After a breakfast at Waffle House, Lizzie still had us back on the trail in time for X to get to clear spider webs from the trail for the second morning in a row. We had a steady 2,000′ climb over the first five miles, with a break at the first shelter where X (the self-taught blister expert) got to offer advice to a young man doing “surgery” on his foot. It was not a pretty picture…

A short while later, Yom (AKA “Sex Panther” [the derivation of some trail names you just don’t want to know…]) zoomed by us with news of a Trail Magic opportunity ahead. Sure enough, just off the trail at Jones Meadow, the Greeneville Hiking Club was starting a multi-day spread of hamburgers, hot dogs, and anything else a hiker might crave. And we do mean anything. We cannot think of a thing they overlooked. Even locally-grown fresh strawberries! We chowed down with great appreciation and burned about an hour in the pleasant company of GHC members and fellow hikers.

We pulled ourselves away around noon and about a mile later, a sign offered us a bad weather alternative to the Big Firescald Knob exposed ridge trail. This was a major clue that our pace was about to slow dramatically, but oh the views from the rocky ridge to the flatland off in the distance! Certainly some of the most breathtaking we’ve seen.

Now way behind the day’s schedule, we crossed the 300-mile mark and got water at the Jerry Cabin Shelter (where, in another disappointing trend we noticed today, the army of this year’s hikers have already filled the privy to overflowing. Talk about swarming flies…).

The last six miles of the day were tough even when, and probably because, the AT {in a rarity} followed a gravel road for over a mile and a half. N’s sore back which had been making a great recovery all day suffered a setback on all the loose softball-size rocks that we were so carefully stepping on/over/around. We were the last arrivals at Flint Mountain Shelter, and had to rush to get everything done by dark. Needless to say, we had to miss the evening program – a reading of The Hobbit, but the soft voice of the young man reading the story aloud to the group gathered ’round the shelter fire circle was very comforting nonetheless. We hope for a recuperative night and an easier tomorrow.