Date: 2016-06-19
To: We see no bears in aggressive bear country
Miles today: 0.0

Laurel Fork Shelter to Vandeventer ShelterWith much climbing in a 15.7-mile hike planned for today, we are awakened as promised at 5AM by X¢s phone alarm. Suuz is up but not at ¢em in the creepy glow of our headlamps¢ red setting. She complains that it¢s not natural to try to get going before dawn. This comment surprises X who often looks across our shared back fence at home to see Suuz¢s lights on hours before sunup. We hike along Laurel Fork for a short while before beginning a steep 1800-foot climb. The camp sites near the top at Pond Flats have nice sitting logs where we stop for our midmorning snack break. We¢re joined by Serenity who got off the trail yesterday to pick up a resupply box she¢d mailed to Kincora Hiker Hostel, where she decided to spend the night. She relays a report from the hostel that many of the springs and streams listed as water sources for this section are very low due to lack of rain. We worry the spring where we are hoping to collect drinking and cooking water tonight may be dried up. We¢re happy to hear from a pair of women hiking southbound that the spring in question was deep enough for them to get water fairly easily when they camped there last night.Soon after leaving Pond Flats, we begin descending 1800 feet, going down the other side of the mountain with a profile as steep as what we hiked up. At the bottom, the AT passes through Shook Branch Recreation Area along Watuga Lake. We see boaters, crowds of swimmers and loungers enjoying Sunday afternoon sun and fun. The aroma of grilling hot dogs tantalizes hungry hikers, but we have to settle for tuna salad and peanut butter from our packs.Before leaving the recreation area, we meet up with Serenity again. The three of us will hike together for the next four miles through a section around Watuga Lake Shelter. The shelter has been closed for two years because of aggressive bear activity. The AT skirts the lake, and we climb gradually as we hike around the perimeter. While we rest in the shade before crossing Watuga Lake Dam, we¢re passed by a northbound hiker, Patsquatch, who¢s wearing a tartan kilt. He had a late start today and hopes to go another ten miles to Iron Mountain Shelter today so he doesn¢t linger long to chat.When we emerge from the woods at Wilbur Dam Road, we¢re greeted by an older local gentleman who motions to a young man seated by the trail. ¢This fellow¢s come all the way from Katahdin already!¢ We meet Trail Dweller, a southbound thru hiker who left Katahdin on March 3 and saw snow all the way to northern Virginia. He relates how Vermont state police, unaccustomed to seeing AT hikers so early in the year, flew over in a helicopter to be sure he wasn¢t in trouble. We¢re amazed that this lanky West Virginian in pull-on work boots has made it this far already. (Most South-bounders are just now leaving Katahdin and in doing the math in our heads, we realize this strapping young man is averaging 22 miles per day - every day. We are impressed!) We hope to reach Vandeventer Shelter before nightfall. Because Vandeventer¢s water source is down a steep trail 0.4 miles away from the shelter, we hope to collect tonight¢s water from the last spring we pass before we get there. We reach the spring after a 3-mile climb from Wilbur Dam Road. Clear water pools several inches deep. Serenity scoops it up easily with a cup, filling all our Sawyer filter bags. We filter enough water to fill our Camelbaks and a 3-liter canteen which X will carry on top of her pack. We decide to cook tonight¢s dinner near the spring before hiking the last couple of miles to the shelter. When we continue hiking after dinner, Serenity finds a spot where she has cell signal and stops to call home. Suuz and X hike on and are setting up sleeping spaces on the shelter platform when Serenity rushes in, having seen a bear near the trail after we left her.Hanging our food bags for some reason tonight proves particularly challenging for the combined efforts of X and Serenity. Maybe it was their tired slap-happiness coupled by gales of laughter that was nearly their undoing. After cleaning up, we take in the sunset view of Lake Watuga far below. This spot holds a tender spot in X's heart, as four years ago it was Mother's Day when the Troverts camped here and the Chick-filet Gang from Canada made her homemade cherry/chocolate cheesecake, in the pouring rain no less. Trail Magic at its finest... Suuz and Serenity toast the day¢s hike with camp cups and a half finger of Scotch packed up the mountain in a Ziploc bag. We return to our sleeping bags on the shelter platform and turn in for a fitful night¢s sleep, with loud shelter mates and dreams of another high mileage day tomorrow. Dr. Suuz and X