Jimmy B's Blog: On the trail to Damascus

Damascus is a huge small trail town. A week and a half ago, on Fri, Sat and Sunday I literally saw only 3 different thruhikers. While the herd is definitely thinning it was the one and only Trail Days weekend held annually in Damascus. It's the only annual AT event of its kind, although Gatlinburg is attempting a Natl this year. Despite several offers to share a ride myself, almost all hikers 100 miles North or South attended along with hundreds from last year and years before. Judging from what I've seen and heard they should call it Trail Daze instead.

I'm glad I will see it tomorrow for the first time for several reasons: I'm hoping many who work there will have recovered from the acid tripping, dope smoking deluge I heard about, Damascus is a big milestone at the start of the longest state and it is what's called a trail town catering largely to thruhikers.

Waterrrrrr.....watterrrrr....

Tennessee was a rough water state, hard to find good supplies and sketchy when I did. I have a Katahdyn filter but also used some Aquamira tablets when in doubt.

Ok kids! Ready?! It's time for Privy Class!

Oh I'm soooooo excited for youuuuu!!

I've come across 2 types of privys. What's a privy you say? It's an outdoor poddy and hikers love them! Not a porta poddy as porta is short for? Portable, that's right, very good Steve K!

So far there are two kinds: with or without red worms.

In those with, as you can guess, little red worms feast on feces all day and all night every day of their entire life.

If I'm not mistaken, those who believe in karma also believe in reincarnation. Hmmmmm I guess that would mean they're (re)starting from the ground floor?

Now as my sister Karen can attest, and as many know, when fed only kitchen scraps except meat, and newspaper the red wiggler worm dung is a most potent fertilizer and potting soil additive. It's actually sold on line. Now Marissa, you have chickens and bunnies, why not do the Red Wigglers too!? Then get this:

You Marissa do the marketing, Alec

And Summer

Doo the scooping and bagging. And call it MA'S Duty! With the tag line We're #1 in the #2 business! C'mon it's a no brainer!

Well anyway the 2nd type of privy is far less fascinating and I know you're already flush with new and exciting info. Here's the other, it basically is the kind of privy everyone uses out here when there is no privy.

Soooooo, back in NC I came across this:

They try to tell everyone it's some kinda radar installation for air traffic control, yeah roight!

The older hikers know better. Each day as the sun is going down, a siren bellows across the valley. Villagers automatically, in a trance like state, begin marching toward this "radar installation" as the doors open. As they file in and as the sun sets, the doors close behind them. As they start heading down, down and further down into the ever darkening mountain they begin to see pairs of glowing, beastly, hungry, villainous, yellowy, greenish (is that enough yet) eyes looking back at them. The eyes bobbing back and forth as the morlocks begin moaning, groaning and growling thru their fanged, drooling teeth as they eagerly anticipate........their dinerrrrrrr!!!!!!

Mooooowaahahahaaaaa.

Interesting plant break:

Hey gang it's kooky cracky critter time again! This time it was a very slowwww moving but totally fearless Southbounder who proceeded to walk right thru my legs as if I were the St Louis Gateway Arch. As he passed thru he looked up and said, "hey pal my name's Sal." "Pleased to meet you Sal" I said. A few more feet away...."Meander that is, Sal Meander"

Bahahaaaa!!!!

I'm not sure if you can see in there, I tried taking a pic of a shelter I found with graffiti which did not for a change include a ton of expletives. You might still be able to make out some of the "messages". There is certainly a dichotomy of hikers, it's obvious many are searching and it's been pretty easy to pick out the Christians which actually make up a pretty good size percentage. (See the coins in the corner?) I will share an interesting, or at least I found it to be, coin story soon.

I was hoping someone would ask about the devos; it's actually not a "hiker" devo book at all. It's a 40 day book I bought at the first of the year. After about a week I lost track. I brought it along as its light and I figured after about the 4th time thru and I have been reading it each day, I should be nearing the journey's end.