Trail Days

The last few weeks have been full of adventures. So much so that I’ve gotten behind in blogging!

The first adventure was attending Trail Days about two weeks ago. Trail Days is a festival in southern Virginia that celebrates the Appalachian Trail and thru hiker culture. Thru hikers and other hiking enthusiasts flock to Damascus, VA for this annual event. Damascus, known as “Trail Town USA,” normally holds a population of 800 but hosts an estimated 20,000 people during Trail Days!

Many AT thru hikers integrate Trail Days into their thru hike. It always occurs the weekend after Mothers Day and is roughly when the majority of thru hikers are passing through Damascus. My tramily was much further ahead in northern Virginia, but didn’t want to miss out on the experience.

We were lucky to be able to coordinate rides back to Damascus. It helped that two of us live in Virginia, myself and “Sponge Bob.” My wife drove out from Virginia Beach and Sponge Bob’s boyfriend drove out from Charlottesville to pick the eight of us up from the trail and drive us to Damascus for the weekend. We all marveled at the speed of modern transportation; what took us three and a half weeks on foot took three and a half hours in the car.

It was my first time seeing Andrea since leaving home on March 15. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with her and Shaggy and to introduce her to my trail friends.

Tent City

Most hikers who go to Damascus pitch their tent in the city park, creating what is known as Tent City. Hundreds of tents were there pitched wall-to-wall. Between all the guylines and tent stakes, walking through tent city was a minefield of trip hazards. We still managed to get some sleep though. Despite the party vibe of Trail Days, I found Tent City to be remarkably quiet at night.

The Woods

Tent City was quiet because the real party was happening in the woods. Tucked in the trees behind Tent City were dozens of campsites with even more tents. This was party central where you could find music, drum circles, bonfires, glow sticks, and adult substances of all kinds. Andrea and I enjoyed wandering around back there at night through the seemingly endless labyrinth of campsites.

In Town

The downtown area of Damascus held the official events of Trail Days. Numerous outdoor gear vendors, church groups giving away free food, live music, and trail-related talks.

It was particularly fun to see so many of the other thru hikers I’ve met along the way, some of whom I haven’t seen since the very first week. The Hiker Parade was on Saturday afternoon, where past and present AT thru hikers march in order of the year they hiked. I proudly marched along with the rest of the Class of 2023.

Worth it

Attending Trail Days took some logistical work and it also meant meant taking a triple zero, that is three full days off of hiking. This was by far the longest break I’ve taken since starting the hike in March. It felt a little strange to be so far outside of the usual routine, but I’m glad I got to go for the experience. It’s another unforgettable memory in the memory bank.