Appalachian Trail - US-19E TN to US-321 TN

Day 0 - May 28, 2023

Arrived and parked at Boots Off Hostel. I rented a small one-room cabin for the night and they arranged the shuttle for the morning.

Day 1 - May 29, 2023

Alarm at 6:20. I slept OK in the little Boots Off Hostel cabin, a little chilly but not bad.

Breakfast was cereal and an apple.

Shuttle left just after 8am and I was at US19 about 9am

Met a mechanical eniineering teacher on the shuttle. He is hiking from Carvers Gap to Damascus VA.

Two ladies got off the shuttle with me also heading back to Boots Off. I did not see them after the beginning of the hike.

I hit the 400 mile mark! A brother/sister hiking duo came by at the same time and we took some photos. I saw them a few more times over the next couple of hours- but they were much faster and quickly out-paced me.

Lunch was at Jones Falls. Really pretty nice spot to eat.

Made it to Mountaineer Shelter about 2pm. That is 9mi so far. Met a couple doing a SB flip/flop hike. They started in PA and have already made it to Tennessee.

Continued on until Upper Laurel Fork, which is mile marker 408.0. Total for today was 12.7 miles. 20.5 remaining on this section.

Made camp about 4:30p. Forgot one tent stake somehow. Need to add that and a spare to the pouch. Dinner was a Mountain House Beef Sroganoff, some hot tea, and a cookie.

Day 2 - May 30, 2023

My alarm went off at 7am. I slept OK but my lower back was a bit sore during the night.

The goal today is to camp near Laurel Falls

Bob's Red Mill chocolate and peanut butter bar for breakfast as I broke camp about 8am.

Came across a small waterfall call Hardcore Cascades in the morning. Was a neat little to stop for lunch/snacks. Met a bunch of two week section hikers.

Made it to Laural Falls about 3:30. Spectacular. The climb down was rough but not too dangerous. Went out by a rock squeeze where I saw what I thought was a blue monarch butterfly. I later learned it was a Astyanax Red-spotted Purple butterfly. The trail out along the river was nice until the last couple of tenths.

Got to Laural Shelter about 4:15p and am the first one here. Light rain has started. Claiming a spot in the shelter.

Hiked 13.9 miles today, 27k steps according to my Garmin. Just over eight hours on the move. 6.6mi to finish tomorrow.

Some of the group I met at the last shelter showed up, they lost two guys and they have a hurt stragler. They are getting shuttle back to Boots Off.

Water here at the shelter is a stuggle, but I should have enough for tonight and tommorow.

Dinner is Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki and a cookie.

A SB section hiking couple came in about 5:30. They are heading to Roan Mountain.

Sack out about 8:40.

Day 3 - May 31, 2023

Laurel Falls Shelter to Shook Branch Rec Area (US-321)

Tough climb to Pond Flats (about 2k vertical) and a nice decent to Lake Watagua. Not a lot of views today. Got to Boots Off Hostel about lunch time and took a glorious semi-outdoor shower.

6.7mi today. Spring 2023 hike complete.