May 13, 2021

This is a buffer day in case I got delayed.  So I have time to kill and wandered around town.  It’s a small town.  Population of less than 1,000.  Main Street is about three blocks long.  There are outfitters, adventure guides (biking and kayaking) a dollar general store and thrift shops. There is a diner, sandwich shop and maybe two other small places to eat.  It’s limited as you would expect for a town this size.  It is a good hiker town but I think its main commercial activity is from bicycle activity on the Virginia Creeper Trail and from kayaking activities.  It’s a big outdoor recreation area.

It’s a beautiful day today.  Warmed up nicely making my wanderings about town very enjoyable.

Some pictures of Damascus:

This is where I had dinner.  











Odie, the hiker yearbook guy showed up and was shuttling people around.  I saw him last time I hiked in 2019 in Hiawasee, GA.

They are starting to set up for Trail Days festival which starts tomorrow.  

Hikers are pouring into town for the festival.  Ran into Pork Chop, Pops, Nero, Fourth Quarter, Gourmet, Rose, Craig, Random and others I’ve hiked with.  They are hanging around for the festival.  I’m heading home.

Got my duffle bag to pack my things for the plane ride back home.  I have a shuttle arranged to get to the Tri Cities Airport in the morning.

This has been a great adventure but I’m looking forward to getting home.  Hike on.

May 12, 2021

Only 6 miles to Damascus.  Unfortunately it’s raining when I wake up and it’s cold.  If it was much colder I think it would be snow. 

Do I wait out the rain?  Last time this happened the rain outlasted me and I had to pack up in the rain. Ugh!

But as I contemplated my situation the rain stopped.  I hurriedly packed my things.  There was a brisk cold wind which was drying my tent.  Luck is on my side and I was able to pack up a reasonably dry tent as well.  It was still promising rain so I donned the rain jacket and took off. 

Rain recommenced shortly thereafter but only for about an hour.  

It’s cold and my hands are getting numb.  The gloves are carefully packed at the bottom of my pack so I’m not stopping to unpack them.

Along the way

I cross the Tennessee/Virginia state line.  I have completed Tennessee.


And then...




Found my way to Crazy Larry’s hostel.  

Crazy Larry

Got a bunk, took a shower, talked with Deirdra on the phone and then went in search of food at the Damascus Diner.

Damascus is a small town. The Main Street is about two or three blocks long. 

This section hike is now complete.  I am here a day early.  My flight home is on Friday morning out of Tri Cities airport so I have time to explore.  Need to arrange a shuttle to the airport.

Trail Days starts on Friday but I am anxious to get home.

May 11, 2021

Left the Double Spring Shelter as skies were clearing.  I think I’m in the “Damascus Flats”, an easier section of trail with long stretches of relatively flatter terrain.  In fact, over this stretch, we begin mostly a slow descent into town.  The weather is great.  Mostly sunny with high near 60.

Some great views today.


I pass Tennessee Walker.  He camped by our shelter last night and I’d met him earlier on the trail.  He is tall and lean and has a long white beard and scraggly hair.  Turns out he is a recently retired airplane pilot.  Says until now he had close cropped hair and was clean shaven.  Join the crowd, brother.  I only pass him because he is taking his time.  He is meeting family at the next highway intersection and is ahead of schedule.  


Earlier in the hike I encountered mostly younger folks.  I think that bubble has moved ahead.  I am now seeing a lot of ex military and more fifty to sixty year olds.  I presume retired.  

My pace is good today.  Trail legs or easier terrain?  Probably the latter.  

I make it to Abington Gap Shelter which had been my planned destination but it’s too early to stop for the day.  I needed water so I had to go down a steep and long hill from the shelter to get it.  It was a climb back up.  If there were reliable water up ahead I would have skipped it.

I end up solo camping about 6 miles outside Damascus.  A couple other hikers I am with decide to forge ahead for Damascus.  My hike is coming to an end and so I decided to spend one more night with mother nature.

Set up tent, cooked dinner, tied bear bag (Ursack) to tree and settled for the night.

Expecting rain tonight and cold temperatures in mid thirties.  Tomorrow morning rain is supposed to taper off.

