Date: 2009-05-05
From: Hot Springs,NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

What a great visit with my family!My granddaughters are still beautiful. We watched movies, ate steaks,baked potatoes,corn on the cob,Caesar Salad,Mississippi Mud cake,cookies and ice cream. I feel those pounds coming back already. We also went out for Mexican food and celebrated early Mother's Day Thank you babies!And I gave my daughter Marti her birthday(May 22) gift as I don't plan on being back home for some time now.And we watched movies,ate Mississippi Mud Cake and ice cream.HeeHee! I guess I really needed to see everyone again. It did do me good. Michael drove me back to Hot Springs yesterday.We rented a cabin by the French Broad River. When I made the reservation I asked about the free hot tub soak. The representative that I was talking to said that it ended May 1st. I told him how I was there a week ago and the gate lady didn't tell me about my free session until it was too late for me to go. He said I could tell them at the check-in and they might work with me. At check-in, the same girl was there and remembered me and also a person that works at the Hot Springs Resort was there and she said she would take care of it and we should come on over anytime. Well we didn't even go to the cabin. Ha! We went straight over to the hot tub and got right in for free. All we had to pay for was $1.00 each to rent a towel. It felt great too. I've wanted to do this for a long time and now I have. We had a nice dinner at the Iron Horse Restaurant and turned in. I wanted to get an early start tomorrow.But it came a downpour last night I kid you not. We were up early and went to the Smoky Mountain Diner for a great breakfast and I was off. Michael walked me to the French Broad River and we said our goodbyes. He made my picture there so you guys will know that I am really back out here. Hope to have some pics up soon. He watched me cross the bridge and hump the guard rail and go on my merry way once again on the Applachian Trail heading north. I waved bye to him and I was out of sight. Thanks for all you do Michael. What a great day for a hike!!So up,up,up was the climb out of Hot Springs. A full pack with seven days of food and two liters of water was weighed at home at 34.6 pounds. That's as good as it gets children. The hike today was very nice to start. Nice switchbacks with overlooks back down to Hot Springs and the full,rolling,muddy French Broad River. I went over to check out Lovers Leap Rock. Naaaahh,I would never do it.Ha. I did leapfrog with Strings(carries a guitar) off and on today. Nice guy. The weather was really nice through Pump Gap and Mill ridge Wildlife Habitat but then it opened up. It was raining so hard I didn't get to check out Rich Mountain Fire Tower. I was pretty wet when I got to the shelter. The shelter was very small only holding five.So it would get very crowded before the night is over. I had planned to stay in there though if it continued to rain but it stopped for awhile and I pitched my cozy little tent. Ahhh my home away from home. Hopefully it won't rain too much tonight.Some here are Wolfpack,two kids,gatcha,strings,Rambo came and left. Others also came and left. Everyone is hoofing it to get to Trail Days in Damascus,VA on the 15th of May. Not me! No way can I do near twenty mile days. My foot has done quiet well today. It would have a little discomfort off and on but nothing like when I had to come off the trail. Hopefully it will be okay. So it worked you guys. Your thoughts,prayers and healing wishes just fixed me right up.