This title feels appropriate because this has been my favorite section of the trail. I got so many different flavors of the trail: climbing snow-covered peaks, watching a full solar cycle on a bald in the Roan Highlands, and camping on the shore of a lake, to name a few. I am becoming secure with hiking my own hike, and more in tune with special moments along the way. And, once again, the kindness of strangers was uplifting.
4/12 Uncle Johnny’s to Tentsite (21 miles)
There were several options to cross the Nolichucky River because the bridge which hikers usually walk across is gone. You could get rafted halfway across the river to a sandbar and then wade to the opposite shore, or you could try to find a shuttle to drive you to the other side. Today was very cold so nobody was eager to start out the day with wet feet. Luckily the caretaker of the hostel shuttled us to the other side.
I got amazing trail magic today from three prior thru hikers: Sponge, Scrunch and Kado. They were set up at a road crossing with a bus converted into a camper van and cooked hikers pancakes and bacon. They were also very generous with offering plenty of other snacks and drinks. The pancakes and bacon really hit the spot today on such a cold day. Since they thru hiked, they knew their trail magic would be extra appreciated on a day like today.
It was so cold today that at high elevations all of the trees and shrubs were covered in frost. I am not at all ashamed to admit that I was slightly scared of the view I had while climbing Unaka Mountain. The summit was invisible in the clouds and the entire mountain was covered in frost. I felt like I was in one of those paintings from the era when artists portrayed nature as much more powerful than man. I obviously cast my trepidation aside and continued hiking, but I will remember that moment because it gave me an appreciation of the fact that nature can be a hostile environment for humans.
One benefit of so much time to your thoughts is that you start cracking yourself up, and I had two of those moments tonight at my tentsite. First, on my bear hang toss, the rock swung over the branch and almost smacked me in the face. The second was a laugh of gratitude when I cracked the Miller Lite open that I was saving for tonight from the trail magic today. Drinking a cold beer on a mountain after a long day of hiking hits different.
Unaka’s invisible peak as I approached.
4/13 Tentsite to summit of Hump Mountain (24 miles)
My day started with a long climb up Roan Mountain. Near the summit everything was covered in snow. There were patches of ice where microspikes might have been useful.
The weather completely changed after descending off Roan and officially entering the Roan Highlands. It became a warm and clear day. It was a culture shock being around so many day hikers who parked at Carvers Gap after not seeing many people over the past two days.
The Roan Highlands begin with a beautiful section which goes over five balds. I absolutely crushed my longest day yet: I hiked over two 6000’ peaks (Roan and Grassy Ridge Bald), and four 5000’ peaks (Round Bald, Jane Bald, Little Hump Mountain, and Hump Mountain). The view from each bald was equally stunning. I had 360 degree views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I caught my first glimpse of the mountains to come in Virginia. I planned on tenting before Hump Mountain but decided to summit it so that I could camp on its bald and watch sunset and sunrise. Sunset was awesome. The mountains seem to turn bluer as the sun sets.
On top of Jane Bald!
Sunset from Hump Mountain.
4/14 Hump Mountain to Stealth Tentsite (21 miles)
I barely slept last night. The wind on top of Hump Mountain was very strong. I had to sit up most of the night and brace my tent against the wind so that it wouldn’t crumple. I learned my lesson – I’ll only tent on a bald again if there’s no wind.
However, watching sunrise vindicated my decision to camp up there. The sky was so colorful. Shades of pink, orange and yellow illuminated the sky while the sun rose. At the same time, I could see to the west towards Roan Mountain where the mountains still appeared dark shades of blue. I took a bunch of cool panoramic pictures.
Watching sunrise energized me, but that energy quickly faded today because I was hiking on little sleep. I felt kind of foggy/mentally exhausted the rest of the day and I had to push myself past that mental barrier to reach where I wanted to camp.
I saw lots of cool water features today. I hiked past Jones and Mountaineer Falls, and rinsed off in the Elk River because it was hot out today.
I’m looking forward to going into Hampton, TN to resupply and eat a regular meal tomorrow. I’ve been mostly alone since leaving Erwin – I’ve been going farther than the others who I was hiking with. I definitely enjoy the freedom and solitude that comes with hiking alone sometimes. At the same time, I’m hoping to meet some new hikers soon who go at a similar pace as me who I can share this experience with. I’m also very excited to reach Damascus in a few days and finally enter Virginia! It feels like Damascus is the first big milestone of my hike. I’ve heard great things about Virginia, and it is one state closer to familiar territory for me.
Sunrise from Hump Mountain. This is my favorite picture that I’ve taken on my hike so far!
4/15 Tentsite to Watauga Lake (18 miles)
Today was my favorite day on trail and also my one month milestone! I started the day feeling refreshed after a much needed good night sleep. I hiked 9 miles in rain and fog in the morning with my mind set on going into Hampton. Arriving at the road which leads into Hampton and seeing nobody around, I started walking towards town. Just when my mind began to protest about a hilly 3 mile road walk into town, Bob Peoples, the owner of Kincora Hiker Hostel, happened to drive by. He offered to drive me into town. Not wanting me to have to walk back to the trail, he wound up shuttling me around town and waiting patiently for me while I resupplied in the food mart and bought lunch in Subway. And seeing how hilly the mountain road was, I was extremely grateful not to have to walk it twice. He didn’t act inconvenienced at all. He seemed content to sit and read his book while I shopped. He spent over an hour helping me out today. In between stops, he told me the history of these mountains and about the explorers who traversed them hundreds of years ago.
