Day 26

Gotta love a nero! (That’s a very short mile day into or out of town.) I woke up and while it wasn’t the coldest morning I’ve had so far (somewhere around 34 F), it felt like it. I slept in. Didn’t get out of the tent until after my 7am alarm. It felt good knowing I had a short day. The 5.5 mile hike had a couple good climbs but was a pretty easy day compared to most. I got excited when I could see Fontana Dam and seeing new plants about to bloom. I look forward to seeing flowers and color. It feels surreal to see the Fontana Marina. I was able to do a full 6 day resupply for the Smokies (might take 7 days but I think I can stretch it out). After that, it was a $3 shuttle to go 1.3 miles over winding mountains roads to the lodge. I had a little over an hour left to get lunch at the restaurant so that was my first stop after dropping my pack in my room. I always try to start with a salad to get my greens. It was fantastic! A couple beers and a chicken chimichuri chicken sandwich later and I was ready for chores; laundry and a shower. Is it sad I’m already looking forward to dinner? LOL! I’m on such a calorie deficit, it’s amazing my pants don’t fall down. Looking forward to a good night sleep in a comfy bed and tomorrow, I will head to the post office and pick up my replacement pack and mail out the old one.