Another chilly start to the day (about 39), but the first mile was smooth sailing and that made the cool temperatures not so bad. Very early on we came to a pretty deep and fast stream, however someone had created a small detour with a wooden plank for crossing!! I appreciated that detour. There were times on the trail today where the rocks were more like boulders and it was difficult to figure how to get through. At one point one of my hiking poles went straight into a hole and I lost balance and fell. Nothing broken and Donna was nearby, heard me fall, and came back to help me up. Thank goodness for friends on the trail! We did a total of 12 miles and when we got to that point, there was another hiker giving out his last couple of beers, so Donna and I each had one. Then we shuttled into Pine Grove, checked in to a Comfort Inn and then headed to a pub for dinner. While I was hiking I thought about how much I would eat, but then struggled to get it all in. At the hotel we are recharging, washing all of our clothes (the little we have) and drying out our tents for the first time in four days. And yes it did rain and hail on us again today. It will be so nice to sleep in a dry environment tonight!
This photo was right after we crossed the stream using a wooden plank.
Julia crossing an area that looked to be a pond in better times.
A rhododendron tunnel.
May Apples were everywhere and most in bloom. I didn’t get a picture of the flower. Dogwoods were also in bloom.
Had to get a picture of some mushrooms to show my nephew Brian.
Our lunch stop today.
Wild geraniums.
The “good” part of the trail above. And then there are the rocks…
The beer from one of the hikers, his friend is a through hiker photo bombing in the background.
Loaded french fries for an appetizer.
An 8oz burger for dinner.