Appalachian Trail - Day 030 - Dennis Cove to AT Mile 440.2

Day: 030

Date: Wednesday, 24 May 2023

Start:  Dennis Cove (AT Mile 420.1)

Finish:  Ridgetop at AT Mile 440.2

Daily Kilometres:  34.7

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  746.5

Weather:  Warm, sunny and breezy.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Muffins

  Lunch:  Italian sub/Turkey & cheese sub

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals

Aches:  Dave - tired and minor right knee pain; Julie - nothing to report

Highlight:  Laurel Fork stream, Laurel Fork gorge and Laurel Falls in the early part of the day were spectacular.  The trail followed and crossed the pretty boulder-strewn stream a number of times at the base of the sheer rock gorge walls, with the falls themselves being a particular highlight.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

Apart from being woken by an intoxicated fellow thru-hiker knocking on our cabin door at 2:00am trying to find his “buddy”, we slept well.  We rose early and left the sleeping resort at 6:30am and made our way back to the trailhead, 0.6 miles away along the quiet minor road.

Once we began hiking along the AT from the trailhead, we passed a number of tents beside the trail, but no sign of life.  In fact, for the whole day, we only saw two other thru-hikers, which was unusual.

After an easy first mile or so, as we neared Laurel Fork stream, the trail became much more technical and slow as it tried to follow the stream through the rocky gorge, but the scenery was awesome (see above).  We were in the Pond Mountain Wilderness, and soon we left the stream behind and began the long steady ascent up what we presume was Pond Mountain and then an equally long descent to Wautauga Lake.  However, the grades weren’t too bad and the forest was beautiful with abundant wildflowers and, particularly, blossoming mountain laurel lining the trail and brightening the forest.

We had a break at a picnic table beside the swimming area in Wautauga Lake, a very pleasant spot, and there were even a few people in swimming.  The trail then spent much of the rest of the day following the northern shore of the lake, including crossing the dam wall that formed the lake.

There was another long climb after that, still following the lake shore, but at a much higher elevation, and we had occasional views down to the lake and marina far below.  Again the grades weren’t too bad and, with the breeze at altitude taking the edge off a warm sunny day, the hiking was quite pleasant.  As always, the ridgetop walking, even with the views masked by the trees, was beautiful.  Fresh green foliage, different wildflowers, occasional bird song and the breeze in the trees made it a special place.

Around 6:15pm, we began looking for a tentsite, and found one atop the ridge among the trees at 6:30pm,  Another good, if energetic day.

Appalachian Trail - Day 029 - Approaching Moreland Gap Shelter to Dennis Cove

Day: 029

Date: Tuesday, 23 May 2023

Start:  Approaching Moreland Gap Shelter (AT Mile 412.5)

Finish:  Dennis Cove (AT Mile 420.1)

Daily Kilometres:  12.8

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  711.8

Weather:  Cool to mild, breezy and partly sunny.

Accommodation:  Cabin

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts and burritos

  Lunch:  Pizza

  Dinner:  Hamburger & fries/Chicken pieces & fries, peach pie & tapioca pudding

Aches:  None to speak of.

Highlight:  A “nero” (near zero) day spent relaxing, chatting to other hikers, and doing the usual chores - laundry, resupply, showers and email - in the beautiful setting of the Black Bear Resort in Dennis Cove with a stream right behind our cabin and a deck overlooking it.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke early and were walking by 6:30am, even though we only had 7 miles to our booked cabin at the Black Bear Resort.  The trail followed a ridge at around 3,000’ for the first hour or so on a cool morning with the usual tree-filtered views to the nearby hazy mountains.  There were plenty of short sharp ups and downs, but the trail was mostly not technical and we made good time, seeing a few other hikers along the way, some still camped and others walking.  At our breakfast break after a couple of hours we were joined by a two hikers, one of whom was boasting about how many miles he had been doing the last few days.  He was a little quieter after Julie asked him when he started the trail and it turned out to be four or five days before us.  The other hiker, a South African, was suffering from some bad blisters, perhaps the consequence of their last few days of aggressive hiking.

The last hour or so saw a steady descent down to Dennis Cove Road, with the last part through a meadow and past the ruins of an old timber cabin.  From the trailhead we had a walk of about 0.6 of a mile along the road through the pretty valley following an attractive boulder-strewn stream.  The properties well-kept and the road was quiet.  About half-way to the Resort a golf buggy came the other way transporting a couple of hikers down to the trailhead.  By the time the buggy made its return journey we were about 50 yards from the Resort so declined the offered lift.

We checked in and had a second breakfast of microwaved burritos then spent the rest of the day chatting to the few other hikers here, including “Tassie” the lady from Tasmania, and doing some admin.  One hiker, already in residence for a few days, has his leg elevated and wrapped in ice dealing with shin splints, or maybe a stress fracture.  We feel bad for him, as a stress fracture will be a showstopper for his AT hike.

