(Daily Mi: 9.4) Longer, much knobbier, walk into town than anticipated. Always like that when you hear 9 miles and town, you think: 'Town'. Was very hungry. Ran out of the donated trailmix from the ladies last night, but stupdily passed the first two convenience store/gas stations on the edge of town in the deluded hope I would quickly find something more substantial.

Damascus has a reputation as a hiker friendly trail town ('Friendliest Town on the AT'), but by late October it is starting to shutter up for the season. Found Brother's gear at the otherwise empty The Place, Methodist church hiker/biker hostel.

Find Brother. We order a loaded extra-large pizza and eat cheesburgers and fries while we wait. I make a promised check in call home for the beautiful Canadian. Brother had promised a similar call for the tour group ladies but is chagrinned to discover that he has lost the number.

Some activity at the Mt. Rogers Outfitters (nice folks!) Find Brown Trout, Flutterby and an older SoBo named Poppa Husker, retired Air Force pilot, camped down by the river. I had met Poppa Husker just north of Mt. Moosilauke at the start of the Whites (heading in opposite directions of course). He has been a couple of days ahead of me ever since I left Harpers Ferry (have been seeing his name in the registers) He is tickled that it took me so long to catch him.

Later, meet a 20 year old long distance hiker named Laura at the laundromat. Had seen her motorcycle at Four Pines in Catawba where she dropped it following a marathon ride from Colorado to join her now apparently erstwhile southbounding boyfriend.

Drank cheap beer from brown bags on the porch of the Mt Rogers Outfitter's hostel with Brother, Laura, Poppa Husker, Flutterby and Brown Trout as well as a couple of younger section hikers -- who were the only actual guests.

Returned to the alcohol free methodist hostel to discover that the local fire department had begun decorating the place as a haunted house for Halloween. Fake spider webs, black walls and blood spatter everywhere. Nearly wet myself when I doused the lights in my bunkroom and discovered the invisible (but glow in the dark) messages of doom painted on the walls.<br />