Good morning! Last night was THE best night of sleep yet this trip! The temperature is perfect for sleeping outside, and the stream provided the best white noise. The second my head hit the pillow I was out, and I don't think I moved at all last night until 6 am when I woke to water the leaves. I was surprised to find GG still asleep in her tent, so went back to bed and didn't wake again until 7:30.
We have options for our hike today: Plan A, which is hike 16 miles and 4500 feet to the next shelter, or Plan B, which is hike 7 miles and 2,000 feet to Boots Off Hostel at Watauga Lake. We weren't planning on stopping again so soon after leaving the last hostel, but we are a day ahead of schedule, plus Kodiak is planning on staying there. The comments on Far Out about Boots Off Hostel are overwhelmingly positive. The hostel is purported to have the hottest outdoor shower of the trail, and I am a sucker for a good outdoor shower. So, Plan B it is!
We enjoy a very leisurely morning in camp, and I even take the time to make some instant oatmeal I snagged from the hiker box at Mountain Harbor. I briefly entertain taking a quick dip in the stream, but the temps are still a little chillier than I like for shucking my clothes and getting into cold water.
We leave our lovely little camp and get moving at 9 am. For the next mile, the trail parallels the Laurel Fork, bordered by rhododendron and laurel, the sun just starting to crest the ridge into the canyon. We cross over the Laurel Fork on a wood foot bridge, saying hello to several pairs of day hikers who are hiking the opposite direction, heading up to the falls from the Laurel Fork Trailhead.
Words can't describe the beauty of this area. While walking, my mind tackles questions like "why does a mountain stream evoke feelings of peace and tranquility?" After all, the sound of turbulent water rushing over rocks is loud, certainly not peaceful. And downed trees that were transported down the stream are a testament to the violent potential of mountain waterways during flooding events, which are not tranquil by any means. Water and wind are a potent change agent, and nothing is as evident than walking in this idyllic setting by this gorgeous mountain stream.
The persistent damp creates a perfect environment for mushroom hunting. My eyes constantly scan for fungi, and I see some familiar late spring/ early summer species. I always intend to bring some into camp for dinner, but I don't want to pick any too early in the hike because they will get bruised and mushy in my pack.
The trail starts abruptly up to the next ridge: a series of switchbacks takes us back and forth higher and higher. After two miles of hiking since we left camp, we are opposite the ridge we hiked yesterday: the stream is now far below and moving quickly in the chasm between the two ridges. The rhododendron and pines prevalent down below give way to tall oaks of several familiar species in the Quercus genus; white (Q. alba), black (Q. nigra), and chestnut (Q. montana). Birds are chirping their lovely songs at one another in the canopy above.
Bear corn, which is not a corn at all, but a chlorophyll-lacking perennial parasitic plant which resembles an ear of corn, pokes up from the leaf litter under the oaks and beeches, where it obtains nutrients from the tree roots. Lowbush blueberries and little oak seedlings are everywhere. The flowers of the mid-story mountain laurel are post-mature and falling, scattering the trail with one-inch pink and white blossoms. The red 5-petaled flowers of fire pinks are popping from their fat calyxes to line the trail, inviting Ruby-throated hummingbirds to come and drink nectar from the flowers.
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| Bear Corn (Conopholis americana) |
This trail is just right: not too steep, not too rocky, and just the right width. The day is turning hot and humid. The sun is now well above the tree line, but thankfully behind a heavy layer of clouds. I stop to shed a layer and grab a snack. I can't believe I am hungry so soon after leaving camp: it's only been an hour since I ate breakfast!
After another mile we stop for a quick lunch on the descent to Watauga Lake. The descent is fairly easy, with a few switchbacks spread out on the way down. The southern end of the lake is visible sporadically through the tree branches. I watch a couple boats motoring lazily on the blue water of the lake in front of the dam. As the trail starts to level out, we leave the Pond Mountain Wilderness, and I can hear the occasional whine of a car engine in the distance.
We near the road and the turn for Boots Off. White blazes are painted on the trees every 30 feet. Either a blaze painter was feeling overzealous, or this is where a lot of people get lost!
At the road, the AT veers to the right, however a sign for the hostel points to the left. We walk about one-half mile up a steep gravel drive to the property, which is perched on a hillside facing west. The main building serves as a general store and hostel kitchen. Before we check in, someone calls my name. It's J-13! I am very surprised to see him, assuming he would be to Damascus by now. He says he tweaked his knee and is resting up for a few days, hoping he will recover enough to continue northward.
We promise to catch up later and proceed to check in with a nice young lady with a cute baby on her hip, who gives us the quick tour. As always, we elect to camp out on the hillside in lieu of sleeping in the bunk house. Each campsite is excavated out of the hillside with plenty of vegetation between, so much nicer than camping in a yard.
We pick our respective camp sites and set up, then head up to the store to grab loaner clothes and drop off our gross, stinky garments. This is one of the few places where we drop off our clothes and they do the washing. I will not complain, as waiting for an empty washing machine is my least favorite town chore.
I take an amazing shower in an outdoor shed with a big, galvanized washtub with holes poked in the bottom serving as a shower head. A very forceful jet of water fills the tub and makes for a wonderful rain shower experience! The hot water is plentiful, as promised. So many of the hostels run out of hot water so I've grown used to cold water showers, so this is a delight.
The pride of ownership here is apparent and the grounds and buildings are in good repair, with improvements in progress. This hostel feels more like a resort than a place for people to camp and bunk.
The hostel is running a van named Big Betty into town for resupply and a fast-food stop. I elect to go but GG decides to stay. She is really tired and planning on hitting the hay early tonight. Kodiak comes in right before we leave, and she picks a campsite on the other side of mine.
I load in the van with ten others, and we take a short but exhilarating ride into town, where we go to a small grocery store, (which is the only grocery store) in Hampton, TN. Everyone piles out of the van and grabs a cart and starts running through the store like an episode of Guys Grocery Games. I'm still well supplied, so I grab some beer and a one-pound block of cheese before we get back in the van to go to one of the two fast food restaurants in town. I pick up footlong Subways for Kodiak and me. I am so hungry I eat my entire sandwich before we get back to the hostel. We stop at Dollar General and pick up a hiker just off the trail. I am happy to see Food Truck once again. He is the hiker with the "Class Of 2023" sign we met at Uncle Johnny's, and he is still carrying the sign! The sign is hanging on by a thread. He bought a roll of clear packing tape at the Dollar General and is encasing the sign, hoping it makes the trip with him to Katahdin.
I head back to my hammock to grab a nice sunset from my campsite. Kodiak comes over and sits with me at the picnic table as the last rays of sunlight peek from over the next ridge. The fireflies come out and we take in this blissful moment before saying goodnight. I read in my hammock and listen to someone playing a guitar and singing on the deck up the hillside. This is a wonderful spot to stop and stay a spell, but GG and I must get going in the morning.
Today's stats: 6.2 Miles, 1,700 feet gain
Trail stats: 429 Miles, 102,000 feet climbed
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