Trail Days part one

After a few days in Hot Springs, I finally left. But not to hike. On Thursday I managed to find a way to Trail Days. Kaitlin (now Sponge) and I, plus someone we had met the night before, got a two hour shuttle to Damascus.

Trail Days is a three day festival, of sorts, celebrating the Appalachian Trail. Many outdoors gear companies set up stalls to repair, replace and sell things. Some even sponsor the event. Big Agnes and Granite Gear are even willing to try repairing gear from their competitors! They helped me with my under quilt. Some companies even do giveaways, raffles and more. There are also food stalls, local arts and crafts, discounts at local shops and diners, 'Tent City' where most people camp, live music, free food, and so much more!

So far, I've had a lot of free food and had several people slowly work at converting me. As said, I've had my gear fixed and enjoyed the live music. The merchant stalls are also very cool.