200+ miles...

We're halfway through the smokies and sitting in a dinghy hotel room in the white trash Las Vegas of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We've had some awesome weather the past few days and a ton of amazing views which makes up for the compete lack thereof from the first two weeks.

We put down our first 20+ mile day, whitewater rafted on the Nantahala River through some class II-III rapids, and climbed to the highest point along the entire AT. We're pushing on through the smokies starting tomorrow and will be in Hot Springs, NC next week for our second ZERO day.

The hunger pains have set in now. What once would last me 7 days might last me 3. I used to dream of amazing views, flowing springs, and endless ridge lines. Now I dream of hamburgers and full racks of ribs.

A word of warning about this town. Gatlinburg either wholly possess the American spirit and form or it in no way reflects how the people around the country live. I'd like to believe that this is the strangest little place in the world. It it just may be the shock of entering here from almost 3 weeks in the woods. From the moonshine distillery, beef jerky outlets, strange museums, and equally as strange people. Tryin to explain this town to a group of Europeans is next to impossible. So if you want to get strange and weird, plan your next vacation to Gatlimburg, Tennessee. Alls I know is I'm gettin out of here and back to the woods.

Til the next meal friends...