Date: 2015-04-04
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Slept very well, only woke up 3 times which is very good compared to the usual amount. Spent 10 minutes plastering my feet up. Then I made a giant bowl of oats (free from the hiker box) and a cup of tea. I was one of the first people up and about. I was the first one to leave the hostel, about 8.30am. I felt a bit like if I didn't leave at that moment, then I would have had difficulty ever leaving. I feel the same way every time I return to civilisation. The morning was chilly, overcast, and a bit damp from all the rain last night. It was a nice hike though, and I felt really good. For a little while, even my blisters behaved and my feet felt totally normal. I listened to the lectures on Hannibal again and powered through the morning without even feeling like I was hiking at all. I wonder if having real tea for breakfast is a factor in my hiking abilities. (I tried, but I simply can't give caffeine up completely.)The trail followed a river and went past a small waterfall. There were quite a few stone steps, and there was also a section that seemed to be carved into a rock face right on the river. It made me a little worried because the river was rushing by, and even a small slip would have caused me to fall in. After that, it was a large climb up something called Pond Flats, which is a mountain. Then down the mountain, back towards Hampton (where we resupplied yesterday). The trail went right down to the Watauga Lake, and I sat down on the picnic tables. I had my Nutella lunch sitting in the sun, listening to the Canadian Geese squark. Not long after, I was joined by Brightside and Laughtrack. From there, my hiking ability seemed to deteriorate a bit. The sun was especially strong around the lake, where the trail is protected from the wind, and my feet started to hurt quite a bit.The trail goes all the way around the lake. There is also a shelter there, but it is closed for the entire year because of bear activity. There is a 4 mile section where hikers cannot camp or picnic because of the bear problem. Fortunately, that didn't make any difference to my route today. From the lake, I crossed over the dam and for a while walked on the road. The trail wasn't well marked and it was a bit confusing. I saw a few day hikers around this time, I had forgotten today was a Saturday. After that, the trail went mostly up and followed a ridge line. The majority of the time it was still possible to see the lake, and there were some good views. The lake looked particularly inviting in the intense heat. However, very often the wind was blowing across the ridge. There were many times when I had to roll and unroll my sleeves depending on the wind. And of course, my ears and face got burnt.I stumbled upon the shelter about 40 minutes earlier than I had expected. Brightside and Laughtrack were already there. It's another simple 6 person shelter. This one seems special because it has a lot of graffiti related to Bob Peoples (of Kincora Hostel), and makes him akin to Chuck Norris. An example: "Bob Peoples gives his boots blisters". I then went down to collect water, and this is probably the worst source on the trail. It's a 20-30 minute round trip, with a steep descent/ascent. It must be really difficult in wet weather. It's really not something that hikers want after they're ready to collapse in the shelter. Whilst there, I was joined by Sputnik, Triple G and Rory. Michel, Fireball and Second Guess also turned up at the shelter. Laughtrack is cowboy camping, and Brightside is tenting. Tonight it's supposed to get quite cold (and it feels very chilly already), so I'm inside the shelter and hoping to stay warm. The temperature will only get to a bit less than 30, so I'm confident that I'll stay comfy. I'm joined by only Rory and Second Guess. It's the emptiest I have ever seen a shelter. Today marks one month of being on the Appalachian Trail. A lot of the days have blurred together already. It doesn't feel like it has been a month. I'm still happy to be here and doing this. I haven't done anything to celebrate this, but maybe I will when I get to Damascus. It's also an achievement that Brightside and I have managed to stick together so far without driving each other crazy. It probably helps that we spend the majority of the time apart when hiking. We're only 32 miles from Damascus, but I couldn't summon any willpower to push any further today. Tomorrow we will hike 22.7 miles. There isn't an enormous amount of elevation gain- it looks to be all around 3000/4000 feet, so probably following a ridge line again. I hope my feet are ready.We should be in Damascus in 2 days. I can't wait.