HELLO MY FRIENDS!

This greeting is coming to you from the excellently stocked Bluff Mountain Outfitter in Hot Springs, North Carolina. Hot Springs is one of the legendary great Trail Towns, and I can already see why! I have a few gaps to fill in between my last legit entry and now, so I will do my best to start at the beginning and not skip (too) much.

First of all... Great Smoky Mountains National Park was utterly spectacular. Anyone who has not been there must make it a point to visit the many miles of beautifully maintained trail that snake through its woods and over its incredible ridgelines. We spent about 5 days in the Smokies, and fortune saw it fit to reward us for our shivering nights with 5 consecutive BEAUTIFUL days. It is not quite spring in the mountains, but the rhodedendrons and trees were just starting to bud. We have started to hit our groove in terms of actual HIKING, the blisters are healing and our muscles are slowly forgiving us for the torment we are putting them through.

This reprieve from physical agony has freed us to make miles with smiles on our faces (for the most part). The Smokies were a constant barrage of incredible views and strenuous climbs. By far the best day was the 4th, when we swung a meager 13 miles along a very easy stretch of ridgeline, stopping frequently to catnap in the sun and enjoy the views.

The only downsides to this paradise...
1) We share the trail with horses. Horses that sneak up on you in packs, failing to warn you that they are coming up until they are RIGHT on top of you. Horses that produce a COLOSSAL amount of horse poo for us to walk around.
2) Daytrippers. Because of the record-high concentration of black bears, we are not allowed to camp wherever we want. Instead we have to stick to the great system of shelters throughout the park. The only downside is that if a daytripper shows up at any hour of the night and needs a slot in a full shelter, we thru-hikers are obligated to give up our spot. This fun little rule had me pitching my tent at 8:00 pm (well past bedtime for us) so some 9 year old kid could have my shelter space.

After the Smokeys, we hit Standing Bear Farm hostel, an interesting place that runs its bill entirely on the honor system. We take what we want, keep track, and pay when we leave. We had a blast, giving eachother haircuts with the electric clippers and chatting by the campfire. I wound up with the AT logo shaved into the back of my head, which I wear with pride!

After Standing Bear, it was 3 days through the mountains to Hot Springs. They were largely uneventful, except for us picking up Grizzle as a hiking buddy (and newest member of the Pain Train!) and hiking more with Buffalo Bobby, Blu-dog, Chach and Patches. Also, on a sad note, we lost our good friend and 3 week hiking companion Little Spoon, who had to head home. He rode the shuttle to the trailhead with me on day one, and is a great guy who will be sorely missed.

This AM, we rolled out of camp at 5:00, hit the trail before 6:00, and made it the 13 miles into Hot Springs before 11:30. A big change from the first week, when a 13 mile day was a struggle! We barely beat a big storm that is rolling in, and will be here for a few days for the annual Trailfest, a big party with music, free whitewater rafting, and tons of hikers around.

One more note: We have picked up a (temporary) new friend! A hunting dog puppy, who we lovingly named That Dog, found us about 40-50 miles ago, and has hiked with us since. She has no collar, doesn't bite or bark, and is a sweetheart, a born trail dog. While we will probably have to part with her in town to send her to a good, safe home, she has been a lively and fun companion.

ANNNYWayyy... I think that's about it. Thanks for your continuing messages and comments, they are great! Unfortunately I have had no cell coverage in about 75 miles, so I have been unable to respond/check my messages in a while. Hopefully when I climb out of Hot Springs on Sunday, things will improve.

With that, it's 270 miles down, 1903 miles to Maine on this, Day 26.
As my bud Big Shanty says, Love, Peace, and Bacon grease!

All the best,
Rob
Bigby