Tuesday April 9

Hot springs to spring mountain shelter area. 11 ish miles
Up at 730 am. Zag took FOREVER as she had to go to the bathroom several times this morning...I don't know if it's bad town dirt or nerves...finally walking at 9am. We walked over the French broad river bridge then turned and went along the river for a ways..several people had camped by the river while in town. What a great idea. Beautiful down there, so peaceful...wish I had thought of that!
I walked alone all day. Goat left ahead of is but I caught him and passed him on the climb up past lovers leap rock. Our designated lunch spot today was a pond. Goat caught up to me there after I had say a while and watched the bream and bad swim around. Bream don't care for blackberry fruit leather or veggie chips. Only fresh worms, they said.
I never did see zag today. I stopped several times to take pictures and rest breaks, even several stream baths where I rinse out my bandana, my face and neck, my hair...it's awfully hot and it's not summer yet.
I've been sitting at the shelter since 3pm...lots of passers by, folks stopping in to refill their water and eat a bite before moving on to tent elsewhere. It's now 450, she and goat are still not here.I would've looked to have moved on from here, but I'm sure they won't be up for it. At this rate, I feel like a will never catch up or get there this year. E have 6 unplanned zero days to make up somewhere along the way..
But then they arrive and all is good. I'd sent her a text earlier that said "when will you be here, I'm surrounded by freaks" when she arrived, she soon knew what I meant. "Fire pants" had been laid up in the shelter with his shoes off, I had listened to his rambling and watched him burn the hair off his arm after using an alcohol stove he'd found. I warned him that you couldn't see the flame and to be careful...oh well..he had set off my "creepy" alarm and zag picked up on it, too. She hugged me tight and thanked me profusely for waiting on her for 2 hours.
She also said: "I've known you for 15 years, and in 30  days I've figured out that you're not a patient person, you just keep your mouth shut". Ha ha..truest statement ever. Sometimes I DON'T keep my mouth shut.
We walked about 50 yards up the hill and camped our with some other tenters..m80, trooper and willow.(willow is a Plott hound)
I'll be wild and try tenting without the rain fly a it's supposed to be a clear night.we'll see if I freeze. Plan for tomorrow is 15.4 Mikes to Jerry cabin shelter area which will be 300 miles since springer mountain! We have some scotch to celebrate.
Oatmeal, veggie Korma, peppermint tea for dinner. Yum.
Pics: view of French broad river from above hot springs,  Dutch irises, and something else pretty....