Going to Hot Springs today, everyone is looking forward to it. First real resupply and hopefully a bed to sleep in. The trail is good and even for awhile then we are climbing Walnut Mountain. It sneaks up on you. When you are walking, all of a sudden you are going up and then you are climbing another mountain. That's what we do everyday. Up the mountain, down the mountain, sometimes a little respite with some relatively flat bits, but mostly it is up or down.

We are over Walnut and going down the other side when all of a sudden we are climbing up again, up Bluff Mountain. A huge downhill with out the benefit of switch backs rams your toes into the front of your boots and makes your knees feel like they will explode. Down is worse than up on the joints, up tests our cardiovascular stamina.

There are Plyo and Apogee, they have skipped 30m in the Smokeys and will finish that in the fall. Our single focus on getting to Hot Springs is overwhelming, no stops, just relentless pushing on. We are at the hostel and there is only one room left. Eveready gets the room Unhinged is camping. A big group is already here, the beer is flowing and the stories are being retold. We are in town, had a shower, great meal at the diner, it feels great. 

It is our zero day, when you don't hike at all, just the second one since we started. We are having an enormous breakfast. On our way back we stop in at the hikers ministry where they have wifi, a computer and fresh cookies and coffee. It's packed. Send the day updated this blog and on our way back to the hostel we pick up some supplies. Dinner at the tavern on the river, a whole group of hikers come in. Hot Springs is a hiker town. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. We are ready to head out tomorrow.