Date: 2018-05-22
From: Shook Branch Recreation Area

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

The Mayor is gone and I¢m back at it solo.I started out in front of the Boots Off Hostel near Lake Watauga. The trail followed along the shoreline of lake and due to all the recent rain, the lake level was quite high and had flooded portions of the trail. I went around two such flooded sections but came to the third and turned around as the trail was taped off and ¢technically¢ closed. There were branches and leaves floating across the trail and from what I could see, the water was at least 1-2¢ deep and the other side of the flooded trail was not visible. So I turned around (I HAD DRY SHOES!) and once I got back out to the parking lot I learned, then confirmed with the Mayor, that just up the highway is a side road that is blue blazed and routes hikers around such trail issues; apparently this has happened before. Without too much more trouble, I was back on the trail making my way to the north.The day was a warm and sunny again, temperature around 80 degrees and not much of a breeze. I took my first break for a protein bar and almonds at the Wakue Dam. The construction of the dam was in simplistic terms was just gravel and rocks piled up several hundred feet high and likely just as wide at the base. A paved service road ran across the top, each side lined with with huge boulders no doubt retrieved from the shear rock cliffs at either end of the dam. A spillway was located on the lake side of the dam and although there was no visible water on the dry side, I could hear a loud rush of water deep down in a tree protected gorge as I walked by. There was also a small electrical substation nearby. I have no idea how old this dam is but wonder if it wasn¢t there, how deep and how big the lake would be or if it would even be there at all. I suppose I could find that out...Once I got past the dam I climbed about 1800¢ over 5.5 miles. I ran into Stripes, AT Class of 2016. Stripes got her name because she fell asleep on her fold up sleep mattress and woke up with the striped pattern on her legs. I also bumped into Big Lots, a 26 year old from St. Pete, FL. We met 3 weeks ago at The Davenport Gap Shelter just as we were both completing the Smoky Mountains. He got his name because he shopped for his food at the Big Lots store. He and Stripes were slack packing out of Damascus where they spent the weekend at Trail Days.Wouldn¢t you know that right after I left Big Lots, it started to rain. The final 2 miles were not uncomfortable but my clothes, including my shoes aren¢t dry anymore! I don¢t remember dry clothes or shoes.Once here at the shelter a young man named Kuck showed up telling stories of the closed trail down by the lake. Someone had removed the tape closing the trail and he along with his crew waded through the waist deep water. There were two trails exiting the water and neither one had a white blaze on it, but obviously chose the right one. He also mentioned hiking past a 12-15¢ carp as they waded through flood waters. Kuck wears leather boots and they are still wet tonight, but he doesn¢t care...they¢ve been wet for two weeks.It¢s still raining but the sun did come out long enough late this afternoon to cause a scene behind the shelter. A rainbow seemed to bring a smile to everyone¢s face and the red sky at sunset filled us all with hope for a beautiful day tomorrow, wet shoes and all.