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It was a long but relatively easy day. I was up on the ridge all day and there were just small ups and downs. There were no big climbs or descents all day. It wasn’t a very eventful day, the highlight was the barn with an AT symbol on it. I’ll be getting into Damascus tomorrow and my parents are going to meet me there. I’m super excited.
Day 32 Abingdon Gap Shelter to Damascus (10.2)
I woke up at 5am today so I could get into Damascus early. It was an easy ten miles and I finished before 10am. I was hoping for a better sunrise but it was very cloudy. When I got into Damascus I got some food at the Cowboy and hung out around town waiting for my parents to arrive. The river that runs through town is beautiful. My parents arrived around 2pm and we got into our room at the Old Mill Inn. Then we got dinner and relaxed for the rest of the night. I’m taking a zero for my birthday tomorrow.
Day 33 Damascus (0)
Today was an incredible birthday zero. It was awesome to see my family and relax for a day. In the morning I got a good breakfast at the Old Mill Inn. After that my parents drove me to Marion Outdoors where I bought a new pack. I switched out my Gossamer Gear mariposa 60 for a Hyperlite unbound 40. I also switched my tent from the Big Agnes Copper Spur to Gossamer Gear the one. I’m very happy with the changes and my base weight is down to about 15lbs. After the outdoors store we played golf. It was great weather and a lot of fun. When we finished golf we had a good dinner and my parents dropped me back off at the hotel. I’m ready to get back after it tomorrow.
Day 34 Damascus to Lost Mountain Shelter (15.6)
It was an easy day of hiking today. It was supposed to rain all day but it stopped early in the morning. I followed the Creeper Trail for most of the day and a lot of the trail was destroyed. The river was still really cool to see. Nothing else eventful happened while hiking. I’m super excited for the Grayson Highlands tomorrow.
Day 35 Lost Mountain Shelter to Wise Shelter (17.5)
I got a late start to the day because it was raining very hard this morning. I finally headed out around 9am when it cleared up a bit. Most of the day was foggy but once I got near Mt. Rogers it started to clear up. Right after Mt Rogers I hit the 500 mile mark and it felt amazing. After the 500 mile mark I went through the Grayson Highlands which was one of my favorite sections of trail yet. The hiking was very cool with a mix of rocky sections and open fields. I saw some ponies and it was magical. It was a few easy miles after that to the shelter. Today was an amazing day and one of my favorites even though the weather was rainy.
Day 36 Wise Shelter to Trimpi Shelter (20.2)
This morning was one of the coldest days on trail yet. After leaving camp I had a couple miles left in the Grayson Highlands. It was foggy, windy and very cold. I was only cold when I stopped hiking. About midway through the day it started to warm up. The hiking was very easy all day and I was taking my time. Near the end of the day I ran into fresh grounds at a road crossing. He made chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese. It was fantastic. He also had lots of fruit and Gatorade. He his such an awesome person and makes amazing food. After the stop I just had a few more miles to the shelter. The shelter had a fireplace so Henry and I built a fire. It is going to get down to 24 tonight. Tomorrow I am going to see fresh grounds for breakfast so I’m super excited.
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