The stench of Achievement!!! Wayah Bald to Brown Fork Gap Shelter

After getting a ride with 70 year old "Sidney " up to Wayah Bald, NC we hiked the 12 miles to Wesser Bald. Unfortunately our hiking buddy Crankin' had to take a few days off for blisters! Like whole bottom of the foot blisters!!! But we did pick up a new buddy named "Sleeping Beauty". He has been a fun hiking partner. We have helped him transfer his over weight JanSport pack to manageable light weight pack.
From Wesser Bald we took a short day down to the Nanathala Outfoor Center where a Thru-Hiker Festival was happening. Free hot dogs and a chance of a shower was all it took for us to want to stick around. It was a total hiker party with at least 75ish of them attempting to hike all the way to Maine.
The next morning we had a 16 mile, 4,000 ft gain, 3,000 ft descending day. Holy Crap was that a long day. The most physical day so far i would have to say. The last two miles were a gain called Jacob's Ladder We cursed Jacob all the way to the top while our calves burned cursing us. But, we made it to victory on top, which is when we realized the achievement came with a price of the showers we just had being long long gone. And as fellow thru-hiker "Buckeye Cornelius" would say: "That's the smell of achievement"