Aaaahhh. My feet are loving this, and after the recent beating they took, they deserve it. Hanging around the town today and killing time at Dave's Hostel with Mo, Camel, Nails, Dances with Scarf, and Condor. The sky is clear, and the sun is shining--we're back to shorts and t-shirt weather.
Damascus
A night of shivering in the cold, added to 26+ miles today....no need to be a rocket scientist to guess that I'm sleepy and that my dogs hurt reeaaalll bad. All is redeemed though by Lead Dog's kindness in having me stay at his nearby house only 30 minutes away in Bristol, TN. It's amazing how a beer and a good long soak in the hot tub can erase the effects of three 25-mile days.
Iron Mt.
My first thought was: snowday. I think Mickey-One-Sock said it best when he walked out the door this morning before quickly returning to proclaim: "Did you look outside yet?" Sure enough, our second week of April snowstorm was here with snow already on the ground, and Lead Dog and I were lacing up to hit the snowy slopes for a 10-mile day that simply continued to morph by the hour.
Dennis Cove Road
This day began about as well as the last one did, as Rumbler, Footloose, and I set off from the road in a driving rainstorm towards the nearest shelter almost 18 miles north. The stretch of trail was easy, and mostly rolling, with the exception of the spectacular Jones Falls which had an abnormally high volume of water due to the recent rains.
Roan Mountain
Good. Scottish. Weather. Should be self-explanatory, but I woke up in the middle of the night to see that a cloud had been blowing into the windward-facing shelter all night, scattering my clothes from the clothes lines and soaking my down sleeping bag in the process (not a good thing). Left this morning and climbed onto the grassy ridge for some rise-and-shine miles through driving rain and 40-50 mph wind.
Overmountain
Not much excitement today other than a big climb up and over Roan High Knob, the last big mountain between Erwin, TN and Damascus, VA. Feels good to have it out of the way, especially since it was the toughest climb I've seen on the trail so far, and it's the last time I'll be above 6000' all the way until New Hampshire on Mt. Washington.
Cherry Gap
Late start today, but was not going to miss the shuttle back to the trail 2 days in a row. Easy walking today, but it's the first time I've felt kinda down after leaving a town stop. I miss the friends I've made, and I hope they catch up after slackpacking from Miss Janet's today and spending Easter there tomorrow.