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[Editor's note: My comments are in square brackets - Wendy]
April 9, 2001 - Little Laurel Shelter
Flowers: Daffodils, Wintergreen, Iris
Miles: 19.6 Time 9.5 hr
I got a late (9:30am) start from Hot Springs this morning after resupplying and picking up my mail drop. I had hoped to at least do shopping yesterday evening but everything was closed because of Sunday. After all the cold weather, yesterday and today were in the high eighties. The sky is clear this evening - maybe I'm finally far enough from civilization to see our galaxy. There is a small but noisy group here at the shelter tonight.
April 10, 2001 - Hogback Ridge Shelter
Birds seen (s) and heard (h): Woodthrush (h), Towhee (h)
Flowers: Trout Lily, Mustard (unknown variety), and the Mayapple plants are beginning to sprout
Miles: 21.3 Time: 11.5 hr
There's nothing much to report today. It was very warm again and I took special care to stay hydrated. The three thruhikers at the shelter last night were no noisy that one of the two section hikers went back up the trail a hundred yards or so to camp where it was quiet. I slept under the stars a short distance behind the shelter. I was expecting that they would show up here this evening but so far (at 7:45pm) they have not.
April 11, 2001 - No Business Knob Shelter
Birds: Song Sparrow (h), Catbird (s,h)
Miles: 20.6 Time: 11 hr
The hikers at the shelter last night had picked up a stray dog along the way. Once again, I slept "under the stars" a short distance behind the shelter. The dog apparantly decided to adopt me and slept a few feet from me most of the night. The next morning when I headed out, he followed. I heaved a few rocks and sticks his way, and he appeared at first to have taken the hint, but shortly I noticed that he was following at a distance. I would stop and look back, he would come trotting into view, notice me looking, and back off. Finally, after crossing a road construction site, then entering a GATED field with chain link fence, he vanished.
Most of the rest of the day was the usual NC/TN border thing. There have been a few relocations that go around the knobs instead of the usual "follow border no matter what". There was a pretty good view from Big Bald although there was a lot of haze in the valleys. I was thinking of taking a short day today and staying at Spivey Gap but it was just 4pm when I got there, so I grabbed enough water to do at least a "no cook" meal and decided to go a couple more miles. A couple turned into five when, after a short climb out of the gap, the trail was absolutely flat in elevation for about four miles! I reached No Business Knob Shelter first but was joined shortly thereafter by Paul, a thruhiker from MA. I had actually passed him at Spivey Gap where he had stayed since last night because he had been sick all day.
April 12, 2001 - Deep Gap
Flowers: two to be identified (TBI)
Birds: Ovenbird (h)
Snakes: 2
Miles: 18.6 Time: 9 hr
As I got ready to turn in last night, Paul asked me what time I usually get up in the morning. "The crack of dawn", I replied. "Good", he said. "Make as much noise as you can". Amazingly, this is about the fourth or fifth time I've gotten this request. As it turns out, it wasn't really necessary. Paul had slept all day yesterday and slept very lightly last night. He said that we had a "visitor" last night but all he could see was its shiny eyes in front of the shelter. I'm guessing a raccoon.
I appear to have broken free of the crowds for the moment. The biggest bunch is at least a couple of days behind me now, and a group of 6-8 is about a day ahead. I hiked all day and saw only a trio of day-hikers. The Curley Maple Gap Shelter has a resident five foot black snake. He came around the corner and went under the sleeping platform while I was having lunch there. After lunch I looked for him, but there was no sign, so he must have a den under there somewhere.
There were some good views of Erwin and vicinity from the cliffs going into Erwin but by afternoon, it had clouded up and started to rain, so there was not much to see from "Beauty Spot", another of the southern high, grassy, balds. It appears that the forest service is attempting tp preserve these as they have all been neatly mown or, in one case, burned.
As of 5:45pm the sun is back out, but it is considerably cooler and it continues to sprinkle occasionally. I caught the corner of my pants pocket with my pack frame as I was taking it off, and ripped about three inches of the side seam of the pants out. Guess I've got some repairs to do tonight.
