Damascus, VA to Pearisburg, VA

Fall Trip, September 19, 2001

After a long summer doing a lot of other things, it's now time to return to the woods. It's a week after the World Trade Center tragedy and I've debated whether to come on this trip or not. The timing isn't exactly great, but I figure the woods may be a safer overall place to be.

After a few hectic days of making final arrangements, including working half a day today, my dad and I headed for Damascus, Virginia earlier this afternoon.

It's felt like fall weather the last several days now, at least in the mornings. Great cool mornings for sleeping. We've not had rain for a month now, until today. I'm heading for the Appalachian Trail and the forecast is for rain the next couple of days. Guess I should have planned this trip earlier.

I pull over just before Damascus to put the cover on my pack in the back of the truck. It's raining hard enough to get wet at this point. We get to Damascus around 5 PM, and "The Place" a few minutes later. "The Place" is an old rambling two-story house owned by the Methodist Church. It serves as a hiker hostel in Damascus.

We carry our gear inside and stake out an upstairs bedroom. Looks like maybe three other folks staying here judging by the gear downstairs. I walk over to Adventure Damascus and Mt. Rogers Outfitters to check on shuttles before we walk around town before dark. It's still raining, but not too hard.

We head back to "The Place" and soon three folks show up. "Gander" is a Southbounder who started at Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. "O'Tim" and "Arabella" are section-hikers who started at Bastian, VA and are basically finished with their trip.

We talk for a while before retiring for the evening shortly before 9 PM.