Hot Springs, NC was still in complete darkness as I strolled past the Hot Springs Spa and Resort on my way out of town. Passing over the French Broad River I could hear the roar of the water as the heavy rains of the past few days had swollen it to just below flood level. Yikes, the trail follows the bank of the river for the first mile. Will it be safe? Fortunately the trail was slightly above the torrent and I quickly made the climb up to Lover's Leap Rock, with a famous overlook of the town of Hot Springs.
The day was cool with lots of good climbs to keep the blood pumping. At Allen Gap I saw a sign on a post that promised a full meal for any hiker that was willing to make the 350 yard walk east. Sounded like a good idea to me. The meal was hosted by 1999 thru-hikers Fal and Hercules and included waffles, Irish Stew, and dessert. Yummy and very filling! Fal and Hercules have hosted over 2300 hikers in their time as trail angels. At the end of every meal they ask their guests to answer a question about the search for truth in religious beliefs. They are very strong Christians and see this trail magic as a way to combine their desire to spread the Gospel with a method for contributing to the success of the trail experience. These were very kind, pleasant and patient people. Thank you very much Fal and Hercules.
With all the good calories I was ready to crank out a good long day of hiking. At 5:00 I rolled into the Jerry Cabin shelter, having completed 26.4 miles for the day. I am very fortunate to be healthy enough to walk those long miles. Fal and Hercules would have taken 8 days to walk between Hot Springs, NC and Erwin, TN while I plan to finish the same distance in 2 1/2 days. That's a lot less food (and weight) to carry.
Mileage to date = 298.2
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