The Unpolished Princess

Start: Cross Mountain/TN 91 (AT mi 449.2). Stop: Boots Off Hostel (AT mi 428.4). Today’s miles: 20.8 miles. Total AT mileage: 1764.7 miles.

I knew last night was going to suck, and boy did it. It was hot and eerily quiet except for other people breathing and occasionally snoring. I think I’m missing sleeping outside in my tent. Sadly, tonight I’m going to another hostel, and it’s been pouring rain all night again, so I have at least one more night in a bunk room.. then a couple nights with my mom (which I’m really looking forward to), and then maybe by Sunday night I can be in my tent.

Much like yesterday, everyone was up and at breakfast by 7:30. Lady Di outdid herself by making French toast casserole with baked apple slices, plus quiche, bacon, fresh orange juice and coffee. I had seconds on the French toast casserole. I don’t think I’ve ever had that before, and.. just.. wow. I’m in love! She also freshly baked from scratch the sourdough bread she put in it. I’m blown away by her culinary skills.

Sam picked us up this morning, instead of Lone Wolf, although I did get to see him, too! There were two other hikers getting shuttled elsewhere this morning, so both drivers came for us all about the same time. I liked Sam. He seems like a good natured country guy, living off the grid in a home he built. He rides his Harley and hangs out at his house when he’s not helping Lone Wolf shuttle around hikers and cyclists. His grandkids call him Papaw, and honestly, I just liked hearing him talk.

He dropped us off at the same spot we went to yesterday morning. The difference today, is that it was still dumping buckets this morning and it didn’t let up until after 11am. I started off in my rain jacket and with my umbrella hooked in on my chest strap. It was nice to have the water off my face, but that’s about all it kept semi dry. The trail immediately went into the woods and was a complete river from the downpours. At first I attempted to side step the deep water, then I realized it was pointless and just started sloshing through.

Finch and I leapfrogged a bit early in the day, and then Lizard and I caught each other around lunch time. We didn’t end up eating together though.I ate sitting on a rock because I couldn’t wait the extra mile to get to the shelter. When I got to the shelter she had just caught me, but hadn’t eaten yet. I considered stopping with her anyway, but my feet were so soaked and all I could think about was getting to the hostel and taking these wet socks off. My toes were feeling like prunes, and each step was starting to feel real tender.

I pushed on and had several minor ups and downs. I at some point took off my jacket and took down the umbrella, probably well before lunch, but I don’t remember exactly when. I had great views from the woods of Watauga Lake. This is the lake mom and I have a cabin on for the weekend! Since I’m getting to the hostel a day earlier than planned, I’m going to slack pack back to Boots Off tomorrow and get picked up from there when mom gets in town. I figured it would be silly to waste a day on her driving in since I wouldn’t get to spend any extra time with her.. and I don’t really need the double zero. I’m thrilled that this lake is so beautiful and that I happen to be at such a scenic spot when she could come to visit. It’s perfect!

I walked over the dam, which had amazing views, and then around the perimeter of the lake. Eventually it brought me to a road crossing and then up a driveway to Boots Off Hostel and Campground. It’s such a nice place! They have separate buildings for the bunkhouse, bathhouse, bathrooms, main hangout area with tables, chairs, picnic tables, a little store for drinks and light resupply..

I checked in, ate 2 donuts and drank a soda. I don’t know what came over me, but I was starved even though I ate a Subway sandwich AND chips for lunch! Ridiculous, really. The guy showed me around. Once I picked a bottom bunk, I unpacked and went to shower. It’s an outdoor shower with a bucket shower head that made a rainwater feel to it. It was pretty cool. I realized in the shower that my hips were rubbed raw from the rain today, and my goodness it burned like crazy in the water. I’m hoping it all clears up soon.. the slack pack tomorrow will help and the zero the following day will be even more beneficial.

I talked to mom a little today, since I finally had some decent service. I think I have her excited about the Karaoke place for tomorrow night.. I mentioned maybe being able to pick up a few friends, too, and she seems ok with that! It sounds like it would be so fun! Like a mini hiker reunion.

Anywho, Lizard arrived shortly after, and once she was settled in a bit, the guy from upfront drove us plus 2 other guys into town. I got another sub sandwich for lunch tomorrow, and then McDonald’s for dinner. Not my first choice, but I won’t lie-I enjoyed the hell out of that Big Mac meal.