May 10, 2021

Woke up to the sound of rain.  Yesterday’s forecast said the rain would stop before 8am.  I waited in my tent for it to stop.  It didn’t.  Finally, at 9:30 I gave up.  I packed up my tent in the rain, a muddy and wet process, and got on my way.  The other hikers camping around me did the same and most had left before I did.  The trail turned into a creek.  There was no hope of keeping shoes or feet dry or clean but you don’t care after a while.  These Darn Tough socks have been awesome.  Never get a blister, feet stay warm even when completely wet and never wear out.

The rain diminished over the morning but the fog hung around.

About 5 miles out from the camp I crossed by this memorial to Nick Grindstaff.  Nick became a hermit and lived on the top of this mountain in a cabin alone for nearly 40 years.  The cabin is long since gone although if you look you can see some of the foundation left.  He had a pet dog and a steer according to legend.  The epitaph which may not be legible at the bottom reads “lived alone, suffered alone, died alone”.  Seems pretty grim.  

I’m hiking with Nero and Fourth Quarter in the afternoon.  Our travels took us through a pasture.  Cool AT sign on the barn.


Then we shared the pasture with some cattle.  This young bull kept an eye on us as we passed.  

Fog didn’t lift today so there were limited views.  Everything is damp and temperature is cool so I decide to sleep in Double Spring Shelter.  I had no interest in setting up a wet, muddy tent.  The shelter sleeps 6 and me and my hiking companions grab the last spots.  Wilderness Bob, Rose, and Random are the other three.  We share trail info over dinner before calling it an early night.  It will be another night in the 30’s.  I thought it would be warmer here by now.

Did about 11 miles and climbed approximately 2,000 feet.

May 9, 2021

Started early so I had plenty of time to cover today’s 13 mile trek.  Mostly sunny with highs near 70.  

Just down from the hostel is Watauga Lake.  It’s a good size lake and for the first few miles I walk along it’s bank and enjoy the views.

The Watauga Lake was created by the Watauga Dam, a TVA project.  I crossed over the dam.  This is the water side

This is looking on the other side

Once over the dam I begin to head up into the mountains.

This dog came out of the woods and started jumping on me a bit aggressively.  It was a bit scary at first as I was alone and having a hard time keeping it off me.  He did calm down after a while and despite my efforts to shoo him away he followed me up the mountain for a number of miles.  He was actually pretty good after our rough start and walked dutifully by me.  I was getting concerned that I would never get rid of him and he was getting far from where we met.  Eventually hikers going SOBO came by and the dog followed them back.  

I climbed the mountain and it continued to parallel the lake below.

Until finally we ran out of lake.  I stopped at Vandeventer Shelter for a late lunch.  Then proceeded another 4 miles to my tent site.  Got there about 4:30 and set up my tent before the rain started.  About 6 other hikers joined me.  So we have a small community of tenters here for the night including Nero and Fourth Quarter.  Pork Chop and Gary (new trail name “Pops”) I am told stopped for the night about a mile back.

Finished dinner, bear bag is hung and I am once again listening to the rain on my tent.

Total miles were 13.1 with elevation of 3,600 feet.

May 8, 2021

Started back on my way about 8am and entered the Pond Mountain Widerness.  I will climb the mountain and exit on the north side by the end of the day.  I only have this one mountain to do and about 9 miles of hiking in total.  

Before the climbing starts I initially head down to Laurel Fork Falls.  This is a gorgeous area as you can see.

After the falls the trail snakes around the ledge at the bottom of the rock cliff and then follows a beautiful path over a couple bridges.

Then we start the big climb over the mountain not without its own spectacular views.


Flowers are starting to pop.  These hang from cliffs.

Others are encountered as we travel down the path.

It’s a short day today and I reach Boots Off Hostel.  I rent a cabin again. 

The showers here are outside and utilize a hillbilly fashioned shower head😂.  The water was plenty warm.

Four more days of hiking to go until Damascus.  If things go according to plan tomorrow will be the longest of those at 13 miles.  I hope to get an early start so I can take my time.