In the evening, we took advantage of a scheduled shuttle run, along with about ten other hikers, to the town of Elizabethtown, about 12 miles away, where we had dinner at a sports bar and bought our supplies for the next three days at the nearby Walmart in the allotted 90 minutes the shuttle was there.  Lots of interesting discussion in the van about bears, the relative merits of hostels, distances hiked, etc.

 

Appalachian Trail - Day 028 - Highway US 19-E to approaching Moreland Gap Shelter

Day: 028

Date: Monday, 22 May 2023

Start:  Highway US 19-E (AT Mile 395.3)

Finish:  Approaching Moreland Gap Shelter (AT Mile 412.5)

Daily Kilometres:  30.1

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  699.0

Weather:  Mild to warm and mostly sunny.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Cooked buffet breakfast

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals

Aches:  None to report

Highlight:  The hostel’s breakfast, for which they are renowned, did not disappoint.  The more than twenty hikers there enjoyed a vast array of cooked items and there was plenty to go around.  We certainly ate our share, but resisted the temptation to go overboard, knowing we had a day’s hiking in front of us.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We had a sleep in because the hostel breakfast, which was one of the main things that attracted us to stay at the Mountain Harbour Hostel (though last night’s burgers were pretty good as well), was not served until 8:00am.  The breakfast did not disappoint (see above).  We ate on the deck, chatting to a couple of other hikers, before returning to our room, picking up our gear and rejoining the trail around 9:20am.

The hiking scenery was a little different today.  Our early walking passed through some meadows strewn with wildflowers and graceful trees and later on alongside the picturesque Elk River, also through a grassy meadow.

In the sections in between the trail seemed to twist and turn, constantly going up and down, through a green tunnel of rhododendron groves, but with no major climbs.  The trail underfoot was generally soft and we made good time.

Here and there were also some beautiful waterfalls and cascades and the lovely Laurel Fork brook.

Near the end of the day, we met “Tassie” the thru-hiker from Tasmania, and learned that she too is having a short day tomorrow and has a cabin booked at the Black Bear Resort, so we will have an opportunity to catch up with her then.

Around 6:20pm we found a nice little tent site beside the trail on a quiet evening and had an early night.  Altogether, a pleasant day’s walking powered by an excellent breakfast.  Four weeks done on the trail and the 400 miles passed today.

Appalachian Trail - Day 027 - Near Stan Murray Shelter to Highway US 19-E

Day: 027

Date: Sunday, 21 May 2023

Start:  Near Stan Murray Shelter (AT Mile 384.0)

Finish:  Highway US 19-E (AT Mile 395.3)

Daily Kilometres:  19.8

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  668.9

Weather:  Foggy and cool early then warm and sunny.

Accommodation:  Hostel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Chimichangas/Burrito

  Dinner:  Patty melt & fries/Chicken burger & fries, ice-cream

Aches:  None to speak of.

Highlight:  After crossing Little Hump Mountain (5,445’) in fog and not seeing any of the views from its grassy summit, a few miles later we crossed Hump Mountain (5,559’) in sunshine with great views in all directions.  For a mile or two we were crossing the grassy summit and ridge and it reminiscent of the Pennine Way in the UK.

Lowlight:  Packing up in the pre-dawn light with everything wet or damp or muddy.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

It seemed like large quantities of water were continually dripping on the tent all night though it wasn’t actually raining much.  We woke to find the fly sheet sopping wet and even some of the tent inner wall wet, though we’re not sure why.  We put the tent up in such a hurry in the rain last night, maybe we didn’t get everything adjusted correctly.  Anyway, it wasn’t much fun and it always seems a relief when we get everything stowed away, regardless of dampness, and get moving, which we did a little after 6:30am.

The weather forecast indicated sun later in the morning, but to start with it was foggy and the trail-side vegetation, often grass, was sopping wet from dew or rain.  So much so, that Julie was once again walking in wet boots and socks.  Dave’s boots are perhaps a little more robust, and he stayed more or less dry.

The early trail was quite fast walking, though slippery and muddy in parts, and we made good time, passing a shelter where the hiker residents seemed all to be still sleeping and a couple of other tents along the way.

The trail became harder as it climbed fairly steeply up Little Hump Mountain for some time and, sadly, no views were to be had because of the continuing fog, though there was a hint that the sun was starting to break through.  And, so it did on our descent from the mountain and by the time we reached the grassy Bradley Gap between Little Hump Mountain and Hump Mountain, the sky had cleared and we had wonderful visibility all around.  It was another fairly steep long climb to the summit of Hump Mountain but, because it was treeless moorland and we could see where we were going, it didn’t seem so bad.

From the summit of Hump Mountain we could see both backwards and forwards along the trail for some distance and there were no other hikers around.  We had the magnificent scene all to ourselves and savoured it.

With our spirits high we began the six-mile-long descent to the highway and the hostel where we had a basic room booked.  It was going to be a welcome short day, though the first couple of miles of the descent were on very technical rocky trail which was slow and ankle- and knee-threatening.  However, the weather was perfect and we were soon past the toughest bits and enjoying better trail as the AT followed a pretty steep-sided valley downwards. Along the way, we left North Carolina for the last time, another milestone.

