May 3

Adriana Lima

Crossed over Watauga Dam this morning.  Blazes were kind of hard to follow, but I got going in the right direction.  Entered an area through the Big Laurel Branch Wilderness.  Not sure what the 'wilderness' count is up to, but it's pretty cool to go through so many of them.  Saw another snake, not sure what type.  It was smaller, and sort of brown and yellow-ish.  Stopped for lunch and Vandeventer shelter, and there was a nice view behind it.  In the shelter, people had written all sorts of funny things about Bob Peoples, in the style of 'Chuck Norris-isms".  Ie:  "Bob Peoples gives his boots blisters", and "Bob Peoples was bitten by a zombie.  After a few days, the zombie turned back into a human, and started building switchbacks", "When Bob Peoples sleeps here, the mice bring him food", etc, etc.  I got to Iron Mountain shelter early in the afternoon, and I had noticed in my AT Guide that from this point, it was exactly 26.2 miles to the middle of town in Damascus.  I decided that I would stop short for the day, and do my marathon day into Damascus tomorrow.  I wanted to sleep in the shelter, even though the weather was nice, so I wouldn't have to pack up my tent in the morning.  When I rolled out my mat, I noticed on the wall next to me, a picture of Adriana Lima, that someone had taken out of a Victoria's Secret magazine and duct taped to the wall.  Awesome!  It just so happens that she is my most favorite model in the world.  Absolutely stunning.  I was destined to stay here, that settles it.  A few other hikers pulled in throughout the evening.  I got a nice video of Kokopelli playing his native flute at his tentsite.  Very relaxing.  Brightflower said she was an early riser so I asked her to wake me up so I could get an early start on my big day tomorrow.

View behind Vandeventer shelter.