Hello! Gil here! Again a lot has happened since our last update, and spotty internet access has once again prevented us from updating! Also, I suppose I should use our trail names! Austin is Smurf and I am Count!

After Gatlinburg we cruised through the remaining 30~ miles of the Smokies and set our sights on Hot Springs. As we left the national park, the weather deteriorated and we had a few days of overcast gloom and snow, including a night of intense thunderstorms and tornado warnings during which Smurf and I were tenting. We had no idea of the extent of the storm until the next day when hikers who had passed us the day before inquired about our well-being and enlightened us to the incredible weather we had endured.

In Hot Springs, we stayed at the Sunnybank Inn, an amazing bed and breakfast that catered to hikers as well as traditional guests. The inn was located in an immense Victorian house that was actually of the National Register of Historic Places and was home to a eclectic collection of items and decoration and had wonderfully cozy rooms. However, the best part of our stay at the Sunnybank was the food (of course)! For only 10 dollars we indulged in an enormous family style meal of home-cooked vegetarian and organic food! Our first night we had salad with home-made tahini and honey dressing (it was to die for!), a heaping slice vegetarian shepherds pie, and for desert, key lime pie with spearmint tea! It was so good we decided to join them for breakfast AND dinner the next day! Both subsequent meals were of equal delicious-ness, and included lasagna made from scratch, black-bean soup, waffles drizzled with syrup and fresh strawberries, and much more. Clearly, you can tell we immensely enjoyed our stay there.

But, it was time to hike again! We departed Hot Springs on a cloudy day and trudged 11 miles to the first shelter out of town with our heavy, just resupplied, packs. The next day the weather was equally as dismal, but our day was quickly brightened by a simple sign stating, TRAIL MAGIC! WAFFLES! ICE CREAM! ... We barely paused to read the directions before sprinting down the road in the rain to the home of the wonderfully hospitable Fal and Hercules. With our appetites severely lessened and our spirits much higher we continued towards Erwin!

After a few more days of the gloomy foggy weather we had grown accustomed to, we arrived in Erwin, at Uncle Johnny's Hostel! We also managed to get a great deal for a cozy cabin and spent the night watching VHS movies from the 90s and lavishing our time on a real mattress. The next day we were exceedingly reluctant to leave the comfort and hospitality of the hostel, but the trail awaited and we managed to hike 4 miles to the first shelter.

The next day we managed a 22 mile day which set us up perfectly to summit Roan Mountain in the morning. Luckily, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and we climbed the snowy peak bathed in sun! The weather held all day as we crossed miles of balds which provided us with spectacular 360 degree panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. It well made up for the lack of views from nearly every other peak we had climbed.

After a quick resupply in Roan Mountain, a tiny town in North Carolina, we were back on the trail for our hottest day yet. The temperature reached over 80 degrees and stayed hot even after we went to sleep, most of us with our sleeping bags barely zipped up! However, apparently nature had decided to play a trick on us and the next morning we all awoke freezing cold AND to a snow storm. Yes we were incredibly confused, but as thru hikers, nothing phases you and  we hiked the through the storm all day!

After Roan Mountain, our next destination was Damascus, VA, the friendliest town on the trail! We cruised through 120~ miles in just 6 days of spectacular weather, and set ourselves up for what we called the Damascus Marathon, a 26.1 mile day into Damascus! Smurf and I flew through the miles and arrived yesterday at around 5 PM and had a relaxing dinner and night. Unfortunately our entrance to Damascus wasn't as intense as our friends but that's alright!

So here we are! We are planning to take at least 1 zero day here in Damascus, most likely 2 to rejuvenate and recover, but we are excited to hike north into VA and (hopefully) into warmer spring weather!

Count