Date: 2003-06-20
From: Kincora Hostel, Hampton, TN

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Once again it ended up being Hal and I hiking together. Jo is gone. Toby and Walrus arranged to do some Trail work with Bob and then slack pack in the afternoon, Anne and Ben to slack pack in the morning. Bob said Pond Flats was much harder to climb going north, but slack packing gets so complicated ¢ plus it kind of feels like cheating.So everyone else left by 8 AM; we hung around the hostel until 10 mostly just being lazy but also with the excuse of waiting for the rain to stop. The weather report said today was ¢clearing¢ whatever that meant.It did, though, and we set out about ten in the sunshine. The first mile or two was literally flat. Nice change except I found myself almost getting bored! I stopped that mindset and appreciated instead the ease with which we sped along.This is a great stretch of Trail before Pond Flats Laurel Falls is beautiful ¢ a wide falls tumbling over the rocks. The Trail parallels the creek most of the way and in one spot it is merely a narrow rock ledge that requires paying close attention to footing.It was so nice to know we were able to take our time today. I love the easy days like this. We first stopped at the Falls for photos, then again to chat with Anne and Ben on their way by (they¢d slack packed SOBO).Pond Flats wasn¢t so bad. I know Roan Mountain did something to me mentally, I keep telling myself now that the worst is behind me. I come to a climb now, begin to groan inwardly (that is the lazy in me . . . ), and remind myself, ¢It won¢t be Roan Mountain.¢ But I must be getting stronger physically, too, because I think I climbed the first 2+ miles without resting! It was gradual, but it felt good to be able to say that I would have kept going but Hal had stopped to check out the view. When we started again he raced ahead as usual and I had kind of lost my momentum. Plus it got MUCH steeper.We¢d agreed to stop for lunch at the next good place and once it leveled out I came across him sitting against a log at a campsite.We took our time, me cooking my lunch as I usually prefer to do, him sharing his snacks and desserts. What will I do without him next week?! Have to get used to not having sweets again . . . or carry it myself.Toby and Walrus were coming up the north side of the mountain as we were headed down, and again we stopped to chat a bit. By 4 we had reached the road and were at Watauga Lake.This was a popular spot. A roped-off swimming hole and pseudo-beach attracts the locals. Picnic tables abounded, so we spread our stuff out on one and then trekked to the (real!) bathroom. It was a pretty spot to hang out ¢ the lake, not the bathroom ¢ but it¢s just below the highway so quite noisy. All the people ¢ teenagers cruising up and down the road with bass pumping and music spilling out their open windows ¢ contributed to a lack of over peacefulness. Still we sat for close to an hour and a half enjoying the sunshine.By the time we set out on the last 1.6 miles to the shelter we felt exhausted! It¢s funny how all those stops affect you. It¢s almost easier to do a 15-mile day and just keep going than to stop multiple times on a 10-mile day.Soon after we got to the shelter Anne and Ben came up. Ben pulled out a brown paper sack and said he had a surprise ¢ I thought for sure it was ice cream, but no, it was a six-pack of beer. I was a little bummed, since I don¢t drink, but it worked out perfectly so the three of them could each have two!I¢d made arrangements with some friends from Collegedale to meet there at the shelter Friday night, then they¢d camp over the weekend. Lisa said she wasn¢t sure if they¢d make it or not; there was also a campsite 1/3 of the way in, so I wasn¢t too surprised when they didn¢t come. Tomorrow we¢d hook up, I figured, I just hoped they didn¢t have too much trouble finding the right place.Not long before sunset a fifth hiker arrived ¢ SOBO Red Bz and his dog LP (for Lost Puppy). This guy was a trip. He talked nonstop. He¢d found LP on the Trail several weeks before, a little dachshund. He was so cute (LP, not Red Bz)