Thru Hikers Go To Their First Rodeo

This morning I slept until around 8am. I slept so good last night in the room. Yesterday was pretty tiring but I was so happy that I pushed out 33 miles to get into town. We got up and ready for the day, then I headed over to a diner connected to the motel. High Profile, Giggles, 9 Lives, and Yeehaw were already there eating breakfast. I got a platter with eggs, hash browns, sausage, and a big orange juice.

The Wagon West Motel in Augusta.

I’m so excited to be in Augusta for rodeo weekend! We’ve decided to spend today and tomorrow in town so that we can get the whole rodeo experience. The rest of our group should be getting in later today as well. They didn’t all make it to the road last night to hitch into town. Most everyone camped somewhere before the road.

After we ate breakfast, we packed up our things at the room and got ready to head out. We don’t have a room for the rodeo, but we are going to be able to tent behind the motel tonight. I carried all my things over and set up my tent in the grass, where the RVs were parked. Then a few of us headed down the street to go to a coffee shop and attempt to get some Wi-Fi. Before all of the rodeo craziness starts I want to try to get a couple things done and get some blogs up.

A CDT marker on the door for the motel. Very hiker friendly!

At the coffee shop we were able to charge our things and hang out for an hour or so before leaving. Then we went next-door and got some Greek food for lunch. And around the same time all of the guys got into town in their hitch. Last night some of them had made it to Benchmark but weren’t able to get into town. Some others had to do about 10 or so miles today. But regardless, all of them were only able to get a hitch around noon because of  that crummy dirt road. We were super lucky to be able to get a ride last night when we did.

The sign for Augusta.

Once the guys all got into town the antics began! Everybody hung out and got some drinks. Then the guys brought their packs back to the RV park so that they could set up their tents as well. By the time that they all got their tent set up we had a real life shanty town going on over there. There was probably about $10,000 worth of dynema in the grass at that rv park.

Heading to the parade in Augusta.

Before we all started drinking and having fun, I just had to go to the general store and do my resupply. I didn’t wanna put off doing it until later today or tomorrow. Plus, I wasn’t sure what would be in stock and what would be open once the rodeo started. We need to make it about 60 miles on food. I got some dinners and snacks and brought it all back to the campground. Then around the same time, the parade was about to start in town so I grabbed what I needed and headed back into town.

Two dogs sticking their heads out of an RV window.

A bunch of us hung out and watched the parade together. There were a bunch of cars driving down the street throwing candy out of their windows. It was a pretty fun show.

After the parade, we went to the Buckhorn for lunch and drinks. I’d already eaten, but I just went out with everybody and had a few drinks. The energy in Augusta right now is amazing. Clearly this is a super small town that normally is not nearly as busy as it is right now. So we just happen to be here at the perfect time. There are about 15 hikers in Augusta all hanging out to watch the rodeo. We decided that we’re going to take a zero tomorrow as well, because that’s when the rodeo starts.

The whole gang in town for the rodeo!

We spent the rest of the day hanging out, eating, and drinking. There are a couple bars in town that we spent a bunch of time at, just hanging out with locals and talking with people. There was even a guy in town who was actually hiking on the Appalachian Trail last year, when I was out on trail. He didn’t do the whole thing, but he did a pretty big section of the trail.

A whole lot of hikers in town for the rodeo means there might be some tequila.

Because of the rodeo there were a bunch of food trucks spread across the town, which was awesome. Normally, there’s probably only a few places in Augusta to get lunch or dinner. But with the rodeo being in town, food options were endless. Later in the day I went to Chinese food truck and got a plate of sweet and sour chicken and fried rice. Then a bunch of us just wandered around for the rest of the night, drinking, and people watching. It was a really fun night.

9 Lives and I enjoying the rodeo festivities.

There was another hiker in town who had left a pair of trekking poles in the back of their hitches truck, so myself and another hiker went on a mission to try to find those. At one point in time we did find the guy, but we were never able to find this truck and get the poles back.

A bear with a hat on in town.

After drinking, eating, and hanging out for hours, we finally went back to the campground to call it a night. Tomorrow will be our final zero day in Augusta and the real party will start! I’m excited to watch my first ever rodeo.

Nana Man in a fur coat.

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Comments 1

  • Christina : Jul 18th

    Enjoy your posts but just want to say that rodeos are bad news! They are cruel to animals. They are poked, prodded and wrangled often causing injury and death, not only during the rodeo but during practice. We need to stop promoting them please.

    Reply

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