Day 134, 21.8 miles
Damascus, Lady Di’s B&B/ SOBO mile 1727.2 to TN 91, Switchback Creek Campground/SOBO mile 1749.0
Slept super well at Lady Di’s. Eight straight hours!!! That rarely happens. My body needed that. I also ate a fantastic home cooked breakfast that Lady Di includes in her price.
Perfect hiking day today. Cool, crisp weather with cold wind. The climb out of Damascus felt gradual, then it was minor PUDs. First Class and I leapfrogged all day – he is a faster hiker but he takes longer breaks, so we kept catching up and passing one another – and he too thought the day felt super easy. Got almost 22 miles done in 8.5 hours. First Class said we had done almost 5000 feet of total elevation gain, but that doesn’t seem right to me. Certainly didn’t feel like that much.
Mostly in the trees today except at the very end when the trail went through a pasture.
I’m staying in a tiny cabin at Switchback Creek Campground. The owner came and picked me up and will return me to the same spot tomorrow morning. First Class and a LASHer named Ted are camping together just a couple tenths of a mile farther from where I was picked up. I’ll see both of them at Boots Off hostel tomorrow night if I don’t see them while hiking tomorrow.
My ankle felt pretty good today. The cooler weather helps everything IMO. A good night’s sleep and yummy breakfast also helps.
Day 135, 20.8 miles
TN 91, Switchback Creek Campground/SOBO mile 1749.0 to Boots Off Hostel/SOBO mile 1769.8
I am slipping into bougie mode. Meaning, I really enjoy private little cabins or rooms at the end of almost every hiking day. I can position my feet in a way where the pressure is off my ankle more easily in a bed than in my sleeping bag liner (I’m a side sleeper). So though I do enjoy my tent and will obviously not be sleeping indoors for the entire rest of my hike, I will be taking advantage of every hostel/cheap motel opportunity from here to Springer. Plus, it’s getting very cold at night up at 4000-6000 feet. I very much enjoy hiking in the cold, but I do not very much enjoy camping in the cold. So there’s that.
Windy from Switchback Creek Campground got me back to trail by 7:30. I felt blah today even though the terrain was relatively easy for the AT. Probably had to do with the fact that all I had left for food was some pumpkin seeds and old granola bars. That prevented me from starving, but it didn’t give my body what it wanted so I felt grumpy all day. Apart from my hangriness, the day was gorgeous. Cool temps, sunny skies. The trail was mostly 100-400 foot PUDS and ran on a ridge parallel to Watauga Lake. Viewpoints were overgrown, but I got glimpses of the water through the trees.
Got to walk over the Watauga Dam – that was pretty. Then got close-up views of the water since the trail ran right beside it until reaching the road that leads to Boots Off.
I have a little tiny cabin here. It’s really cute. They have a little store here too. Bought a ton and ate a ton. Am starting to revive a little.
My ankle barely hurt today! I can point it downward a bit more now, and I can turn it each way. I don’t think it will completely recover until after I am finished the AT, but it seems to be doing better than it was yesterday. I’ll take that.