We reached the hostel, which was a few hundred metres along the busy highway from the trailhead, soon after 1:00pm, checked in, and bought some microwaveable lunch from the tiny camp store, which we ate on the hostel’s outside deck in the sun.  Afterwards, we erected our tent on a nearby grass patch and dried it as well as packs and other gear while we showered.  The hostel is rustic, but has everything we need and is famous for its breakfasts.

As the afternoon wore on more hikers turned up, though most seem to be camping rather than staying in the hostel.  A food truck turned up at 5:00pm and we bought our dinner there.  It has been a good day.  Amazing what difference a change in the weather can make.  Dave was pretty miserable yesterday.

Appalachian Trail - Day 026 - Cherry Gap to near Stan Murray Shelter

Day: 026

Date: Saturday, 20 May 2023

Start:  Cherry Gap (AT Mile 362.3)

Finish:  Near Stan Murray Shelter (AT Mile 384.0)

Daily Kilometres:  36.5

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  649.1

Weather:  Overcast all day with drizzle and fog in the evening.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals

Aches:  Dave - very tired:  Julie - nothing to report

Highlight:  It was a day for orange salamander spotting and Julie counted fourteen.

Lowlight:  After making good progress most of the day the last few hours, as we encountered technical steep trail, rain and fog, was a drag.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 5:30am and were hiking by 6:30am on a grey day for which rain was forecast.  The trail was quite good so, despite it having plenty of ups and downs, oscillating between 4,000’ and 5,500’, we made good time. Mostly we were in deciduous forest, but occasionally at the higher elevations we had moss carpeted pine forest.  Good views were few, but we could always sense through the trees that we were quite high.

We only saw a few hikers today until we reached the Roan Mountain area which is popular for day hikers.  This was towards the end of the day and the ascent of Roan High Knob (6,270’) seemed to take forever on difficult trail.  It also began to drizzle and by the time we descended to Carvers Gap, around 5:00pm, it was starting to get unpleasant.  Nevertheless, the carpark was still quite full and wet day hikers were returning to their cars.  We took a break there, sheltering under a sign before beginning the last stretch of the day.

This involved more climbing over some treeless knobs - Round Bald and Jane Bald - and getting back up to near 6,000’ in very wet conditions. On the former, there was a bedraggled wedding party getting some final pictures taken.

Dave was getting tired and progress was slow.  We plodded on, looking for a tentsite.  The one we were aiming for already had four or five tents there, some loud music playing and the smell of pot wafting in the damp air.  There was no real room for another tent, even if we were interested, so we continued on and eventually found a spot that suited us.  We set up in the drizzle and everything feels either wet or damp.  Not a great day.

Appalachian Trail - Day 025 - Erwin to Cherry Gap

Day: 025

Date: Friday, 19 May 2023

Start:  Erwin (AT Mile 344.3)

Finish:  Cherry Gap (AT Mile 362.3)

Daily Kilometres:  29.7

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  612.6

Weather:  Sunny, warm and breezy all day.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Peach pie & rice pudding

  Lunch:  Chicken salad sandwich/Italian sandwich

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals.

Aches:  Dave - a few of the usual niggles; Julie - nothing to report

Highlight:  As Julie remarked during our last hour of hiking today, it was so peaceful and quiet for long periods as we walked along a broad wooded ridge where there was no sound and barely any breeze as the setting sun cast long shadows through the forest.  Magic!

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

Based on the theory that Uber drivers in small towns don’t sign on until 8:00am, we had a sleep in, ate breakfast in our motel room, packed and then tried for an Uber around 8:30am after Dave had taken care of some last minute admin.  Success!  An Uber arrived in four minutes and we were driven the few miles to where we left the trail on Wednesday afternoon.  

By 8:50am we were hiking on a beautiful morning, at first following the Nolichucky River upstream and then a creek as we began our all-day long climb up Unaka Mountain (5,183’).  Fortunately, because the climb was spread over about 15 miles, the grades were generally easy and the trail not too technical.

Along the way, we met a few other hikers including a firefighter from Florida out for a week’s hiking, and “Tassie”, a lady from Tasmania (~60yo) we had heard about from other hikers.  By reputation an early riser and fast hiker.  We had a chat and learned she started just a couple of days before us, so is travelling at roughly the same pace.  Suspect we will see her again.  We also passed a day hiker, jingling his way through the woods.  He was wearing “bear bells”, as have a couple of other hikers we have seen.  The bells are supposed to warn bears of the hiker’s approach so that they run away.  We have also heard them referred to as “dinner bells”, for obvious reasons.

A highlight of the long climb was a meadow-like large knoll called Beauty Spot along the way where we emerged from the forest and had fantastic views in all directions, including ahead to the formidable last climb to the top of Unaka Mountain.  Unfortunately, there were no views from the actual summit of the mountain, but the vegetation at the top changed to pine forest with green moss covering the forest floor.  Very pretty and a nice change from the deciduous forest and rhododendron glades we had been travelling through for most of the day.

Around 6:40pm, having gone further than anticipated for the day, we found a small tent site in Cherry Gap and set up camp.  It had been a good first day out of town.