Juuuuuust got into good old Virginia this morning!! Big step in a young Kim's life. Interesting to roll into the sleepy town of Damascus, VA knowing that in two days 20,000 people will descend upon it for the Trail Days festival. Damascus is in quite the beautiful stop where the AT, the Virginia Creeper Trail (rail-turned-bike trail), the Crooked Road Music Heritage Trail, and some sort of rando Wildlife trail intersect. MOST importantly though...it is in Congressman Rick Boucher's district, who hill staffer Rob Cowden tells me is quite the popular politician around here (Rob I want a hat). So yeah, trail days should be interesting. Former thru-hikers, locals, hiking enthusiasts and the AT 'Class of 2009' will join together to get open container citations from the new Sheriff (apparently the hot-button issue in 2008). All the trail legends we've both met and heard about will be here too. I was lucky enough to meet Baltimore Jack two days ago at Kincora Hostel in Hampton, VA, run by his good friend and other trail legend Bob Peoples.
Baltimore Jack was wearing a shirt that said "Bill Bryson is a Candy Ass" when we met. I had to introduce myself because he lives in good old Hanover, NH and lo and behold...he says he's good friends with John Chapin (the jacketed Chapin-friend) of Canoe Club, asks if I'm one of those 'sororstitutes', and offers me Yeungling in one hand and whiskey in the other (only had a little bit, Ma). I wish I could describe it all better but he lived up to all expectations. Bob Peoples, on the other hand, is probably one of the nicest people I've ever met in my life. He opens his home to hikers every year for a bunk, shower, laundry and shuttles them all over and asks for a $4 donation in return. He runs this big trail work excursion that starts right after trail days called Hard Core where they put you up, feed you, and hope to instill the importance of trail maintenance and giving back in hikers. Pretty sure I'm gonna do it - aside from lugging huge rocks around, I hear it's an amazing experience. Bah I have to go. Hogging internet. This was not very well organized, nor explained well - but perhaps it will make sense in pictures someday. LAATERS.
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