Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 15:17:57 -0400 From: Daniel Eisenbud Subject: Damascus, VA Hi all, Quick update from Damascus, VA. I had a nice seven day hike from Erwin to here. It was good to be back on the trail after sitting around for four whole days. I probably would have made it in six days, but we had more snow! I walked out of Erwin, in fact, in what looked like a raging snowstorm, though they only got about an inch in the end in the valley. But at 4,000' and above, there were four or six inches, and plenty of two foot drifts. This was while going over the second highest peak on the whole AT, so that made it exciting. But the snow is all gone now, and I don't expect to see too much more of it (though it's raining here now, tonight it's supposed to get into the 30's in the valley, and I'm about to go up to 5,500' again, so who knows?) I'll still keep some of my winter equipment for a few more weeks. But soon we pass the last 5,000' mountain until New Hampshire, and in central Virginia we go over the last 4,000' mountain until New Hampshire, so together with the rapidly advancing spring, the danger of cold weather should soon be gone. The whole region from the Smokies north to the Roan range is really pretty -- I'll be glad to be within a few hours' drive next year at Duke. I'm going to send this now now before this flaky modem disconnects again -- more from farther north in Virginia! -D. -- Daniel E. Eisenbud eisenbud@cs.swarthmore.edu