Date: 2017-09-21
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Boots Off Hostel
Miles today: 16.2

Got up this morning just before 4 a.m. upon hearing both M16 and Mage up and using their white lights. I thought it was around 5 a.m. By the time I figured out it was only 4:00, my sleeping bag was halfway stuffed into its sack already. So I kept packing, changed, had breakfast and was on the trail at about 5:30 a.m.I tried to find water at a couple of documented water sources, but in the dark this proved too difficult, so I kept walking. Between 6:30 and 7 a.m. it got light enough to forego the headlamp. There were also a couple nice views, so I took some pictures.I arrived at the Vandeventer shelter sometime after 8:15 a.m. and met two hikers there who had spent the night. This was "Underpass" and another guy whose trail name I cannot remember. They had started northbound from Springer in early August, and were hiking a section, hoping to get as far as Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania. I guess that would be about half way. They told me about the water source here, & I told them about the water source near the Iron Mountain shelter.Looking at the guide, I decided I needed to get water before moving on despite the fact that these guys had said that it was running very slowly and was a long way off the trail, down a very steep path. So after bidding them farewell, I hiked south to the side trail. Then I hiked down the very steep trail, a long way, and eventually I found a little pipe with no water coming out of it. I had to mess around with its intake, but I was able to fix it and get a trickle flowing. I spent about 15 minutes filling two liters of water. Then I slowly hiked up the very steep long side trail, back to the Appalachian Trail, and I was headed south at about 9:15.Around 11 a.m. I crossed Tennessee Route 91 and then climbed up a steep staircase into the woods. On a tree I saw a notice that the Watauga Lake shelter was closed due to aggressive bear activity. I also saw a federal order on a different tree that declared the entire region west of the lake to be closed for reasons of Public Safety. I presume that is for the same reason as the shelter closing. There were three exceptions to this prohibition: Federal authorities, law enforcement, and individuals hiking through and on the Appalachian Trail. So evidently it was okay for through hikers to go into and through the area where there was aggressive bear activity, but hikers were not allowed to stay in the area. After climbing up a hill beyond the signs, I climbed down the other side. Along the way I had some views of the lake. (Picture)Around 11:30 I arrived at the dam. Constructed by the TVA between 1946 and 1949, it caused the formation of the lake. (Pictures) As I crossed the dam and continued hiking around the lake, I met nobo section hiker "Cakes" who was about to finish up his 14th and final section of the Appalachian Trail when he would arrive in Damascus in a few days. I stopped and talked with him for almost a half an hour. Then I continue taking around the lake. I noticed several piles of bear scat, & I thought about how it would be difficult if I ran into a bear on that particular trail, given the steepness of the hill on the right hand side which fell off on the left hand side down to the lake. There was really nowhere to go to avoid an encounter if a bear happened to be on this section of trail.It rained a little, about 1 p.m. Otherwise, the trek around the lake was uneventful. About 1:15, as I came upon the Boots Off Hostel, I decided to stay there. I had hiked only 16 miles, but that made 42 miles in two days. I had also started really early today, and logged nearly 8 hours on top of yesterday's 11. I was tired. So, I checked in with Jim, the owner. Then I organized my stuff in the bunkhouse, took a shower and ate food from my food bag for lunch.