Crazy Elmer - Painter Branch to Hot Springs

The first day of this hike was beautiful. There were carpets of white flowers all around. Lots of streams and creeks. We hiked 18.7 miles the first day. One of the big things many of the hikers talk about on this section of the trail is a place called Max Patch. It is a big bald on top of a mountain where you can see the other mountains in the distance for miles and miles. The pictures just don't do it justice. From there we pushed on. Our group broke up for a bit with some choosing to push further than others. Fatty and Funnybone finished with a monster 28 miles that day! Sleeping Beauty, Spanky, Puddin' and myself camped in a gap that was not quite as windy as at the tops of the peaks.

The next day we hiked 12.6 miles into Hot Springs, NC. The hike was not too eventful, but when we got to town we met Elmer. Elmer is an old man, and former thru hiker who runs a hostel out of the oldest, and one of the coolest houses in Hot Springs. He was a bit grumpy for our taste, but the price on the room was right and everyone raved about the organic vegetarian dinner and breakfast he served so we were in. The wallpaper on the walls was as old as the house, but the stories and company at the dinner table were worth it. He served a first course of vegetable soup. Next was a huge salad with every vegetable you cold want in it. 3rd was a delicious pasta dish, and he finished it off with key lime pie. We were in heaven. We retired to the front porch to digest and quickly got a food coma and went to bed.

The next day everyone but Puddin wanted to take a zero so the majority won and we got a cheap cabin by the river for 8 of us. Crankin met back up with us but unfortunately she broke a small bone in her foot that didn't allow her to continue. She will be section hiking parts of the trail with us as we get closer to Maryland and Pennsylvania. The day started with pecan pancakes and fresh strawberry syrup at Elmer's. Then we moved all our packs down to the cabin and had lunch at the diner near by. They served a laurel burger which consisted of a burger squished between two grilled cheese sandwiched. Amazing. We digested and went for a swim in the river. That night we had a fire at the cabin and cooked spiraled hot dogs and s'mores over the flames. It was a wonderful way to spend a day off the trail.