Double Bow
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- Apr 29, 2005
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For those unaware, I am currently came down to Damascus, VA for Trail Days and am now hiking north on the AT. I am keeping a blog doublebow.blogspot.com but will also post my somewhat weekly entries here. There are more of a general nature and less trail/peak specific. I hope you find them interest.
The Beginning...
Following a wonderful send off that consisted of going for dinner and then to see David Crosby and Graham Nash with Jamie and Josh, I feverishly deconstructed and reconstructed my pack, trying to shed more weight from my almost 60lb pack. Trying to sleep was a bit like when I was a kid and it was the night before Christmas. In the morning, I was still adjusting my pack when Kristie arrived to take me to the Brattleboro train station. The train was late, so that gave us more time to talk before I left.
The train ride was long, but I met some interesting people. Most of the time was spent either writing in my journal, reading, or zoning out listening to my iPod. So glad I brought it. When I got to DC, I had a little bit of confusion trying to find the Metro, but confusion is nothing new in our nation's capitol. Finding it, I took the train to Bethesda to stay at my friend's apartment even though she is currently out of the country. Her roommate was very gracious. I enjoyed meeting her very much. Like most good Italians she was an excellent, though humble, chef.
In the morning she made me espresso and yogurt with granola for breakfast and then directed me to the trolley stop so I didn't have to lug my pack the almost a mile to the station. It was funny the night before getting strange looks from people out on the town as they saw my wanking through downtown with my huge pack. Back in DC, confusion struck again as I couldn't find anyone who could tell me where my Greyhound bus would be picking me up. When I found the spot there was no bus there and it was a couple minutes past the departure time. Fortunately, the bus was running late so I made it. The ride down to Charlottesville was uneventful, but there I met a old AT hiker named Kando. We sat together for the seven hours of the ride and stops and shared stories. He had gotten injured and was heading home to Nashville. He gave me good advice and I was sorry when I had to leave him. We'll stay in touch though. Hopefully he'll be reading this.
In Marion, my hired ride was waiting and he picked up a poor guy who had been waiting at the bus stop for his buddies to pick him up for seven hours! We eventually found out that his friends got drunk and forgot about him. In later conversation I gave him his trailname: The Boss. In part it comes from his real name being Tony. At "The Toxic Waste Dump", the free camping area that used to be used for hazardous waste disposal, we met Superman, City Slicker, ManDog, and a couple others who we hung out with before finding his deadbeat friends. I then left to set up my camp and then headed into town.
My ride Wee Willy told me that Qunicey's was the best (of two) bar in town so I went there, got a pitcher of Yuenling, and sat down with some other hikers instantly making friends with little bird, Fleghm, Catalyst, and others. The highlight was us hikers singing a very loud and rowdy version of 500 Miles by The Proclaimers. After that, it was back to camp where I bounced from site to site making friends.
Today, I went to the post office and mailed back 6lbs of stuff from my pack, did the seven mile roundtrip hike to the Tennessee border, walked to the grocery store for bagels, and ate a "Tater Burger" (a burger with fries, bacon crumbles, and cheese) for lunch washing it down with sweet tea. I also bought some cool stickers for my journal and Nalgene. One I love says "I'm just a social drinker, but I smoke crack like a motherfucker". Tonight there's supposed to be a big drum circle and a bonfire, but it looks like rain so who knows. Tomorrow is the backpacker parade and some other fun activities including lessons and then a contra dance and then more partying.
Sunday I'll probably leave town even though the festival won't be over. I'll have to get a move on. The trail down here is very smooth. Not like the rocky rooty trails of New Hampshire and there are lots of switchbacks so it appears that it's never too steep. That's just my impression from the 3.5 miles of trail I hiked twice today. Maybe my opinion will change. Stay tuned and find out!
The Beginning...
Following a wonderful send off that consisted of going for dinner and then to see David Crosby and Graham Nash with Jamie and Josh, I feverishly deconstructed and reconstructed my pack, trying to shed more weight from my almost 60lb pack. Trying to sleep was a bit like when I was a kid and it was the night before Christmas. In the morning, I was still adjusting my pack when Kristie arrived to take me to the Brattleboro train station. The train was late, so that gave us more time to talk before I left.
The train ride was long, but I met some interesting people. Most of the time was spent either writing in my journal, reading, or zoning out listening to my iPod. So glad I brought it. When I got to DC, I had a little bit of confusion trying to find the Metro, but confusion is nothing new in our nation's capitol. Finding it, I took the train to Bethesda to stay at my friend's apartment even though she is currently out of the country. Her roommate was very gracious. I enjoyed meeting her very much. Like most good Italians she was an excellent, though humble, chef.
In the morning she made me espresso and yogurt with granola for breakfast and then directed me to the trolley stop so I didn't have to lug my pack the almost a mile to the station. It was funny the night before getting strange looks from people out on the town as they saw my wanking through downtown with my huge pack. Back in DC, confusion struck again as I couldn't find anyone who could tell me where my Greyhound bus would be picking me up. When I found the spot there was no bus there and it was a couple minutes past the departure time. Fortunately, the bus was running late so I made it. The ride down to Charlottesville was uneventful, but there I met a old AT hiker named Kando. We sat together for the seven hours of the ride and stops and shared stories. He had gotten injured and was heading home to Nashville. He gave me good advice and I was sorry when I had to leave him. We'll stay in touch though. Hopefully he'll be reading this.
In Marion, my hired ride was waiting and he picked up a poor guy who had been waiting at the bus stop for his buddies to pick him up for seven hours! We eventually found out that his friends got drunk and forgot about him. In later conversation I gave him his trailname: The Boss. In part it comes from his real name being Tony. At "The Toxic Waste Dump", the free camping area that used to be used for hazardous waste disposal, we met Superman, City Slicker, ManDog, and a couple others who we hung out with before finding his deadbeat friends. I then left to set up my camp and then headed into town.
My ride Wee Willy told me that Qunicey's was the best (of two) bar in town so I went there, got a pitcher of Yuenling, and sat down with some other hikers instantly making friends with little bird, Fleghm, Catalyst, and others. The highlight was us hikers singing a very loud and rowdy version of 500 Miles by The Proclaimers. After that, it was back to camp where I bounced from site to site making friends.
Today, I went to the post office and mailed back 6lbs of stuff from my pack, did the seven mile roundtrip hike to the Tennessee border, walked to the grocery store for bagels, and ate a "Tater Burger" (a burger with fries, bacon crumbles, and cheese) for lunch washing it down with sweet tea. I also bought some cool stickers for my journal and Nalgene. One I love says "I'm just a social drinker, but I smoke crack like a motherfucker". Tonight there's supposed to be a big drum circle and a bonfire, but it looks like rain so who knows. Tomorrow is the backpacker parade and some other fun activities including lessons and then a contra dance and then more partying.
Sunday I'll probably leave town even though the festival won't be over. I'll have to get a move on. The trail down here is very smooth. Not like the rocky rooty trails of New Hampshire and there are lots of switchbacks so it appears that it's never too steep. That's just my impression from the 3.5 miles of trail I hiked twice today. Maybe my opinion will change. Stay tuned and find out!
