Donna's dream was to backpack on the AT, and here she realizes her goal as she begins the long and laborious uphill trek from Watauga Lake to Iron Mountain Ridge. Except for one 14 hour rain, the weather was ideal and the scenery magnificent.
Short sections atop the ridge were level, but the constant roller coaster of ups and downs caused re-injury of a knee, taking some of the joy out of the hike. Water was available from springs at regular intervals, and two shelters were available on this section of trail, though we slept in a tent, once camping behind a shelter (Vandeventer).
Though the entire ridge is well above the valleys on either side, there are few places that provide panoramic views. Lake Watauga is seen here from the Vandeventer Shelter, and the valley can be seen from Uncle Nick Grindstaff's memorial, the site of his shanty in the early 1900s, but few other views are available due to the dense tree cover on the sides of the ridge.
