Day 51: May 19th: Back at it
Even though I hadn't slept in my tent the previous night, I had still set it up and left in the rain - so when I went to pack up, it was all covered in mud (wet gear is the bane of all hikers existence).
I wanted to do a short day in order to give my foot a chance to ease into things, so I took things incredibly slowly. I was really looking forward to hiking alone again - and it turned out to be a really fantastic day.
I started off the morning in leggings and my long sleeve shirt, but I should've known better. I didn't even make it a half mile before I was way too hot and decided to change into my new dress! Instantly my mood brightens when I wear it (shout out to Alex - thank you for convincing me to make this purchase - I really adore this outfit!).
Sometimes, you just come across random cemeteries in the woods.
The day was pretty foggy and light showers would come and go - which luckily is my favorite hiking weather! I I feel like the universe rewarded me that day for hiking alone again and I witnessed more wildlife than usual. First, I stumbled upon a turtle in the middle of the trail - I moved him out of the way just in case any careless hikers came by and soon after, I stopped by a big puddle full of tadpoles! Seriously, a ton of them. Upwards of a thousand.
I took the side trail to Jones Falls which was completely gorgeous. I love how many waterfalls I see on a regular basis. Im encountering so much beauty in this life.
Around noon, I came upon Elk River and decided to stop for lunch. I spent some time reading my crappy book and making a friendship bracelet. I saw a frightening spider approaching and I flicked him away, but it made me paranoid that I no longer knew where he was - so I packed up my stuff and moved forward.
About half a mile later, I came across a delightful little campsite near the river and decided to sit down again. I love knowing that there is no one waiting on me. I have the freedom to stop wherever and for however long I desire.
Eventually I forced myself to keep hiking (even though I was tempted to stay the night at that site) and made it to Mountaineer Shelter, which was adorable and had 3 levels to it.
Unfortunately, there weren't many campsites and it was still pretty early, so I pushed forward another 4 miles to Upper Laurel Fork where I intended to tent for the night. On my way, I came across an owl - I wanted to take a photo, but he kept flying just out of reach. I like to think the forest communicates with me - telling me that I need to just enjoy what is going on at the moment, instead of taking pictures for other people. One must actually venture into the woods to witness all its magic.
Anyway, I needed to blue-blaze from Upper Laurel Fork to the Vango Abby Memorial because I sent myself a maildrop. I planned on going in the morning, but there was a sign saying "Open every day - 3pm". Obviously I couldn't wait around until 3 the next day, so I made the journey to pick up my package that evening. When I arrived, I found out the cost to stay in the bunkhouse was only $5. So, of course, I stayed. There weren't any bathrooms, but I'll take an outhouse over the woods anyday. (This trip is curing me of any bathroom shyness I may have previously had).
I had the entire bunkhouse to myself that night - and though I love spending time alone on the trail, I was a little creeped out and desired some company. I spent the evening cleaning gear and relaxing in a grimy bunk. No complaints though - electricity and wifi made me happy enough :)
I took the side trail to Jones Falls which was completely gorgeous. I love how many waterfalls I see on a regular basis. Im encountering so much beauty in this life.
Yikes!
Jones Falls!
My favorite part was this little water spout at the top!
Around noon, I came upon Elk River and decided to stop for lunch. I spent some time reading my crappy book and making a friendship bracelet. I saw a frightening spider approaching and I flicked him away, but it made me paranoid that I no longer knew where he was - so I packed up my stuff and moved forward.
Large rivers have been a bit scarce so far!
(There are mostly just little streams)
Wooo friendship bracelets for all my trail friends.
(I have yet to give one away - I've just been shoving them in the bottom of my pack...)
About half a mile later, I came across a delightful little campsite near the river and decided to sit down again. I love knowing that there is no one waiting on me. I have the freedom to stop wherever and for however long I desire.
I love finding snakes on the trail!
Eventually I forced myself to keep hiking (even though I was tempted to stay the night at that site) and made it to Mountaineer Shelter, which was adorable and had 3 levels to it.
Shelter graffiti.
