Dennis Cove - Watauga Lake

5/1/15 - Leaving Mountain Harbour.
I apparently slept poorly again last night, I have no appetite and my mood is depressed this morning.  Waking up to drizzle didn't help, although the rain has stopped, it's overcast and in the upper 40s.  We have twelve miles to Kincora hostel. I am not a happy hiker.

We started hiking at 10:30, and hit Dennis Cove Road at 3pm. Eleven miles, with 5-day food supply loaded packs, in four and a half hours. Nearly 2.5mph for the day.  Our trail legs are definitely showing.

The whole distance we were in the cloud.  I noticed that it apparently hailed, BB sized, and a lot of it, up on the mountain last night. It rained hard at Mountain Harbour and I think we might have gotten some small hail for a few minutes.

I got to the road wet, cold and still unhappy.  Took about 3 minutes to decide to walk to Black Bear Resort instead of Kincora Hostel, even though it's a 0.5 mile walk instead of 0.2 miles the other way to the hostel. nothing against Kincora, I'm just not feeling sociable today.

Got a small cabin with two bare mattresses for $45.  It's heated with propane, so I hung my sodden long sleeve wool shirt up above the heater.  Sat down to take off my shoes and the shirt slipped off the hanger onto the heater and burst into flames.  Lots of foul smoke but no damage other than the shirt, which of course is destroyed.  Sigh.  The weather is supposed to be in the seventies for the rest of the week.  I sure hope it is. I'd already planned on buying new pants in Damascus, guess a whole new outfit will be the actual purchase.

5/2/15 - Today dawned cool but clear.  Wilson, Onward, Anchor, Brokedown and I got shuttled out to Wilbur Dam Road crossing, about 13 miles.  Wilson and I slack packed back to Bears Den hostel, the rest are headed for Damascus as they slacked yesterday. I feel a lot better today.

We hiked around Lake Watauga, then climbed Pond Mountain.  It was a long climb, 1750ft, but it was good trail with plenty of long switchbacks. We passed Happy, Wild Turkey, Huck, Zen, Cuervo Fire and several others.  Johnny Adventure was camped at Pond Flats on the top of the mountain.  He got sick last night, vomiting and diarrhea, but thinks it was bad food rather than norovirus.  He's still going to camp out today as he's weak from nothing to eat since yesterday.  He also got bad news from home that will take him off trail a week or so, his 97yr grandmother peacefully passed away yesterday. Very sad.

The last segment was Laurel Fork Gorge.  The trail clambers over rocks and runs next to the creek. Its a beautiful area, and I saw my first flame azalea and wild rhododendron blooming, just like I did my last trek.  The falls were great, and we did the usual pictures.  It being Saturday, lots of day tourists had hiked the mile or so down from the road.  We hiked out and made Dennis Cove Road by 3pm, then walked the half mile to Bears Den.  Tomorrow we'll shuttle out to Wilber Dam Road again and follow the gang to Damascus.

5/3/15 - Ridges have Ruffles

We got dropped off at Wilbur Dam Road and started our trek to Iron Mountain Shelter.  Bob the driver from Bears Den stated Damascus was already full up and that we would have trouble finding hostel room.  So as soon as I got a cell signal on the ridge I called ahead and made reservations.  

The trail runs along the ridge above Lake Watauga.  Once the climb up to the top is made, there are a lot of up and down stretches, informally called roller coasters.  We got to Iron Mountain shelter a bit before three, so we tested a bit then pushed on a couple more miles to the site of a hermit's house.  The only thing left is the remains of the chimney and a nearby depression that's probably the well.  Nick Grindstaff's marker in his old fireplace states he lived alone, suffered alone, and died alone.  How sad.  The location has a nice view of the valley below and the town of Mountain City, TN.

We made a dry camp, there's no water source here.  Wilson walked up trail 0.1 miles to the next gap, but the water there is a bare trickle.  So we will walk dry in the morning.  I've got a liter now, so the day will start okay.