Trail Days Ep2
Miles: a lot but none on the trail (Post for yesterday)
Today I woke up early to get the 5 dollar unlimited pancake breakfast. Trail Days is known for discounted gear, free food, and raffles. Unfortunately you could only get two at a time and if you wanted more you’d have to re-queue in a line that lasted 25 minutes. I went back to get more a few times. Later I found out there was another place with free pancakes and no line. I’m writing this from my tent rn at 9:30pm in trail days in a food coma. I just ate so many tacos. There’s a few cool guys grilling we befriended next to our tent and they love us and showered us in food. Other things that happened today… we all got some good deals in the gear in the vendor tent area in town. I got my spork, stove fuel canister, multitool, and soap replacement and also a very light inflatable pillow. I joined in to the thru hiker parade last second. At first I didn’t want to because it’s like water gun Fallujah. All set up along the street are kids with squirt guns that blast the fuck out of you and your AirPod bearing pockets. Anyways I opted in and it was worth it. I used Green as a human shield at one point. I also ran into other hikers from previous entries like the ultralighters Y2K and Sidequest. Smokey was there and we were chill. I caught up with Dylan a bit and he now has the trail name Breadcrumbs and is hopping back in from Damascus. I also saw people jig dancing to folk music who I thought were Mormons but it turns out they are cultists. One of them tried recruiting me and I just played dumb and nice. Later we ate at their restaurant and it was really good. They are the Yellow Deli. They’re sorta a cult sorta an international commune depending on what lens you look through. Anyways it’s one of the more interesting things that happened today. Modelo played his violin for Yuri and I today. It was very majestic. I’m still impressed how light his pack is while still carrying an instrument. There was a nice lady at the parade that was giving free supplies to the hikers because her son was a thru hiker and he died so she every year does it. It made me really sad. Also last night in my inebriated state I cried a little in my tent which felt really good. I don’t cry very much so it was needed I guess like when it rains after a drought. But you know I didn’t cry that much. Also I didn’t win any raffles today because AT&T doesn’t work in Damascus. It’s a fluke it’s working right now and I must post this in haste. I literally couldn’t enter into any of the raffles though because of no connection. I did though finally register for my AT thru hike officially at the AT center here and got my badge! About time. Anyways here’s a badass picture of a lady in the parade with a water minigun shooting back at the kids from a pickup truck.
