May 3, 2005 - Double Springs Shelter to 4 Miles North of Vandeventer Shelter
I left the shelter after breakfast at 7:35 a.m. It did get very cold last night. I passed 28 thru-hikers going north bound
before 10:30 a.m. this day. It was a pleasant hike up to where I took my first break. It was a rock outcropping with two
large trees to set on and gaze. It is very clear today. You can see for miles to the east. I hear a squirrel barking. As I
was taking my break I looked down to my left and saw what I thought was a black glove or trash on the ground. After
further inspection I decided it was some sort of coot bird with a white beak. I know what a grouse looks like and I just
could not identify it. I got within 3 feet of it and it ran off. It did not fly. I sat on and enjoyed the sun which was
warming up things quickly now. I am not sure but I may be near the Grinstaff Memorial. I will probably see Cycle Hiker
today. He is a thru-hiker who rode a bicycle from Chicago Ill. to Springer Mountain and then took the bike apart and
strapped it to his pack. He has carried it 450 miles so far and plans to hike to Maine with it and then put it back
together and return to Chicago Ill. in the fall. I hear it is 17 pounds of extra weight on top of an already heavy pack.
My only question is, why? And everyone thinks I am crazy. I am camped four miles north of Vandeventer Shelter.
There is a nice spring here on the east side of mountain and has a nice fire ring and plenty of fire wood. I cooked
Mac and Cheese for dinner on the fire for a change and heated up water for tea. I am writing by the fire on a cool
evening. I did meet Cycle Hiker today at the Uncle Nick Grinstaff Hermit Memorial. He was a sane talking man and
pleasant to talk to. I am glad I met him. I later found out in the fall when I was on my next long section hike that he
dumped his bike soon after that. He wised up and sent it home. A few years back a man carried a Tuba on the entire
length of the trail. It is nice to camp out occasionally. The fire is keeping this Florida boy warm! I have my tarp set up
nearby and it will keep the dew off of me tonight. I am the only one here tonight. This would be a good location for a
new shelter. The next shelter water source is not very convenient.
May 4, 2005 - 4 Miles North of Vandeventer Shelter to Watauga Lake Shelter
I got up early after not a too good sleep. My sleeping area was not level and I don’t ever sleep well in those
conditions. I hiked to Vandeventer Shelter and took a break for 45 minutes. This is the most scenic backyard on the
trail. The Watauga Lake below is quite beautiful. All day you could see the lake and dam area. There were hard
areas today to hike. I think I counted 30 thru-hikers today also. At this shelter I met two people from Israel who are
doing a documentary on the A.T. They filmed me and they really liked my old pack. This shelter in 1981 was brand
new and it had a temporary name of Monback Shelter. I stayed here in a terrible thunderstorm that night. Many more
thru-hikers stayed here and ate dinner and moved on. I stayed here in the shelter alone with a couple and a dog out
back.
May 05, 2005 - Watauga Lake Shelter to Laurel Fork Shelter
I thought of Tom Cat, a thru-hiker I met at Saunders Shelter a few days ago. He turns 21 today on the Mexican
holiday 05-05-05. He was to be at Atkins Truck Stop today where family would pick him up and they would celebrate.
He made it to Maine. I was up and out of my camp spot by 7:30 a.m. I got to Watauga Dam at 8:30a.m. I got some
water and ridded myself of my trash at a road can. I then headed up Pond Mountain. It was a 2000 foot mountain
and right back down. I remember this mountain as one of the biggest puds on my first trip. A pud is pointless up and
down. It was a pretty walk but going through the gorge was also pretty. I took the gorge on other occasions. After
coming back off of the Pond Mountain I walked up Laurel River Gorge and made it to the Little Laurel Gorge Shelter
by 1:00 p.m. I ate lunch after arriving and just relaxed. I decided to take a nap and 15 minutes into it I heard a
clanging of hiking sticks that I recognized. I looked up and low and behold it was my Scottish hiking buddy of last
year, Triumph. He had been behind me since Damascus and knew I was up ahead. I learned he was going back to
Springer too. He would go faster than me but for now we were together again. We talked a lot and caught up a lot on
our off time at home. It had been 8 months since we were at Partnership Shelter along with Freddy Bear. We will
both take a short day tomorrow and go to the Kencora Hostel. Oh by the way, I carried a certain writing pen last
year on the trail. I lost it at a shelter the other day. Triumph knew it was mine because he had seen it last year. He
handed it back to me with a big smile! I laughed even harder than he did!
May 6, 2005 - Laurel Fork Shelter to Kencora Hostel
Up at 6:30 a.m. and had breakfast and left shelter about 45 minutes later. It was a pretty hike through the gorge. I
have been here several times over the years and am always glad to return. I walked to Dennis Cove road where I
walked up the road a little ways to the Kencora Hostel. Bob and Pat Peoples run and own the place and charge just
$4.00 for a nights stay. You know they are not in it for the money. There are 18 to 20 bunks here with shower and
laundry, free fuel for stoves and they even take you to town for resupply if you want to. You can sign up for a trail
working day if you like. They have a gas grill that I used to cook some food on I bought in town. I went to town and
got enough food for 4 days. This place has a phone where I called home and now I am setting in the living room
writing and hanging out. There are 15 hikers here tonight. I went to bed at 10:30 p.m. after a long day. I slept fine
even with all the late movement the other hikers. I had brats and eggs for supper and cooked some more for my
lunch tomorrow. There was some cottage cheese left in the refrigerator by others and I had some of it too.
