Creeper Trail, looking north
The morning's chore of laundry was done during breakfast. Bought a larger second tarp at Mt. Rogers Outfitter, along with thorlo socks and spankos insoles. Lunched with Big John, Jester, Sherbear and Jettbutt, Getoverit and Shannon, and Spaceman. Met up with Jaguar Bob outside and met DelDoc.
Walking the Creeper bridge back to the Place late in the afternoon, I ran into Otter on the back porch. We shot the breeze for awhile, and talked about what the Trail meant to us. I mentioned my complex feelings toward Trail Days and the crowds. I wanted to hike on. He smiled and said, "DNA, you're not leaving today. It's 5 already.' I don't know if he was giving a dose of reality, hinting at how hiker towns can suck you in, or if he was just daring me to do it. I took him up on the challenge. Went in, loaded up my water bottle, went back outside and told him I'd see him up the Trail. And with that, I did a pack flip, walked up the berm to the Creeper, and resumed my walk north. (Thanks for the motivation, Kenny!)
Through town, this bridge of the Creeper Trail (a rails-to-trails project), isn't part of the A.T. The Trail walks down the main drag (Laural Ave / Rt 58), hangs a right on to Damascus Drive (still Rt 58), and then joins with the Creeper out of town. A bit over a half-mile, the A.T. crosses Rt 58, goes up some steps over a storm culvert, and scrambles up the hillside. My jaunt down the Creeper to connect with the A.T. was my first 'blue blaze', if one can call it that. The whole of the weekend, I hiked the real trail route many times over, including with the hiker parade. I don't know if doing the blazes out of order demotes my accidental purist status.