Date: 2016-05-19
From: kincora

To: camp site
Miles today: 19.0

Day 38- May 19, 2016This morning we woke up in the Kincora tree house. I didn't sleep well because my muscles hurt and I was cramping. As we got ready to leave, dregs went down to the main house and talked to focus, rest stop, and merlot who were also about to head out. Rest stop and focus left before us and we were sure that we wouldn't see them again. One is a triple crowner and the other is a double triple crowner, someone who has hiked the three major trails twice each. They have been pulling 25-35 mile days. In talking to them, we were inspired to pick up our mileage and do longer days, not faster just longer. We left the hostel and walked with Merlot for a while. We got to know her a little better and learned her son had through hiked already, now she wanted I cross it off her bucket list.The first part of the day led is to laurel falls. It was a large water fall with a large beautiful stream that flowed from it. Following the stream was a rock scramble that we had to climb and was very slippery along river edge. We climbed mostly up for the day. As we were hiking, dregs had service on his phone so he made a few calls and check in at work. While he was on the phone I found our first set of chicken mushrooms. I was super excited but he was slightly distracted on the phone. We left them and continued. It was 8 miles to a road where we hitched into town. At the road there was a sign that clearly whomever posted it was upset. locals have been really upset that the government had forced some of their land to be given up for trail. We got ride into Hampton, TN and was dropped off at a McDonald's. I got 3 burgers and a mcflurry and dregs got three other types of burgers and two pies. It was everything I had hoped it would be. When we were finished and about to walk to the post office, people in a van saw us and offered us a ride. We picked up a box from eric with rain cover, pants and snacks. We were super excited for gummies and sweet strips. Next we went over to grocery store/ hardware store and resupplied. There, we saw the south african guy who's now calling us " the hobbits". When we finished shopping, we tried to hitch back to trail but had no takers. A guy in the grocery store parking lot waved us over and gave us a ride back. We got back to the trail where it started at big lake. By the lake we saw wallet and another hiker who had gone swimming. We Hiked on up for another 9 miles while listening to audiobooks. We passed over a large dam with a huge rock face behind it and beautiful lake and mountains on other side. It was pretty neat looking and made me feel so small in comparison. When we got to a spring near our destination, dregs began to fill the water and told me to go on and find camp for the night. I could have just gone 1.7 miles to next shelter but instead I kept going. I found a spot about two miles after the shelter after following purple and orange flowers that lined the trail. The spot was just big enough for our tent to have a nice flat space and a small sitting area. It was about 7pm. This was a long day that in all was about a 19 mile day. I set up camp and dregs showed up not long after. He was proud of me that I kept hiking on. We ate and got ready for bed with a pretty standard rest of the night.