Date: 2015-05-08
From: Black Bear Resort

To: .5 short of Wilbur Dam Rd
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up this morning feeling refreshed and ready to hike, after sleeping on a real mattress. D.No and C.Shell had been extolling the virtues of honey buns for the last 200 miles, so I decided to give one a try for breakfast.I have never had a honey bun and I found it quite gross, but they told me that this was a substandard brand and I promised to withhold judgement until I tried the good brand.I was excited for the hike today because we were going to see a waterfall.The hike down to the fall was a decent down large rocks and boulders, very technical. I really enjoyed it. In the back of my mind I knew that what goes down must go up, but I pushed that debbie downer thought aside. Laurel Falls were so gorgeous, very picturesque with the mountains in the background. It was large and the waterfall churned mightily, creating a large whirlpool at the base.I was wondering if Mushroom Little, a hiker who was there before me, happened to see the naughty waterfall fairies that liked to land on hikers heads. I have posted a picture here showing one who got tangled in my hair.The trail after the falls was brilliant. THIS is what I signed up for! It skirted the river for a long while, sometimes we had to hug the cliff walls on one side with the river directly on the other side, a 2 and a half foot path to navigate carefully or in the drink. My inner Debbie Downer chuckled as the path went straight up. I have found that if something is easy, like sustained downhills, or beautiful, like mountain views or waterfalls, there is a price to pay. Downhills cost knee pain, jammed toes, and sometimes blisters. Pay the price. Views up high or down low cost climbs- exhausting and taxing. I will keep on paying the price. Just like in real life, you get what you pay for. On today's hike, I met someone new. She is from another country and moved to Texas all be herself many years ago. Her family and friends from her small town thought she was crazy. She told me that in all of the years she lived in the US, she has felt most welcomed and included by people on the trail. She is very happy hiking. She felt very out of place when she moved here, with her English not being great at that time and looking different from most of the people in the town she chose. As odd as it sounds, I experienced that as well when I moved to the US for the first time as a teenager, even though I am an american and look like an american. Hopefully she will go home with a new perspective and confidence. This trail works on all of us, where we need it most.I fell behind D.No and C.Shell and hiked alone for most of the day. We were going to reach Lake Watuga today and had to camp before or after the 4 mile stretch there because of bear activity. When I reached Watuga Lake, there was a hiker trash party going on. Being hiker trash myself, I walked over. It was a group that I have been leapfrogging with since the first week on the trail. Chicago, Splinter, and others were there. They were grilling hotdogs, swimming, and drinking beer. They generously offered me a beer. D.No and C.Shell were already there, and we all hung out for about half an hour. We hiked out together, past the dam, and found a nice little campsite that may or may not have been in the bear restricted zone. We were not sure. At about 10pm, we heard the hiker party from the lake hike by. Their strategy is to enjoy the day and hike at night. Ah, youth. I envy their energy and their willingness to be feathers on the breeze.