Day 22 - Tri-Corner Knob to Painter Branch

Got up around 6:45 and actually started walking by 7:30 -- our earliest departure yet. Made 10 ½ miles by noon, so we kept plugging to get to Mountain Moma’s.

Had to walk 1.3 miles off the trail to get there, and it was quite a disappointment. Very dumpy -- similar to the Rainbow Springs campground. And their prices are higher than what’s quoted in the book. No sense paying $15 for a campsite when you can camp in the woods for free.

We resupplied, then had to order a famous, huge cheeseburger. It was good, I must admit, followed by a Smoky Mt. Fudge ice cream cone to celebrate being done with the Smokies. Moma’s décor included signs that said “Waitress can except tips” on every booth. Ugh.

Murph

We were hanging around outside, dreading the prospect of more hiking, until a guy in a pickup truck offered to drive seven of us back to the trail. Cool! It was so much warmer in Davenport than the Smokies. The bugs were back in full force, which says a lot about the temperature.

Wasn’t psyched about going uphill for three miles, after having already done 17, but it went by pretty fast. Found a great big level camping area and parked it here around 7. No need to cook dinner, which is nice for a change.

P.S. -- Actually, did a total of 21.7 miles.