April 13, 2001 - Clyde Smith Shelter
Flowers: Dutchman's Breeches
Miles: 13.0 Time: 6 hr
The wind howling and rain pelting the side of the tent this morning was not much of an incentive to get moving early. So, I got off to a late start. I met "Gnome" today at Cherry Gap Shelter. He is the guy hiking from Key West, Fla. to Quebec. I spent about a half hour talking to him and "Priceless". Priceless is hiking BACK to Irwin for some kind of hikers' party. About mid-afternoon, I stopped here to rest because my ankle was bothering me a bit - probably because of the weather change. It felt better pretty shortly, but I got talking to "Be seein' ya" and, before I knew it, it was too late to be worth going on. She was overstocked with food though, and gave me a couple of dinners, so I may yet get to Damascus without a resupply.
April 14, 2001 - Apple House Shelter
Flowers: Rue Anemone (have seen these for a while but neglected to note), one TBI
Miles: 20.6 Time: 10.5 hr
The Appalachian "Scenic Trail" in NC/TN finally yielded some scenery on the walk through the Roan Highlands. The trail passes over several balds all of which had good views of the surrounding countryside and mountains. Hump Mountain in particular has an almost 360 degree view from the top. (It is slightly flat on top so you have to walk back and forth a bit to see all directions.)
I tried one of Be-seein-ya's gift dinners tonight - some sort of prepared casserole sauce to which you add your own meat (in this case, summer sausage). The sauce directions claim it is made from "real ingredients". One the the real ingredients is obviously salt.
I was just about to brush my teeth this evening when into the shelter area walked "Red Dog" with hot dogs, beer, tortilla chips, and blueberry pie for all. Red Dog has left and everybody is sitting around pleased, stuffed, and happy. Here tonight are Popeye, Snowman, E.T., PA Charlie (Harrisburg), and Back Hoe Jim.
April 15, 2001 - Laurel Fork Shelter
Miles: 22.4 Time: 11.5 hr
It was a quiet day. I met a half dozen thruhikers who are all stopping at a hostel two miles back and I also met three southbound section hikers and some day hikers. It began to rain about 11am but stopped by one in the afternoon. There were lots of ups and downs, but the last two miles were fairly flat, easy walking along Laurel Creek, with a climb down to see Laurel Falls. It's a very pretty area.
April 16, 2001 - Iron Mountain Shelter
Birds: Canada Goose, Plover, Crow
Miles: 19.8 Time: 8.5 hr
I have been hearing a forecast of "snow on Tuesday" for several days now. I certainly would have believed it this morning. It was in the low 40's this morning (according to one of the two weekenders at Laurel Fork with me), very windy, and heavily overcast. It continued to get colder as I walked until about noon, when the sky cleared and the temperature seemed to stablilze.
I saw only a few day hikers today and one southboud woman. There were lots of good views to the east from Iron Mountain, first of Watauga Lake and then of the wide valley between Iron Mountain and the next ridge east. So far this evening there is only me, "Wild Bill", and "Rooster", a section hiker, at the shelter.
April 17, 2001 - Approximately 2.5 Miles South of Damascus
Miles: ~23.8 Time: 11 hr
The snow predicted for today started during the night and there was about 3/4" on the ground when I awoke this morning. It snowed on and off all day but I doubt that the total accumulation was more than an inch. The high winds drifted it over the trail, though, so that I was occasionally ankle deep or more.
The trail runs along a narrow ridge in places and it was interesting to see that the valley and mountains to the east were snow-covered while to the west there were sunny, green fields with blue sky and puffy white clouds above them. As the clouds approached me, they would become darker and darker, the view would become obscured, it would snow, and then the view with green fields and blue sky would reappear.
I intentionally avoided going into Damascus this evening as I suspect that there is a mob of hikers there avoiding the "bad" weather. I intend to take a day off there, so I will go in early tomorrow and stay the day.
April 18, 2001 - Damascus, VA
Miles: ~2.5 Time: 1 hr
Resupplied, sent home winter stuff, did laundry, sat around.