Trail Days 2013

Last weekend was the Trail Days festival in Damascus, VA.  If you aren't familiar, it's a really large gathering of hikers and vendors that love the Appalachian Trail.  Thru-hikers from all years, including the current class, come back to celebrate.  It's an awesomely fun time and we look forward to it every year.  This year was especially fun because we hiked last year and moved away from Damascus afterwards so the trip back was a reunion of all kinds.  Good stuff.

So on Friday, we packed up and drove from Asheville, NC to Damascus, VA.  It's such a beautiful drive and we soaked up all of the views. 

We pulled into Damascus and went straight to the brewery to meet up with friends.  One of our friends, Firecracker, opened The Damascus Brewery and his beer is really good - go check it out and tell him we said hello. 

Saturday morning we just walked around town, saying hello to old friends and checking out some of our favorite booths in the town park.  Tons of vendors, both large and small, set up in the town park and out at tent city.  You can check out all of the latest gear, pick up a souvenir or grab a snack. 

Two of our favorites are (THE) honey candies and Jewelry by Wonder.  I'm not a big shopper and I don't get excited about buying new stuff, but I look forward to getting new earrings each year.  It's the one time I buy earrings and I get 4-5 new pairs each time I see Wonder.  Her stuff is so earthy and cute - I just love it.  There's a giveaway in the near future, that's for sure.

After that we made our way to the parade.  Unfortunately, if you've read anything about this year's parade, you know that there was a terrible accident in which a man suffering from a stroke drove his car into the hikers who were walking in the parade.  You can read more about it here.

Serial and I were walking in the parade when it happened.  We had just passed our local Damascus friends (who had soaked us with water guns) and we were making our way towards downtown.  We had been separated from our hiker friends a little and were walking with a group we didn't know well.  Very suddenly, we felt a commotion behind us and before we could process what was happening, a car had hit several hikers to the right of us and then stopped on top of two of them.  It was far enough away (5 ft? 8 ft? I don't know) that I didn't feel like we were going to be hit, but close enough that we saw and heard what happened. 

Hikers and rescue workers stepped in very, very quickly to lift the car off of the trapped hikers and to provide medical care for those who needed it.  It was an amazing thing to witness and no one hesitated.  There was confusion and anger (at this point no one knew if it was intentional or accidental), but mostly care and compassion.  Everyone was helping to make sure that the EMS crew could do their work. 

We made our way to a friends house and listened as medical helicopters made their way to town and transported the victims to nearby hospitals.  I'd be lying if I said the mood was anything other than dark and sad.  It was all still very confusing and facts weren't available yet.

Some time later, when word got out that the hikers would be okay and none of them were in life-threatening situations, we all breathed easier.  It was confirmed to be an accident and not an intentional act.  Things were feeling a little less heavy. 

On Sunday, we decided to join our trail friends in the Grayson Highlands.  We parked at Massie Gap and walked a little ways in so that we could see some ponies and take in the scenery.  The Graysons are a magical place for me and even though it was foggy and rainy, it was a fantastic trip and the perfect end to the weekend.

I'll leave you with one last image.  Well, three actually.  These portraits are hanging in Mojoe's Coffeehouse and are part of a series that Michael Wright is currently shooting, that captures hikers and locals.  He's the owner of Mojoe's and Sundog Outfitter and he teaches photography at Emory & Henry.  The man knows what he's doing with a camera and I can't wait until he turns these portraits into a coffee book. 

So.... who can name these hikers and trail legends?!

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