Date: 2017-03-29
From: Laughing Heart Hostel (Hot Springs, NC)

To: Laughing Heart Hostel (Hot Springs, NC)
Miles today: 0.0

Day 22: Hot Springs, NC - 0.0 miles:I woke just after 7am after less than five hours of sleep. With original plans of hiking out, I had chores to take care of and soon set off to begin the process. My first stop was to head a few hundred yards, as the crow flies, to the Smoky Mountain Diner, made more complicated due to having to navigate a steep staircase down the side of a hill, passing within 20-30ft of someone's backdoor, before reaching the road the diner was located on. The morning promised a great day ahead, a light fog still snaking it's way through the valley above the French Broad River. The sky was cloudless, ranging from near white around the rising sun to a brilliant, confident sky blue in the opposite direction.With Toepick in tow, we entered the diner, seated ourselves in an over-sized booth in the back, and chatted as we waited for our food to arrive, sleep still heavy in our eyes. After what seemed an excessive amount of time, our plates of food arrived - French toast and yogurt for Toepick, four eggs, crispy bacon, sausage, hash browns, grits, and what seemed like an entire loaf of toast for me. After feeling satisfyingly full, we made our way back up the hill to the hostel. Toepick would spend the morning waiting for a veterinarian to drop in and check on the condition of Odin; I would pack my gear before making my way back into the small downtown area, passing a small hotel, the post office, a lonely gas station, and an outfitter before reaching the small town library. For a small donation, I was told most people donate $1, but I gave $3 due to the length of time I expected to spend, I was shown into a small computer room with half a dozen computers. Over the next two hours I would lightly edit photos I've taken over the past couple weeks and post them to Facebook. My news feed would quickly and steadily blow up by the liking of every other picture from my twin brother, Ryan, a lot like a crazy ex girlfriend might.Upon completion I walked back into the sunny afternoon and met Toepick and Odin who had walked down from the hostel to go to the post office. Toepick updated me of the vet's visit: she found no breaks, sprains, tears, etc, and contributed his limping to nothing more to soreness like all hikers experience. Confident it shouldn't mess with his ability to go on, Toepick feels confident in moving forward with him. Deciding we were once again hungry, we walked to the nearby Hillbilly Market and ordered some reasonably priced subs where lack of meat wasn't an issue. We walked back to the hostel where we'd relax in the heat of the sun, enjoying our sandwiches, and chatting with other hikers who were enjoying a nice day of rest as well. After lunch I stumbled across a hacky sack in the yard and a handful of us would spend over an hour playing a pathetic version of something resembling the game. With shirts off, the sun felt good on our bodies that have otherwise been traveling within a sea of trees over the past several weeks.As the afternoon gradually transitioned into evening, the mountains to the east glowing in warm oranges and reds with the setting sun, we all decided we were once again hungry. This evening we were treated to a fried feast thanks to the Laughing Heart Hostel. With the sound of crackling oil and the scent of fried catfish and frog legs filling the air, it pulled Toepick and I back up the hill to the hostel after we quickly ran down to the Dollar General to grab a few things for the evening, food for Odin, and a liter each of Coke and Sprite for me. The Coke has since been enjoyed, and the Sprite will help jump-start me in the morning. Along with the fried deliciousness, we enjoyed baked beans, coleslaw, and a variety of cookies.As darkness fell, a decent congregation of hikers still outside lounging on picnic tables and chairs, the hostel caretaker brought out a karaoke machine for any hiker brave enough to partake it. Toepick kicked it off, and a steady stream has followed suit, but it lacks the enthusiasm of last night's karaoke session that lasted until 2am. There was a fair share of alcohol enjoyed last night, which contributed to its success. I was up until 2am myself, but in my room enjoying a book. After originally planning to read to hopefully grow tired, I ended up reading all of Heaven is for Real, and really enjoyed it.So, in the end, today became another unplanned zero. I didn't expect my time at the library to take as long as it did, but I'm happy to offer some pictures for followers to enjoy and get a small glimpse into the world of thru-hiking. The next couple days should bring rain, the large weather system making its way across the country, but weather is simply part of the journey, and I've had a decent taste of it so far. Tomorrow will either bring weak legs or fresh legs, but it'll be onward and upward back into the mountains, heading towards Erwin, TN, ~70 miles away.