Date: 2018-03-31
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0

Our son, Patrick, finally arrived around 1:30 AM. It was great to see him, but we were all very tired and quickly found our way to bed. After sleeping off the late night, we made our way down to the Smokey Mountain Diner for breakfast, featuring their famous cinnamon rolls. The diner has ¢hikers welcome¢ written all over it, from the AT mural painted on one wall, to the friendly wait staff, to the menu selection (e.g. Hungry Hiker Breakfast), to the fact that they stamp AT Passports. After breakfast we returned to the house to await the arrival of my sister and stepmom. I was out back doing some gear maintenance when I heard a commotion in the house. Which Way called me in and introduced me to the man standing in the foyer. Stan was a friendly local man, a bit older than us, who had been following us on our Journal. Piecing together clues from yesterday¢s journal entry, he was able to figure out where we were staying, the final clue being the Arkansas license plate on Patrick¢s vehicle. He knocked on the door and when Which Way answered he said, ¢I can¢t believe it, I finally found Which Way and Next Step!¢ We chatted for about 45 minutes, during which time he reminded us of details from our journey that we had forgotten. He also asked a few questions about missing details. At the end of our conversation he asked if there was anything he could do for us and offered up a prayer on our behalf. The whole ordeal was very uplifting and reinforced one very special element of life on the trail¢how it brings strangers together to create lasting memories. Before Stan left I gave him one of our ¢trail cards¢ to show his wife when he got back home. It was proof that he really found us. Shortly after Stan departed, two very special Trail Angels showed up--my sister, Lisa, and stepmom, Irene. And they arrived with enough food to feed a hiker army! When Patrick saw all that they had brought he commented, ¢I thought we were only staying until Monday?!?¢ We wanted to show them the Tavern where we had enjoyed our pizza and cheese sticks last night. So as soon as we got everything carried inside and put away, we headed to town. Again, we were not disappointed. Lisa, Irene and I ordered the Special, which was gumbo. We were expecting a cup, maybe even a bowl. But when the server arrived with our food, we each had three heaping plates full of gumbo. And there was twice as much on my plate as there was on their plates. I guess they could guess by my scruffy appearance that I was a hiker and needed a ¢little¢ extra fuel. It was the first time since we¢ve started our hike that I couldn¢t clean my plate. Patrick and I stayed in town and did a little shopping at the Outfitter while the girls headed a few miles away to find the nearest Ingles. They had gone to the Hillbilly Market to get a few supplies but couldn¢t bring themselves to pay $12 for a gallon and a half of milk. (And that¢s after Lisa had already picked up a half gallon and had proceeded to drop it, spilling milk everywhere!) We all met back at the cabin and played a game of Catan¢it¢s a family tradition. We invited Close Call and Heartburn to our cabin for burgers, brauts, and all the fixings. They showed up just as we were finishing our game. After gorging ourselves, we hung out for a couple of hours. When they were ready to leave I drove them back to the Laughing Heart Hostel, loading them down with leftovers for other hungry hikers. When I dropped them off, they made a beeline for a group of hikers gathered around a fire pit. The army would soon be fed.Back at the cabin, we played games and enjoyed the company of our family, turned Trail Angels, late into the night. --Next Step Weather:Day ¢ 70 degrees / SunnyNight ¢ 42 degrees / ClearOver the Horizon: Roan Mountain