I’m afraid I’m going to have to bail on plans for the Hiker Hoedown at Trail Days this year (news of which will send ripples of joy across the fair burg of Damascus, Va).

The main reason is financial: after taking my gaze away from blogs long enough to take a long look at my books, I’ve calculated that I can’t really justify the expense of flying across the country for a weekend of carousing among the hiker elite.

It’s not just the money, though. As I was researching where to go, what to do, etc., I kept seeing these pictures of thousands of people crammed into this little mountain town. I had this “let’s all go to Woodstock” vibe in mind but after awhile it started to dawn on me: I’m 45, losing my hair, lucky to be able to bend over and lace my boots. I’m not the kind of guy who jets off to Woodstock (heck, I was 30 before I even read “On the Road,” and besides, Kerouac died drunk and bitter).

So anyway, I’ll have the third weekend in May free to spend a few nights in the woods closer to home, which should provide some excellent blog fodder.