Date: 2008-04-30
From: Dennis Cove Rd

To: 2.5 miles north of Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: clear sky

Today is going to be a big transition day for me....going back to walking the Trail after riding my bicycle for 3,000 miles.The day started at about 6am when I flipped the switch and my Stumpknocker's Blend coffee started brewing. :-)I didn't want to eat the continental breakfast at the motel, so Mrs Gorp and I walked over to a Perkin's Restaurant and had bacon and eggs.We finished packing all our stuff into my truck and headed to Hampton, TN.Hampton is where I got off the Trail for the cross country bike ride.We pulled into Kincora and saw Bob Peoples. We talked for a while, but I needed to break in a little more slowly.....there were 21 thru hikers there!Mrs Gorp and I said goodbye to Bob and went down to the trailhead. This was one of those bitter sweet moments.....I had to say good bye to my bicycling partner of about 11,000 miles in the last 2 years, but I was going for a walk!It was like last year when we went our separate ways....lonely, but we knew it would be.I started walking north on the AT at 8:30am from where Vera and Lone Wolf picked me up over 2 months ago. :-)Mrs Gorp headed for home in VT. :-(Bob had said it was 22 degrees here this morning, but I felt comfortable walking in shorts and a tee shirt. It had warmed up into the 30's.My pack is a lot lighter than the pack I was carrying with all my winter gear, but it still weighs about 23 pounds....about 5 pounds more than normal.It's really changed since I left here. It's gone from winter walking to lots of things blooming. The mountain laurel and dogwoods are especially nice right now. There are some azaleas blooming and lots of ground flowers.I was walking along and my body wanted to rebel about that thing on its back. It got used to the bike carrying everything. :-)Laurel Falls was flowing nicely. I took a couple pictures and started thinking about my new home out here in the woods.The beaver has been active along Laurel Fork....there's some tree laying on the ground that the little bugger fell.The ol' body sure feels the new activity. I'm not sure if any of you have seen some of the recent photos of me after the bike ride, but I'm a little concerned going into this walk in my emaciated state! :-)I caught up to Berf just before the climb up Pond Flats and was talking to him when Rest Step walked by.Berf was saying he has to get off the Trail in August to attend his dad's 100th birthday...Wow!The spring on top of Pond Flats was running beautifully. I stopped and drank some GOOD water.Mrs Gorp picked a gorgeous day to boot me out of the truck.I ate lunch at Watauga Lake, and then got invited to have some chocolate cake with Mainiac, Catfish, Carolyn, Bondi, David and Jan.IT WAS GOOD! :-)David and Jan were dropping their daughter Carolyn off to walk to Damascus with Catfish.I stopped at Watauga Lake Shelter and signed the register. It felt good to use a smiley face sticker again. :-)I looked, but I guess that after all that big talk from my ol' buddy Chief about passing me on the Trail while I was riding my bike, he whimped out in a little snow flurry and had Carleen come and rescue him once again from the Trail. He's a good guy, but he's a pathetic backpacker. Ha!! :-)I crossed the dam and started the steep climb to the ridge.There was another nice spring about 2 miles before Vandeventer Shelter. I stopped and drank a liter of GOOD water and topped off my bottles for the night.I stopped at Vandeventer Shelter and ate some Spam, cheese, nuts and Fritos for dinner while I talked to Rest Step, Mainiac and a couple called Bonnie and Sometimes Clyde who are heading to Damascus. Bondi came walking up just as I was heading on out.I walked another 2 1/2 miles and set up on a nice flat spot for the night.I hadn't planned on walking but about 12 miles today and had told Mrs Gorp that. I figured I'd better stop beforeI hit the 20 mile mark so she wouldn't yell at me about walking too far on my first day back. I know I'll probably be sore tomorrow. :-)It's dark out and I heard a deer go running by my tent while I was finishing this entry up.....good to be back in the woods! (but I DO miss Mrs Gorp)Another great day on the Appalachian Trail!