Hampton, Deciding to Take it Easy, The Damascus Marathon

420 miles in and I’m hanging out at a hostel in Hampton TN. it’s a cool place with the word ‘’castle” in the name but I’m not totally sure where I am to be honest. The last couple days have been incredibly humid. I’ve been covered in sweat for days and it never quite dries. I go to bed sweaty and I wake up sweaty. I have dirt on me that just doesn’t come off any more.

    We’re pushing big miles now. I keep seeing something like 50 miles to the next resupply and thinking 4 days then doing that 50 miles in 3 or less. I’m 50 miles from Damascus now and am still for some reason thinking it’ll take me 4 days. 

    400 miles took me exactly 30 days and that felt pretty good. I started out doing 12 miles a day and am now regularly pushing 20. A big part of that has been the people I’m hiking with. 

    Firstly Atlas, a former marine who’s getting off trail May 10th for a few days and is trying to get as many miles in as humanly possible before that. Every time I try to take a day off he convinces me not to. We’ve been hiking together for probably 390 miles at this point and haven’t taken a zero day. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my pace once I’m not hiking with Atlas but I’ll certainly try.

    Secondly, Steel Bridge, who got his name when a southern gentleman said to him, “ you know you could talk the nuts off a steel bridge.” Which is apparently an expression down here. Steel Bridge is a riot. The man is so funny and constantly making absurd decisions that could only possibly work out for him. In Erwin TN he somehow managed to cut 7 pounds off his base weight, I have no idea what he was carrying but he sent it all home. Favorite quote recently was “yeah I try to eat a bag of gummy worms per day.”

    Third is Doggone, a hiker who I named when she had to send her dog home (her dog was scared of tents). She’s a long distance trail runner and at one point record holder for the 4 state challenge. Doggone could be hiking 25 miles a day but has been hanging out with us weirdos instead and I really appreciate that. 

    Our little crew got split up today. Atlas and I were having a rough day and Steel Bridge and Doggone seemed to just not be. They carried on with the big miles while Atlas and I dipped off trail into town after 16. We’re hoping to catch back up to them tomorrow but you never really know. The rain always makes things harder.

    It rained last night and this morning and it’s supposed to keep raining for pretty much a week straight. Today is Saturday and the next day that rain isn’t predicted is next Saturday. Even after doing laundry everything I own smells mildly of wet dog and I don’t expect that to change any time soon.

    I’m still debating if it’s time to send home my winter gear. I have a 20 degree sleeping bag that’s just too warm for these 50 degree nights. At first I was sleeping in my thermal base layers but now it’s too hot to even consider that. I figured at some point I’d pick up a pair of shorts and at shirt to sleep in but I imagined that would take till at least June. The last week or so I’ve been mostly sleeping in my hiking clothes which always feels dirty. I could be carrying probably several fewer pounds if I sent home a few things. 

    That’s generally been one of my biggest points of contention with Atlas. He’s a real ultra lighter carrying about 8 pounds of gear to my 15. He doesn’t have anything with him that he doesn’t use every day and I’m still caring a film camera from the 90’s (expect a photo dump at some point). I’ve always thought ultralight is a bit silly, I’d rather be comfortable carrying what I need regardless of the weight.  

    Atlas’s goal has been to reach 500 miles before getting off trail but after doing some math and logistics we realized that would be really inconvenient. The 500 mark is on the middle of the Grayson Highlands with very few options for him to get picked up. After coming to that conclusion we’ve decided to take things a little easier and enjoy the last few days. At this point or mileage doesn’t really matter we’ll get to where we need to be no matter what. 

Boots off 

    The next day was a short one. Atlas and I hiked 8 miles to Watauhg Lake where we met up with Doggone and Steel Bridge again. They were staying at boots off hostel and we decided 8 miles was plenty and went to the hostel too. We were ready to get to Damascus food wise so we really could just chill out by the lake and enjoy our selves. 

    When the hostel shuttle was leaving we decided to jump in any way. It was Cinco de Mayo so Doggone got some Modelos and chips and salsa and Atlas and I decided to make brownies in the pizza oven. Just doing silly dumb stuff because we could. It was a fun day.

    After several several beers I over slept the next morning. We didn’t leave the hostel till around 9 and headed 16 miles to iron mountain shelter. That day was rainy and difficult hiking mostly up hill till we got into the ridge line called the Damascus highway. Once you’re on the ridge however the trail is almost flat. Just small hills until the big decent into Damascus.

The Damascus Marathon 

    Iron mountain is the starting point of a challenge called the Damascus marathon. 26.2 miles from the shelter to the marathon gas station in Damascus, VA. Seemed like fun and we went for it. It was a brutal day. 

    The terrain helped a lot. I was 10 miles in by about 9 and 16 miles in when I stopped for lunch. The last 10 miles were all down hill but that didn’t make them easy. By mile 23 I was doubting that Damascus even existed. I’ll never get there, the whole place must just be some cruel joke made up be cartographers to mess with hikers. A hiker town with a hostel on every corner and an annual  festival celebrating the trail every year? Might as well be big rock candy mountain. 

    Three miles later I made it to town and another .2 after that I got to the marathon gas station. Everyone was there waiting for me and Doggone Atlas and Steel Bridge all cheered as I walked up. I was destroyed and pretty much collapsed into the freshly mowed grass next to the gas station. Once I could stand up again I went inside and bought an ice cream sandwich, a glass bottle Coke, and a Kona beer. I enjoyed all three very thoroughly.