Yesterday (Day 11) we decided to hike 3 more miles than we had originally planned in order to get into Franklin, NC and spend the night there as opposed to just stopping by the next day to pick up our drop boxes. That turned Day 11 into our longest hiking day yet. We hiked 16 miles yesterday including crossing the 100 mile mark on our 2,175 mile journey. It was a great day. It seemed to be on the brink of raining all day long, but it never did. The clouds were a nice and effective shield from the heat of the sun. We got to Franklin around 6:00 pm and left there this afternoon. The town itself did not have quite as much character as Helen, GA, but the people we met there sure did. A man named Ron Haven who owns the hotel/motel we stayed in and had our re-supply packages sent to, also happened to own a hostel across the street from the hotel, a bunch of rental properties and about half the town. He was quite a character and very friendly to hikers. He sent a hiker named, "The Dude" to pick us up from the trail and give us a free ride to the hotel. (This is a service he offers to people, even those who are not staying at his hotel or hostel, even those they are the best deals in town.) We did laundry (much needed), took showers (also much needed), and went to eat at a Mexican restaurant. Needless to say.....It was deeeee-licious! After that, we dragged our stuffed bodies back to he hotel to get some sleep. This morning, Kat and I ran some errands around town, sending some things back home at the post office, getting some more fuel at a gear shop, and picking up a little bit of extra food to supplement our re-supply boxes. Then we packed up at the hotel, went and got some fresh, delectable sandwiches and headed back up to the trail. Mr. Haven himself gave us a ride back to the trail. We just had to go with with on a quick "pit stop" so he could help lift a bathtub up to a second story doorway at one of his rental properties. Topo and the other men in our shuttle ride helped the workers lift the tub while Giggles, Mosey, and I watched. It was pretty random. After that, Mr. Haven entertained us with stories of the Native Americans that used to inhabit the mountains we are hiking in. He was very familiar with their tribal language as well. He told us that "Appalachia" means forever and that "Watauga" (like the name of the county where Boone is located) means water, amongst many other interesting factoids. Ron Haven was a very engaging guy. We hiked about 4 miles into the woods up to a bald spot and landed at a shelter called Silar Bald Shelter. We are spending the night here with Evergreen, Saw Man, and Big Boots. We got here pretty early and had plenty of time to chill this afternoon. Then we cooked dinner and hung out around another enormous fire for the evening. Tomorrow, we will get back into the grind and hike about 12 miles. Better get some sleep!
