Date: 2017-05-10
From: Highway 19E/Doe River Hiker Rest Hostel 

To: Moreland Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: broken clouds

5/10Highway 19E/Doe River Hiker Rest Hostel to Moreland Gap Shelter18.4 milesTotal miles: 412.1If the past few days have been a study of contrasts, today was the opposite. The weather was beautiful all day, sunny yet cool.  There were no major ascents or descents. Don't get me wrong, the entire day was spent either going up or going down;  there is very little flat on the AT in the southern Appalachians, but except for an early hike up Buck Mountain, today was a minor roller coaster of a day. I slept very well at the hostel and didn't get up until 6:15. Since everything was already packed the night before, I was still ready for a morning shuttle ride back to 19E by a little after 7:00. I cannot say enough good things about Dave and his Doe River Hiker Rest Hostel.  I met hikers today who said he gave them free sodas and a free ride into town even though they didn't stay at his hostel. Through my own fault, however, I was almost robbed of one of my most crucial and irreplaceable objects. There is a clear warning on the door to the hostel to never leave anything on the back porch or it will surely disappear. This morning, almost ready to go, I set my hiking shoes, which had spent the night on the wooden upstairs floor, on the back porch since I didn't want to get any dirt on the kitchen floor. A few minutes later, I hear scratching at the back door and open it to find Jax, Hazel, and a new dog at the door. I told Dave that I hadn't met the third dog and he said, "That's Elvis. He's why we never leave anything on the porch."  I looked out, and the rascal already had one of my shoes in his mouth, ready to abscond with his ill-gotten gain. I stopped him in the act, although he showed no remorse. He is a very friendly dog with hoarding issues. Losing my shoe would have been extremely serious, but I wouldn't have had anyone to blame but myself, as the warning was clear. I was back on the trail, fully shod, by 7:45. The hike up Buck Mountain yielded beautiful views. It was great weather for hiking, and I made good progress.  Most of the day was through woods.  I took the side trail to see Jones Falls, which was very impressive.  I also walked for a few miles along the Elk River, which looked large enough for canoeing. I did pass two milestones. I forgot to mention yesterday that at Doll Flats (mile 390.7) I said goodbye to North Carolina. Today, I passed the 400 mile mark. I shared time with some very special people today.  Rick and Kevin are volunteer trail maintainers with the Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club. They were armed with a chain saw and loppers and were clearing the trail of some recent tree falls. Kevin is a past thru hiker.  We spent quite awhile discussing trail maintenance and hiking in general. I also had an interesting chat with Michael at the Mountaineer Shelter, where I was eating lunch. He plans to thru hike in two years, after he retires and his son, who is a Navy Seal, leaves active duty. He gave me a warning about a confusing trail junction I would come to and left an arrow for me as he return hiked back to his car.  Today was also a day of reuinions. I saw Cow Girl, who I hadn't seen since week one. I also saw Katie Robo-Knee, who I haven't seen since we hiked together the first day in the Smokies. We camped together in the tent area of Moreland Camp Shelter along with Dutch. I ended up hiking a long way today (my second longest day) since the weather was good, the trail was reasonable, and I will need to get near Hampton tommorow. The four miles of trail between Hampton (Highway US 321) and Wilbur Dam Road  (which includes Watauga Dam) are closed to camping due to bear activity. I'll either stop before or after that section, depending on how I feel. Considering I did over 18 miles today, it will probably be before. It's a cool evening with a beautiful moon, and it's time for this hiker to go to bed. More adventures tomorrow. Note: Photos to follow when I have better service and electricity.