April 9
End: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles: 40.1
Total: 2303.2
Hiking with Lake had conditioned me to start earlier than I used to start my day. I left the shelter by seven twenty in the morning, and was soon enjoying the Laurel forks and the Laurel Falls.
I walked at a steady pace through the woods. I did not see very many other hikers all day, though I did not realize it very much at the time. Making great time, I passed a few hikers climbing up to Pond Flats. It was a long climb, but I managed to finish it quickly.
It was definitely a good day. I reached Watauga Lake in the early afternoon and saw Warren Doyle’s work-for-stay offer at the Appalachian Folk School. I talked to him over the phone, but didn’t want to sacrifice the progress I was making to get off of the trail, though I did want to meet him.
Hiking across the dam, I came across some fallen rocks and continued up the road, back onto the footpath. I reached Vandeventer Shelter and passed up a few guys. My plan was to get to Iron Mountain Shelter, putting me in position to get to the Damascus post office the next day.
On the way, I met Metro North, Kevin, and Christine at a spring and campsite. I was very glad to see them. My spirits were lifted near the end of a long day. They agreed to press on to the shelter, and we all set out to get there before dark.
The sun set at eight and we kept going in the waning light. I tracked our progress and was happy to see the pace which we kept. The day ended great. We made it to the shelter just as darkness really took over, and all the hikers there were tent camping.
I got a spot in the shelter and cooked dinner. The guys from Vandeventer showed up later: Dexter and Second Shift, two guys who start and end their hikes late. I got some sleep, planning an early start the next day.
