Date: 2021-08-23
From: Iron Mountain Shelter 

To: Boots Off Hostel
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: few clouds

After another good night¢s sleep in my hammock I woke to a still-shining almost full moon just before 6 am. I had a leisurely pack up and performed a little foot maintenance as I waited for the sun to come up at the shelter. Tennessee shelters have the benefit of almost always being directly on the trail (no .3 mile hike down a hill) but with the absence of privies, they have their own¢¦challenges. Typically there will be a shovel at the shelter to help address¢¦challenges, but you¢re on your own when it comes to finding a suitable out of the way spot. If you¢ve hiking after the ground gas frozen, it is recommended that you collect and pack out any challenge that you may produce. Anyway, Quiksilver and I were hiking by 7 and stopped just past our campsite to grab a little water from a small spring, as this would be the last water we¢d see for 14 miles. With a depleted food bag and only two liters of water my pack was comparatively light for today¢s miles. We had a bit of ridge hopping ahead of us with 50-150 foot ups and downs before heading down a bit to Watuga Lake.  Seven miles in I passed the Vandeventer Shelter where 4 section hikers were packing up and getting ready to go SOBO. I talked with them for a few minutes and learned they were heading for the same hostel as we were.  About a mile down the trail I was be-bopping along and was in mid stride when I heard a sharp rattle and before I even registered what I was seeing I had jumped backwards on one leg and said something along the lines of ¢GEE WILLIKERS!¢  One step in front of me, lying directly on the trail with its head coiled in my direction was a 4-5 ft black timber rattler. It had only given that one, short warning to me, but thankfully - that was enough. It just stayed where it was without moving an inch. Quiksilver was in Quiksilver mode and had been well in front of me at this point.  I did a quick check above and below the trail - no corpse. This was fine. After my heart rate dropped back below 200 bpm I assessed the situation and my options. I banged my trekking poles together: no reaction. I moved a few feet  to my left and then to my right: no reaction. I grabbed a six foot branch from nearby and slid it towards the snake: no reaction. Ok then. I decided to go to my left uphill about 10 feet to move around the scaled obstruction, reasoning that if I tried going around it on the downhill side it might launch itself at me like in the movies (I really didn¢t wish to see an example of life imitating art).  The snake never moved. Once I was past it and back on the trail, I naturally and understandably moved closer for some photos!  Then I waited, knowing that the foursome of hikers would be coming this way and not wanting anyone to get hurt, I stay and warn them. About 10 minutes later they appeared and I was able to give them a heads up, then I moved on.  The curious thing about seeing a rattlesnake on the trail is that everything you see afterwards looks like a rattlesnake as well: twigs, branches, dirt, rocks, weeds. It¢s all snakes, man. The rest of the hike was thankfully uneventful - oh, I should mention I got stung again on the left shoulder just after breaking camp (sorry, Cheryl) and this can stop anytime now. But post-snake, the Watuga reservoir was twinkling through the trees on my left and the miles clicked on by. I arrived at Boots Off just after 12:30 having done the 16 miles in five and a half hours or so. I¢ve got an 8x8 air conditioned cabin for the next two nights as we are taking a zero on Tuesday after completing 300 miles in the last 18 days. I may rent a paddle board or kayak tomorrow or I may just go for a swim at the lake 5 minutes away. I hope my dreams tonight are snake-free, and yours as well!