Date: 2012-04-01
From: Laughing Heart Hostel 273.9

To: Spring Mountain Shelter 284.9
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Two more things we've noticed: Zero days were very busy, with chores like laundry, going to the post office, resupplying, pot and dish cleaning, and walking to the errands, etc., etc. We frequently didn't get a lot of much rest. In fact, sometimes we ended up walking five miles or more. (Random note: planning when to hike into towns was a challenge, especially when we were getting a package in the mail. It was not always possible to arrive in town during the work week, and post offices were open very limited hours on Saturdays, and not at all on Sundays. Also, grocery stores were sometimes not open on Sundays, especially in the South, making resupplying more of a challenge. If we arrived in town on a Saturday afternoon, we'd have to take a zero day Sunday, even if we didn't need it, and would get a late start Monday, after a trip to the post office and grocery store.)Second: people in trail towns were very, very nice to thru hikers, even though we frequently didn't spend much money and didn't smell very good. A huge thanks to everyone!!! (Random note: We also noticed that since most everyone on the trail was younger by 30-40 years than we were, we were treated with extreme respect. It felt weird, but it was nice to see that young people were still polite.) Last evening we went to a get together at a restaurant/bar in downtown Hot Springs with many of our fellow thru hikers at the Little River Tavern...good food, good conversation, and a nice bluegrass band. It was nice to be included in this get together. Unfortunately, Sean found out that he has to leave the trail due to a knee injury. Hopefully, he'll heal quickly, and be back on the trail later this summer. He and his delightful wife Heather were at the party, since they'd already planned a mini-vacation in Hot Springs. After one last breakfast at the local diner, we started walking through town with Skunk Ape and Lee Bob right behind us. Unfortunately, we missed the turn just over the French Broad River, but were soon back on track. We climbed over the guardrail, went down the rock steps, and after hiking along the river for a half mile or so, climbed up, up, up! At about the 8.2 mile point, we arrived at a fire tower-always a nice view. We continued up to the Spring Mountain Shelter for dinner. There we met Whitewater, who loves to whitewater kayak, for the first time, and Good Deeds and Mellow Yellow. Right after I got water and started making dinner the heavens let loose with rain. Lee Bob and Skunk ape arrived soon after we did, but the layout of the shelter precluded adding two more people, due to spaces between the boards. Fortunately, it soon cleared up so they didn't wash away. Dinner was rice pasta with tuna and cheese, plus cheese flavored instant grits to kick it up a notch. It's funny what tastes delicious when you're hiking 15 miles a day. Once it cleared up the sky became bright blue with beautiful light clouds. Mandela and Terra Nauta stopped by, but continued hiking as the shelter was full, but others set up tents. Life is great on the Appalachian Trail when trail friends help you to locate the trail out of town, and you are able to get in a shelter when there's a thunderstorm.