Date: 2005-05-02
From: Dennis Cove

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 52I was up and on the trail by 8:15am. The trail was nice and followed Laurel Fork River or Creek for a while until the trail started climbing some. Then the trail went down over rocks to Laurel Fork Falls which were beautiful. The trail then followed the river down for quite a ways and crossed over it three times. I met 4 young men that were out for a week and had just got on the trail this morning. I asked them where they were headed and they said Damascus. I told them they were going the wrong way. They asked if I would look at the map with them. I got out my map and showed them where I started from and showed them that I had just passed a spring that was on the map--the wrong way for them to be going. So they turned around and started the other way. One of them has a sprained ankle that he has received while playing volleyball a week ago.. They are out hiking for the first time with backpacks. Later I met Snowbunny, Hairball, and Stilts. I was afraid when I saw them that I was going the wrong way, but before I could say anything they reassured me that I was not the one going the wrong way. They were slack-packing back to the hostel and then tomorrow are planning doing some trail maintenance with Bob Peoples, the owner of the hostel. Next I met other slack-packers from the hostel, Sunshine, Domino, Gypsy Lulu and Touk. When I got to U.S 321 where the trail crosses and goes over to Watauga Lake and the dam a vehicle came into the parking lot and stopped near me. I had seen it on the highway turn around and next thing I knew it was parked beside me. The man got out of the car and said that he was waiting for his son, Bottoms-Up, to show up so he can give him his re-supply. I told him I had been in the same shelter as his son a few nights ago when he read a story from a book he is carrying on myths. He was planning to go to the same shelter as I was, his father said, making it a 24 mile day for him. I was at the shelter about 4pm and was the only one there until Seven, an older man that is out for 10 days hiking from Damascus to almost Hot Springs, showed up. He is working on finishing up the trail and hopes to be done next year sometime. Later, Tinkerbell, a 6 foot, 7 inch tall 41 year-old came in. He had passed me a couple of times on the trail the other day and stayed at Kincora Hostel last night, also. The last one to come to the shelter was Thatch but he opted to cowboy camp behind the shelter. Cowboy camping is sleeping without a tent. Seven said he gets up at 6am and I said that would be fine with me since I like to get up early too. Tinkerbell has a candle that he lights in the shelters to give some "ambiance".I forgot to mention that I met Cycle Hiker this morning at Kincora. He carries his 18 pound bike in and on his pack. He rode his bike with his pack on his back from Chicago all the way to Georgia, took apart his bike and put it in/on his pack and when he gets to Maine he plans to reassemble his bike and ride it home. He says that the only thing he'll change is that he'll get a go-lite pack so his pack will be lighter on his back as he cycles home. Tinkerbell said that he was hiking on the wrong trail today for about 15-20 minutes before he realized it. It is easy to do. Well, good night. I plan to hike about 14 miles tomorrow so will try to get any early start.