meeting for trail days

“I was wondering if anyone has decided where and when we would meet up to meet each other or just say hello to old friend.
rox”

“I was just thinking about this, this weekend...I'm not famililiar with the area, any suggestions?”

“Well I was talking with Opie this past weekend and he mentioned meeting up at bbrinkley's booth and go from there but not really stating any time. Some of us will be there for all day Friday would be nice to do a day hike.”

“jerbear where are you?? didn't you say something about a different camp area this year??

Dub, I can meet you somewhere if you like. send me your cell phone number...”

“Hoping everyone could meet up and do a group thing.”

“side track cafe is a cool place. im there right now. if alot of ppl are meeting, sicilys pizza is bigger”

“hey!!!! how are ya?? yeah, some of us could meet there.”

“Does everyone want to car camp and dayhike or do a short trip on the AT?”

“Someone mentioned that there are some other trails N. of Damascas..anyone know about that?
I love the side track cafe, last year we enjoyed some beer there.”

“dub, i think a bunch of us want to dayhike/car camp...”

“Okay, since so much is going on in town we'll dayhike and car camp. I won't be there until late Saturday night so if we could arrange a camping place that would be great. Anyone know where people can camp this year?”

“Which Sat. are you coming Dub?”

“JERBEAR SAID IT WAS BEST TO CAMP OUT ON 54??”

“I will have to look at a map. Can't remember which road is 54..now I know there is some camping over at Backbone rock Tenn just a short drive from Damascas...like 5 miles.”

“The second one, I'll be there on the 14th around 10-11pm.”

“Ok I am going to pull out my map tonite... dang your gonna miss the parade.”

“Dub baby...you can't miss the parade!! that's the funnest part!! play hooky, do something, but do NOT miss the parade!”

“What time is the parade? If I don't have a test...which I might...I can skip my afternoon class and be there by 4-5pm.”

“Friday, May 14

7-11am Breakfast at Fire Dept

9:00 am– ? Vendors in Park

9:00 Face painting near Gazebo

9:00-5:00 Free Blood Pressure screening by Dr. Bickley Craven and Stone Mountain Health near Gazebo.

9:00 - ? Big Brothers/Big Sisters selling ducks for duck race on Sunday near Gazebo

9-10am “Stalkin’ Life with a Hikin’ Stick”, a talk by Model T in Rock School Auditorium

10-11am “Appalachian Trail Hike”, video by Mark Flagler in Rock School Auditorium

1-4pm “Reunion/Reception for AT 2000 Milers: Past, Present and Future” led by ALDHA and ATC at the Rock School Auditorium

4:30-5:30pm “The Southern Appalachians Initiative - a 5000-Mile Network of Trails” by Jeffrey Hunter of American Hiking Society and the National Park Service’s RTCA Program at Rock School Auditorium

5-7pm Solomon Branch at Gazebo

6pm-? Registration for Trout Rodeo at Fire Dept

6-10pm Movies and Popcorn presented by the Damascus Baptist Church at Rock School Auditorium

7-8pm Robbie Spencer at Gazebo

8-10pm Booher Family at Gazebo
Saturday, May 15

6am-6pm Registration for Trout Rodeo at Fire Department

9:00- ? Vendors in Park

9:00- ? Face Painting near Gazebo

9:00 Big Brothers/Big Sister sell ducks for duck race on Sunday at 5:00, near Gazebo

9am-3pm Friends of the Library Book Sale; old and new books, audio tapes, videos, records and much more at Damascus Library

9-10am “All About ALDHA” by a representative of ALDHA in Rock School Auditorium

9:30am-12: 30pm Basket Making for Kids at Kids’ Tent near Gazebo

10am-5pm Philatelic Postal Station near Gazebo

10am-? Chicken BBQ Dinner at Fire Dept.

10am-noon Kids Talent at Gazebo

10am-2pm Whittling Club – watch, listen and learn from local artists at Damascus Library

10am-1: 30 pm Damascus High School Alumni Reunion– Chair: Shirley Brand at Rock School Auditorium

Noon-2pm Wayne Henderson at Gazebo

12:30 - Moonstone and Sundog Outfitter
are giving away free hotdogs to the hikers before the parade

2:00 - Hikers Parade from Douglas Road through Laurel Avenue to Town Park. Line up near APPCP and Dot’s Inn at 1:00.

3-5pm Rock Painting for Kids led by Doris Autry at Kids’ Tent near Gazebo

3-5pm Minus Linus at Gazebo

3:45-5pm "26,000 Miles of Trail Stories" storytelling by Warren Doyle at Rock School Auditorium

5-6pm “Circle of Dreams” video presented by Warren Doyle at Rock School Auditorium

6pm-?pm Damascus High School Alumni Reunion Dinner -by reservation only- Chair: Shirley Brand at Rescue Squad

6-8pm Fast Train at Gazebo

6:30pm-? Bingo at Fire Dept.

7-10pm Contra Dance, Band from Seattle, WA, Jamie Laval Trio (U. S. Scottish Fiddle Champion 2002) $6 admission in Rock School Auditorium

9-11pm Captives at Gazebo
Sunday, May 16

6am-6pm Registration for Trout Rodeo at Fire Dept.

10-10:45am Church Service led by Bill Irwin, "Orient Express" AT GAME 1990 at the
Rock School Auditorium

11am-noon Church Service led by Pastor Jane at Gazebo. Music by Son Shine Kidz.

