June 21, 2025
AT mile marker 420.3 to 438.9
Hiked today: 18.6 miles / 29.9 km

We slept well in the comfortable cabin at Black Bear Resort and were up before 7, ready for breakfast at the cafe. With full stomachs we set off, first with a short ride down the road to where we left the trail in 2022. Then it was down a clearly marked trail to see beautiful Laurel Falls, then up the track to the top of Pond Mountain.

The Appalachian Trail at this time of year is very green. Today was hot and humid, a big change from the dry heat of New Mexico and we were soon dripping with perspiration. The undergrowth is dense, overgrown at some points and the rhododendron trees that line this trail are starting to bloom.

Down from Pond Mountain,  we wound our way towards a dam where there were crowds swimming at a beach, others were fishing or enjoying the water in boats or on inflatable toys. My knee did not like the long descent and started giving twinges on both uphill and downhill hiking. I took a couple of ibuprofen and hoped the problem would ease off. After a lunch near the lake shore, we continued on the track which led across the dam wall, along a steep road and then off into the forest on a long ascent along a ridge and up another mountain.

Around 5.30 we decided to look for a dinner spot, planning to eat and then hike on before camping. This is definitely bear country and we have all our food stored in a bear proof container which we will place a distance from our tent. After dinner, it was about a mile and a half to an official AT shelter. When we arrived there, we found just one hiker set up there for the night. Since we were also starting to be bothered by mozzies, we decided to find a tent spot down the trail and hopefully get a better bug-free sleep.