Sprout Day 223 (Saturday, November 5, 2016)

We woke up early but it was so cold and hard to get out of the sleeping bag! It was also really quiet at the shelter where we were staying. It's quiet tonight too, unless you're close to the shelter because there are a lot of weekend people staying there.

This is Icewater Spring Shelter and it's three miles from Newfound Gap. We hiked 19.8 miles today and it was a beautiful walk all day. I've been so happy to be in the Smoky Mountains. It's been nothing but great. We're lucky because a lot of the leaves have fallen and we can sneak views in every so often. Plus, there's some great views along the way.

We were going to leave early today but the sun started to come up and it was too beautiful to just leave. We sat and finished our breakfast and drank coffee. A couple we met at the 501 Shelter in Pennsylvania got ahold of Bubbles today and offered to pick us up tomorrow at Newfound Gap and drive us into Gatlinburg for a resupply. They live in Georgia and offered to drive up and meet us in the morning around 9:00. That helps us out so much because we were going to have to hitch to town and it's a 13 mile hitch. I can't wait to see them again. It's been a long time. I remember them saying they would get ahold of us when we were down here and do some trail magic!

It's cold again tonight but no snow. I can't wait to get into Gatlinburg tomorrow. I remember the last time I was here was when I was younger with my Uncle Matt and Aunt Abby. I'm sure back then I would have never guessed I would be walking all the way here someday! It'll be cool to see the town again and experience it now on my hike.

Day: 223
Miles hiked: 19.8
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1984.4
Baby Bear: 1
Bald Eagle: 1
Bear: 1
Bluegill: 2
Butterflies: 8
Chickens: 1
Chipmunks: 3
Cows: 24

Crawfish: 1
Deer: 21
Donkeys: 2
Groundhog: 1
Grouse: 1
Horses: 17
Hummingbird: 1
Inchworm: 1
Really Big Dog: 1
Mice: 2
Moose: 2
Nest of bugs: 2
Newts: 2
Owl: 1
Peacock: 1
Rabbit: 1
Red Squirrel: 1
Skunk: 1
Snail: 1
Snake: 3
Squirrels: 12
Toads:
Trout: 2
Turkeys: 4
Turtles: 107
Vultures: 6
Woodpecker: 1