The Great Smoky National Forest and beyond

So once again I am racing for time on the computer in a small town. Hot Springs NC is about .6 milles long with one main road and no stop lights. It's name was 'Warm Springs' until 1886 when someone decided "hot" was a better descriptive adjective of the mineral springs running under the town; tepid was rejected get go. I have soaked twice in these hot spring jacuzzis and already feel much better about the arduous trek from the Smokies.
Heading out the first day was a beautiful sunny day and I even saw a wild turkey on the path. What a great way to start. The second day showed to be blustery and cold with fog clouds but the higher into the mountain the worse the weather. Gust were pushing me sideways so I had to stick my pole almost perpendicular to the trail in order not the be blown over. What a day that was! Stabilizer muscles were hurting.
After that the rest is a cloud. I got to Clingman's Dome but only saw the deep white cover of nothingness. The Smokies were showing me who was the boss. I talked to a section hiker who told me the forest gets only 4 inches of rain less than a rain forest a year so it's not surprising to be hit with such moisture. At this point 3 days of rain was beginning to get to me. Everyone was ready to get down to sunshine because the ridge and mountain tops were engulfed in clouds.
Once at the bottom, the weather was better but my body was beat. It had been 7 days since I have had a real meal, showered, or even slept in my tent (the Smokies require everyone to sleep in the shelters to minimize the impact on wildlife. As you can imagine, it gets rather stuffy and clutered when 15 hikers take cover from the rain.) After not sleeping very well for some days and already having a late start to the day, I booked it to Max Patch which gives a full 360 degree view, including the Great Smokey Mtns. The hike was harder and longer than I expected but once up there it was quite worth having lunch there. The second part of the hike that day took it out of me. Mr. Right said he felt sorry for me once I arrived at camp. Wow! I must have looked like a bag of smashed assholes after 8 days on the trail.
The next day was Hot Springs and nothing could have stopped me. I took a zero and enjoyed every bit of it. Now I have to go because the library is closing. Thanks for your kind words.