Day 24 - Roaring Fork to Hot Springs

Good night at the shelter. Dave and I are really starting to get our “hiker appetites.” We each had a fudge pop tart as an appetizer, followed by a huge pot of macaroni and cheese. Then Dave cooked our last two Ramen noodle packets, and we ate them, too! I was considering eating something else when a former thru-hiker (’80) and his son, who were staying at the shelter, offered up a package of hot dogs. Well, alright -- as Chops would say.

Trillium in bloom

N.C. Jed had lots of encouraging words, including news that there will be no major ups or downs from Damascus, Virginia to Mt. Everett in Mass. That’s about 1,000 miles, he said. If it’s true (and I hope it is), why haven’t I heard this before? It seems a little fishy.

Murph, Dave, and Kerri on the way to Hot Springs

Like Charlie, though, he said pretty soon we won’t even think about the hiking -- it’ll just happen. We slept in the shelter, and I didn’t have a bad night. Too hot, though. I guess mice were running all over the place, but I didn’t hear them. I did, however, hear Dartman's really strange growl/snore.

Got up and out by 7:30, and we did over 11 miles before noon. The thought of a hot shower kept my motivation level up. Got to Hot Springs, North Carolina by 2. It’s hot down here -- in the 80’s, I’d say. Dave and I headed straight for Elmer’s Sunnybank Inn, which came highly recommended as “an unforgettable trail experience.” 

The first impression wasn’t a great one, but we were kind of stuck. It’s a huge old Victorian house with lots of rooms, including a music room and a reading room, and many porches. We don’t have our own bathroom, and there’s only one shower in the whole house.