Warm weather and longer miles

It wasn’t until we finished making dinner the night before that we realized how little water we had. Maybe we should have filtered some water into that water source a few miles back. But luckily we got up early and packed in the dark. I skipped coffee and opted to reserve water for Turk’s hike and breakfast. We tiptoed past the Night Crawler store and hit the road.

Diggity Hot Dog

We started very early because it was going to be a hot day and we knew we would have to sit through the heat of the afternoon. It was nice in the morning though. As we ascended, we got nice views of Watauga Lake and watched the lake get lower and lower. And just as we had predicted, it got really hot so we stopped for a long lunch break at a small campsite.

There weren’t many shade options at this site, but Turk found shade under a large pile of fallen trees. He found a small spot, curled up and took a nap. After Cody and I finished eating, we both placed our Nemo Switchbacks next to two different trees. We lay down in the shade of our respective trees with our feet raised. As the sun moved the shade, we could be seen adjusting our positions to stay in the lovely shade.

We stayed there for almost 3 hours to let the heat pass. Cody took the initiative to walk along the short blue blaze to a water source. Upon returning, he noticed a rather large snake at the back of the pile of fallen trees under which Turk lay. Needless to say, I called her from under the trees and kept her by my side until we were ready to pack up. And just as we were packing up, our friend Night Crawler walked in. It was nice to be able to walk with him for a while after lunch.

Pushing a couple more miles

We arrived at the Iron Mountain shelter. Our plans for the evening were not discussed. Should we stay here for the night or continue on to cover a few more kilometers? The day had cooled down and we had already had dinner. We made the decision to set up a tent camp wherever we could find a good spot. Just a few miles off the trail, we found just that and settled in for a good night’s rest. Sometimes it’s nice to sleep in the forest with absolutely no one around.

turkey on the farm

The next morning was another early start. These hot days simply mean we walk early and rest a lot. It’s best for Turkenna, but honestly, it’s best for me too. I love long breaks in the middle of the day. This was one of the first days we walked through the pastures. And we visited many of them. There was an old barn on top of one of the pasture hills that had a huge AT symbol on the front. I thought it was cool that the private properties the trail passes through embraced the trail and even celebrated it. I sometimes wonder what the conversations were like with the property owners when the trail was originally being built. What were those denials like? But how grateful I am to be able to pass through the properties and walk this continuous trail, even when it passes through private property.

Small old shelter

It was also fitting that I started listening to a new podcast that day about the history of the Appalachian Trail. I’ve only listened to a few episodes of ‘The Green Tunnel’ and already feel like I’ve learned a lot about the trail. This day we also passed by a particularly historic shelter. McQueen Knob Shelter turns 92! It’s a small structure that definitely shows its age, but there have been clear efforts to maintain it and reinforce it where necessary. The small shelter wouldn’t be a good place to sleep, but it was perfect for taking a break from the heat and having lunch. That wasn’t the only break we took that day, far from it. We had about 13 miles under our belt when we stopped for lunch.

Breaks in breaks

The next shelter was less than 2 miles away, so we headed out to walk the short distance in the heat. We took a breather in the shade as we headed there. At Abington Gap Shelter, we took a very long break. We lay down in the shelter while Turk took an afternoon nap. We were content to take it easy and wait for the cooler afternoon to continue.

What’s 3 more miles?

After taking a look at the FarOut map, we realized it would be best to walk about 6 more miles to some ruins that showed tent sites nearby. The only drawback was the lack of water sources after the shelter. So we loaded up with water and headed out. The hike was easy. The terrain was flat, the air was fresh and our legs were well rested. As we dropped our backpacks at the tent sites, I pulled out our bag of food and started making dinner. Cody used some water to feed Turk. I used quite a bit to prepare dinner. That’s when I started to worry that we wouldn’t have enough to get us through the afternoon and the next morning. As the daylight faded, I confessed to Cody that I thought it would be best if we continued walking another 3 miles to the spring. It would allow us to get water and put us just 2 miles from Damascus, VA.

Another state behind us

We weighed how tired we were on the 3 mile downhill terrain ahead of us. «Well, the day isn’t getting any younger. Let’s go.» And we left. We walked at a fairly fast pace as we watched the sun get lower and lower. About halfway there, a sign on the side of the trail informed us that we were officially leaving Tennessee and entering Virginia! Three states down, only 11 more to go! We took a quick photo, knowing we had no time to waste.

The sun had completely disappeared just as we took the last steps towards camp. A few other hikers we had seen earlier in the day were tucked into their respective tents and hammocks. We quietly put on our lamps and got to work setting up camp. Cody headed to look for water along a short trail of blue flames to a spring. And I set up the tent, inflated the mat and pillows, and laid out the quilt.

The feeling of accomplishment from walking our first 20-mile day washed over our exhausted bodies as we laid down in the tent. I showed Cody the menu of the restaurant I had already looked up for breakfast the next morning in Damascus. Our hard work will be rewarded with a delicious breakfast tomorrow morning!

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.