Wow. What a week!
I wanted to go through day by day and describe what’s been happening but it’s really been just a lot of walking.
Some exciting things have been happening! I have a new phone but it has to be unlocked. My current phone is inconsistent at best at working.
We made it to a hostel called Uncle Johnnys where my phone would not charge. That was frustrating. Then it started rebooting randomly. Then it would constantly reboot unless it was plugged in. Very weird but apparently rather common with the LG G4.
Back to the trail.
After my phone charged at Uncle Johnnys, I started hiking. That was at 9:30 pm. I was surprised at how awesome night hiking is. Creepy a bit but still fun. We went a mile up and camped for free vs $15ish at Uncle Johnnys.
The next day we did 21 miles and camped on an old dirt road. Not much happened this day.
The next day, we planned 23 miles to get to Overmountain Shelter. I started later than a majority of the group. I passed them while they were at a shelter slightly off the trail without realizing it. I got to Roan Mountain Shelter and heard thunder. I got to the shelter 5 minutes before the rain just started pounding. This shelter is at the top of Roan Mountain; it’s chilly. It is a kind of house that can host 15 people to sleep. After 20-30 minutes, the rain stopped and the sun came out. I decided to push on.
I made it to Overmountain Shelter which is an old remodeled barn. It was an awesome shelter! It’s also the only shelter in TN that has a privy (if I remember correctly).
That night we heard winds that shook the barn. The next morning we went over two balds with 60 mph sustained winds and rain. We were walking at angles. I’ve never been in such weather and it was amazing. It was also demoralizing.
After 9 miles in pouring rain and winds, we made it to TN19 near Roan Mountain. I had to pick up my new hammock from Dream Hammocks at the station on 19E. It is truly amazing what a shower can do to morale.
We made our way down to the bar at The Station where our first beer was provided by an online stranger who prepurchased a beer for a thru hiker. Thank you, trail magic! Also, what a genius concept.
The next day we camped at a beautiful pasture because the shelter was facing the wind and it was cold. The pasture had water 200 feet away with a piped spring. It was awesome! We also hit 400 miles! That was Monday.
Tuesday we had a short day to stay at Boots Off Hostel. I resupplied and we had a good time at Lake Watauga. A bit cold for swimming but still enjoyed the sun.
Wednesday we did 21 miles and cowboy camped in front of a barn.
Today, we hiked 21 miles and made it to Damascus, VA. Turd got a hotel room. I picked up my package from Lilly and proceeded to eat two bags of candy in minutes.
We will be taking at least one zero due to weather and experiencing Damascus.
We have gone 170 miles in 9 days. Turtle and pup are now off the trail unfortunately but spirits remain high.
Sorry for the sporadic posts. The inconsistency in this phone plus weather plus lack of cell signal have all contributed to that. I’m also going to try real hard to actually reply to comments…. I do read each one and the support is extremely helpful! Thank you everyone!
Currently, hitting VA is exciting but going to be tough. There are 550+ miles in VA and the Virginia Blues are a real thing.
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