04-04-13 Somewhere near Fontana

Woke up to the sound of rain. Sat in the tent strategizing what to do. Or maybe just procrastinating. It was inevitable though. We were going to get wet.

We stood in the vestibule and packed up the tent while the rainfly was up--no problem. The rainfly and the footprint was a different story. They got soaked and we couldn't fold them with the wind tossing them around. We gave up trying to be neat, and resorted to the just-shove-it-in-the-backpack technique.

Hustled to the Cable Gap Shelter three miles up and took a break from the rain. Big mistake. Then we had to get back into the rain.

I was miserable. And then my shoes got wet too. And there was mud. And pudding mud. And milk mud. My feet couldn't get any wetter so I stopped caring what the trail looked like and just stepped in whatever it brought me.

Five miles to the road. My fingers were so cold I couldn't get them to function properly.

Another mile. The Fontana Hilton, the nicest on the AT--a trail shelter with bathrooms and showers! Also awaiting us was trail magic from Owf and Keeper (past AT thru-hikers). I needed help opening my little baggy of chips, but it warmed my heart.

Together with Keeper we walked 2.5 miles to Fontana. Picked up a mail drop from Mom and Dad--shout out to M&D for cramming as much dehydrated food as they could in a box--and washed and dried our drenched clothes.

Tomorrow we enter the Smokies...