franklin nc

tonight I'm in franklin, north carolina. about 107 miles into the AT. I got up early and had coffee and oatmeal before hiking out of camp at 8:30. it was a beautiful day. first day that has been sunny all day. I hiked in a short sleeve shirt all day and used sunscreen for the first time on my journey. there were several very technical sections today. for real, on something called big butt mountain I was teetering on a very slippery rocky ledge for about a mile. beautiful views but I couldn't look or I would fall to my death! another ascent involved hand over hand crawling up about 500 feet of rocky terrain until I reached the peak - which had a lookout tower that one could climb for even more extraordinary views...if one wanted...this one chose not to. but I got good pictures anyway. by noon I had hiked 10 miles and was still going strong. I got a little more trail magic today. on the trail was a big teddy bear with a sign that read, "boo-boo is rooting for all thru-hikers. please take one." next to the bear was a cooler full of ice and water bottles and soda cans. I took a bottle of water and a picture! wonderful. 16.7 miles after I started I was at winding stair gap. I called Ron Haven, owner of several motels and a hostel in franklin. I found his name and info in one of my guidebooks. when he answered his phone he told me he had rooms available and he was already on his way to get me because he was picking up other hikers along the way at various locations. he gave me a lift, 11 miles, to franklin and would accept no gas money for the ride. also told me he knows exactly where hays, ks is located because in the 70's and 80's he was a pro wrestler and did shows at gross memorial. holy cow! he was honored to have a Kansan in his van, and he told me several crazy jokes in a very southern accent. he also gave me detailed descriptions of his visits to NYC, ks, ca, nv, and other states. the man knows the USA. the hostel is full so i opt for the motel. for $35 I get a single room, free laundry, Internet, and a ride anywhere in town that I need to go tomorrow. people are too nice out here. my plan is to take tomorrow off to soak my feet and get supplies.
I think I have 3 - 6 days before I enter the smokies, so I want to make sure I have everything sorted out. wow, the ppl down here are chunky. I'm having dinner in a bar-grill and I feel really skinny, but I haven't lost that much weight yet. saw a little of the ku game tonight and I hope to see the duke - nc game tomorrow. I'm sporty! god, I need a manicure and a pedicure!!! don't think I'll ask these folks where to go. by the way, I stink. I took a 30 minute shower and used an entire bar of motel soap and I still smell weird. it's not like my normal sweaty smell-it's different. oh well. washing all my clothes and airing out all my gear.
later,
L


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