I left the shelter after breakfast at 7:35 a.m. It did get very cold last night. I passed 28 thru-hikers going north bound
before 10:30 a.m. this day. It was a pleasant hike up to where I took my first break. It was a rock outcropping with two
large trees to set on and gaze. It is very clear today. You can see for miles to the east. I hear a squirrel barking. As I
was taking my break I looked down to my left and saw what I thought was a black glove or trash on the ground. After
further inspection I decided it was some sort of coot bird with a white beak. I know what a grouse looks like and I just
could not identify it. I got within 3 feet of it and it ran off. It did not fly. I sat on and enjoyed the sun which was
warming up things quickly now. I am not sure but I may be near the Grinstaff Memorial. I will probably see Cycle Hiker
today. He is a thru-hiker who rode a bicycle from Chicago Ill. to Springer Mountain and then took the bike apart and
strapped it to his pack. He has carried it 450 miles so far and plans to hike to Maine with it and then put it back
together and return to Chicago Ill. in the fall. I hear it is 17 pounds of extra weight on top of an already heavy pack.
My only question is, why? And everyone thinks I am crazy. I am camped four miles north of Vandeventer Shelter.
There is a nice spring here on the east side of mountain and has a nice fire ring and plenty of fire wood. I cooked
Mac and Cheese for dinner on the fire for a change and heated up water for tea. I am writing by the fire on a cool
evening. I did meet Cycle Hiker today at the Uncle Nick Grinstaff Hermit Memorial. He was a sane talking man and
pleasant to talk to. I am glad I met him. I later found out in the fall when I was on my next long section hike that he
dumped his bike soon after that. He wised up and sent it home. A few years back a man carried a Tuba on the entire
length of the trail. It is nice to camp out occasionally. The fire is keeping this Florida boy warm! I have my tarp set up
nearby and it will keep the dew off of me tonight. I am the only one here tonight. This would be a good location for a
new shelter. The next shelter water source is not very convenient.
May 4, 2005 - 4 Miles North of Vandeventer Shelter to Watauga Lake Shelter
I got up early after not a too good sleep. My sleeping area was not level and I don’t ever sleep well in those
conditions. I hiked to Vandeventer Shelter and took a break for 45 minutes. This is the most scenic backyard on the
trail. The Watauga Lake below is quite beautiful. All day you could see the lake and dam area. There were hard
areas today to hike. I think I counted 30 thru-hikers today also. At this shelter I met two people from Israel who are
doing a documentary on the A.T. They filmed me and they really liked my old pack. This shelter in 1981 was brand
new and it had a temporary name of Monback Shelter. I stayed here in a terrible thunderstorm that night. Many more
thru-hikers stayed here and ate dinner and moved on. I stayed here in the shelter alone with a couple and a dog out
back.
May 05, 2005 - Watauga Lake Shelter to Laurel Fork Shelter
I thought of Tom Cat, a thru-hiker I met at Saunders Shelter a few days ago. He turns 21 today on the Mexican
holiday 05-05-05. He was to be at Atkins Truck Stop today where family would pick him up and they would celebrate.
He made it to Maine. I was up and out of my camp spot by 7:30 a.m. I got to Watauga Dam at 8:30a.m. I got some
water and ridded myself of my trash at a road can. I then headed up Pond Mountain. It was a 2000 foot mountain
and right back down. I remember this mountain as one of the biggest puds on my first trip. A pud is pointless up and
down. It was a pretty walk but going through the gorge was also pretty. I took the gorge on other occasions. After
coming back off of the Pond Mountain I walked up Laurel River Gorge and made it to the Little Laurel Gorge Shelter
by 1:00 p.m. I ate lunch after arriving and just relaxed. I decided to take a nap and 15 minutes into it I heard a
clanging of hiking sticks that I recognized. I looked up and low and behold it was my Scottish hiking buddy of last
year, Triumph. He had been behind me since Damascus and knew I was up ahead. I learned he was going back to
Springer too. He would go faster than me but for now we were together again. We talked a lot and caught up a lot on
our off time at home. It had been 8 months since we were at Partnership Shelter along with Freddy Bear. We will
both take a short day tomorrow and go to the Kencora Hostel. Oh by the way, I carried a certain writing pen last
year on the trail. I lost it at a shelter the other day. Triumph knew it was mine because he had seen it last year. He
handed it back to me with a big smile! I laughed even harder than he did!
May 6, 2005 - Laurel Fork Shelter to Kencora Hostel
Up at 6:30 a.m. and had breakfast and left shelter about 45 minutes later. It was a pretty hike through the gorge. I
have been here several times over the years and am always glad to return. I walked to Dennis Cove road where I
walked up the road a little ways to the Kencora Hostel. Bob and Pat Peoples run and own the place and charge just
$4.00 for a nights stay. You know they are not in it for the money. There are 18 to 20 bunks here with shower and
laundry, free fuel for stoves and they even take you to town for resupply if you want to. You can sign up for a trail
working day if you like. They have a gas grill that I used to cook some food on I bought in town. I went to town and
got enough food for 4 days. This place has a phone where I called home and now I am setting in the living room
writing and hanging out. There are 15 hikers here tonight. I went to bed at 10:30 p.m. after a long day. I slept fine
even with all the late movement the other hikers. I had brats and eggs for supper and cooked some more for my
lunch tomorrow. There was some cottage cheese left in the refrigerator by others and I had some of it too.
| View of Watauga Lake From Behind Vandeventer |
4