Today’s hike was about 9 miles and approximately 2,000 feet of elevation.

May 7, 2021

Decided to take a zero day for two reasons.  It is pouring rain and I want to give my right foot a day off.

There isn’t much to do so I get my laundry done, shower, resupply, clean up and prepare for the final days of this hike.  Talked with a couple of through hikers who stopped here only to resupply, have lunch and then went on their way.  An early retired couple (in their late 50’s) from Cincinnati who sold their house and bought an RV are here.  They are traveling the country.  We spent some time talking about travel and the joy of being retired.😊

There is a small room with a DVD player and I watch “Captain Phillips” starring Ton Hanks to pass some time.

I also made my arrangements to fly home out of the Tri Cities Airport on Friday on American Airlines.  I expect to hike into Damascus on the afternoon of the 12th, stay one day to clean up and arrange for shuttle to airport and fly home the next day. 

WiFi here is only right outside on the porch of the general store and it’s spotty.  It would really be good if they improved it.

Tomorrow I plan a 9 mile hike. It’s short because after that there is a 5 to 6 mile stretch where they do not want you to camp because of Bear activity🐻.  I will hike past that and a way beyond the following day.

In the morning I will say goodbye to the Black Bear Resort.

May 6, 2021

Rain stopped overnight but ground and foliage are very wet.  It’s muddy packing up the tent.  Clearing with sunny skies today should make for a very enjoyable day.

In the morning the trail is sloppy but I manage to avoid most of the deep mud.  As the day wears on the sun begins to dry things out.  In turns into a beautiful day.

My left leg has held up well, thanks in part to the brace.  It’s the right foot that has started aching.  Might be plantar fasciitis and could also be Achilles’ tendon issues.  I’ve been doing a lot of stretching which seems to help a little.

One of an assortment of gorgeous views along today’s journey.  Lush green mountains cascading into fertile valleys.

I hadn’t seen a white blaze in a while. I get lost in my thoughts while walking and missing a turn is just what that will do to me.  I dreaded having to turn back to find the trail.  For some reason my Guthook gps was a little inconclusive.  It didn’t indicate I was right on the trail but I wasn’t far off it either.  If you go down a wrong path you never know where you might end up.  Got lost in the woods years ago and I was dreading the prospect of doing it again.  I pondered my predicament and waited to see if another hiker would come by to confirm my path.  I took my pack off and had a snack and water but no other hikers came by.  Grudgingly, I shouldered my pack and started to head back.   Just then a hiker came by and provided assurance that our path lay straight ahead.  The white blazes appeared again as we stepped down the path.

I stopped for lunch at Moreland Gap Shelter .   Two of the guys I’ve been camping with (Gary & Pork Chop) show up about 15 minutes later. We seem to be on the same daily pace although during the day we walk together  only for short periods before one will jump ahead.  Interestingly they are also section hiking from Hot Springs to Damascus but they are going for the Trail Days festival there.   Trail Days is the largest hiker festival which last about three days and starts this year on May 14.  I should be flying back home by then.  A third guy (Nero) showed up at the shelter about an hour later as I was heading back out.

There is wildlife here.  Saw two deer standing 20 yards off the trail to my right.  Looked like two decent size does. They ran off before I could get a good picture.  Also saw some pretty light green colored birds.  Had a touch of yellow as well.  They fluttered around me during a short stretch of rododendrums and mountain laurel.

Some parts of the trail are forests of rododendrums.  Must be a sight when in bloom.

The goal is to do another 12 miles and stay at Black Bear Resort.  I can do some resupply there.  The gas for my stove is almost empty.  It is a good stop just before a larger climb up Pond Mountain, a 2,000 foot climb.  

Near the end of the day I pass the remains of a log cabin.  Wonder how old it is?  I don’t think I would camp near it.  It looks haunted.


Made it to the resort.  It is 4 tenths of a mile off the trail but now I can resupply, shower, and rest my foot.

Black Bear Resort is a nice hostel/ resort.  I am staying  in this cabin.

Today’s mileage was 12.1 miles plus the walk to the resort for 12.5 miles.  Elevation gain was approximately 2,400 feet.