| Mile | 109.6 |
| Miles Since Last Update | 15.9 |
Hoping to wait out some of this morning downpour so I wanted to write some thoughts about shelters. As it was already starting to pour last night I was getting goaded by Bladerunner and Notyet into staying inside the Carter gap shelter we stopped at like they were. I’m doing my best to not stay inside shelters if I can, not because I’m afraid of sleeping near other people, or of rat infestations, or because I sleep like crap on the ground, but because I came out here to get good at hammock. At some point being good at hammock will save me I feel like, so I want to seize every opportunity to get better at it. Slept real well last night in it at least, here’s to more.
Today hiking-wise was probably the worst day so far, but I know worse will come. Rained all night and well into the morning, and everything was flooded. I got up kind of early (830ish) to just get it over with hopefully, but within the first .25 miles things were already going to shit. Trails turned into waterfalls, ground that was frozen solid turned into loose silt, and I almost immediately ate shit and fell into a stream, drenching everything on me while 40 degree winds were still pounding.
Hoofed it past the fire tower, not even looking at the 100 mile marker. Just wanted to be dry. As soon as I made it to camp the rain started to let up, and I realized I was the first person at camp, and also that it was before 2pm. The shuttle to Franklin was only 4 more miles, and Notyet showed up shortly after, so we talked about just gunning fo that to dry off at a hostel and get some actual town food. Bladerunner showed eventually and said he wasn’t feeling up for it, but Cammy, who was with us in the previous camp, said she was down to split a shuttle/hostel, so we went ahead with it.
15.9 miles total today, highest so far, and cleared 100 miles. Hostel owner drove us to the Lazy Hiker brewery which was v chill. I drank a decent beer and choked on some non-texas brisket as my first actual town meal. Tomorrow is probably a zero. Hoping bladerunner catches up with us and that I can do some resupplying and gear shuffling. This is the last point of true civilization before the smokies, which I expect to kick my ass fairly hard.
Flooded trail, no hopes for dry anything
Fire tower at Albert Mt (the 100 mile marker is on the tower but I missed it)
Couldn’t see any fires from up here
Pretty view from the last stretch once things cleared