When we arrived back at the hostel, Finch was there! He didn’t want us to get him anything from the stores we went to, so he did his own thing for dinner. He played a little guitar down at the main house, and he’s really good. I’m always fascinated by the musically inclined. I want to be able to play an instrument well, but I don’t have the patience to learn it. Im sure I could, but I think I prefer to stay fascinated by the others that play in front of me instead.

It’s almost 10pm and Im in my bunk, praying for better sleeping temperatures. It was perfect, until the other person (none of the 3 of us) came in and turned the heater on. Lord have mercy. I really need to quit staying in so many hostels. I enjoy them and I despise the shared sleeping space and lack of control. All in due time. I’m sure I’ll miss this someday.

Anyway, I think I’m off to sleep before I realize I’m hot! I get to slack pack 23 miles tomorrow and then SEE MY MAMA! I’m so excited 🙂 Goodnight yall!

Start: Walnut Mountain Road (AT mi 405.8). Stop: Boots Off Hostel (AT mi 428.4). Today’s miles: 22.6 miles. Total AT mileage: 1787.3 miles.

Today was tough. Even for a slack pack. I think I was in a foul mood to start with, since I didn’t sleep very well. By midnight I was down to my undies in my little bunk (thank God each bunk had its own privacy curtains) because I was so flippin hot! When I decided to put a shirt on to go to the bathroom, I also decided I was turning that dang heater down too. The man that turned it on in the first place set it to 76 degrees. SEVENTY-SIX. Y’all, the only way the thermostat at home hits 76 is if it’s broken.. I promptly dropped it to 72, still way too hot for my preference, but would hopefully be more manageable than the sauna I was baking in.

I did eventually drift off to sleep after that.. but it wasn’t very restful. When 7 am rolled around I was cranky and didn’t want to get up to get ready for the long day ahead. I did though, knowing that my mom would be getting here when I got done. I packed my stuff up into 2 packs, my day pack stuff and then everything else in my regular pack that I was leaving at the hostel. I wasn’t going to sleep at the hostel, so I didn’t want to take up a bunk or leave my stuff laid out to get moved around while I was gone.

I ate “breakfast” aka: 2 donuts and a banana.. and got ready to leave by 7:45 with another hiker. He got dropped off before me, and at 8:30 I was starting my almost 23 miles back to the hostel. I don’t know if it was my irritation or the actual trail, but it felt tougher today. My legs were tired and it felt more uphill than the elevation profile showed it to be. My hips are also rashy and raw from the rain yesterday chaffing them, so they would randomly sting if a scab opened any. It did make me happy to slack pack instead of hike out with my full pack today.

It had rained overnight and some this morning, but it wasn’t raining when I got moving.. it was pretty saturated though, making some steps a bit slippery. Even still, I kept an ok pace. I’m still shocked I was able to do that 27 mile day recently, because today took longer than that to complete, and today was significantly shorter. Every little thing matters.. and my body is clearly telling me I need a zero. Luckily, I’d be doing that tomorrow with my mom!

I had some pretty scenery, mostly damp leaves and a few flowing creeks. I passed the Hardcore Cascades and the Laurel Fork Falls, which were stunning. Right after Laurel Fork Falls I had a gorgeous walk by the creek the falls created, rocky but beautiful.. followed by the climb up 1700 ish foot of elevation gain to the top of the Pond Mountain Wilderness, and then back down the other side. It did have switchbacks, for which I was eternally grateful.

I made it back to Boots Off sometime after 5pm-probably closer to 6, with the sky dumping rain the last 20 or 30 minutes of my hike. I organized my things and then showered quickly, so I’d be ready when mom showed up. She was originally thinking she’d be there to get me by 6pm, but then she hit quite a bit of rain on the way up, slowing her progress. Now it was looking closer to 7pm before she’d get there, it was already pouring and starting to get dark. I was hungry, but mom had agreed to Karaoke, so I knew we’d be heading to dinner soon enough.

Lizard and I hung out while I waited for mom and Lizard waited for her pizza. She had decided she would pass on Karaoke since it was a 25 minute drive, it was already getting late, and she had to hike out in the morning. I completed understood her reservations.. being without a car and far from “home” for the night is stressful and she’d have probably gotten back pretty late, especially by hiker standards.

