Date: 2016-05-16
From: Laurel Fork Shelter

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

My husband/weather report was right. The night was chilly with lots of wind. During the night I kept waking up because I was shivering. Tag Along was beside me. We were both doing calisthenics in our sleeping bag to keep warm. After about an hour of shivering, I decided I was expending calories I did not have to spare. I had on my two pairs of panty hose, wool socks, light silk top, light silk pants, rain pants, neck warmer, fleece hat, balaclava, nano puff jacket with hood and fleece gloves, in addition to my regular hiking clothes. I was still shivering. So I decided to put on the clothes I was using as a pillow, polypro top and bottom with additional socks. I quickly stopped shivering. We got underway before 8 am and came down the rocky ridge. At the bottom, two men had camped. They had missed the shelter. The mountain laurel was in bloom. It was beautiful. We saw many pink ladies slippers. The first view of Watauga Lake was breath taking. We had lunch on the south end of Watauga Lake at the Shook Branch Recreation Area. We enjoyed the flush toilets, potable water and picnic benches. A few picnic benches were in the water. www.appalachiantrail.org > Explore the Trail > Trail Updates states:Watuaga Dam - Bears Active in Area(5/17/16) Hikers should use caution near Watauga Dam as bears are active in this area; hikers should be alert for and keep a respectful distance from bear(s) with cubs. Watuaga Lake Shelter - Closed(4/15/16 - present) Watauga Lake Shelter closed to all entry due to bear activity.No picnicking, lingering or overnight camping. Hiking the Appalachian Trail only. BEARS ACTIVE IN THIS AREA. Please continue through the area without stopping. Closure Order: National Forest System lands Oliver Hollow Rd. to Wilbur Dam; closed until further notice.We continued our hike around the west side of Watauga Lake. We saw two tents set up near the lake about half a mile from the park. After the above notice and the multiple notices at road crossings, this did not seem safe.We came to Watuaga Lake Shelter, viewed it, saw the notice about bear activity and continued on. Near the dam, the rock wall had many bleeding heart flowers. Tag Along and I lagged behind taking pictures. Again moved on with Mariposa who we had met about an hour before. Mariposa means butterfly in Spanish. Tag Along and I took pictures of the view from the dam in both directions. We lost sight of Again and Mariposa. We hiked up the hill on a paved road and caught a glimpse of them going into the woods. We caught up with them at Wilber Dam Road.   Mariposa was slack packing. Her husband was supposed to pick her up at Wilber Dam Road. He was delayed due to construction a few miles from where he was to pick her up. We chatted. Mariposa was a nurse. She worked in the ER for 17 years until the adrenalin ran out. She worked 7 years for Hospice. She retired. Now she was teaching nursing to pay for her hiking gear.   I caught up to Again and Tag Along. We did this often. I would lag behind getting water or using the facilities. They would go uphill without me. I would catch up to them.We stopped for the night at Vandeventer Shelter. There were two young women, a man from Bern Switzerland and us. One of the women spoke German with the man from Bern.As we were eating dinner, someone mentioned there were several mice running around the shelter. The shelter was full prior to this announcement. Three people, including Again moved out of the shelter with this announcement. In 2014, Again had a small furry animal run across her face in a shelter. She set up a tent. Tag Along, the man from Bern Switzerland and I stayed in the shelter. We were undisturbed by mice.   About an hour or so after we arrived at the shelter, a man arrived saying a group of 5 had been charged by a mama bear on Watauga Lake Dam. The five were between mama and her cubs. She charged more than once. She stopped charging when one of them raised his hiking sticks in the air and growled at the bear. Then they backed off and called the Wildlife Ranger. I am guessing his number is on all those notices about bear activity. He told them to wait and give the bear some space. Then to act aggressively as they go across the dam. They waited an hour and a half. When they proceeded across the dam, one person was blowing a whistle and others had sticks and rocks to throw at the bear. The bear did not bother them. Apparently the bear had left.   Oh my! Tag Along and I did not realize how close we were to this happening to us!   The man from Bern Switzerland said in his broken English, that he had started to eat lunch at Watauga Lake Shelter when he read the notice that the shelter was closed due to bear activity. At that moment, he heard a bear growl. He quickly left the shelter.