Day 45

Day: 45 Miles: 21.5 Trip: 440.8 Started: Hampton, TN Destination: Iron Mountain Shelter

Another day of good sunny weather.  I spent the entire day on a long ridge line above Watauga lake.  I hate to jinx myself, but I am starting to think that I might actually get through this trip with more good days of weather than bad.  The community of hikers on the trail is definitely something that helps remind me that the trek I am undertaking is not really a solo pursuit.  Its nice to be able to commiserate with others that have gone through the same trials and tribulations.  I stopped at Vandeventer Shelter for lunch as was pleasantly surprised to find out that Big Yankee was just ahead of me on the trail.  Ever since I got sick back in Erwin I had lost track of a little bubble of hikers that I was hiking with.  I was exited to meet back up with some faces I recognized and pushed a slightly bigger day to catch them.  At Iron Mountain shelter I caught up with Big Yankee, Zag, Owl and Shutterbug.  I had not seen Owl or Zag since Standing Bear.  Also here tonight were M-80, Trooper and their dog Willow. The trail was great today and I am truly starting to get my real stride going.  There is no such thing as flat trail, but the large roller coaster hills of Georgia and the Smoky's are a thing of the past for now.  I am only a few days away from Damascus VA!