Unfortunately, there weren't many campsites and it was still pretty early, so I pushed forward another 4 miles to Upper Laurel Fork where I intended to tent for the night. On my way, I came across an owl - I wanted to take a photo, but he kept flying just out of reach. I like to think the forest communicates with me - telling me that I need to just enjoy what is going on at the moment, instead of taking pictures for other people. One must actually venture into the woods to witness all its magic.
Camping here did not happen.
The view from the random bench in the woods.
Mile 404.4
And what a beautiful 406 miles they were.
This hostel had a ton of cats!
I showed up around dinner time, so they were all congregating by the door.
I had the entire bunkhouse to myself that night - and though I love spending time alone on the trail, I was a little creeped out and desired some company. I spent the evening cleaning gear and relaxing in a grimy bunk. No complaints though - electricity and wifi made me happy enough :)
The bunkhouse
Musty, religious books. What more could you want?
I made myself right at home!
Those pesky neighbor dogs!
(I did not catch a glimpse of him)
(But I also didn't take any chances....)
Miles today: 13.2
Miles from Springer: 405.0
Miles to Katahdin: 1780.3
Day 52: May 20th: Cascades and Campgrounds.
The AWOL guide makes to appear as if this section would be relatively flat, but I can assure you that it wasn't. (But AWOL is the best we've got - and I'm extremely grateful for all the work that's been put into this guidebook).
The trail looks like this sometimes.
I can't even begin to imagine what Pennsylvania is gonna look like...
Bae.
Seriously though. My pack is my everything.
I leapfrogged a guy all morning - but I never got his name and I haven't seen him since. I dislike leapfrogging - it's slightly awkward.
I took a long break at Moreland Gap Shelter, where I switched out my horribly written book for another book that didn't really peak my interest either, and met a girl named Grape.
"Hardcore Cascades"
I'm lame. I don't care.
I took a long break at Moreland Gap Shelter, where I switched out my horribly written book for another book that didn't really peak my interest either, and met a girl named Grape.
Don't judge me.
(I couldn't even finish the first chapter).
Not sure who "Zig & Zag" is (are?), but a I enjoy their shelter art.
Nor have I met Bison!
More snakes! Yay!
An old abandoned cabin.
(The only way I would go in there is if I was caught in a torrential downpour. Seriously, it was creepy.)
Continuing along, I came across Dennis Cove Road - 0.3 miles left was the well-known Kincora Hiking Hostel, run by Bob Peoples (a diligent trail-maintainer) and 0.4 miles right was the Black Bear Resort/Campground.
By this time, my foot was in a ton of pain - I hobbled down the road in search of some ice (and to check out the hostel/get my passport stamped). The Kincora hostel is pretty minimalistic... and the amount of cats and newborn kittens was certainly interesting, but I hung around long enough to rest my foot and meet Anthony (a new section hiker who is pretty clueless), Brooklyn and Gecko.
Afterwards, I walked the other direction towards the Black Bear Resort. It's a cute little campground of sorts and reminds me of a place I would have vacationed with my family. I hung around with some hikers for a while, used the courtesy phone to call my mom, pet the campground dachshund and then ran into Bunny, Quail and Punchline! They had slackpacked south with Bob Peoples and were staying at Kincora for the night.
After lolly-gagging with the group (they tend to do that a lot), I finally found myself back on the trail as I continued along towards the next shelter. (Though I wanted to stay the night, I hadn't slept out in the woods for the past NINE nights.) On my way, I found two hikers skinny dipping at Laurel Falls! The falls were stunning, but there is a dangerous whirlpool and it is advised to use caution. I wanted to join these strangers, but it was almost dusk and I didn't want to be wet and cold.
As I kept hiking, I passed a camping area where Grape was staying for the night. She invited me to join her and Autobahn (one of the many Germans on the trail).
I've realized that hiking alone really forces you to meet a ton of new people, and I love it. We cooked dinner over the fire and talked about American foods that aren't available in Germany (this conversation was sparked when I offered Autobahn some gushers).
Eventually, Freight Train arrived (a lost member of Grape and Autobahn's group). (He is also from Long Island!) Freight Train and I stayed up talking until the fire burned out (he thinks I'm such a Long-Island girl), and I saw my first fireflies of the season!
