Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 534.2 I at least picked a cool, windy and now drizzly day for a zero. Having said that, back on the trail tomorrow with a high of 47, low of 37 and probably some rain. Not much on this end of Marion so limited my steps to Ingles grocery store and a McDonalds for lunch. I headed back to Mi Puerto for a carne asada dinner. I caught up with family, downloaded a new book,…

Daily Miles: 18.4, Total Miles: 530.2 Rain started in earnest early in the morning. I packed up and left about 8:30am during a break in the action but it wasn’t over yet. Still raining steadily as I climbed up and around Hurricane Mountain, Iron Mountain and some nice looking trout streams. It finally stopped raining as I left Racoon Branch Wilderness and headed for the South Fork Holston River. On the way, I saw my first cow on the AT…

Daily Miles: 21.4, Total Miles: 511.8 I slept pretty good considering some rain and how lumpy it was on the hillside. At least up to the point I heard a nearby animal making a loud blowing noise. After banging my tent and shouting, this animal was still moving around, blowing air through it’s nose(?), until finally moving away. My first thought was a bear, but more likely a startled deer. I packed up and continued a climb in a heavy…

Daily Miles: 19.7, Total Miles: 490.4 I opted to forego another big breakfast in order to get some miles in before expected rain in the afternoon. Once I got up and out of Damascus, I dropped down to the Virginia Creeper Trail along Whitetop Laurel Creek. I followed it for several miles on a gentle uphill gradient, sharing the trail with a few cyclists coming downhill. A very pleasant hike on the old Carolina-Virginia railroad bed which also goes through…

Daily Miles: 19.9, Total Miles: 470.7 My original plan was to hike until just before Damascus VA and go into town tomorrow for a Nero. But a rare day of more descent than ascent, I found myself crossing into Virginia and in Damascus by mid-afternoon. Hadn’t even finished a liter of water. I had already made a reservation at the Dragonfly Inn for tomorrow night. The same room was fortunately available tonight and I took it. The AT is one…

Daily Miles: 22.3, Total Miles: 450.8 Early start from the Boots Off Hostel on a near freezing morning. I didn’t want to leave the warm and toasty little cabin but wanted to get some miles in today. The morning was spent getting around the end of very large Watauga Lake finally walking across the large earthen dam. Now the climbing started, eventually reaching the top of the ridge high above the lake. I ran into Stretch who I had met…

Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 428.5 I could have done a paddle on the lake or even fishing but just took it easy and conserved energy here at the Boots Off Hostel. Almost freezing last night – the little heater in the tiny cabin got a workout. Not the best nutrition today – trail mix and burrito for lunch and peanuts and pizza for dinner. At least I had granola and a banana for breakfast. I skipped the shuttle to…

Daily Miles: 8.3, Total Miles: 428.5 Took a shower at Black Bear Hostel this morning and headed out, leaving at the same time as Dapper Dan. We quickly returned to the trail down Laurel Fork and entered Pond Mountain Wilderness. Beautiful, blooming azaleas along the creek and over the water. A seemingly endless rock “staircase” led us down to impressive Laurel Fork Falls. A bit confusing at the bottom but headed downstream along the creek eventually picking up the trail…