A Trail Angel

The leaves and mud were squishing up around my shoes as I walked down into Brown Gap.  A tremendous rain had fallen overnight that left everything soaked.  As I rounded the final corner of the descent a vision appeared by the road crossing.  There was a large canopy tent with the words "Trail Angel" on the side.  Under the canopy were 6 chairs for weary hikers, sodas, a box of calorie-dense treats, water, and the Trail Angel himself, Bob Appel.  As I pulled in he offered me hot chocolate as well.  Wow, pinch me I must be dreaming.  Appel has been offering trail magic for 10 years along the AT, Florida Trail, and Continental Divide Trail.  These are the kind of folk that make the trail experience unforgettable.  On this day he would only see 4-6 hikers but he told me that around the second week of April he would see 50 thru-hikers a day coming through.  I don't know what all this is costing him in time and money but my heartfelt thanks go out to him.
Energized by the treat and hot chocolate I headed on, convinced I could make it to Hot Springs, NC this day rather than tomorrow.  I only saw 2 other hikers all day on the trail as the crowd has thinned out considerably since we cleared the Smokies.  I strode into town at 5:15 having completed 26.2 miles for the day.  The legs and body feel good, but tired.
Hot Springs is the first place where I catch my bump box as the trail goes right through town.  My bump box contains some of my summer gear, as well as items that I need every few hundred miles such as the recharger for my camera batteries, spare socks, zip-loc's, razor, and the next pages for my AT Trail Guide.  I'll mail it on to Damascus, VA from here.  Next stop will be Erwin, TN. 
I can't believe that one eight of the trail is already behind me.
Mileage to date = 271.8