Date: 2015-05-03
From: Stealth Campsite, TN

To: Lake Watauga, TN
Miles today: 5.9

The morning began with everyone in good spirits. Fresh off our conquest to put McDonald's out of business, a river bath, and dry gear, we knew all that lied between us and a day and a half off at Lake Watauga, TN was a 5.9-mile stretch up and over Pond Flats Mountain - the last remaining sizable mountain we'll encounter for some time.Burnsides, after putting in a couple of big mileage days himself, was able to catch up and he and Hobble rolled into our camp at 9:00am where we waited. The climb up Pond Flats began immediately as we touched the trail. Thanks to some motivation by Poptart, a section hiker who camped with us last night, we soon found ourselves atop the mountain before we knew it. The top allows occasional views of the blue waters (when seen from a distance) of Lake Watauga resting in the valley below. From here it was all downhill until we exited the woods and walked onto the sand of a beach nestled in one of the many nooks of the lake. We quickly sat around some picnic tables and were about to begin snacking while we waited for our pick-up to arrive. Someone in the group happened to glance over and noticed a lady walking to another nearby group of tables holding a "Trail Magic on the lake" sign. We were quickly shuffling our way across the the grass that separated us to see what treats they were offering.The family consisted of a younger female hiker who thru-hiked in 2009. Since then they have decided to give back each year by providing a little trail magic themselves. This is a common theme I've noticed many times already and something I'm sure I'll continue to experience as my journey continues. The family quickly threw down a variety of chips, cookies, and beer for us to snack on while they began preparing the meal - BBQ chicken, potatoes, and beans. Seeing as though we knew we were being picked up and treated ourselves, we kept our intake to a minimum, only enjoying a small helping of each. We also took advantage a little downtime by tossing rocks to one another and using a large washed-up stick as a bat to see how far we could drive rocks out into the lake. Our boat soon appeared in the distance so we thanked the family for their kindness, gathered our gear, and waited at the water's edge Bringing the boat to a soft stop feet from our feet, we were greeted by William, a good friend of Hobble's, and his dad Bushwacker. As they eagerly took our belongings from us and tossed them aboard their boat, the sun shined bright on our backs and we knew we were in for an undeserved treat. No sooner than the boat was turned and heading for deeper waters, cold beers were passed around. We learned that the dam for this lake was constructed in the early 1950's and actually now fills a valley that was once the site of Butler, TN. The remnants of the town - an old road, foundations of homes, and trees mainly - still rest several hundreds of feet below the water's surface now enjoyed by water enthusiasts. The lake was last drained in the early 1980's and Bushwacker said he drove the old exposed road and saw some of the old town. Supposedly the graves of ~2,000 people were relocated before the valley was filled, but seeing that most coffins were constructed of wood before this time, it leaves me skeptical.We traveled at a leisurely pace across the lake, waving at other boaters, enjoying our cold beer, and continuously joking that we thought hiking the AT would be tougher than this. We arrived at their lake house, tucked away in one of the many hidden coves of the lake, and were happy we'd be calling this place "home" for the next 2 nights. A wooden home sitting atop a steep incline overlooking both the cove below and a single towering ridge line above that the AT runs along. Known as the "Damascus Highway," the AT climbs out of the lake valley and follows the ridge for the next ~30 miles into Damascus, VA. It's neat seeing the trail from this perspective and, come Tuesday when we're back to the grind, we'll look down at this lake and this lake house and remember them fondly.We quickly retreated into their home, took turns showering, and threw our clothes in the laundry. This would be the first time I've done laundry in ~2 weeks and you can't describe what it does for one's self esteem. My 2-week sour socks were also causing the group to not want to hike near me so it's appreciated in more ways than one. With clean bodies, laundry going, and gadgets charging, we then took care of what we do best - eat. Bushwacker might be one of the best cooks that I've met outside of my mother. Something he gradually picked up and now fondly enjoys, he would eventually prepare 2 feasts that not even a hoard of hungry thru-hikers could conquer. Thru-hikers have a reputation for pillaging through all of your edible goods before moving on so this is truly saying something. For lunch he prepared a massive amount of cheesy hamburgers, potatoes, and some honey dew. It was 3 burgers for me and helpful servings of the others and I was feeling content. Next, we headed back to the boat and the calm waters and sunny skies that awaited us. While we departed, Bushwacker got busy with one of the things he does best - more cooking. He would spend the next few hours preparing another massive feast that we would later enjoy for dinner.We returned to the lake, this time hitting good speed, seeming to skim just above the water the entire time. We sped around enjoying the warmth of the sun on our skin, our cold beer, and solid tunes. We entered Mallard Cove Marina and dropped in Tank's Grill, a small floating gas station and grill where you can get a few snacks and drinks. The highlight of the spot is being able to throw in a handful of dog food and watching what seems like 100 carp appear from the murky waters below, fighting and splashing about. You can easily pet them as they swim around, some even trying to suck your finger if you're brave enough to let them do so. A few locals dropped in on their boat and, though a bit intoxicated, were able to guess immediately that we were thru-hikers. I guess we're all slowly taking on that appearance as the days pass by.We continued riding around for another couple hours, getting lost in the contrast of the calm waters and towering green mountains surrounding the lake. As the sun began to set over the western ridge we'll be traversing in a couple of day, William treated us to a show with his remote control airplane as he performed barrel roles, half Cuban eight's, touch and goes, and near fly-bys with his masterful skill. It was awesome to watch the plane dance across the sky and skim just above the water's edge gainst the silhouetted mountains behind.After enjoying a nice sunset, we returned to the boathouse where Bushwacker was putting the finishing touches on our dinner. Heaping portions of BBQ chicken wings, smokey BBQ pork, BBQ beans, coleslaw, mac'n cheese, bread, and wine awaited us. It almost looked too good to eat. Even though bellies were full, it would have been a shame not to enjoy. All I can say is "bangarang." Well done, Bushwacker. After dinner, we all fell into our individual forms of food coma's as we watched the Yankees/Red Sox game on TV. We eventually all hit a point where the pain of full stomachs and heavy eyes forced us to retire for the evening. I joined Burnsides on a large couch, Rock Boat to another couch of his own, Hobble and William to their own beds, and Moosehead was left sprawled out and snoring on a couch in the living room. Hopefully Bushwacker saw interpreted this as a job well done. Thru-hikers don't require much. Full stomachs and a nice place to sleep is beyond enough and he more than answered the call.Tomorrow we're taking a zero here and will be enjoying another day of spoils from William and Bushwacker. These 2 have definitely set the bar and I can't thank them enough. Here's to you, gentlemen.