Day 52- I set out to get back on the trail and as I was approaching the trail head I heard that a portion of the trail was closed due to an attack on some hikers. It was the section that I was to start. So Jane took me to town so I can regroup. This guy is a drug user with mental issues who has been a day or two ahead of me since before Erwin. He threatened others with a knife and they left the shelter for their tents. So as not to get into too much detail, he was arrested and then released on probation when no one would press charges against him. He returned to the trail and was still ahead of me on his way to Damascus. Word travels fast on the trail so you get updates often. Unfortunately, the guy snapped and badly cut up a woman and the man may or may not be ok, they won’t say just yet. Two others were able to get away. This all happened in the early morning hours. They did get the guy early this morning from a cell phone ping.
The thing is, I would have been in the same area as these hikers had my knee not messed up. So I’d like to think that a divine intervention took place. The sad part is I also know a lot of couples and girls that would have been there as well and I don’t know if they are okay. Cell coverage isn’t too good up here so they can’t answer texts from me or their loved ones. Please keep these hikers and their families in your prayers because this was not in their plans either. It’s hard to get to sleep with all this going through my head, thinking of these poor people and wanting all the facts. I am thankful that I was not on the trail when this happened knowing I could have been close by, but sad because I am sure it is a friend that I have made along the way. If I don’t know them, it is just as sad that someone wanting to enjoy the beauty God has created had to go through this. So I will say my prayers and say Good Night and Sweet Dreams…
Days 52 and 53- Not much to report. More rest, more ice on the knee, and more quality time with my friend. Thank you again Jane! I am hoping to get back on the trail tomorrow. Good Night and Sweet Dreams.
Day 51- Another lazy, sit-around day. I can walk somewhat and visited an outfitter to look at different packs ands tents. There wasn’t much difference in the packs so I kept mine but knocked 2 pounds off the weight of my tent by getting a different one. Just a note, REI and Backcountry will take back your items even though you used them for up to a year if they don’t work out. So I decided to go ahead and change out the tent, worrying about returning the original one later. By the time I was finished both feet were all swollen as well as my right leg. More ice, rest and compression. So, more of nothing to tell, sorry about that, and hope you don’t forget about me! Hopefully two more days and off I will go, slowly at first. Hang in there with me and Good Night and Sweet Dreams!
Day 50- Another zero day but my knee is feeling somewhat better. I still can’t put a lot of weight on it and the swelling is down a little. Feeling like an invalid is not in my big scheme of things and it’s driving me crazy, but I am trying to do what I should so I can get up and at ‘em. I did take a little nap today, sitting makes you lazy. I had a good meal of spaghetti and salad (even a little white wine). I watched Peyton, Brady, and Arden play baseball and toss the football, enjoying the beautiful afternoon instead of being holed up inside. The setting sun was pretty. Arden picked a daisy for me, her grandma, and her mother and took the most beautiful picture that I will share here. Good Night and Sweet Dreams!
Day 49- Another day off my feet. Ice, elevate, compression, and rest. My knee does feel somewhat better but not where I can just stand up and go. There’s still a lot of inflammation and it’s swollen pretty much the same as before. Ice does help but it’s frustrating that I have to be off the trail for this to pass. I met the three coolest and cutest kids, Peyton, Brady, and Arden. We played some board games and talked about hiking, their animals, and Disney World. I can’t wait to see them tomorrow. Sorry this is short tonight but tall tales only come when I am standing tall and right now it is slow going! Good Night and Sweet Dreams!
Day 48- I woke up to overcast skies, rain, and a pretty swollen right leg. After hobbling into the restaurant for breakfast, I was happy to see Sir Mead come in along with Bumblebee and others. I was glad to see him feeling better. Try Try came running out to the car to say hello as we were leaving. Jane then took me to the Urgent Care just to verify there were no fractures (which there isn’t, thank goodness). I am to stay off the trail until I can put weight fully back on my leg. So more ice, elevated leg, and ibuprofen while the rain came down, down, down. The river was becoming pretty swollen with the ducks taking cover.
More good conversation, got the laundry done, and went through my pack to rid it of weight I don’t need. As we left for dinner, we ran into (not literally), Zorro and another guy whose name eludes me. I told him I saw Sir Mead in town and he was happy to have his friend back on track. I pointed out Liberty and Turtuno as we passed them on the road and as we left the restaurant I saw the gentleman who at the last shelter loaned me his small pack to carry my water. We talked for awhile and met his wife and friends who came to Damascus to join him. Jane was excited to get to meet the people that I have been talking about. After watching most of A League of Their Own on TV it’s time for some shut eye. So I will keep you updated on how my leg is doing but I suspect I will be off the trail for several days as I don’t want to jeopardize messing it up worse just to push on. Good Night and Sweet Dreams!
