19 May 2018 – In Wet Weathers

Tue: while the house was being cleaned, breakfast at the best bakery with the best service @Blue Flour downtown on Main St – tkx to Terry and Jeremy. 1st visit to this location, usually at St Andrew’s Rd, Irmo – both locations highly recommended.

More locations on Main St worth some attention – painted steel, Unfolding Sky Cupped in Spring’s Red Blaze by EdwinWhite (2010).

Wed: camera giving problems, hope that it will not let me down until back to SIN! Grocery shopping@Walmart. Packing for Trail Days and wet weathers are in the  forecast, but thru’hikers and hiker-trash have weathered thru’ them all. According to John/MoFo’s forecast, just watch the stone – hahaha

Thu: To May&family+Norwegian friends around the world – god syttende mai, Happy NorwegianConstitution Day from SC, USA. Good jobs to Jeff for the bow and to WalMart for the cupcakes.

0845hrs, tkx to MoFo and DamascusVA 280m/450km (app 4+hrs if no stops) is where we are heading. Delicious lunch-stop@SierraNevada BrewingCo MillsRiverNC, good choice, MoFo.

Tkx to JayBlaack, learnt that IrishMossZinc is a clarifying agent used when brewing and to MoFo for the word vat – for a non-beer drinker, that is new info…

Most unexpected menu for a brewery –  prefect-size portions tasteful presented Pan Fried Quail and  Swiss Roll, one of the best tasted but unable to answer for the CatFish Sandwich, trust MoFo when he said that it was good. The food is yummy, the service terrific, the venue beautiful – highly recommended. Even the sip of beer tasted was good.

Welcome to VA.

Safely into Damascus with Pokey already there. Free Hiker Feast@the Fire-Hall was a success like every year, tkx to the OneWay Ministry and Fire Department for sharing their space.

Thru’hikers are the best ppl to feed, they appreciate anything and everything – the coleslaw was delicious this year.

@The DamascusBrewery – 2breweries in 1day for a non-beer-drinker is the record. Again tasted some but ended with water – many hikers like beers! Wiggs did not get in until after 22hrs. Met her@our regular AlpineMotel, Abingdon.

Fri: TGIF and good to have Wiggs safely here. Appreciations to Lee&Paul for including us@The Hikers Inn for breakfast. Morning @the vendors to check out what is new – not buying yet, just watching MoFo in action!

Hanging with the infamous AT trail record holder Jennifer Pharr Davis and@Warren Doyle’s talk.

Lunch@Mojo’s Trailside Cafe & Coffee House – the group growing, now with Cruiser & Whamo. A short rest indoors was well-received before the late afternoon & evening socials.

Linda & Alleghany who entertained us with a backpack guitar in the 2005 thru-hike – only hiker I know of being bitten by a rattlesnake. Glad to catch up with Honey&Bear who took care of us@The Cabin in ME – yummy&only lobster meal I had on the hike. Of course Loon, always happy to see him, the only hiker who visited me in Norway. Dinner@Damascus Old Mill Restaurant in the rains.

Good music for Loon to make his dance moves with the ladies – pix with Pokey and I, credits to Wiggs.

Sat: breakfast@our regular Zazzy’s, Abingdon with lots of laughters from funny&silly incidents during our hikes – started to make notes of them so that they do not get lost. These 2 for starters – non-smoking room and scramble-eggs, and the list will be edited as and when I get more good ones which happened for real…

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk – presented by Anne Van Curen at the TownHall. Based on the NY Times bestseller, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk – the inspiring story of the woman who saved the AT. Actress Curen transforms into Grandma Gatewood to describe what it was like to be the first woman to solo hike the AT in 1955.

Looks like the Hikers Inn is well-prepared for the parade with their hoses. Wiggs good choice for Loon’s drag was a hit.

Was at the Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s booth during their lucky-draw, no wins but bought the Shell, (5.5ozs/0.16g), ultralight water/windproof jacket US$380 S$510  made with Dyneema eVent technology (breathable) and the DaybreakPack (20ozs/571g) ultralight daypack US$184 S$248 – trying out these new material at discounted prices! Must be absolutely crazy to pay these kind of $$$, but like to try new materials!! Pix downloaded.

HiHills&Franklin arrived in time for dinner@BoneFire Smokehouse, Abingdon before we went our separate ways.

Wiggs had to leave in the afternoon and could not make dinner. Good to see the group and hope that I can pull off to meet in ME for their Jul hike. Appreciations to MoFo for driving me to and from Trail Days and for putting up with my chatting…

Cyberspace can’t compensate for real space. We benefit from chatting to people face to face – Jonathan Sacks