Be Careful What You Wish For

The day I went into Franklin to dry out and then left I did 9.4 miles and camped at Wayah Gap. The next day I did 15.8 miles camping at Wesser Bald shelter. Then I started taking it easy into Fontana and did 7.8 miles camping a mile or more past the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Then I did 8.4 miles and camped at Locust Cove Gap. Then I did 11.6 miles and camped at Cable Gap shelter. Today I did 5.5 miles into Fontana and will be staying here.

When last I blogged it was snowy and my socks were stiff with ice. I was hoping for warmer weather and some sun. For three or four days after that it was bright sun and warm. So warm. One could say it was hot. This time of year there isn't any foliage so when it's sunny you hike in the blazing sun all day. Now I am looking forward to Tuesday when the weather will drop below freezing again and I might get some snow.

Besides me sweating like crazy there isn't a lot to report. When I got to the top of Wayah Bald I was thrilled to see that I was two for two in getting some trail magic at the top of that mountain. Free food really hits the spot.

Also, at the top of that mountain is a great lookout tower with amazing views. I could see the snow capped Smokies that heralded a future with temperatures that were more in line with my preference. It makes me try and remember how I handled the mid-Atlantic states.

Tomorrow I head off into the Smokies. Hopefully it is a nice hike and I hope everything works out so I can skip Gatlinburg again. For anyone who hasn't hiked in the south I figured I should include a photo of what the trail looks like. This is a typical southern section, steep up on one side and steep down on the other.

 

Here is another photo, because why not?