Day #13 - 100 Miles Down!

Miles: 12.2 to Franklin

Weather: Nice and breezy with a light sprinkle 

I slept great last night. Didn't have to wake up to pee! Woohoo! I loved our little wooded campsite. I dreamed Ms. Janet (famous on the trail) tried to sell me into the sex trade and True Story saved me. We are all having crazy dreams out here. 

I made cheese grits for breakfast using the MRE cheese sauce I got out of the hiker box at Hiawassee. It was very good but the cheese looked awful coming out of the tube. 

Left camp at 8:00 to climb Mt. Albert. The scenery was beautiful but it was hand over hand climbing for a few minutes. I had to throw my poles ahead a few times. This hike is all about finding your center of gravity so your pack doesn't pull you off the mountain. Made it to the top and climbed the fire tower. I hate heights but the view was worth it. 

We hit the 100 mile marker today! Crazy! There are still 2,100 some odd miles to go but it's still an accomplishment. The hike down the mountain was much easier. It was fairly flat. We took a break at a new shelter built in 2012. 

We hit the second shelter but I decided to hop ahead of my friends and keep going. So glad I did because I got trail magic! I saw cars and some lawn chairs set up in a parking lot and started praying it was trail magic hotdogs. IT WAS! A retired Ashville superintendent named Tabasco was grilling hotdogs and serving chips and Cokes. Unbelievably good and very appreciated! 

I flew up the hill after the trail magic. I kept up with True Story and Tigger on the uphill out of the gap. Then I tweaked my knee and had to slow down. We finally made it to Winding Stair Gap where Little Foot's relatives were picking us up. Tigger and I took foot baths in the roadside stream. So refreshing! We couldn't convince the guys to join us. 

Miss Jeanne picked us up in a big white truck and took us to a spare house on her property. It was amazing! No beds, but a bunch of bedrooms, 2.5 baths, lots of couches, a kitchen and TV. Plus, they bought us stuff to cook breakfast and they served us dinner and let us use their truck to get around town. 

We went to Dollar General (THE best place to resupply), Three Eagles outfitters (got a new half Buff), the liquor store, and Bojangles (Little Foot's favorite). We went back to the house and sorted gear. I gathered some stuff to send home, then showered and did laundry. 

We put on our rain gear and headed down to the main house for dinner. Miss Jeanne, her husband, and their 17-year-old grandson, Joey, treated us to hamburgers, baked beans, bean salad, and cherry dump cake. The house was beautiful, the food delicious, and the company great! 

We went back to our house to drink some beers and relax. Stealth played a few tunes on the guitar. I'll probably zero tomorrow. It's been a great day! 

Best Thing: Meeting great trail angels. 

Looking Forward To: Taking it easy tomorrow