Date: 2018-10-28
From: Crosby Mountain Shelter

To: Davenport Gap and the I 40 underpass
Miles today: 10.1

Crazy BritI must apologize seems I forgot to send my last message for posting on my AT journal, must have been so excited to finish will get it done.Had a great night all be it freezing cold, good job the shelter had a tarp over the front as the wind was blowing right into the shelter. Why do they build these shelters on the windward side of the mountain.There was only one other guy in there, so plenty of room, had a load of mice there running around all night. Had a pretty good nights sleep, but I am super excited to be finishing tomorrow.I have called Dan and told him that I will be coming out of the forest at 2:00 pm. So in the morning I have my coffee sat in my nice warm sleeping bag, the guy I shared the shelter with has packed up and left he has 200 plus miles to go to finish his thru Hike, he is happy to be this close, I have given him my emergency supply of food.So today I will be done with this Adventure, but first I have to put on cold wet liners and I am going to wear my last pair of dry over socks. Ohhhh, my feet are cold, but they will warm up as I start to hike. I am going to wear my nice warm puffy as its not raining and all my other stuff is wet and cold.So all packed up and ready to hit the trail, the leaves are changing real fast now its got cold, and they are really falling from the trees as its blowing hard, most of my hike is down hill today so I can make good time.There is not a lot of water on the trail, another bonus, so I am headed for a view point where I can send out a Facebook Live Video. I arrive at the view point and its spectacular with all the fall foliage changing colors. I have picked some leaves to press dont know how they will turn out???.I call Janice, also Hobie and Greg today. I will be back for the Reggata on Saturday, Face Time home. I am back on the trail, doing great meet some young hikers turns out we met up in Vermont, whilst we were getting water, also a young girl had found one of our plastic Frogs and had taken it to Katahdin, then sent it home for safe keeping, that was really cool.I told Dan I would be out of the Forest at 2:00 pm so I am going at a good pace to be on time.Its getting close, I am going down hill pretty fast and then I see Dans Truck, I give out a shout, Dan is out of the truck, big Hugs I told him I have to walk up to past the underpass to be complete.DONE IT YES !!!!!!!!!.Dan has driven 144 miles to meet me, now he is going to drive me to Nantahala Gorge so I can get my car, another 98 miles I will then follow him home to Blowing Rock.A round trip of 484 miles that is a true friend.Dan and Susan and Myself go out to dinner to celebrate and have a couple of beers, Two Thru Hikers together. Next day I go to the home he is renovating for himself, a true craftsman, doing a great job, its going to look Awesome when its finished, and he has a to Die for Large Workshop I am so envious.After leaving Dan's home In Blowing Rock, I head down the mountain to Hickory to visit Juliet my Step Daughter, she has a new Office, I am so proud of her she is one of the top State Farm Agencies in the area, she is a remarkable woman who has risen to the top thru a lot of adversities, I am so proud of her.I am invited to stay the night this will be great I get to meet Matt her Fianc again. We go out to dinner at a really nice restaurant, then home to catch up on all the news, and drink some wine. Next day I am up drinking coffee when Juliet gets up, Matt has all ready left for work, so another coffee and I am ready to drive home to Florida.On the way home I will call in on my great friend Steve Coan, he has just won his bout with Cancer but has a few other problems. When I call him he has just come out of surgery and is still a bit dopey from the anesthetic, so will have to see him at a later date.Driving thru Florida I call Steve Pettingill to see if he is working on Stanley Pariss boat, yes he is so I am invited to come on over and yes you are staying the night.Steve and Patty his wife have a great home out in the country!!!!! Well it was now they are putting a huge development right behind his property, Oh My!!!! Steve is not impressed. After dinner we start chatting Patty is off to bed, we chat and chat its after 1:00 am when we go to bed, less two bottles of wine.In the morning we go down to Stanely Pariss boat his second boat. Built so he can be the oldest man to sail around the world non stop and also break Dodge Morgans record, its a cool boat designed by Finot Conq at 52 ft OA its shorter than his old boat but lighter and faster, this will be his fourth and last attempt, best of luck Stanley.I give Steve a hand to Bend on the Sails, get an in depth tour of the boat, I helped them take the old Kiwi Spirit up to Rhode Island a couple of years ago.Have lunch and I am back on the road, these last few days visiting has been great, but my Adventure has to end some time.I get home to a great welcome from Janice and the family, they are all set up for Halloween, chairs and goodies out in the driveway ready for the trick or treaters, have a load of them another great night.I know I have rambled on in my Journal, just trying to give you an insight to my life on the trail the good and not so good. I had a great time sharing it with you all, tho got to admit after a hard day, it was even harder typing into a phone and get it sent off to Stacy who would then upload it to the AT Trail journals, thank you Stacy.My thanks to everyone I met, thanks to David my teacher without whom I would still be in Georgia?????Thanks to Janice for supporting me in this Adventure and being on her own for 6 months.Thanks to all the journal readers, it was a Blast.Thank you all