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Day 8 – the little things

It’s never a good sign when you pick up your wet socks from the previous day and they are rock hard. So frozen you could use them as a hammer. Needless to say, it was a very cold night. Not only were my socks frozen, but my shoes were so stiff I could not even get my feet in then. Once I was as properly dressed as my gear would allow, I began another day trudging over the mountains and dropping to passes (gaps) on this trail. I had 21 miles to get to Fontana Dam and collect my resupply package. The hiking went by but not quickly as I was not moving very quickly. My feet were soaked, I smelled bad and I really wanted to make it to a town. For food I ate a couple bars and a whole jar of peanut butter. It was another day where I had to keep everything I needed close to my body to prevent it from freezing. Once I finally reached the road into Fontana, the slow 2 mile road walk began. Luckily I made good time and retrieved my resupply, got new batteries for my headlamp, did laundry and even found a functional shower. Whether I was supposed to use it or not is up in the air. With all my chores done I chose to head out to the Fontana Hilton AKA the nearest shelter to Fontana. Unfortunately in the dark with a light snow blowing in my face I missed the turn off on the road for the Appalachian Trail and was able to log 2 extra training miles. Finally around midnight I rolled in to my luxurious accommodations with 2 other hikers already sleeping here. I put my stuff away as quickly as possible and crawled in my sleeping bag. I cannot convey how excited I am to sleep in a dry sleeping bag tonight. Sometimes it’s the small things!

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