Friday p.m. ?

Well here I sit in the Hike Inn near Fontana Dam, soaking my feet in
Epsom salts. I'm looking for a miracle here folks. These feet look
like I have been a participant in some sort of radical foot torture
experiment. Of course by the time you read this I will be either
through the Smokies or at least well into them, or maybe the nearest
foot doctors office. I hear there is not much cell service going on up
in those hills.

Had a great 11.5 mile hike today. Spring has definitely sprung around
here. I saw tons of white trilliums, toadshades, purple trilliums,
pussytoes, trout lillies, and lots of tiny green leaves on trees. It
was just beautiful.

So Nancy picked me up near the marina and took me back to the Inn so I
could have a shower and launder the clothes. What a difference that
makes. I'm a new woman! Then a couple of hikers and I went to dinner
at a great Mexican restaurant in Robbinsville (El Pacifico was
awesome...I give the veggie fajitas a huge thumbs up...ate every bite
AND a pint of Ben and Jerry's...yeah that's what I'm talkin about!)
and then they gave us a ride to Ingle's to resupply. So I should be
good to go with enough food to hike to Mexico or at least the other
side of the Smokies. My pack feels like it weighs more than I
do...again. As I look around this room, which looks like a hiker's
pack might have exploded in here, I am still trying to dry out
everything from the great flood of 2010. Things might be dry by the
time we are being dropped off at the trailhead at 7:45. So goodnight
for now.