Kashmir onward.....

Hey everyone,, So I would have updated at neels gap, Mile 30, but the computer was out the previous evening and I just wanted to get going in the morning.

So far, including the Approach trail I've gone about 115 miles in 11 days,, I'm feeling great and excited to continue on. I took a "rest" not quite zero day today and just hiked 4 miles from the Rock Gap shelter and took a Shuttle into the Town of Frankline NC. I'm updating at Ron Haven budget inn at the moment. I had a massive breakfast(eggs, sausage and bisquits and hashbrowns) with 4 of the other guys who decided to stay in town today. and then after we were done eating breakfast,, it was 11 and the restaurant (I actually can't remember the name,, it was right next to the VFW someting like the Nanadine)anyways at 11 they switched to the lunch menu and so we just all decided to keep eating.. haha I ordered a fantastic huge Burger and Onion Rings and A grilled cheese, It was Fantastic,, all only 14 bucks

I had hiked the past 3 days with not enough food and that is someting I'll never do again,, I kind of just had 2 or 3 granola bars and then a lipton dinner... Way too little calories and I'll for sure be packing more food next time. I got into town with absolutely Zero food as I ate my last Cliff bar during the 3.7 miles this morning,, so a bit of a miscalculation but not something I'll do twice.

Anyhow,, everything out here has been amazing so far,, Everything was going smooth until I crossed into North Carolina and had to hike up a crazy mountain to get to the Muscrat Creek Shelter. Literally as soon as you passed into NC and started climbing up,, these giant Diamond Crystals of Ice started falling and as you hiked a steep, steep climb the temp dropped like 15 degrees and everything went from damp and foggy to Snow and Ice everywhere. It was pretty nasty and the Muskrat Creek Shelter was quite cold. If that is what the Smokies are going to be like then it is going to Suck,, I heard the smokies shelters are pretty nice but waking up in the cold snow is awful.. once you start hiking though and warm up, you beging to appreciate the beauty of the snow,, but in the morning everything seems terrible.