mom and I will make a last Wal-Mart run before it’s time to leave. We will embark for Virginia on Thursday and will stay the night in the Woods Hole Hostel – where Daystar just stayed. My mom and I were a little envious after checking out the website. Friday, after we pick up Daystar and the gang, we’ll make our way to Damascus for the celebration of Trail Days and Sunday, one week from today, I’ll begin the hike. I will be with Macon for a month, and then head on to be a summer camp counselor. I am working for Camp ABC, a branch of the Fresh Air Fund in NYC. My camp is in Fishkill, NY – about 500 miles from where I start the trail. [Ed. note:  calculations are not correct.  We're not sure where Cole will be after one month on the trail, but we're pretty sure she'll need to take a bus or train to Fishkill, NY.]There’s a possibility I’ll make it to camp smelly and sweaty – right off the A.T. If not, I’ll call a cab or have a friend pick me up. Whatever happens, it’s all part of the journey. 

Cole, Obie, and Daystar Ponte Vedra 1988

Cole and Daystar in Sewanee - November 2011

Daystar and Cole in Pisgah - Easter 2010

Holy Family Hostel: Pearisburg, VA

Just got off the phone with Macon.  She's at the Holy Family Hostel in Pearisburg, VA.  Here's some info from their website: 

This hostel in Pearisburg is located a few miles from the AT, but there are blue blazes when you reach town that direct you from the grocery stores on the south side of the New River Bridge. It is hosted by the Catholic Church in Pearisburg.  The hostel has all the standard stuff like a pay phone, a shower, kitchen, and a loft for sleeping. There is also a nice yard for pitching a tent and a pavilion for eating outside. It is run from contributions and Bill tends it with help from the hikers staying there.  Rules include no alcohol (it is a church), giving a contribution, and a two day limit on stays. Things to consider are that there aren’t laundry facilities at the hostel, but there are some in town. Super Wal-Mart is visible across a large field, and a good grocery store is about 1 mile walk from the hostel. Bill offers rides and you can find his phone number at the pay phones where the trail crosses by town.

Macon will call again later in the week to discuss details for meeting up with Missy and Cole next weekend. Stay tuned.

Woods Hole Hostel

Hey y'all! Ha I just read Dad's post and I think my mom got a little mixed up. I'm right now at Woods Hole Hostel which has been my favorite spot on the whole trail so far. Gribley and I hiked about 19 miles to Trent's Grocery (a random gas station that served burgers & eggs on the side of the road - a hiker delight!) on Wednesday night. We were pretty exhausted and opted to camp out back with some other hikers. I called mom in the morning to start figuring out plans for Cole's arrival (which I can't wait for!) and gave her some random names of places which I think got confused.


Woods Hole Hostel

Thursday, we hiked about 16 over to Wood's Hole Hostel. We originally planned to just spend a night and leave in the morning, but this has been the most amazing experience ever and we decided to spend the day yesterday relaxing. We handwashed our laundry old-school style - using dr. bronners, a bucket, plungers, and a washboard. We wrung out the clothes on this old machine, I'm not sure what it's called, but it's two rolling cylinders and you roll the clothes through them to wring them out. I really think that we actually got everything cleaner than they have ever been, and then hung them up on the clothes line to dry in the sun. I ate the most amazing meals - everything locally grown and made from scratch. Most of my day yesterday was spent in the colorful woven hammock on the porch, and when I wasn't doing that I was laying in the sun reading & writing & sharing stories with other hikers. It truly was the best "zero" I've taken, the most relaxed I've been in this 7+ week journey.

Gribley and I are heading out this morning to Pearisburg, to hopefully meet back up with Tatertot & Pants on Fire. We'd planned to all meet here, but heard through the grapevine that they went straight into town. I love the simple communication out here. Even here right now, all the hikers here are people I've met along the way - some were ahead and some were behind, but for whatever reason we are all here together right now. No texting or tweeting - just word of mouth.

Anyway, our goal is to hitch into Pearisburg and get in & out of the Food Lion as quickly as possible, and then put in another 5-10 miles to a campsite. We are shooting to get to Catawba sometime this week. We've heard of an amazing restaurant there that some friends said we absolutely MUST visit. The goal is to get to Daleville by Thursday (100 miles away) to somehow get a ride down to Damascus for Trail Days. Still not sure how we are getting there.. we shall see!!

Still loving this great adventure. There perhaps is nothing more liberating than carrying everything I need on my back, walking into the mountains not knowing where I will sleep every night. I'm happier & in such a peaceful state out here -  more than I could have ever anticipated.

xo Daystar

The Magnificent Seven down to the Fanatastic Four

Catawba, VA terrain

The Colonnade at W&L Lexington, VA

Macon called yesterday morning from Catawba, mile 704 a town just west of Roanoke Virginia where the trail leaves the Jefferson National Forest and rolls through fields crossing Interstate Highway 81 north of Roanoke and goes east of the interstate past Lexington and Staunton, Virginia.  I happen to be a bit partial having graduated from Washington & Lee University that she is hiking through some of the prettiest terrain in all of these United States.  Too bad she can’t stop at the East Lexington grocery for a six pack of Strohs and an inner tube.   She hopes to be in Daleville today, and a week from today Harrisonburg, when she takes the shuttle south to Damascus for Trail Days.  As usual, she was in great spirits, averaging 17 miles a day. 

Dragon's Tooth, Catawba, VA

I think she, Gribley, Pants, and TaterTot camped behind the Catawba Quick Stop.  She also mentioned a restaurant, maybe the Homeplace Restaurant nearby, and a hiker hostel run by a third generation grandchild.  Her descriptions were something akin to a travel writer describing a new Hilton, only approximated by AT accomodations.  The three guys who had been hiking with Tatertot have left the trail for full time jobs so now there are four in Macon’s group.   Missy and Cole will meet them a week from Sunday in Damascus and take them back to Harrisonburg to resume the hike after “Trail Days.”