Saturday, March 12th

1.7 miles

Total miles 115.4

I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night due to the Depression era shelter’s metal roof. It rained (poured) hard and noisily from midnight to 3am. When I fell asleep again, it snowed. We awoke to a snow covered shelter and below freezing temperatures.  I was later told it was 10 degrees. My sleeping bag and liner are getting a workout. The sleeping bag is rated to 15 degrees and the liner adds another 10. I was chilly, but not too cold. The wind started to howl as I got ready for my hike. There were weather advisories for the weekend so I was anxious to get off the trail.

I had a very short day, but it felt like a workout. I actually hiked an extra half mile because the shelter was a half mile from the Appalachian Trail. It just seems wrong to place a shelter so far from the trail, lol!

I was picked up by the Nantahala Mtn lodge shuttle and taken to a charming hostel. I had a private room again. This time with a half bath attached. Oh the luxuries you take for granted. Indoor plumbing attached to my bedroom. Whoohoo!