Day 47- I woke up early around 6, as we all did but still didn’t leave until 7:45. It must be because I am fixing breakfast regularly now. I thought I would make really good time into Damascus since the trail was an easy one again today, but my knee had other plans. I passed native azaleas that had bloomed with orange blossoms, pines, and new purple flowers that I had not seen yet (There’s a pattern developing here, orange and purple, Go Tigers!). I stopped at a fallen tree and sat a spell with 5 people slack packing to the TN/VA border. They were from Connecticut and a few lived close to Waterbury where Larry’s family settled after arriving from Italy. I still made pretty good time but it was through some agony.
I am thinking I must have injured my knee when I jumped from that snake a couple days ago and landed so hard on it twice after stumbling. It was a little sore last night but not any worse than before, but this morning it just would not give in. And yes I mentioned the TN/VA border. I am now entering my forth state! I did see small bear paw prints in the damp trail coming in so I kept my eyes open! I had a good reason to get to town as one of the best friends in the world came up to spend a couple days with me. True Trail Angel!
The timing couldn’t have been better, she is a great caretaker too! Thank you to the moon and back, Jane! We had a very good late lunch after I got the stink washed off me, had great conversation, sat beside a warm campfire after a cooling rain made its way through, and watched a duck family with 9 ducklings waddle around outside. We are right beside a swift river and it is fun to watch the ducks glide down the river from the covered, tin roofed porch and suddenly turn sideways like a kayak and go right to the bank and waddle off and then do it again.
Damascus is a quaint, clean little town where Trail Days happen every year. This time it is in May. Many outdoor gear vendors and many more hikers gather in this town for showing off new and old wares, hikers hoping to score some free stuff, reunions of sorts, and a lot of fun. My friend George, The Tin Man, will be here with things from his shop, antigravitygear.com. I hope I can make it back here for this event. Well, we have talked ourselves late into the night, so Good Night and Sweet Dreams!
Day 46- I forgot to tell you about my encounter prior to getting to the Iron Man Shelter last night. I stepped aside to let a guy pass, and he did as most normally do. He was a lean, young man with long blonde curly hair, large eyeglasses, and big brown eyes. He was dressed in a skinny T-shirt with 80’s shorts. All of a sudden at the downhill switchback he started to run, actually it looked more like a gazelle prancing down the path with a small pack on his back. It wasn’t long before I got to the water source right before the shelter and he was there just finishing up. I asked where the best place on the wide stream was to get water. He told me and turned to go, but all of a sudden he looked back smiling and said, “the lavender you are wearing is pretty, so peaceful and calming”. I thanked him, bent to grab my water bottle and then he vanished. I haven’t seen him since.
This morning everyone was pretty much up and at ‘em by 6:00AM. (Quietly, I might add). I wanted to get as close to Damascus as I could but was ready to stop when I needed to. The trail was very good most of today, wide, clean and easy walking, even the uphills were not that bad, so I made really good time. Part of it went through a private pasture which was well kept and grassy, full of wildflowers. The forests were clean looking and I saw some Gray’s Lilies again, like I had seen earlier before Hump Mountain. The umbrella looking plants that I have seen for awhile were blooming with a single cup-shaped white flower hanging under the foliage with a yellow center. You had to look closely or you would miss it.
There were 3 thunderstorms and I got mostly just the light rain from the edge of them (no lightening). The cool rain felt really good; as it stopped I ran into Papa Smurf and Hops. Papa Smurf was not feeling well, they think dehydration, so they were catching a ride to Damascus by the road at the bottom of the hill. That was the final destination of their section hike, so they didn’t miss much of the trail, about 12 miles. I hope that is all it is and not the hiker crud.
I made it to the shelter by 4:30 which is a first for me. I was elated! Zorro, Shock Top, and a couple of the others from the previous night were here already. The water source was 0.2 miles downhill so the older gentleman offered me his super light day pack to carry my water in so I could use my poles. It was a great help. After we all settled in for the night a small rain shower moved through quickly and cooled things off. I was hoping it would linger because nothing beats listening to rain as you fall asleep. Now it’s time for bed, only 10 miles tomorrow to Damascus! Good Night and Sweet Dreams!
Day 45- Boots Off Hostel was a very good place to stay, very unique, clean and rustic. Each bunk had a fleece blanket to cover up with but during the night I just felt cool like I had in the tent prior. I grabbed another one and it was perfect; so what I probably need is another light fleece to go with mine. I think I was the first to leave but it didn’t take long before everyone passed me. I could see Pond Mountain in the distance and was glad to be done with that one!
Apparently many others had snake sightings on that mountain too. It was a very long day, a couple of thundershowers, hot sun, and then some cool breezes. Everything is growing so fast and at times the grass along the trail snags your poles. The forest floor is mostly green now with flowers, poison ivy, ferns, and other plants. Not all of today’s scenery was pretty to look at, there was a large section full if downed trees and branches laying everywhere as well as across the trail. It looks like some trail maintenance is badly needed. I stopped at the first shelter to take my rain coat off and I met Red Beard and his dad, The Wizard. They are from Massachusetts and this will be an unforgettable trip for them.
