May 19

Trail Days continued

Still at Trail days for the festivities on Saturday.  I went to a talk that Jennifer Pharr Davis was hosting.  She was an excellent speaker.  Talked a lot about her first thru hike, then about her record of setting the women's supported record.  Only talked for a little about her recent record of overall supported hike.  I went for free hotdogs at Sundog Outfitter.  Then was the hiker parade.  Trail Days is really like a reunion for former thru hikers.  Many of the core group of people I have been hiking with this year didn't go.  On the other hand, I did see a ton of people I had met on the trail this year, some of which I hadn't seen since NC.  For the parade, current and former hikers lined up at Sundog.  Police and Fire Department crews had the road blocked off.  A fire truck siren sounded and the mob of hikers started their progression down the street.  When I come back one day, I'll be more prepared.  Costumes are a plus, and offense/defense for a water fight is a must.  Town folk lined the streets, cheering and waving....then pelting us with water balloons.  Some people even stretched out their garden hoses to spray the hikers.  Toward the end, near the middle of 'downtown', some people were even posted on rooftops showering us with water.  The smart hikers, who had heard about this, or veterans from previous years, had retalliatory water ammo and fought back against the townies.  The whole thing lasted about 20 minutes or so, and I had a blast.  Afterwards, in the town park, was the hiker talent show.  Pretty entertaining.  Several acts preformed music, but I think my favorite was the guy who was breathing fireballs.  That night, I went back to tent city for a big gear giveaway, but I didn't win anything.  I caught a late slideshow that Warren Doyle put on about some of his 'expedition' groups on the AT back in the 70s and 80s.  Then back to tent city.  Hung out in the woods for a bit to see what all the bonfire/drum circle fuss was about.

Starting the hiker parade