Miles Hiked: 0
Miles Left: 2020.6
Ending Location: Fontana Dam Lodges

B and my original plan was to spend the night at the lodge and then take a one mile “Nero”. We’d then stay the next night at the shelter which is commonly known as the Fontana Hilton. That is because there is a nearby restroom facility with working showers. The night before after getting settled in we decided that was a dumb idea so we booked another night at the lodge. Turns out we weren’t alone as everyone had similar experiences. A free shower has a hard time competing with a soft bed!

So the morning was spent lounging on my bed, catching up on the internet, and eating chex mix as the hotel restaurant still hadn’t opened for the season yet. After gaining some motivation the next three hours were spent doing laundry and watching House of Cards. Who says you can’t multitask on the trail!

We were later informed due to the influx of hikers they had decided to open the restaurant early so we had lunch there. To our surprise, the same awesome waitress that had served us at the Pit Stop was working there too. Did I mention the number of permanent residents at Fontana Dam is eight? After that I went to my room for a nap and then to catch up on emails while B hung out with everyone. Around five I started getting numerous texts extolling the virtues of the bar so I went out to be sociable. It turned into a great night where we all just got silly eating baked spaghetti, telling trail stories, and gossiping about other hikers we’ve met. One of the funnier things is we’ve now met two male hikers who basically just wear leotard bottoms with no shorts or pants. When we asked one of them why, he said pants were just “wasted space”. Everyone at the table agreed that no, pants do serve a purpose and should be worn at all times when in public. So if you were ever curious, given days to contemplate deep subjects this is what AT hikers talk about.

A personal touch in my latest care package courtesy of my awesome girlfriend