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Starting out from Erwin, Tn with our re-supply was slow, we made it to the trail just before noon. After hiking for a while we settled for lunch at a rocky vista that overlooked a valley. The rest of the day was spent climbing up Roan Mtn high bluff. At the top of the mtn there was an awesome display of rhododendrons in bloom. We decided to set up camp in order to catch the sunset and settle down for the evening. Waking up at the crack of dawn had paid off again. I caught another unbelievably cool sunrise. I also spoke to a few families about the cause as we passed through a tourist area. We stopped for lunch at a massive old barn that was remodeled and turned into a shelter. Its located in an open field situated at the top of a series of valleys. Its also said that the best view from a shelter on the AT is from the Over Mtn Shelter. The group had agreed on staying the rest of the day here and to have an early departure in the morning in hopes of catching the sunrise from the top of Hump mtn. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing cards and reading. We set out at O' dark 30 and were amazed at the stars, which are normally hidden by the city lights, were out, and fully illuminated the sky. Climbing up Hump mtn as the night turned to day was very rewarding with the endless breath taking views. After reaching the top, we decided to eat breakfast as the sun continued to rise. We had our fill of oatmeal and coffee, it was time to move on. While descending the mtn, we crossed a field that had horses running freely. They were curious about my presence and immediately came to greet me. This was an amazing encounter that added to what was already a great day. We hitched into town in the back of a pick-up truck at the next road crossing for lunch and a quick re-supply. A few miles outside of town we grabbed a campsite which sat beside a descent sized creek. I took this opportunity to bathe in the cool yet refreshing mountain water before turning in for the night. The next section of the trail turned out to be my favorite thus far. The AT crossed a couple of roads and took us through a fairly diverse area of the forest. Today we hit the 400 mile marker but we are unsure of the actual total due to the numerous daily trips to do our miscellaneous chores, errands, etc. The last few days have been great because of the many streams and rivers that have given us a place to cool off and relax. Early the following day we came across a field that was surrounded by trees. It was empty except for a large tree that stood proudly in the middle with a nicely built fire pit near its base. By now, we have discovered that there’s no point in searching for a perfect spot when you’ve already found it. I laid around and read through the rest of the afternoon. We also watched some deer grazing in the field as the sun was setting. A nice way to spend the day. The next day we started hiking around our usual time and headed towards laurel falls. On our way we had passed our New Zealand friends so we stopped to chat before continuing on. Its always nice to see a familiar face. The falls were an impressive sight which is probably why it was swarming with day hikers. We went for a swim and walked further down stream to do some laundry. Drying the clothes is as simple as tying them to your pack as you hike. There was 1 more climb for the day and it was somewhat challenging. Running out of daylight and trying to beat a storm puts a little twist on the situation. Fortunately we had missed the threatening part of the storm as it passed just north of us. We only caught a bit of rain. I was ahead of the group when I stumbled upon a black bear that was drinking out of the same water source that I was searching for. This bear was rather small. It was startled by my presence and trotted off in a hurry. I feel lucky to have spotted another one of these powerful creatures. The bear was long gone before the others had arrived. Up until this point, they haven’t seen a bear and were growing tired of that fact. We sat around and chatted while we prepared a late supper. I slept like a baby due to the colder temperatures at higher elevations. The weather was perfect when I crawled out of my tent the next morning. Lake Watauga was about 3 miles away from where we camped and I was in high spirits. When we arrived, I took a nice long swim in the lake and soaked up the sun for a while. After a well deserved break, we followed the trail around the edge of the lake and decided to look for a camp site. We ended up walking to the north end where the dam is located and found a small peninsula that was connected to mainland by a 5 ft wide path. This place is truly spectacular. I could see a large part of the lake and the mountainous terrain that surrounds it. It was very captivating. Our campsite was also in a perfect location to watch the sunset & sunrise. After we set up camp, we took another swim in the lake and collected some firewood for the evening. I was in my tent reading with the rain fly off to the side. It was about 11pm when I put down my book and turned off the light. I must have just drifted into sleep when I heard a noise shuffling outside of the tent. I spoke out to whom I thought was one of my friends. There was no response. I glanced behind me and saw a nice sized black bear leaning against the tree. I quickly yelled to my friends who were 15ft away from me. They were sleeping in their tent with the dog and hadn’t heard a sound. The bear was going for our food bags. They were tied up in the two trees which separated out tents. Mike and Marisa finally woke up but the bear had already disappeared. He glanced back at me then ran off with their food bag in his mouth. Normally we make sure the food bags aren’t within reach. Today however, we went against that cardinal rule and it bit us in the behind. We felt that the heavily used recreational area, where we were staying, would be a deterrent in itself. We were wrong! We were gathering the food that fell out of their bag when out of nowhere popped a cut down tree stump. Trying to move quickly to clean up the area had turned out to be a bad idea. I hit the stump with a blunt force in my bare feet and new immediately that something was wrong. The pain I felt was excruciating yet the thing I feared most, was the thought that I would have to get off of the trail. The bear who was lurking within our sights, would not leave us alone. I hobbled along to a tree that was hanging over the water. Marisa held a flashlight on the bear and clashed pots together as Michael and I hung my food bag, our only hope. We succeeded in scaring away the bear only momentarily. After making sure the tents and area were clear of anything with a smell, we went to bed. Shortly after, he was back. This time, the dog had alerted us. Making noise was only a short term solution. This bear was used to humans. I laid in my tent for a while and could hear the bear going for the food. Splash! I yelled to my friends that I thought he had achieved his goal. By this point we were exhausted and agreed on leaving it be until morning. This bear was persistent. I awoke to Marisa yelling at him as the sun was rising. After a while, we went and saw that the food bag had been bear napped. We found the remnants not far away. He ate just about everything. I even found a bite mark in my honey container! Looking carefully around the tree we could see his claw marks on the bark and his tracks were everywhere. We believe that the bear cut the rope while swinging at the food bag and that is what released it into the water. Unfortunately, my foot hadn’t felt any better in the morning. We had to walk about 5 miles back to town in order to get more food. This was extremely difficult for me. Michael and Marisa decided to stay another night in order to see what I was going to do. We chose a camp site that was near the road. They went to get more supplies while I stayed at camp. The next morning my foot still hadn’t improved so I made the decision to get off of the trail and seek medical attention. This was by no means, an easy decision to make. I was unable to hike any further with my foot in that condition so I had to leave the trail for now. I intend to section hike the remainder of the trail in the future. Due to my (Matt) injury on the trail. I have decided to continue to raise awareness and money by driving across the country and speaking with people I encounter at state and national parks. Josh and I are also planning to have two more fundraisers. We will post the details of these events at a later date. We would like to thank you all again for your support and will keep you all updated on the upcoming events. Matthew Renner Joshua Baden
8:41 PM
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