Wayah Shelter

Ended up not making it to Franklin, NC until Monday morning.  The shuttle picked us up and took us in to Franklin.  So I had the whole day  to get cleaned up, get my mail drop and send some things back home, do laundry and get some things I needed.  We stayed at one of Ron Haven's places. The shuttle even took us to the Wal Mart!  That night we went to the steakhouse across the street for dinner.  What a life!  I thought I had lost about 10 pounds, but I may have gained some of that back after being in Franklin.

The shuttle took us to a pancake breakfast at a church yesterday morning and then I got back on the trail around 11:30 and hiked about 11 miles.  Not bad for getting such a late start to my day. I spent last night at the Wayah Shelter, mile 118.7.  Wayah is Cherokee for "wolf."  I was using my headlamp to get set up. I slept in my tent and the wind was really howling.  I thought maybe some trees were going to fall down.  I actually slept pretty well though.

I'm about 40 miles or so away from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are some steep mountains coming up.

Thanks very much for all the well-wishes, emails  and comments on the blog.  It's sometimes difficult to get computer time at these places, but I'll try to keep you updated.

I heard that some of my buddies from earlier that had some medical problems are now back on the trail so I should be seeing them at some point. It's amazing.  You'll be hiking with someone for a few days and then you'll hike with someone else....then you'll meet back up with someone from before.  A lot of nice young people (and old, too) out here.  I even saw a young fellow that we talked with at the ATC in Harpers Ferry, WV last summer.  Yesterday I hiked mostly by myself and enjoyed that too!


"I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful...I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful."
Bob Wiley  in What About Bob?