1-2:30pm “Tribute to Earl Shaffer: Songs of the Blue Ridge Runner,” a musical performed by Takoma Tedd at the Rock School Auditorium

1-2:30pm Fescue at Gazebo

1-2:30pm "Tribute to Earl Shaffer: Songs of the Blue Ridge Runner," a music and
multimedia presentation performed by Takoma Tedd at the Rock School Auditorium


3:30-5pm Hiker Talent Show at Gazebo

5pm Big Brothers/Big Sisters Duck Race in Beaver Dam Creek

7-10pm Reruns of AT videos on file if there is an audience at the Rock School Auditorium”

“Randy and I will probably make it in sometime Saturday morning. As of right now we are probably staying in Erwin friday night. I tried to convince him into letting me rent a cabin Saturday night for his birthday but he doesn't want to. By the time I see him again it will be 4 weeks! You would think he would want to!”

“Hey maybe he will change his mind.. Birthday!! cool way to spend your birthday.”

“Dub, you're okay on the 14th. that's friday right? the parade is saturday around 2.”

“Yeah, the 15th is Saturday. I'm looking forward to this trip...it will take me through Charleston so I'll probably stop and see my parents on the way back. Gonna invite Dr Deet to come with me.”

“Where are you driving from?”

“Dub...how do you pass Charleston on your way?? yeah...WHERE are you driving from? I think you're getting charleston confused with charlotte...”

“Charleston, WV goofy ;-) Although I've been to Charleston, SC, it would be 11 hours out of my way if I stopped there ;-)”

“ohhhhhh!!! lol, I didn't even know there is a charleston, WV....”

“Ok so your no too far away.. don't forget to buy you supersoaker for the parade!!!”

“oh man, I still have to buy me one too. I think I may just buy two. this way I can really get 'em and I later on my kids both have something to play with.”

“Charleston is the capital of WV! You've never been there and seen the gold-covered Capitol building?

I'll be sure to pick up a supersoaker...are the thru-hikers having a wet t-shirt contest or something?

I'll be leaving from Columbus which is 3 hours from Charleston, then it's 2-3 hours to Damascus from there.”

“Dude!! At the parade all the people that even sectioned hiked the AT are in the parade w/water ballons and supersoakers and sling shots with waterballons and it's shoot them or get shot!!”

“Sounds like a blast...I think I'll arm myself with waterballoons with some whip cream added for texture.”

“awww dub, you're dead meat! that's all I got to say!”

“I could be mean and put in canned cheese instead of whipped cream.”

“Hey rules say water only... so nice try!”

“hmmm, parade Sat around 2:00. ok, so if I left on Friday noonish, I should be ok getting there.

I need to have a good place to meet and camp, a dayhike plan would work good for me, or just hanging around Damascus would be fun too.

If I make this one, I'll prob have my kids with me, they'd have a blast at the parade it sounds like. Nothing like doing FUN things with them involved with hiking to set the hooks a little deeper for them.

I'll watch the plans, somebody take charge and tell us all what we'll be doing!

Rox?

Gemini?

I'd be cool with doing the parade and then heading out to Grayson Highlands or something like that, there's a cool Nat'l Forest campground on the North side of the Mt. Rogers area too, plus lots of space within easy short hikeing distance from the hiker parking lot at Grayson. The ponies should have cute babies too.”

“I'm down for whatever. Since I don't know the area very well someone more familiar can pick a camping/meeting spot.”

“Gem, was it you that had their jacket stolen last year?”

“Hey Roam where is the National forest at... I know how to get to Grayson and Elk Garden parking but I didnt' know there was somewhere else I could stay. I want to drive up Thurs but may wait and take off Friday morning.”

“I thought we could camp in town?”

“hyway, nope that wasn't me.

Dub...you can camp in town. Well, close to town. Actually I would prefer to camp close to everything, this way I don't have to drive and find a parking spot.

That camp area is the area were all the trouble started last year though. I guess I just follow the TT crowd :)


jerbear said somthing about a campspot, but I don't know how far it is away from everything.

Roam, I definatelly want to do some sort of hike, hahaha, kind a am stick of grayson highland as I hiked it like...hmm 1000 times this year already?? LOL I don't care though...I hike it again. For you :)

I did look at the map a couple of weeks ago, and saw some other great areas. Not grayson highland, but close by. I am going to check them out a bit more in detail if I have time.”

“Maybe we can just make a big sign and stick it on a pole saying, "TTers camp here"?”

“i think we need to all figure it out before all of us camp in different areas. If we can't figure it out before hand, I will probably check the vendors area first...hopefully I will find some of you there, and then figure out where everyone is camping.”

“Wait a second...isn't BBinkley gonna be there? Maybe we could leave messages at his stand...you think he'd be willing to keep that info for us? Then the first person there could find a campsite and leave the message there.”

“rox: National Forest campground on Hwy 603 just west of the horse guy's place, on the North side of Mt Rogers, turn left off of 16, or right off of 600.

gemini: we could always shuttle a car south and do some sobo time on the AT, betcha there won't be too many folks south of Damsacus on that second weekend.

but, don't plan anything around me, my car trouble this past weekend still has a big question mark on what it's gonna cost me, so I may not make this trip :(”

“Where are you coming from Roam maybe someone can pick you up and give you a ride.”

“Hey rox, I live way the hell down in South Florida, I'm pretty sure that I'm the furthest south in the US of any TT people. Only about 120 miles north of Miami.

:)”

“no excuse!! Fly to Columbia and then drive the rest with me.”

“ouch! my arm!

lol”

“I can't wait I can't wait I can't wait!! Did I say that I can't wait????

I still want to rent a cabin, no offense to the rest of you guys but going a month without my man has been rough! I need a romantic weekend!”