He dropped me back at the trailhead and I found a nice spot by the Laurel Fork River to eat lunch. Then, I took my time hiking the few flat miles along the river. I love it when the trail follows a river, and today the trail passed through gaps between rocky cliffs on that section too. It’s amazing what a nice gesture from a stranger or time in a town does to your mind: I came back to the trail that afternoon feeling re-engaged and in tune with all of the beauty around me. I soon reached Laurel Fork Falls, one of the landmark sights in Tennessee. A nice family out for a day hike offered to take my picture there. Kindness from strangers continued when they gave me their extra protein bars!
Next, I climbed to the top of Pond Mountain. Knowing a bit about its history from Bob somehow made the steep climb go by quickly. At the top of the mountain, I beheld the shimmering blue waters of Watauga Lake. I immediately changed my plan from camping on the backside of the mountain to descending all the way to the lake shore so that I’d be able to jump in at the end of the day (if you couldn’t already tell, swimming opportunities are a big motivator for me)!
Today was my favorite day because it started out mediocre at best (my 9 mile hike in the rain). Kindness from strangers and seeing such a beautiful lake transformed my day into a memorable one.
Laurel Fork Falls!
Quick end of day dip in freezing cold Watauga Lake!
4/16 Watauga Lake to Tentsite (19 miles)
In the morning I hiked along the lake and then across its dam. Then, I climbed up to a ridgeline with even better views of the lake. This began a section that Bob told me about, where for about 30 miles you stay on a ridgeline and there are no major climbs. At first I thought this would make the section easy, but I’d soon learn that lots of short climbs and descents are pretty mentally draining. Once the lake was out of sight, the views into the valley were of farmlands.
Becoming tired from all those short climbs was a bit disheartening especially since I was only a day out from being in town. It goes to show that the best day can be followed by a more difficult day. I’m starting to look forward to my time in Damascus. I’m hoping that some rest, good food and the excitement of a new state energize me. This was my fifth day in a row being alone (besides for meeting hikers in passing) which makes me wonder if at least sharing a campsite at the end of the day with others gives me more energy. I also got excited thinking about some of my family and friends who plan on visiting me in Virginia.
The view of Watauga Lake from the ridgeline.
4/17 Tentsite to Tentsite (20 miles)
I couldn’t believe it when I got trail magic at a trailhead less than a mile in to the day. It was from a nice gentleman named Joe who tries to do trail magic at that spot every week. He even brought sausage biscuits from Bojangles! I helped myself to a few and topped off my snack bag before continuing on with my hike. From that trailhead, I hiked through some pastures. One of them had a cool barn with the AT logo on it. The rest of the day was similar to yesterday; lots of tiring ups and downs along the ridgeline with views of farmlands.
At tonight’s campsite I met a thru hiker named Mountain Man and we had great conversation. He told me how he’s wanted to thru hike the AT for 15 years. He said that even though he day hiked some parts of the trail in the past, everything appears differently this time. I relate to that. My senses feel alert to all the small details of the trail that I traverse every day. It’s probably comparable to when someone moves into a new home. The trail is my home for however many months and I get to explore new parts of it every single day.
We also recounted stories about our favorite trail magic and I had a new thought as to why I appreciate it all so much. The trail strips you down every day. Your true character gets revealed. The trail strips you of your family and friends, of the comforts of home, and of your normal routines. You float or sink as you adapt to a completely different lifestyle. Hiking isn’t all rainbows and butterflies every day! You have to get your mind right every day to attempt the hard task of climbing mountains. I think that random acts of kindness from strangers are so appreciated because they bring comfort to us while we are in this stripped down state.
The last part of my conversation with Mountain Man which resonated with me is when he said, “wherever you make it, you’ve already made it.” Meaning that whether or not every thru hiker reaches Katahdin, they will be better off for trying. This reminded me of the set of balls that it took for me to step through the arch at Amicalola and begin this journey in the first place.
One of the pastures that I hiked through.
4/18 Into Damascus! (2 miles)
It was a perfect morning! Sunlight shining through budding trees created a beautiful setting. I felt pure elation and pride walking down Main Street of Damascus! I was excited to be in such a famous trail town, and proud to have made it almost 500 miles and to finally be in Virginia.
I sat for a few hours in the town park charging my phone, talking to family, and catching up on journaling. The park itself was very nice and I enjoyed seeing all the hikers, runners and bikers passing by. Damascus is a quaint town and I found the small homes pretty. It was nice and warm and lots of homes have flowers growing in their yards, which were signs of the warmth and spring which I hope to experience soon on trail.
After checking in to the Broken Fiddle Hostel, I took one of their bikes and rode to the outfitter in town, and then to the Food City to resupply. The Virginia Creeper trail is a long bike path which runs right through town and I got to pedal on a short section of it. I love the hostel. It has a movie screen in the back patio and lots of yard games in the backyard. I am proud to say that I was the first thru hiker to beat Treehouse, the owner of the hostel, in a game of darts this hiking season.
In the evening I grabbed dinner at Wilson’s Cafe and Grill and then went to karaoke at The Tipsy Bear bar with a bunch of hikers. They talked me into singing a song. I wasn’t good but I’m glad that I at least got up there and sang. Today was filled with good food, exploring town and having fun with other hikers. It was just the day that I needed to feel rejuvenated and ready to return to the trail tomorrow.
My entry into Damascus!
