AT in TN: Campsite Southbound to Hampton TN at 321 – 6/10/17
– 12.7 Miles
Cathy and I were up and at ‘em at first light, itchy feet on the trail
by 6:40 a.m. We opted to skip breakfast and eat
at the next shelter, 3.8 miles away.
The tone for the day was familiar, hustling because we knew
we were walking out. Nobody
waiting on us, nobody holding the stopwatch, but it’s hard to resist the pull
to the end where you can set that backpack down for good. In hindsight, of course, I shouldn’t have
waited two hours to eat because I needed some fuel for the pace. Cathy doesn’t require stops as frequently as
are good for me and she doesn’t like to stop for long periods of time or she
gets stiff (me too). But when she is out
ahead, she is considerate to stop for me to catch up, then I rest for maybe
5-10 minutes before starting again with her. She doesn’t make me go, it’s my own internal
push. Someday when I grow up I will better monitor my resting and pacing.
On the uphill to the shelter we met several thru-hikers,
cheery from a night’s rest and tackling the trail again today. Vandeventer Shelter is situated on a bluff
looking out across Watauga Lake. The
shelter itself has its back to the lake (to block the wind) but there are
boulders to perch on while contemplating the commanding view, inviting hikers to
linger over their morning coffee (but not much tent space so I was glad we
didn’t push on to it last night). Three
young men were still at the shelter, leisurely considering packing up and planning
to hike to Damascus that day, 30+ miles – ah, youth!
We ate our belated breakfast and talked with these
guys. One said he didn’t have much water
and I told him where they would pass our campsite with its piped spring. Then another mentioned that he had no water
at all. Cathy and I both had extra and
filled up his water bottle (also topped off the others). How far is it northbound to Damascus? As we
went our way southbound, Cathy overheard them talking about using Adderall to
keep moving on the long days…
We saw a skunk sprinting
down the trail today!
More flowers and green green green:
The AT rolls downhill from the shelter to Watauga Dam,
teasing glimpses of the lake along the way.
The last two miles down to the dam are knee-crunchers.
Scars on the mountains
The increasing proximity to mankind triggers the
not-unexpected-but-still-a-little-prickly feeling of dismay that the trail must pass
through these populated areas. We
navigated on and off of roads, in and out of trees, then a mile road walk to
the top of the dam. There is a necessary balance to maintain for the privilege of hiking
through the forest and respecting those who choose to live in the
mountains. For example, we enjoy the
goodwill of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which limits access to the road crossing
the dam only to AT hikers, barring other visitors.
Watauga Dam creates power for the
community and the beautiful lake, a popular draw for summer fun, swimming and
boating.
Watauga Lake Shelter was closed for bear activity. Not
surprising - it is heavily used because it is so close to a major road. I didn’t even go down the short side path to check it out. Besides, there was this slithery
snake right on the main path. A snake
and a skunk – a higher wildlife count than yesterday.
The trail closely followed the lakeshore in and out of tiny coves
and we could see Shook Branch Recreation Area across the way, a beach filled
with people on a hot day. A mere minute as
the crow flies, but we were not crows so we took the long route, another
mile.
I see the beach...
...and the beach sees me
Another day, another section, another state completed on the
Appalachian Trail. Thanks, Cathy! Amen and pass the milkshake!
“For in the true nature of things, if we
rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of
gold and silver.” ~Martin Luther
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