May 17, 2026
Trail Days ends with a last walk through the city park. After strolling through the city, I return to the trail ready to return to the solitude of nature.
Lazy Sunday in the city park
PMany Trail Days attendees were packing up their vehicles in the morning. They would no doubt return to the real world tomorrow, so returning home made sense. I spent some time organizing my truck and packing food to pass some time knowing that I really only had one last thing to do on Trail Days. I wanted one last chance to win a raffle prize, so I headed to the Darn Tough booth to try to win socks for life. With my raffle ticket in hand, I looked around for a few more booths to ask some equipment questions. Added Darn Tough and FarOut decals to my collection to proudly display on my bear canister.
The temperature was approaching 80 degrees, so I felt justified in ordering one last ice cream. I met a hiker named Holly at the booth who, like many other hikers, had seen me a lot on the road to Damascus. I had wisely chosen the chocolate and peanut butter ice cream, definitely my favorite of the weekend. I went for the Superman ice cream. How can you not try an ice cream called Superman? It was okay, but I would probably rate all the other flavors higher.
Plenty of outdoor gear vendors line the path through the city park.
Plenty of outdoor gear vendors line the path through the city park.
Many stickers now adorn my bear can to show off the gear I use on the trail.
Superman ice cream!
Artists Alley and Appalachian Heritage Brewery and Distillery
The section of the park near the center of Damascus had a great mix of trail-related art and handmade items. I took my time looking at each booth and was amazed at the creativity and variety of products. The wooden trail sign stand was my favorite, including the pet-themed Paw-tahdin sign.
Once I finished my ice cream, I walked back downtown to go to the souvenir shop and see if I had missed anything. After finding exactly what I needed (sorry fam, no spoilers), I had about 45 minutes until the Darn Tough giveaway. I popped into Appalachian Heritage Distillery & Brewery for a quick beer. I ordered a Harvest Hollow, mainly because it was the most colorful item on their list. It was a pleasant surprise, definitely similar to an Oktoberfest light beer. I walked back to the city park and found a surprisingly large crowd still hanging around to win free socks. Unfortunately I was not one of the 5 lucky winners.
Excellent trail themed artwork.
I’m going to make one of these someday, they’re great!
Replica trail signs, the best way to legally take a piece of the trail home.
Trail/outdoor themed tie dye shirts!
Goodbye Damascus
Trail Days was a fantastic experience. Meeting so many hikers again and meeting many more was very enriching. The dog watching was top notch and the live music and talent show were excellent entertainment. It was like spending two and a half days at a fair where you could justify eating and drinking beer to gain a little mass before going back to walking 20 miles a day. The Damascus Diner, the Hiker Parade and the meetings were my highlights. I understand why the event attracts so many hikers each year.
I drove about 45 minutes north to follow the trail north of Atkins, VA. I’ll be back on track tomorrow morning. It’s been too long since I’ve tripped over something or drank filtered water from a stream.
-See you tomorrow
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