Brown Gap/Muskrat Creek Shelter

It feels so good to be out of the Smoky Mountains and just a few days from Hot Springs, NC. The first night in the Smokies was the bear incident. The last night in the Smokies my sleeping bag got wet. For the Smokies, that is really good fortune! I had mostly perfect weather and great views, and am looking forward to more of that as I approach Virginia.

I was in an area without cell service for a while, but it seemed to improve as we hiked away from Standing Bear Farm/Hostel. SPOT is working again, as well, which is a relief to my family and friends who are following my progress on the Trail. We stopped to camp near Brown Gap and Muskrat Creek Shelter, which is about a mile before Max Patch. Max Patch is a “bald,” which is the Southern Appalachian name for a hilltop without a single tree, so it's not the best place to camp on a chilly night.

It is wet, muddy and cold right now, but Forest and I are good. His replacement rain jacket arrived, so he's dry without looking quite so strange. 😁 The temperature is supposed to go down to 31 degrees tonight, but our gear is rated for temperatures lower than that, so we will be warm enough.

We are headed into nicer weather tomorrow through Saturday, so it looks like I've timed my arrival in Hot Springs well. A couple of my buddies are hard at work doing some research on the current fishing conditions there (thanks, guys!). Onward toward Max Patch and the French Broad River!