This will be 10 hours of hiking for me and it wears me out so when I got to Iron Man Shelter, I chose to sleep in the shelter instead of setting up a tent. The bugs are starting to come out in the evening and bite so bug spray was in order! As usual, the pack straps were reeking havoc with my shoulders. I may check in Damascus and look at other options, REI can have this Osprey pack back! I had decided to go ahead and send home my down bag but it’s really cool tonight and I am having second thoughts. I will see what else I can do to lighten my load until after the upcoming 5,000’ elevation mountains.
Shock Top was here as well as the sweet, skinny kid from the hostel, Beets. Zorro was here and so was Papa Smurf and Hops. It was nice seeing them again. Shock Top had come up on a bear about 5 miles back, stopped in her tracks, and clicked her poles, like they say you should do. The bear looked up and ran off. She was happy it worked! I am not sure if it will be a short day or a long one tomorrow. My ankle just started hurting for some reason so I will see how that feels in the morning. I am getting really tired for some reason so I will snuggle down in my bag and say Good Night and Sweet Dreams!
Day 44- I was awaken to the sounds of many song birds this morning; they were all going at once and sounded like a bird band. A hoot owl joined in once in awhile. Prior to them, cranking it up, a Whippoorwill got to going and wanted me to not forget his name! There were a few light showers throughout the night that cooled things off but I suppose with the dampness my summer bag didn’t feel really warm, so we will try this again.
Sometime in the early hours a pack of coyotes started yapping like a bunch of crazed monkeys in the distance (thank goodness) and it was quite eerie. I heard Shock Top stir in her tent so I know it woke her up too. With everything blooming her allergies are giving her a fit. I hope she can find something to help her. I knew I had a large mountain, Pond Mountain, ahead of me so I was prepared for the slow going. First I had to get past Laurel Falls which is on the trail. I saw my first rhododendron blooms, Gaye. They were beautiful, as was the falls.
I thought it was the perfect place for my lunch and pack rest, which it was until… the guy next to me pointed out and started climbing on the rocks in the river to take a picture of a copperhead sunning himself. Before I could get my sandwich finished he saw another, so seeing as how I was sitting amongst all these rocks, I quickly wrapped up my rest and moved on. I did take a picture for my son-in-law but I won’t post it here as I know I wouldn’t want to see it unless I had to.
The trail was hard to pick out when I left until I realized it went around boulders jutting out into to the river. REALLY? So here I am hanging on and scaling these big rocks trying to keep my feet on the little ledge (or no ledge) and hoping I hadn’t misread the blazed trail! Sure enough it came out the other side and up some huge rocks beginning my climb up Pond Mountain. I thought I would stay at the top at Pond Flats, but it was only 3:00PM, and no one else was there. So I knew I could make the camping area before Watauga Lake.
Trail Around The Rocks
Looking back on the Trail
Before starting down the mountain and after getting water I met Earthworm, a retired Army guy, from Savannah, GA. He filled up too since there was no more water down the path. To keep myself cool, by the way, I kept dousing my head with water every chance I got; it seemed to help. I was flying down the gentle decline with my poles hitting the ground a step and a half in front of me when my pole startled yet another snake which tried to slither up the embankment but couldn’t so he slid down just as my feet were next to him. I am surprised you didn’t hear me scream as I became airborne and landed about 8 feet down the trail, stumbling as I hit the ground. I can guarantee you that I managed to stay upright so that sucker couldn’t come get me for startling him!
When I reached the camping spot at the bottom of Pond Mountain I decided to keep going and take my chances, it was very brushy and snakey looking and I had my fill for the day! Earthworm had already passed me so I didn’t know where he went from there. The next shelter is Watauga Shelter and has been closed since 2016 due to bear activity so the next one was too far for me. As I came out on the road I spotted a sign for Boots Off Hostel and Cabins. I was sweaty from the big day, my feet were tired from flying down the hill, there was no signs of camping ahead so I decided to go there (it was just up the road).
I am glad I did! Shock Top was here as well as Zorro, Earthworm, and a few others I knew as well as this neat kid from Long Island. We had some good conversations and he is losing weight and thin like me. I got a shower which felt so good and they took us to town, Hampton, TN. Town is a gas station, McDonalds, Subway, and Dollar Tree. We hit the jack pot! I ate a lot, as we all did. This is a great hostel with great folks running it. They serve breakfast in the morning too. Tomorrow will be a big day as you need to get through the next section in a day due to bear activity. There are thunderstorms due in the afternoon but maybe I will get lucky! With that said, I bid you a Good Night and Sweet Dreams!
Hiking the Appalachian Trail 