AT - US 321 to Damascus, VA

Day One: 7.1 miles
U.S. 321 to spring after Wilbur Dam road

Day Two: 9.9
Spring to Spring after Monument

Day Three: 11.6
Spring to Double Springs Gap

Day Four: 11.4
Double Springs to Spring before Damascus

Day Five: 1.9
Spring to downtown Damascus.
Total Miles: 41.9

We met Mom and Dad in Damascus Virginia and got our car registered to leave in the parking lot by the old Mill. We took the extended trip to the trailhead on U.S. 321 because I missed a turn. With Love and brownies we headed off.

We walked around the lake and across the dam seeing lots of wildflowers and a few day hikers. We noticed a sailboat out on the lake and thought about my brother in Michigan. He should have his out by now (Smile).

We climbed up the ridge and got some good views from above of the lake. We camped at the first spring after Wilbur Dam road for the night. Lora stumbled and fell over a rock while looking at the spring. No damage other than hurt pride. We got to listen to owls during the night while we sat around the fire.

Day Two:
Lots of views from the ridge line that we hiked. We passed two more shelters and checked out the Nick Grindstaff Monument, which was for a famous hermit. I don't know how he got famous, but I guess he pulled it off. We camped at the spring just past it. It started to rain just as we were ready to make dinner, so we cooked and ate under the shelter. We had already started the fire, so after dinner when the rain stopped, we got to spend some time enjoying the fire.

Day Three:
The rain had quit by the time we got out of bed. We got packed up and hiked in the fog for awhile and then it cleared up for some more sights. When we were taking a break at the Double Springs shelter, a thru hiker from Montana stopped in. We enjoyed a visit with him and learned that most of the thru hikers were well behind us. We saw him again at Double Springs Gap where we spent the night. He and six of his buddies went on to the next shelter.

Day Four:
Today we saw the foundation from where a fire tower stood on McQueens Knob. We also saw the oldest and smallest shelters just past there. We saw more thru hikers today and other backpackers heading south. Then the celebration for us at the Virginia State Line! Three states down....??? to go. We camped at the spring just out from Damascus.

Day Five:
Just a short hike today to down town Damascus. We visited the hiker supply store just because we could.

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