Date: 2010-05-08
From: Dennis Cove (Kincora Hostel)

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: few clouds

OK, I got a very slow start today. Awesome night of sleep on the top bunk...none of my roomies snored, so all was good. The forecast was rain during the evening and the early morning, so my mindset was to get going around 10am and just do 10 miles today. This would include the climb up Pond Flats (1,800 feet over 3 miles)...good climb. I actually didn't get out of bed until 8...I listened to the rain fall off and on for a couple of hours...felt good to hear it raining and then go back to sleep. Once I got up, the early crew already had coffee brewing, so I helped myself to a cup to go along with my 2 ham and cheese sandwiches I purchased last night at Arbys for breakfast...good idea, Stir Fry! I also bought a USA Today weekend edition, so I spent the next two hours devouring every page...I really miss reading. So, as you can probably add up, it's now around 10am...my expected departure time. The sun is out now and it is going to be a great day to hike...65, sunny, and breezy. I'm still dawdling though. I finally get all my crap together and leave around noon...hard to say good-bye to all the people zeroing for the day...they also didn't make it easy by trying to talk me into it as well. Once I got started though, it was a great day. Less than two miles in, I hit Laurel Fork Falls...another gorgeous waterfall. Not hot enough and I hadn't been hiking long enough yet to get in this one. Right after the falls was the big climb...I'm a bit daunted by this. The last time I left a hostel late, it wasnt' a great day and it had a big climb in it, too. I actually procrastinate by calling my parents (Mother's Day/Anniversary) and one of my brothers. OK, I better get up this mountain before it gets dark...so I start. Right at the beginning, I trip over a rock...I must do this 10 times a day and always catch myself before I fall. Yep, you know what's coming...I don't catch myself this time. It's kind of slow motion and fast motion all at the same time...if that makes sense. Something like: II aammm aanndd ccaaann'tt caaattcch mmyyselllfff...ohcrap35extrapoundsonmybackandfallingfasterthan...THUD! Luckily, I landed on my forehead, so no real damage. Also lucky it was not the rocky section of the trail...that would have hurt a bit more. Nice start to the climb...now I know it's going to be like the other day. WRONG! I'm cruising up the mountain and all of a sudden I'm at the top...a 1/2 hour early. That's all you got, mountain??? No problem. Even the last bit of the climb which is basically vertical for about 1/8 of a mile was kind of fun because it was so steep...and didn't last very long. From Pond Flats, which does not have a pond on it anywhere, it was mainly all downhill and then a couple mile jaunt around Lake Chatauga to the shelter. Easy day and beautiful weather...can't beat that. Not many people at the shelter tonight as a lot of people were zeroing at Kincora or got an earlier start than me and when to the next shelter. Tonight we have Stir Fry, Restless Legs, Coon Cap, and two section hikers (Cuffs and One Track) going into Damascus for Trail Days. Only Coon Cap and I in the shelter tonight, so should be a good night's sleep. Sounds like we should be running into a lot more section hikers going to Damascus in the next few days...should be fun. Cheers.