Date: 2017-05-30
From: TN 91

To: Damascus, VA, Laurel and Shady
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was another long day.  Although Warren listed the mileage as 21.5, the current distance according to AWOL is 21.7.  I think the discrepancy may be because Warren is using a 2015 Data Book.  Some sections of the trail have been regraded to provide more switchbacks, which adds length.  We started an hour later than yesterday because Warren said it was an easier section.  But really, once you've gone about 17 miles, every additional mile is hard, no matter what the terrain.We started in an open pasture, then went through a fence into a field full of cows.  There were lots of one- or two-month old calves that were cute.  They were curious about humans but ran when we got close.  Lizzie got very excited and exclaimed that getting to be with the cows wiped out all the bad parts of the hike that came before.  She claims that cows are her spirit animal.From there we passed into some woods that were much like the previous 400 miles, and we walked in them for 20 more miles.  Boring!  We missed the peak of the spring wildflowers.  There were just a few late-blooming geraniums. In various places honeysuckle was in bloom, and that scent was lovely.  I also saw an interesting bird that was gray-blue with white underbelly.  I'm wondering if it's the Tennessee blue warbler.  Yesterday near Watauga Lake we saw signs that we may see large equipment being used to create/recreate habitat for this warbler that's becoming scarce.  Although I started with LIzzie, she sped on after a few miles.  At 1:30 I reached a shelter and stopped for lunch at a picnic table in the sun.  After a few minutes Arlene and Bill arrived.  I calculated at that point that I was maintaining a pace of two miles an hour and estimated my finish time as 6:40.  This turned out to be just about right.  The trail was located along the spine of a high ridge that we hiked on all day. Even though we were up high, there were no places where we could get a view.  The one interesting sight of the day was an old disused shelter (see photo).  I had planned to have lunch there, but when I arrived it was too creepy.  It was small and dark and littered with the remnants of a partially torn up Sue Grafton mystery.  A pristine Ziploc bag was filled with religious tracts, each in its own smaller Ziploc.  The outer bag had a note, "Read here or take with you."Late in the afternoon I finally reached the Tennessee/Virginia border.  This was an altogether more satisfying marker than those at the previous two borders. There was a nice wooden sign and an actual physical line made of piled up stones (see photo).  Shortly after passing the border it started to rain.  Fortunately this was just a light shower, not the downpours that we've previously experienced, and it passed after 45 minutes.  So I arrived in Damascus weary but in good spirits. The trail in Damascus goes through the city park and right down the main street of town. I'm glad to have finished Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.  This all seems to be moving so fast.  We'll be in Virginia for the next 550 miles.  We talked to our absent member Scott tonight for a long time.  He had his surgery today and seems in good spirits.  Tomorrow he meets with his doctor to make a plan for recovery.  I hope he can come back before too much time passes. Tomorrow we have a very short day: 5.6 miles.  This will give us time to do some errands in Damascus and Mountain City.  I'm looking forward to some rest.