Day 37 – Zero at Damascus / Trail Days

Last night was a little rough but some Bonnaroo experience got me through it 😝. The drum circle continued until about midnight and then the after party started…right next to our tents. It involved some free party favors and long conversations about totally inane topics a few downpours and other noise I’m likely forgetting, all heard through my ear plugs.

I slept from about 10-12 and then again from 2-7. Katie didn’t fair so well with about 2 hours of sleep total. We met up at the entrance to tent city (she’d been doing laps around the lot and meeting folks) and headed to the all you can eat pancake youth group fundraiser breakfast at the church across the way from the tent city.

We each had our fill and then made the walk to the vendor city. I stopped at gear repair at got my fanny pack stitched up then hit up the Six Moon Designs tent for a trekking umbrella and hyperlite for a replacement ditty bag (the one I had is delaminating).

We went on to town for lunch at the diner. We ran into Bearspray and Slim there and were able to jump the line since they had two spots open at their table. They were staying with a friend outside of town who was trying to get a hostel going as sort of beta testers. I bought their lunch as trail magic for letting us get in earlier.

Then it was on to the outfitters for a few things Katie needed (pack liner, dry bag) then back to camp to drop stuff off. Then we walked to the other end of town to line up for the parade. We walked end to end and it was a total blast! The town folks sprayed us with water guns (it had stopped raining just before the parade but we were all still pretty wet) and there were chants and cheers and general merriment.

Then it was back to the tent city for some day drinking 🍻. The sun came out and everything got dry…for about 10 minutes. As we started to head out for dinner after 6 it started to rain again and continued to rain pretty much all the way to the furthest restaurant from the tent city, Wicked Chicken. It was worth the walk – super good and really great service (although it was odd that our waitress commented she thought we were so nice since we were sitting right by the PBR cooler and didn’t take any on our own without paying 🤷‍♂️).

We walked back to the music stage and watched the last half of the Gents and Liars sbow then made our way back to tent city. When I realized I’d left my new flask back at where rhe band was performing. So we trekked back (it was still there!) and then home again. All told it was 11:30 before we put in. And according to apple health, I walked a little under 13 miles yesterday. So much for a zero!

Tomorrow we’re getting a shuttle to a bit further back than I got off (shuttle driver won’t drive on the McQueen gap road where I got picked up) and then doing some miles.