Around 7, I saw a familiar SUV drive up the driveway and start the process of turning around.. I wasn’t completely sure if that was who I thought it was or if it was Lizard’s pizza, but in my excitement I ran out to the driveway anyway! Turns out, my mom surprised me by coming with my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Keith!! AND it was Aunt Kathy’s birthday!! I was SHOCKED! She and I had recently been texting and I had no clue she was on her way to see me! What a happy happy day this turned out to be!

I introduced Lizard to my family after I gave hugs all around. Finally after a little chit chatting, I put my stuff in the SUV and we said our byes to Lizard to head to Karaoke. I wasn’t sure that they’d be interested, I wasn’t even sure if mom had told them about it.. but she had and they all wanted to go! It ended up being an absolute blast! The Station at 19E was a bar, restaurant, and hostel just outside of Roan, Tennessee. It had an old honky tonk feel to it. Inside, after we ordered our food and we found a high top bar to sit at, I went and said hi to Zebra, Smash, and MashedPotato.. Sunshine was onstage singing when we came in!

Everyone met my family, we ate our food while my friends and the locals all took turns singing on stage.. it was fantastic! There was also a Great Dane doggo that I harassed a bit, too. I couldn’t help myself, he was too big to not hug.. and I swear he liked it. Mom fed him some chicken (after getting permission) and he stayed around quite a bit after that. Bribery at its finest.

I didn’t do any singing on stage, but I did get on the dance floor and cut loose with my friends. It was hysterical and so so much fun. Looking over and seeing my mom, aunt, and uncle smiling and singing along just made it that much more incredible. We all even ended up singing happy birthday to Aunt Kathy (and apparently to the other 2 birthday people there..). I hope they all had as much fun as I did.. because it probably was one of the most fun nights on trail. Definitely one for the books!

When we finally left, I was a bit tipsy and I’m pretty sure I talked and giggled the whole way to our cabins. We told Uncle Keith the wrong entrance and he almost drove up a golf cart path.. along the lake.. I found it hysterical, I’m pretty sure he found it less so. Eventually we located the correct place that housed our keys, and then we found the actual appropriate cabins..

We unloaded our stuff and within minutes of walking in the door, I was asleep on the fold out couch. Haha, play hard sleep hard I guess! I finally got good, cool sleep! And, better yet, my 3 favorite people are with me! Life is good.

I woke up just after 8am feeling refreshed and well rested. Mom and I got ready and met Uncle Keith and Aunt Kathy across the way at their cabin to go to breakfast. Their cabin had the best views of Lake Watauga.. the mountains jutting up around the crystal blue water with trees dazzling us with all of their fall colors. Our cabin had views of the houseboats on the marina, beautiful in their own way.. like the painted ladies of the lake.

We all piled into the SUV and Uncle Keith drove us to the only restaurant that seemed to be open in the tiny town of Hampton, Tennessee. It was named “Amber’s Country Cooking” and it was exactly that-perfectly made country breakfasts with portions bigger than our heads! I actually couldn’t eat all my food this time.. I don’t know if my body realized we weren’t hiking today or if it truly was just that much food. Either way, it was very good! Biscuits and gravy, fried eggs, hash browns, bacon, cheese grits, and a huge glass of orange juice. Whew buddy!

After breakfast, we drove into Elizabethon right on the outskirts of Johnson City and found an actual Ingles grocery store for me to resupply at. It was nice to have so many options without the crowded chaos of Walmart. While this was a chore I didn’t want to have to do, it had to be done and the vehicle made it so much easier!
When we left the grocery store we headed back towards Hampton and followed the signs through the countryside to the Wilber and Watauga dams.. I crossed the Watauga dam on the way into Boots Off 2 days ago and I knew it was gorgeous, so I was excited to see the signs and to know it’s apparently easy to drive to so they could see it’s beauty in person, too.

The countryside was just as stunning as the dams themselves. The mountains speckled with farmhouses and barns, cows and Christmas tree farms. The water only added to the magic of it all. Such a simpler life out here, away from all the cars and city life. We stopped at the top of the Wilber dam first.. the water being clear in some spots all the way to the bottom. When we got to close to the Watauga dam we had to park and walk.. and ended up connecting with the AT and walking the exact part of the trail I had. It was surreal to have my favorite people there, literally walking in my footsteps.

