Date: 2008-10-22
From: Mollies Ridge

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Finished with the Great Smoky Mountains!OK, so I think I mentioned that I won't complain about my foot any more. There is just one thing worth mentioning. I only had to hike 11 miles today to Fontana Dam. I hiked the toughest part by accident yesterday. It was pretty much down hill for most of todays section. When I first hurt my foot I think that I stated going up hill was the most painful... WRONG! Going downhill for extended periods of time is torture. I can not avoid heavy impact on my foot when reaching downhill to take the next step. The thump of my body-weight plus the 40lb. pack on any part of the foot in any fashion is torment. Today I took many short breathers to gather my bearings and move my toes around. I felt lightheaded and worn out.   OK, so aside from the hike to the dam... Spoons father (Stephen) was there waiting for us in his Toyota Tacoma. We all greeted eachother and hoped in the truck for a 2 hr. ride to Knoxville TN. Tree Slayer and I volunteered to stay in the bed of the truck while Spoon, Grettle, Mango and Philli stayed in the cab. I love riding in the bed of pick-up trucks. This time it was a bit cold but I put my hat, gloves and rain coat on to protect me from the wind. During the 2 hr drive I called to check on my dog. Shea ended up having to go in for a second surgery but she is recovering fine and this time the odds of success are much greater. Once again my mother, father and sister are helping minimize my stress of the situation by being extremely flexible and helpful.Spoon's dad hooked us up big time for dinner. He ordered pork BBQ rib's, potato salad, cole slaw, baked BBQ beans and BBQ pork sandwich meat with bulky rolls and a variety of sauces! I think we ate everything in sight. Stephen was smart to make a plate for his wife before we cleaned house.I got to take my shower and do laundry after 8 solid days. I was disgusting. I was sweating dirt and my clothes had white, crusty rings of salt in them from my sweat... pretty gross.We went to a local grocery store (Krogers) and did a 5-6 day resupply. I got 12 bagels with meat and cheese. I also stocked up on PRO bars. They are expensive but the best food I have found available on supermarket shelves. PRO bars are made from all organic ingredients and are made with an abundance of nuts, grains, fruit, chocolate, seeds and omega fats. Each bar holds 390 super healthy calories. I wanted to finish the trail healthy and couldn't resist the stock up on these bars. They are hard to come by.I won the privilege of staying in a queen size bed in the basement. Philli and I played Rock, Paper, Scissors for the bed. Tree Slayer volunteered to sleep on the couch in front of the TV (so that he could get his TV fix). Philli will be sleeping in a recliner chair or on the floor.Spoons dad has been extremely nice and hospitable. His house is beautiful and he has gone far out of his way to drive us, feed us and accommodate us.We also drove to Mama Spoons house in Knoxville! We only stopped in to say hello to Check and so that Spoon could visit his mom. She had just baked a Mexican Casserole and brownies. We ate some and had a root-bear and several glasses of water before leaving. We will return to Mama Spoon's (Karen's) house tomorrow morning to grab the dog before getting back on the trail.Today (and the past 5 days) have been highly eventful. I am extremely exhausted.~Santana~ "by myself but not alone"