Love signs like these!
By this time, my foot was in a ton of pain - I hobbled down the road in search of some ice (and to check out the hostel/get my passport stamped). The Kincora hostel is pretty minimalistic... and the amount of cats and newborn kittens was certainly interesting, but I hung around long enough to rest my foot and meet Anthony (a new section hiker who is pretty clueless), Brooklyn and Gecko.
"Bob Peoples once day hiked the entire AT. At night."
(One shelter was covered in graffiti regarding Bob Peoples)
Ivy growing up the side of Kincora Hostel.
Afterwards, I walked the other direction towards the Black Bear Resort. It's a cute little campground of sorts and reminds me of a place I would have vacationed with my family. I hung around with some hikers for a while, used the courtesy phone to call my mom, pet the campground dachshund and then ran into Bunny, Quail and Punchline! They had slackpacked south with Bob Peoples and were staying at Kincora for the night.
It took a ton of willpower not to spend the night.
A suite at Black Bear Resort.
(Mile 417.)
A river runs through it!
After lolly-gagging with the group (they tend to do that a lot), I finally found myself back on the trail as I continued along towards the next shelter. (Though I wanted to stay the night, I hadn't slept out in the woods for the past NINE nights.) On my way, I found two hikers skinny dipping at Laurel Falls! The falls were stunning, but there is a dangerous whirlpool and it is advised to use caution. I wanted to join these strangers, but it was almost dusk and I didn't want to be wet and cold.
"Carry on, don't mind me...
but first, let me take some candids"
:( :(
As I kept hiking, I passed a camping area where Grape was staying for the night. She invited me to join her and Autobahn (one of the many Germans on the trail).
Home for the evening!
(I am truly a nomad.)
I've realized that hiking alone really forces you to meet a ton of new people, and I love it. We cooked dinner over the fire and talked about American foods that aren't available in Germany (this conversation was sparked when I offered Autobahn some gushers).
Eventually, Freight Train arrived (a lost member of Grape and Autobahn's group). (He is also from Long Island!) Freight Train and I stayed up talking until the fire burned out (he thinks I'm such a Long-Island girl), and I saw my first fireflies of the season!
I actually burnt my pot in the process. Oops.
Shelter: Camping past Laurel Falls
Miles today: 13.5
Miles from Springer: 418.5
Miles to Katahdin: 1766.8
Day 53: May 21st: An Afternoon in Bear Country.
So I woke up to a huge thunderstorm. Oh man, my tent was ridiculously cozy and warm. Even though I knew I had to push some big miles, I was happy to bum around for a few hours. Eventually, Grape, Autobahn and Freight Train left to wait out the storm in a McDonald's somewhere (I declined the invite).
Let it be known that my "room" is still a disaster, even though I only own 30 lbs of things.
Eventually, I gathered the courage to exit my tent and begin the day.
Some bridges are superior to others.
The entire forest is blooming!
The morning passed quickly, and I made it Watauga Lake by the early afternoon. I made a bee-line for the adorable baby geese/ducks, talked to some locals, and then promptly found a random outlet to charge my phone (wooooo! Luxurious!).
Called my mom for a few, used a real toilet, and then proceeded to "bear country". The next four miles had seen too much bear activity and were deemed inappropriate for "camping, eating, or lingering", meaning I needed to hike straight through. (Though, some people stayed the night at the closed shelter/waited around in hopes to see a bear).
Babies are cute. The adults are mean.
Ahhh! A bundle of baby geese!
Wild mushrooms. They are adorable.
Watauga Lake - I didn't stop here for long, don't worry!
I love when the trail is distinct like this.
I passed over a dam and then began a huge uphill battle.
My feet were killing me, and the wind was beginning to pick up - I was nervous I would be caught in a storm on the ridgeline. But on the bright-side, I had cell service! I used this time to call my BFF Alex and casually chat for 25 minutes (while I continued to hike).
