Kicked out of the Library! Sorry, Incomplete Post!

This is Luke typing from Hot Springs Public Library, 271.8 miles north on the Appalachian Trail.

We have been on the trail for exactly a week now and are definitely enjoying the life of leisure that the town life has given us today. The power in the library just shut off and I lost what I had written previously, but Caleb and I are not worried about it. We have decided to enjoy the time in town and probably won’t leave here until close to dark. Hot Springs is the first town where we have not had a family member put us up for the night, so Caleb and I have had fun learning what long distance hikers do when they come to a town. First thing we did was eat a great breakfast at the Smoky Mountain Diner. We then paid for a shower, threw some clothes in at the laundromat, went grocery shopping, and have now retreated into the public library. With us, we are all fun and games during the hike – until we arrive to the public library. It is our one chance every week or so to connect with the people we care about. It is by far the most intense/serious couple of hours every week.

We are planning on meeting my parents in Roan Mountain, TN on Saturday night at a cabin they have rented there and cannot wait to hang out with them in the jacuzzi. We will have to put in over 20-mile-days to get there, but we think we are in good enough hiker shape to do that now. But, enough about the future, let’s recap what has gone on the last week.

So, my dad (who is awesome) dropped us off at the Fontana Dam and we began our 72-mile-trek into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We packed for 7 days worth of food, so the 3,000 feet we gained entering the Smokies was a tough climb. We were paid almost immediately, however, with a great view of the mountains around us and the dam below us from an old fire tower. Hopefully Caleb can post the video from there, because it was the most amazing view we have had this whole trip in my opinion. I apologize for my apparent sour attitude in the video – I was angry at my pack for weighing so much during the climb.

The sad news is that that was the only good view we obtained from the Smokies. It rained on us for four solid days and then sleeted on us last night. It was pretty disappointing because we would come over some amazing peeks that were over 6,000’ tall only to look at a wall of gray fog. It is a lot harder to hike up mountains when you know there will be no payoff at the top. We passed the 0.5 mile side-trail to Clingman’s Dome, the tallest point along the entire Appalachian Trail, because of hurricane-like conditions near the summit that made the extra mile onto our voyage not seem worth it.

Great news is Stephen came out and he is a trooper and awesome! Sorry I am getting kicked off the computer. There is a line here! Bye! Love you all!