Damascus, VA is a special place. It's directly on the Appalachian Trail and the people that live there are so into the outdoors. Not to mention how welcoming and warm everyone is. When I moved there in 2009, I didn't know a soul. I was just a girl in love so I left Chicago and followed a boy (Serial, duh) to the middle of Appalachia. I knew it would be an adjustment going from a city of 2 million to a town of under a thousand, but I never could have known just how wonderful it would have been. The three years I spent in that town are filled with cherished memories.
But this post isn't about my sappy love for all things Damascus. (Although I could ramble on for another 4 or 5 paragraphs, that's for sure). It's about the amazing trails that are in Dtown. When we lived there, we got out several times a week for a hike or run and often we didn't even have to leave town. Most times I could just walk out my door and go.
Asheville is no slouch, don't get me wrong. But there is nothing like small-town living and hiking. So when my good friend Meghan suggested we meet in Damascus for a day hike, I jumped on the opportunity. It's the perfect halfway point between our homes and our friendship really developed on the SWVA trails. When we both lived in Damascus, we used to go for long runs and catch up on life, while our dogs wore themselves out on the trails. Perfection.
One thing to note, there isn't water along the way, even for the dogs. So we carry a big bottle of water each and share it with our pups.
We chose to climb Backbone first, since we love that route and prefer to start with a good sweat. So we busted out the tough 2 mile climb. It starts out friendly enough, but there are 3 false summits and each one gets steeper and steeper. It's a nice workout though and the scenery is spectacular.
Either way though, the dogs have a blast. This is Rooney's friend, Tucker. Don't you just want to squish his little face and smother him in kisses?