Day 35 – Walking around Watauga Lake

I’m glad I was inside last night! I woke up early in the morning to a loud thud in the bunkhouse. A tree branch must have fallen on it during last night’s storm, as it was raining and very windy. This morning I was slow to move, I was comfortable in my bunk, and although it has been hot and sunny the last few days, this morning was fast and windy, with temperatures in the 40s, a nice change of pace.

Make plans

I started the day with breakfast at the hostel, consisting of donuts and several bowls of cereal, without forgetting the cake I bought yesterday… And of course, a couple of cups of coffee to accompany it all. Upon completion, I slowly packed up and started the trail a little after 9:30 am. It wasn’t the fastest morning, but I didn’t feel like going any faster and I only have 15.8 miles to walk today. The goal for the day is to reach the Iron Mountain Hut, which prepares me to participate in the Damascus Marathon tomorrow. What is the Damascus Marathon, you ask? It is a 26.2 mile hike from Iron Mountain Shelter to the town of Damascus, VA. Ending at the marathon gas station. It’s the kind of silly challenge I love!

Windy Ridge Hike

The morning hike began with a couple of kilometer walk around Watauga Lake as well as over its dam. After that it was all uphill for the rest of the morning and early afternoon, before leveling off a bit and walking along the ridge. As I walked along the ridge, I was taking the full weight of the windy day we were having. And because it was colder, it was much colder than it had been the last week, causing me to completely overestimate my water needs throughout the day and carry too much.

Walking along the ridge

However, walking along the ridge gave me great views to my right, looking out over Watauga Lake at first and then eventually the river flowing into it and the surrounding countryside. If there had been less wind, it would have been an almost perfect day.

Nice views on the right all day!

Overall I was feeling pretty good, my cough is almost completely gone and my back feels pretty solid again. Today’s hike, while not very difficult, was not necessarily easy for most of the day either. However, the last four or five miles were relatively smooth, with only minor ups and downs. I arrived at the Iron Mountain Shelter a little after 4:30 pm and was the first one there. This is the first time it’s happened on my hike so far. I found a good spot and set up my tent for the night. Early evening as I prepare for the long day tomorrow.

Pepperoni is back on the menu!

Statistics for day 35:

15.8 miles

4,288′ ascent, 2,198′ descent

Boots Off Hostel to Iron Mountain Shelter

0 DSLC…

Stove use times: 7

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