Trail Days: Friday, May 15, 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026

Trail Days starts with lots of food, meeting up with hikers you haven’t seen in weeks, and a chance to go downtown and meet some new ones.

Flying solo on Trail Days

TOCrossing over from Tent City, One-Way Ministry offers coffee and snacks to visiting hikers. It is very appreciated not having to walk to the city to have breakfast. Dozens of hikers crowded around the charging station hoping to recharge their electronic devices. I passed a hiker holding a sign that said «Hi Mom, I’m still alive!» I couldn’t resist taking a photo with him, although I also said «I love you. I’m doing GREAT on the AT!»

I thought the best use of my time would be to walk to the library and do some blogging before the events begin in the afternoon. I spent a few hours there and met some fellow bloggers in the process. I fell into a blog review spiral, but I got out around 1:30 p.m.

I proceeded to walk through the vendor area to see the scene of the city park and food court. I had to stop by the BearVault booth to see their latest bear can. They had one on display that had been eaten by a hungry bear, but it had done its job and was well intact. I was hungry by now, but neither selection left me impressed. Food trucks are fun, but I was ready for a great meal and a cold beer. I had heard about the Damascus Diner from several people, so I walked into town in search of beer and meat.

A BV450 after an encounter with a bear.

The Damascus restaurant

The cozy Damascus Diner was exactly what I was looking for. A sizable burger with plenty of fries and a well-priced cold beer to wash it down. The image of the city after Helene on the restaurant wall showed the severity of the damage caused by the storm. All the streets were flooded by the muddy water of the river. Suddenly, the sign that said “no flooding beyond this point” on a neighboring building made a lot of sense.

On the way back to Town Park I decided to listen to the live music on the main stage for a while. I was recognizing many of my fellow trail hikers. I seem to be a popular topic among some hikers, quite a few people are familiar with my out and back hiking style. Answering questions about my hike was a lot of fun.

Several visitors walked past me with large cups and cones of what appeared to be freshly made ice cream. I don’t mind soft serve ice cream, but there’s something about a scoop or two of ice cream with a few extras mixed in that I can’t resist. I found the ice cream stand and ordered a scoop of chocolate peanut butter and a scoop of cookie dough. It was a winning combination, the chocolate was especially delicious and really hit the spot on this warm afternoon.

The angus burger at the Damascus Diner.

New and old friends

I listened to the live music on stage for a while and mingled with the growing number of hikers. By then my stomach was expanding and I committed to consuming as many calories as my body would allow. I had seen a stall that would be offering grilled cheeses for hikers starting at 5:30 pm and headed over there. While I was focused on the cheesy food, a hiker ahead of me in line recognized me. It was a Navigator! I hadn’t seen him for more than a month. He had assumed that he and the other hikers in his vicinity were too far north to turn back and participate in Trail Days. Having met so many hikers recently, it was amazing to have a little “blast from the past,” even though it was only a few weeks ago.

He left to meet another hiker and soon I saw a gallon and he wouldn’t. This pair of hikers had been especially interested in the van aspect of my hike. We spent some time together and swapped stories over several rounds of grilled cheeses. Bounty, an acquaintance of Would Not, joined us. He is from Australia and climbed the PCT last year. I decided to spend some time with him since he was heading downtown to meet some other hikers. We talked about hiking for over an hour over beers while watching people play cornhole. He introduced me to a few other hikers, including another who had hiked the PCT.

Finally, the walking, the warm temperatures, the calories, and the beer caught up with me. I didn’t want to get tired with other people who were just starting their night, so I decided to head back to my truck and rest up for the next day.

-See you tomorrow

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