Less than a block after popping out of the wilds you are immediately christened into Damascus by walking through this beautiful arbor. It was an eagle scout project for one insightful fellow!

The "Place" is the hikers hostel which serves as headquarters for most hikers in town. It is just behind the Methodist church and is offered by their more than generous hospitality!

After finally leaving Damascus it is an all uphill climb to the base of Mt.Rogers, highest point in Virginia. These were some of the wild feral ponies around Thomas Knob Shelter which help keep clear the beautiful balds in this area.

Just me perched on the unbelieveable McAfee Knob near Roanoke!

Early one morning I met the "Habitual Hiker" while stopping for a rest at a shelter near McAfee Knob and he led me to a great wealth of true trail magic!

This is the Habitual Hiker and the Umbrella Lady along with their dog "McAfee". After spending a great morning talking about their 3 AT thru-hikes and their Continental Divide Trail thru-hike, I was really inspired to resume my hike! They were featured in the April '94 issue of Backpacker magazine in the article, "RADICAL REPEATERS".