Slow legs

Leaving town is never easy. This is especially true for a town through which the trail goes. My objective today was to leave the comforts of Hot Springs and ascend into the mountains of Appalachia.

I once again had breakfast at Elmer's. This morning we had granola,. cantelope, strawberry pancakes, apple juice, coffee/tea, and homemade soy milk. Quite delicious. Elmer and his staff make wonderful meals.

I then packed up and cheked out. I wandered my way down the trail to the outfitters and purhcased a disposable camera for my next piece of trail.

I was walking out of town around 10:04AM. The main reason the trail goes through Hot Springs is to get over the French Broad River. You are brought back into the woods almost immediately after crossing the river.

I spent most of today hiking weith Cookie, from Arkansas. He is a very nice man, and I had some gerat conversations with him.

It was tough to determine what mother nature was going to do today.

Tomorrow I will aim fo 20 miles. I feel lazy stopping after 11 miles, but it might rain, and I don't want to tent in the rain.

There are almost 15 people in the vicinity of the shelter tonight.

Slowly but surely I continue my march north.

And that's the way it was.

Kirby

Ga>ME 2008.