After we hung up, I totally cried because the trail just continued up a never-ending mountain! Eventually I made it to Vandeventer Shelter, quickly set up my tent and gathered my belongings to go filter water. At this time, two guys (one of them being section-hiker Anthony), told me how terribly far and steep the trail was to the water source. And it was. It took me 45 minutes round-trip and I repeatedly yelled "WTF!?" aloud to myself/the universe. I suppose the shelter was built in that location due to the view, but the water was really inconvenient and put me in a terrible mood. Luckily it was bedtime.
Shelter: Vandeventer Shelter 
Met some friendly construction workers while crossing the dam.
Money Shot.
My feet were killing me, and the wind was beginning to pick up - I was nervous I would be caught in a storm on the ridgeline. But on the bright-side, I had cell service! I used this time to call my BFF Alex and casually chat for 25 minutes (while I continued to hike).
The trails cutest blaze!
(Even though I was super grumpy when I saw him.)
After we hung up, I totally cried because the trail just continued up a never-ending mountain! Eventually I made it to Vandeventer Shelter, quickly set up my tent and gathered my belongings to go filter water. At this time, two guys (one of them being section-hiker Anthony), told me how terribly far and steep the trail was to the water source. And it was. It took me 45 minutes round-trip and I repeatedly yelled "WTF!?" aloud to myself/the universe. I suppose the shelter was built in that location due to the view, but the water was really inconvenient and put me in a terrible mood. Luckily it was bedtime.
Vandeventer Shelter is kinda shitty.
The view: not so shitty.
(Silhouette of a guy name Kaleidescape.)
Miles today: 16.0
Miles from Springer: 434.5
Miles to Katahdin: 1750.8
Day 54: May 22nd: Defeated.
Woke up. Hiked. Stumbled upon Punch, Quail and Bunny sitting by a water-source! They had camped only a few miles past the shelter I had stayed at the previous evening - I had no idea I was so close to catching up. I got water but then walked 0.2 miles to Iron Mountain Shelter to sit down and make hot lunch while the group continued on.
Nick Grindstaff Monument
"He lived alone, suffered alone, and died alone"
Soon enough, I found them having snack-time on the side of the trail, so I hung out for a while before we proceeded to the rumored trail-magic. A church had set up a bear-box with Mountain Dew (I feel like Mountain Dew is really popular down here...) and Baja Blast, so we sat around with some other hikers and relaxed for a bit. Afterwards, we came upon a handicap-accessible part of the trail located around TN-91.
This portion of the AT went through a cow pasture! They just throw us in amongst the cows and hope we use good judgement I suppose. Punchline wanted to touch a cow, but there were baby cows in the area and it made me pretty nervous. Not gonna lie, I loved this part.
This is where I started to notice that I was seriously limping. I had been favoring my left foot for the past few days which had resulted in a mild injury on that side, but my right foot could barely bear any weight at this point. I fell behind the group and hobbled down the trail when suddenly I had a realization - our bodies send us pain signals for a reason. Something is wrong and we need stop doing what we're doing and let ourselves heal. My body wasn't saying "Sure, you can walk another 20 miles to Damacus and then get off your feet". No. It was telling me to stop right now. I decided to go another half mile to the shelter, camp for the night, and then hitch out the next morning from the nearest road crossing. When I called my mom and told her the gameplan, she was concerned about me hitching alone, so she offered to pay for a shuttle service to come get me.
I camped by Freight Train, Anthony and his three friends. A fire was started and Anthony accidentally burnt his socks while attempting to dry them. I warmed up some rocks, and disappeared into my tent around 7pm, suspecting that there was a chance it might be my last night spent sleeping on the trail.
Yay!
This portion of the AT went through a cow pasture! They just throw us in amongst the cows and hope we use good judgement I suppose. Punchline wanted to touch a cow, but there were baby cows in the area and it made me pretty nervous. Not gonna lie, I loved this part.
I place all of my trust in these blazes.
I love walking through fields!
Punch getting too close for comfort.
Moooo!
Shelter art!
I camped by Freight Train, Anthony and his three friends. A fire was started and Anthony accidentally burnt his socks while attempting to dry them. I warmed up some rocks, and disappeared into my tent around 7pm, suspecting that there was a chance it might be my last night spent sleeping on the trail.
Shelter: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Miles from Springer: 448.9
Miles to Katahdin: 1736.4
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