Friendliest Town on the Trail

It is not a lie or any form of exaggeration.  Damascus is really quite small, but its citizens bend over backward for hikers.

I reached Damascus, and the end of my Appalachian Trail expedition on my 26 3/4 birthday.  It was very gratifying.  I can say with confidence that 230 miles of AT was not so hard, but so very wonderful and I look forward to putting in a few hundred more in the future.  At 26 1/2 I was quite daunted by it, but I'm older now.

I've also begun a new phase and style of adventure altogether.  Despite what the title of this blog is- I'm buying a bicycle.  No more greyhounds, no more taxis, no more busses, no more rides from even the friendliest of friendly citizens, no more dull expensive hotels because I can't go even 1 mile more, no more dread of impending winter in the Rockies.  I'm gonna take my time and see the whole darn country, only at 10 mph instead of 3.

The Virginia Creeper trail runs through town as does the coast to coast TransAmerican bike trail, which I will follow as far as Missouri, where I will pick up my original route, with the additional benefit of being able to hop 3 miles out of my way just to look at some old Oregon Trail ruts.

While waiting here in town these many days for the wonderful people at Sundog and Adventure Damascus bike shops to help me fit out the bike of my dreams, I've done a number of fun things.  I rented a bike and, like all the tourists, hopped a shuttle up the mountain and rode the Virginia Creeper, a "rails to trails" path back into town.  I went to see a play in Abingdon with my friend Jedi, because the owner of his bed and breakfast LENT US HER CAR.  Do you remember when I said friendly?  It was her idea that two hikers she had known for a day should borrow her car and drive 15 miles to the next town to see a play.  Then, when I did actually come in to possession of my new bike, I rode it to Tennessee as far as Backbone Rock in the Cherokee National Forest and back.  Just to say I did.