Date: 2017-05-17
From: Pond Flats tent site

To: Vandeventer shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

From Fatboy:During the night I heard a large animal moving around in the brush near our tent.  I have no idea what it was but the noises woke me and made sleeping soundly during the rest of the night impossible.  I know there are bears in the area but I sure hope that when I see one it's during the daytime.I woke spontaneously at 0545 and felt rested so I began my morning routine of making coffee and breakfast while Ginger broke down the sleeping pads and began stowing our home.  We were on the trail by 0745 and the weather was beautiful.  Our first major landmark was Watauga Lake and it was in view from the trail for miles before we arrived.  These dammed rivers in Tennessee are spectacular and Watauga was no exception.  We really enjoyed finding the restrooms open and the opportunity to dump our trash.  The lake has a nice recreation area with designated swimming and picnicking facilities.  We sat in the sun at a table and started reviewing our guidebook and my phone app of the trail.  We got hungry for real food so we called a taxi to take us to the dollar store and McDonald's.  We NEVER eat at McDonald's at home but the lure of Big Macs was impossible to ignore today.  Our driver delivered us back to the park and we watched the swimmers and boaters while we ate.  A young woman was sunbathing and had her puppy, Emmy, with her so we had our opportunity to play with a dog for a while.  We really miss our dogs so we take advantage of every chance to play with other hikers dogs we get. The longer we sat at the lake the less we wanted to move.  I soaked my feet in the water and got really relaxed.  We had a short discussion about getting to Damascus and decided we should take advantage of our perfect weather and hike on but we had paused for almost four hours and our muscles weren't happy with our choice.  It was just like starting another morning.  We hiked the northern shore of the lake and eventually crossed the dam.  We took lots of pictures and wondered why we didn't recall mention of this lake or Laurel Falls in any of the trail books we've read.  It was in the 80's with little wind and very humid.  We're used to this type of weather so that wasn't a problem for us.  Some of the other hikers we met were struggling because of the heat.  Our destination was about 8 miles from our lunch spot and the trail had some big climbs for us.  It seemed like we both had a mental let down from pausing so long at the lake and neither of us really enjoyed the afternoon hike much.  The high point of the trail was when Ginger stopped right in the middle of the trail on a climb.  She'd encountered a rather large, shiny black snake (an Indigo?) sunbathing on a bed of leaves to the right of the trail.  I assured her that this was a good snake and tried to get pictures but only managed to get a shot of its tail as it scurried into the brush. We hiked on but with a little extra attention to the snake shapes we found among the roots crossing the trail.  We reached Vandeventer Shelter at about 1845 and set up to sleep in the shelter.  We were exhausted and wanted to do the minimal work required.  We had Mountain House Beef Stroganoff for dinner and it was delicious.  Each if us had a "2-serving" pouch and that still wasn't much food.  Our calorie requirements when we're hiking are enormous and it's a challenge to get enough energy some times.  We drink lots of electrolyte drinks but are always almost dehydrated too.  I hung the bear bag and we spent a good evening talking with other hikers.  This was an exceptionally nice group of men and I really enjoyed hearing some of their stories.  It was a hard but fun day.From Ginger:I felt like a regular resident of Hampton, TN, with our stop at Watauga Lake. When we arrived around 10:30, the area was empty but for us and two fisherman kayakers. It was so peaceful. I couldn't believe it wasn't overrun with visitors. By 2:30, when we reluctantly left, it wasn't overrun, but you could tell this was a popular spot. As we hiked on, we learned that the lake is monstrous. There is no shortage of private inlets or of "beach" space. What I loved about our little space was that it was right off the trail. I'm glad Nathan is game for respites like this. Hearing trendy country music that I knew the words to, playing with a dog, sitting in the sunshine with Nathan ... we could have been any couple enjoying the outdoors. I forgot about the heavy pack laying nearby. Emmy is a terrier-whippet mix, much like our Pete.Today's nature lesson -- besides the large snake! -- was about a mitten-like leaf: Sassafras! We've been across umpteen mountains and gaps (and campsites and shelters) named for the plant. Now I know what it looks and smells like. A bit like lemon. I like it! Also, it was Toad City at dusk as beautiful views from Vandeventer shelter faded into the night. Pretty funny to watch grown men follow and chase toads with their video cameras. We enjoyed talking with Just Matt and the foursome that included Lucky Rooster. Hoping to see them in Damascus.