Well, I was definitely wrong to leave camp before the bad weather hit. I woke up at 5am to the sound of pouring rain and a loud crack. The thunder was near and I stayed still in my tent, trying to avoid condensation on the lining. My group had planned to leave early for Hot Springs, North Carolina, but we decided to wait until the worst of the storm had passed before leaving. But since at 7 in the morning the rain did not stop, we set out despite the downpour.
Dinner Breakfast
After a quick 3 mile hike, we followed the trail into the heart of town. One of the first buildings we passed was the Smoky Mountain Diner, a destination my friends were very excited about. We made sure to ask if they minded us coming in so wet and dirty, and they were very kind. I still changed my shoes and socks and quickly tried to rinse the mud off the back of my legs before sitting down. I think everyone was happy to be somewhere warm and dry. My breakfast consisted of vegetable omelette and coffee, and they even had gluten-free toast!
southern hospitality
After breakfast, we headed down the street to the Airbnb a friend’s parents had booked for the night. They kindly offered to let a group of us stay and provided us with snacks, drinks, laundry, and borrowed clothes, among other things. The generosity I have experienced along this path continues to amaze me. After showering and doing laundry, I left my gear on the patio to dry. Some of the neighborhood kitties were outside sunbathing, so I gave them a few pats before going inside to relax.
Replenishment options
After wandering around for a few hours, I finally decided to start on some of my city tasks. After cleaning my pot and fork, and washing my Sawyer Squeeze, I walked down the road to Bluff Mountain Outfitters. I learned that Hurricane Helene had flooded their previous location and this was their new store. There I bought some backpacking meals, a postcard to send for Mother’s Day, and a pair of Xero sandals. I have been wanting to use sandals as camping shoes for a long time. I hope they allow my feet to spread and stretch each night at camp.
I then shopped between a couple of small stores to restock on food. In fact, I started calculating the calories I consume each day, to make sure I’m eating enough while still prioritizing lighter foods.
Tacos, Fried Rice and Cookies. My God!
Once breakfast had been digested, a couple of us decided to grab some Mexican food at Gray Eagle Taqueria. They had a ton of great gluten free options and I ordered loaded nachos with fries on the side. It was the best I’ve eaten in a long time. Just like in Gatlinburg, I didn’t get any photos of the food because I ate every bite before it occurred to me to document the experience.
Despite the ridiculous amount of Mexican food I had just eaten, a few hours later one of the hikers in our group made fried rice for everyone at the Airbnb. It was delicious and after dinner we all sat around the coffee table drinking tea and solving a puzzle. One of the girls bought masks for all the women. It was a fun, impromptu spa experience, even if our masks reminded me of Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs.
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