May Means Trail Days 2006!

Paul Bunyan gets ready to zap an unsuspecting victim with his water gun at the Trail Days Hiker Parade.



Here they come! Walkin' down the street! Trail Days 2006 at the friendliest town on the AT - Damascus, Virginia. This is the start of the hiker parade, one of the highlights of this weekend festival for hikers. A great place to discuss gear (got some great tips from the Antigravity Gear folks among others) , had a homemade stove crafted for us by Tinker, got some freebies from Backpacker magazine, watched hikers go wild at the talent show, saw some movies on the AT, heard some good tips on lightweight backpacking, and just enjoyed being with fellow hikers. But the highlight for me was being recognized as a future thru hiker at the meeting of the ALDHA (Appalachian Long Distance Hiker's Association). Normally this is for completed thru hikers, but the idea they recognized us made me feel included in the pack.