We took the hike down to the waterway and over the dam, enjoying the breeze and dreading the return up the hill we just hiked down. I showed Aunt Kathy the app FarOut introduced me to, Seek, that allows you to point your camera at just about anything in nature-animals and insects along with plants, trees, and flowers, and it will tell you what it is. We took pictures and simply enjoyed each other’s company.

I’ve known that I miss my family, I’ve known that I love being around them-but being with them today has made me want to hurry home even more than I already have.. it’s a strange feeling, to absolutely love the challenge I’m in, love the serenity of the trail, the people I encounter, meet, become friends with, and then to also be day dreaming about life after the trail already, about being finished.. so I can be around my family and friends and see and do the things I’ve missed. I don’t want to come across as unsatisfied or unhappy, because I’m far from both of those things-but I miss my people a whole lot.

Anyway-we hiked back to the car and then drove back down the mountain. Back at Wilber Dam, mom noticed a side road that went down to access the water. We decided to go that way and explore the creek. Water was spilling through the “overflow” thing-mom knew that’s what it was-and as we were exploring and using Seek to identify the wildflowers, the generators turned on and released some water, making the creek quickly rise within minutes. One second my foot was on dry creek bed, the next my pantslegs we’re getting soaked! It wasn’t the lift of a gate and a flood of water like I was imagining, but still pretty dang cool.

We left there and did some site seeing around the creek and the pastures nearby, fantasizing about owning land on the water with a cute little cabin or a even a hostel somewhere. When we started getting hungry for lunch, we went back into town and got Zaxbys-and took it to go eat at a picnic table in a park we had passed. Laughing and talking non stop, we ate and people watched and loved life. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing lazily, the skies were perfectly blue. I couldn’t have been happier.

We eventually made our way back to the cabins and explored around there.. down to the docks on the lake, over to the marina side, to a bench with a view. We ended on Uncle Keith and Aunt Kathys cabin porch, never quite catching up with all we had to talk about. This day couldn’t have turned out to be more perfect.

I got a call from Poptart around 4:30. I was expecting her call, knowing that if I missed her today, I’d miss her completely. When I started southbound from Harper’s Ferry, she started northbound from Springer Mountain in Georgia. We knew we’d eventually cross paths, but had we not been in contact, she’d have passed me while I was zeroing today! So, we made a plan to get dinner together tonight, as long as my family didn’t mind-which of course they didn’t!

Uncle Keith and I picked her up from the Dollar General in town that she walked to from the trail.. crazy girl could have called sooner and we’d have happily picked her up from the trailhead. I was so happy to see her! We hugged before getting all her goodies in the trunk. Because she was staying at Boots Off hostel, we stopped by there to let her check in and set her stuff up so her laundry would be done by the time she got back and her spot claimed since it would be dark after dinner.

We got back to the cabins and I introduced her to mom and Aunt Kathy, then she finally got to go shower-with moms nice toiletry stuff brought from home. While she showered, I painted my toenails while sitting on the porch of Uncle Keith and Aunt Kathys cabin talking with them and mom. I’m shocked we were still yammering on so much, not even so much as a pause in our chatter. When Poptart got finished, she joined us. She fit right in! There’s never a dull moment with this family.

We decided on Mexican for dinner, and loaded up to head back into the bigger city, as absolutely everything in Hampton was closed. The restaurant was the size of a football field, I’m pretty sure it used to be a Kmart or something.. it was ginormous! We all enjoyed our food, especially the cheese dip-the margaritas were subpar but it didn’t matter. Stuffed and wobbling out, we made our way back to Boots Off to drop off Poptart and then head home. We spent even more time on that porch before going to bed.

When mom and I finally did go to our cabin and get ready for bed, all I could think about is how I don’t want this to end. I don’t want it to already be the end of the night and time to sleep. But sadly, it is. We were all worn out from our sightseeing, good food, laughing and fun. I’m laying here now and mom is already sound asleep and my eyelids are drooping, but I miss them all and this family time so much already. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a tough one for me.. but this day has truly been incredible.

Sweet dreams.