Spring is Here

“I’ve been out walking, don’t do too much talking these days” -Jackson Browne

They call the Appalachian Trail “the green tunnel,” and it’s finally starting to live up to the name now that Spring is here. The leaves are on the trees, that first yellowy green of fresh growth. Saplings, vines and a hundred kind of plants are filling in the undergrowth. It’s been mostly cloudy the last few days, and all cloudy for like a week before that, so we haven’t had full sun for a while, but next time we do it will be filtered through the full canopy. The birds love it. There are six or seven different breeds calling right now, it’s actually a little maddening trying to parse out each separate voice. At dawn it’s insanity. I’m seeing way more chipmunks and rabbits, spooked a deer today, and saw a little black lizard. Also, the bugs are coming out, but you take the good with the bad. You know one thing that keeps bugs away? Campfires. The gift that keeps on giving.

Last night I had a dream about pizza. Your appetite increases when you’re burning a billion calories a day walking over mountains, they call it the “hiker hunger.” You also get bored of the limited, lightweight standards and the cravings start to set in. But I don’t think I’ve ever literally dreamed of food before. When was the last time you walked 22 miles through the wilderness for a slice of pizza? That is my life now. We covered a little over 15 today, and we’ve got 6 and change tomorrow to hit the road crossing with the bus that takes us to Marion, VA. I’d like to say we’ll fly through those miles, but it’s been slow going the last couple days. The ankle hurts almost every step now. Hiking is starting to feel like a job. Gentle G feels the same way, (about the job-like aspects of all this, his ankles are fine,) so you know it’s something because he is usually unflappable.

The good news is we’re about to shake things up a bit and I’m hoping it will act like a big mental reset, and help my ankle heal up. Tomorrow we take a nearo, a short mile day into Marion (and eat a bunch of pizza, among other tasks essential for survival.) Gentle G’s friend Kay is coming back, is actually stateside already, so we’ve got a big reunion to look forward to tomorrow as well. Thursday we have a relatively short day and walk right into Atkins, Va, where the Barn has a 16oz hiker burger. Then it’s off to Trail Days for Friday and Saturday.

Judy pointed out I haven’t really described what Trail Days is. (She also suggested I describe what I eat when not gorging on pizza and burgers, which I will soon.) It’s easy to forget what’s common knowledge and what isn’t when you’re in a super specific little world all the time. Trail Days is a big festival that happens every year in Damascus, which celebrates its identity as a trail town. The AT and the Virginia Creeper bike trail (which I believe is part of a cross country bike trail, could be wrong) go right through town. I’m not sure what to expect exactly but I know all the big vendors set up booths, there’s a tent city (where we’ll be staying since every hostel is booked up way in advance,) and a thru hiker parade. In the past few days we’ve passed more southbounders than we’ve ever seen, and they’re all headed to Damascus. Gentle G and I were planning to skip the party and just keep on hiking, but after the hundredth person told us it’s not to be missed we changed our minds and decided to at least experience some of it. I’ll let you know what it’s like.