Long Branch Shelter to Winding Stairwell (Franklin, North Carolina)
I’m pretty sure it rained all night before, but I was able to sleep through most of it. I had set my alarms for 7:00 am, a day late for me because I knew I had a short hike to the gap from which I would access the city, Franklin, North Carolina. I woke up at 5:00 and realized the bottom of my tent was flooded, but my sleeping pad was keeping me and my sleeping bag out of the water. I brought a very absorbent towel with me for those events, and it worked. I was able to fall back asleep until the alarms woke me up.
Packing up camp in the rain is NOT a pleasant task. I was able to keep my sleeping bag and bedding dry (I have a waterproof bag for that), but everything else was damp or completely soaked when I put them in my backpack. It was then that I realized the full impact of a rainy night; my backpack was noticeably heavier with the wet gear inside. You have a short day with minimal climbing; You’ll be fine.
I was on the road at 7:15.
I actually paid attention to the halfway points of my walk today. The first mile was a gentle climb, the second was a gradual descent. Miles three and four were another climb, and the last 1.2 miles were a steep descent. Since the quality of the trail was good, I was able to make good time.
Yesterday, I had arranged a bus ride from Winding Stair Gap to Franklin, but I had to be at the Gap at 11:30 to catch that shuttle (it runs daily at 11:30; I just needed permission to join). I had anticipated it would take four hours to walk to the Gap, but I was there by 10:15. It was still raining a lot, so I didn’t feel like waiting until 11:30 to catch the bus. The trail will provide. About ten minutes after reaching the gap, I was joined by another hiker from Nobo, Lynnden. He informed me that he had arranged a shuttle that was estimated to arrive at 10:30, so I alerted the other driver that I would not need to join the 11:30 trip). The Lynnden ferry arrived around 10:45 and dropped off a couple of hikers. The driver had space and was willing to take me into town, allowing Lynnden and me to split the cost of the shuttle.
Lynnden had also made arrangements for me to stay at the same motel where I had a reservation. We knew we were early to check in, so we stored our backpacks at the motel and walked to a McDonald’s down the street. We took our time for lunch and warmed up inside the restaurant. After about an hour, we walked back to the motel.
Back at the motel, we were able to check in right away. As I was still wet, I was quite cold, so my first order of business was a hot shower. I had already learned that there was a laundry nearby; therefore, I did not have to rinse my clothes in the shower. After my shower, I relaxed a bit and made some calls to the people back home. After that I went and did the laundry. On my way back from the laundry, I stopped by Lynnden’s room to see if she wanted to join me for dinner.
According to Apple Maps, there were a few restaurants around the corner. When we arrived at the shopping center that housed these restaurants, we closed one by one since most were closed for Easter. Our only option ended up being a Mexican restaurant. I knew we were in for a good meal since we were the only non-Hispanics in the place. We both ordered more than we could eat and ended up taking food back to the motel for lunch tomorrow.
Back in the room, I FaceTimed my wife so we could gather the clothes, gear, and food I wanted her to bring to Gatlinburg for the next weekend. After that, I wrote a little for the blog and caught up on the news on the TV in the room. My goal was to turn off the lights at 10 p.m. I knew I would get a zero the next day, so I was looking forward to a restful night’s sleep.
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