OK last night was definitely the coldest night. Sleeping in the Smokies in damp pine forests at 6000+ feet elevation is quite chilly. Our food bags, which are hung on cables outside near the shelters, were frosted over this morning. I slept in shorts again. What is wrong with me? Continue reading →

Had a very cold night last night, probably the coldest since we started (also the shelter is at over 6000 ft. elevation and in a damp forest). My little REI key chain thermometer read about 34 in the morning. I slept in shorts like a fool! Anyway, we got moving and hiked down into Newfound Gap, where there was a large parking lot with a lot of people taking pictures of the scenic mountains. We were immediately shouted over by some folks with a nice table and griddle and we knew we scored some serious trail magic. These folks from Georgia (their daughter is a thru-hiker named Dandelion) had a full breakfast spread. Pancakes, sausage, eggs, bacon… Amazing!!!!!! Continue reading →