Wilbur Dam Road to Tennessee 91

May 27, 2013
16.1 miles
9:45 to 5:00

Maggy the hiking Picanese/Chiwawa

Today we have to do 16.1 miles to get to the next gap. We looked at the elevation and talked to lots of folks who said it was not a hard hike at all.  So we took our car up to the road at Tennessee 91 and the shuttle driver brought us back down to Wilbur Dam Road to hike north to the car. 

 

 

 

Thank goodness we are slackpacking again today.  I was somewhat surprised at the number of uphills we had considering what we had been told about the terrain.  It was not rolling along the top of the ridgeline as much as we had thought.  We did go from a low of 2250 to a high of 4125, which is really not bad, just more than I expected.  After we passed Iron Mountain Shelter it got easier – but I was sure glad when that 16 miles was over.  I was very tired.  This is our longest mileage ever.

Our last look at Watauga Lake as we headed north.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Nick Grindstaff monument on Iron Mountain

Atop Iron Mountain we encountered the gravesite of Nick Grindstaff, born December 26, 1851 and died July 22, 1923. Epitaph on the chimney reads, “He lived alone, suffered alone, and died alone.”  Reportedly he lived more than 40 years alone on Iron Mountain after traveling west to win his fortune and being robbed of all his money during the journey.  He became one of the region’s most famous hermits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just before Tennessee 91 Highway we had a delightful surprise.  The GAs  and RAs (girls and boys) of Nelson Chapel Baptist Church had left a Trail Magic box beside a tree with a nice note.  They had snacks (which was all gone), drinks in cold water (which use to be ice), a garbage bag for our garbage, first aid, a journal and maybe a few other things.  We helped ourselves to a Faygo drink and an RC.  It was very refreshing.  Thank you, boys and girls, for thinking of the hikers. 

 

Wait-up taking the loot from the Trail Magic box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The king size bed at The Hiker's Inn in Damascus

From Tennessee 91 we drove up to Damascus where we had reserved a room at the Hiker’s Inn.  It is a beautiful old home with three bedrooms upstairs that are rented out.  They also have a bunkhouse behind the house with two bunks and a private room.  We had the room at the top of the stairs with a king size bed.  Nice!

We had a burger at the Blue Blaze Café before retiring for the night.

Wilbur Dam Road to Dennis Cove Road, southbound

Wait-up and Harry, trying to get each other straight.

May 26, 2013
12.8 miles
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

We shuttled to Wilbur Dam Road this morning to hike south back into Black Bear Resort.  We met Harry on the trail going north and, again, he was confused that we would be going the opposite direction. Again he asked, “You’re going back?”  We kept him confused. 

87-year-old Harry from Germany, thru-hiking the AT



Wilbur Dam

We crossed the road over the dam and then went up the mountain.  The first part of the trail overlooks Lake Watauga and is very pretty.  When got down to the lake, we met Frizz again.  We had not seen her since just north of the Smokies since we hopped up to Erwin from there (we had already done the section north of the Smokies up to Sam’s Gap south of Erwin).  It was good to see her again and know that she was still on the trail.  She did say she was getting homesick though.  She is going only to Harper’s Ferry and it seems she will be glad to get there.



Wilbur Dam Road

South of Lake Watauga, we crossed Highway 321 and went back into the woods.  It took us 2 hours to climb up to Pond Flats, then 1.5 hours down.  We thought we were home free because that is the highest point on the trail today.  Then we began a section that was very rocky with lots of people on it – day hikers.  There must be something in here that lots of people want to see, plus it is Memorial Day weekend. 

Watauga Lake

We met four young fellas that we first had encountered back at Mountain Harbour.  They were headed north, lickety-split.  One of them said, “We took a page out of your book and we are slackpacking today.”  Good for them.  We found out later their trail names were Tails, Chief, Lightening and Nature Boy.  Tails and Chief had served in the Marines together and conjured up the idea of hiking the trail when they got out.



Entering Pond Mountain Wilderness

A view of Watauga Lake from up above.

The rocky trail led us down to the creekside and went right along the edge on nothing but rock.  We kept following it, not sure we were on the right trail, but every once in awhile we would see a white blaze.  Then we saw what was attracting so many people.  Laurel Fork Falls.  It was beautiful!  People were sitting all over the rocks in front of it enjoying the view and the cool water.  We sat for awhile ourselves.  Then we started looking for the trail on to Dennis Cove.  When we found it, we were not impressed.  It was a series of rocky steps almost straight up.  At the end of a long hike it was pretty hard.  I really don’t know how folks do it that are not in shape.  But finally we got up it and had a pleasant final walk on to the road at Dennis Cove. 

The trail went right along the side of the creek. Interesting.



Laurel Fork Falls

Laurel Fork Falls

Laurel Fork Falls

The trail going up away from Laurel Fork Falls

We then walked east down Dennis Cove Road to Black Bear Resort. On the road there is a trailer with a fence around it with a sign, "Beware Killer Rabbits." Then we saw the killer rabbit --

 

That night we went into Elizabethton for a steak. It was good.