Thank You for Your Kindness
Days 11 and 12 of the Hike: Zero miles hiked!
Thomas and I zeroed on these days. We spent times eating BBQ, Chinese, and ordering Pizza. We did our laundry and generally just chilled to let the body recover.
Two nights at the awesome Hampton Inn and we have no regrets. We were within walking distance of everything we needed; even a grocery store to resupply for the trail. We had to checkout today (April 1st, no joke) and switch to the Budget Inn to meet the rest of the group.
Tonight we get to eat dinner with the local VFW (#7339) and tomorrow we have lunch with them. Hopefully, we can get on the trail before it gets too late. Thomas and I have planned to meet with our friend, John, at the NOC. If we get there by the 3rd we can spend the night in his room and have a hamburger at the local food joint.
The weather forecast is calling for colder temps and possibly some precipitation next week while we are on the trail. Seems consistent with what I have been told about the upcoming section, the Smoky Mountains, and how it's generally cold and wet through the Smokies.
On another note, I wanted to add a little note about my experience with the folks from Post #7339. These are some of the best people I have ever met. It's not often anymore that I can meet people and feel welcome right off the bat. Partly due to my suspicious nature and partly because people bother me. However, the Vets at post #7339 were awesome! My only complaint is that I will now judge all others to their standard, and I promise they set the bar high. I can't say enough about how awesome these people are.
Although they will likely never read this, I wanna say, "Thanks. Thanks for the beer, songs, friendship, and kindness! You will be remembered as one of the better experiences in my life and I am sure I'll tell others about your kindness for years. However, I won't give any details because what happens inside those walls stay there!"
