Miles: 275.5 | Homemade biscuits, gravy, and hiker-sized portions send us back toward the trail feeling full in every sense. A caffeine-fueled roadside pee stop becomes a necessary (and humbling) highlight before returning to Hot Springs for last-minute resupply, ice cream, and one final pack weigh-in. The day winds down with dinner on a boulder by the river, rain clouds rolling in, and the quiet relief of sleeping just outside town — fed, supported, and finally at ease.
After breakfast we headed out to Ingles so that Josh and Tang could resupply. I got an iced tea at the Starbucks there and brought a latte out to Journeyman who was waiting in the car. I went back into the store to use the restroom before we left. Once Josh and Tang finished shopping we all piled back into the car and headed back to Hot Springs.
TMI ALERT: On the 45 minute drive back I started having the urge to pee... the uncontrollable ‘I just had a large iced tea and two cups of coffee this morning’ I have to pee kind of urge. I tried so hard to hold it until we got to town but it was starting to get painful! Finally I asked Journeyman to pull over.
In the morning Journeyman and his wife made us the most amazing homemade breakfast. Biscuits, gravy, eggs to order, fruit salad, and coffee in hiker hunger proportions!
The sun peeked through the clouds outside and we were excited to get back to the trail. We took a group photo in Journeyman’s backyard where he has a white blaze painted on a tree:
I quickly got out of the car and peed on the side of the road. So embarrassingly necessary. Relieved, we all got back into the car and finally made it into Hot Springs where Josh and Tang packed up their food resupplies.
I went and got an ice cream cone and charged my phone one last time. I stayed in town for a bit longer while Josh set out to find us a cool camp spot. I went over to the outfitter one last time and got cough drops for my recent allergy surge and some KT Tape for my Achilles. I also weighed my pack: still 40lbs.
We camped by the river just out of town next to a huge rock. We ate dinner on top of the boulder and watched the sun go down.
Rain clouds rolled in across the town. In a good mood, I headed to bed in my tent.