Date: 2007-05-03
From: Laurel Fork Lodge

To: Watauga Lake
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today brought our first real thunderstorm hiking adventure. We spent the morning slowly packing our gear at the Laurel Fork Campground and pretending that the sky didn't look like rain. Kevin (The Rubber Duck) Dan and Fishbowl all seemed excited about hiking and were actually smiling at the thought of hiking in the thunderstorms... I was less excited. Before our gear was packed the rain came crashing down in solid sheets and beating on the tin roof like a drum. I pasted a smile on my face and tried to act like I was excited... I'm not the world's greatest actress. I looked over at our new friends Kimmie and Trevor from Seattle and Low Branch and all I could do was laugh at the absurdity of it all. Luckily the deluge only lasted a few minutes and then eased up so that we hiked out in decent conditions.The first few miles were unlike any we've seen so far on the hike and brought us down into a gorge. Laurel Fork Gorge was beautiful and the Mountain Laurels were in full bloom, surrounded by craggy rocks and steep terrain. We picked our way over the rocks and down into a ravine featuring an impressive waterfall. Friends reported seeing Copperheads sunning themselves on the rocks so we were on the lookout. The trail was soft and spongy underfoot and followed a stream for a while and we passed nearly a half-dozen picturesque campsites that we wished we could spend a day at. Beavers made their presence known and had done a number on the trees lining the trail, leaving behind massive trunks reduced to chewed up stumps. We criss-crossed the stream over several wooden foot plank bridges when the thunder began. By the time we were about to start the ascent out of the gorge the storm was becoming serious. Trying to be smart, we pitched out tent and prepared to ride out the worst of the weather rather than climb to higher elevations and risk exposure. For the next few hours we played "Blisters", an AT dice rolling game (we love it, Lee gave it to us!)and listened to the storm rage around us. Before long, the floor of our tent turned into a pseudo-waterbed, the rain lessened and we decided to pack up our things and climb out. On the way up the switchbacks were generous and made the climbing pretty agreeable, so much so that I was nearly laughing at how easy it was... then the storm returned and the terrain got tougher. The thunder was roaring in my ears and the lightning crashed over my head as I tried to hold my trekking poles low to the ground, hoping to avoid becoming a walking lightning rod. Bailey did remarkably well considering she usually isn't very fond of thunderstorms. At one point it felt like I was climbing straight up and I walked on my tiptoes until my calves were screaming up at me in protest with every step, rain streaming down my face. Once the big climb was over, the storm seemed to lessen and I got the sudden urge of happiness and began whistling my way downhill as loud as possible. If anyone saw me they probably would have thought I was crazy, and maybe they would be partly right! We hiked until Watauga Lake and the irony wasn't lost on me... We have been wanting to go swimming for days and when we finally got to a beautiful place to swim, the weather was abysmal. At least you couldn't beat the company, we had a wonderful night with the Beast, JD, Cheeks and Step Small. JD was our hero, arriving from a trip to town with 2 pizzas, hot dogs, cheese, and cookies to share with us. Beast built a roaring fire and we were as close to dry as we'd been all day. The people out here are unbelievable and I am ever expanding my "hiker family" with new additions! Another great day... what can I say?