Appalachian Trail Day 36 – Kincore Hostel – Watauga Lake Shelter

Appalachian Trail Day 36

04-04-01, Day 36

10.6 miles. AT  – 415.1  2,130 feet

Kincora Hostel – Watauga Lake Shelter

10:50 AM – 4:30 PM

Sunny 60-70°

Woke up around 7:30 AM.  Had OJ and pancakes.  Made them myself.  Had a Pop Tart, too.  Agatha and I were still torn on what to do today.  Slack pack (carry no pack and have someone else transport it) or hike on.  After talking to Bob, Agatha opted for the North to South Slack so she could end back up at the hostel.  I on the other hand went South to North with my pack.  The plan is for her to hike into this shelter and meet me.  She has a banana and OJ for me too! J

Last nights stay was great.  Bob and Pat, the owners, are great.  Bob went to school in Andover and taught at Norwich University.  It was a very nice hostel with great people.

Todays hike began at 11 AM for me.  The trail followed a creek (Laurel Creek) for the first three miles.  What a pretty section!   High rock walls.  Huge wood bridges, rapids, a 30-foot high water fall and lots of rocks.  It was a larger version of what I saw coming out of Erwin.  Out of Erwin there was a small creek in a mountain valley with rhoddies and moss covered rocks.  Todays was great.  The sun was out, finally, and it just amazing to hike through.  The creek was sometimes a couple of hundred feet down and the peaks seemed five times higher than that.

I hiked slow and Agatha passed me right before I got to the top of Pond Flats.  I got to the shelter around 4 PM.  Im staying with a retired gentlemen name Bob.  He’s headed southbound from Damascus to Springer.

I’m having trouble with my fire tonight.  There was wood here, but it wasn’t split.  It’s not burning well unless I put small sticks with it.  Plus my coals don’t seem to be staying hot.

Scatman 2011- I was sure I would spend my first night alone this night but once again I was wrong.  Laurel Creek was just amazing.  Yet another area I would love to go back to and check out again.  I’m not sure if its the beer I’m drink or the fact that it’s been ten years but once again I don’t recall much of this day but Laurel Creek.  It overshadowed the rest of the day for sure.

When I think about the fact that at this point in this trip I had already gone through 3 states and various landscapes, while on the PCT I wouldn’t hit my first state like until miles 1700, of which the first 7oo where desert, I appreciate what the AT had to offer.  Sure some days it was a green tunnel but it also had it’s own beauty.

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Scatman

Get out there!