From Mark:
"Kris called from a little town on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. They are 400 miles in and decided to stay in a hostel tonight for $18. Price included someone doing their laundry and they were going to sleep in an actual bed with mattress and linens. They were looking forward to a good meal tonight and a shower before hitting the trail again in the morning for a five day jaunt before reaching the next town.
Kris states that they are even more committed to this adventure now than they were at the start. They love pressing on even though the heat and the humidity are more severe than they anticipated. Fortunately, most of their hiking is actually in the shade and of late they have been above 3500 feet in elevation which means some breezes. Below this level it is oppressive feeling.
They are currently averaging 15-18 miles per day and the equipment continues to hold up well. They are told that once they get into Virginia (next week) the terrain gets flatter and the potential for 25-30 mile days is there.
Kris had one more encounter with a bear. He was “visiting” the “restroom” one morning and looked up to see a bear passing by about 15 yards away. The bear didn’t seem to mind him and Kris surmised that it had known of their campsite all night long and apparently had chosen not to bother them. Still a little disconcerting to see one so close by and realize your escape options are limited.
He was thrilled to hear of Kurt’s new job and said that this news completely “made my day!” He is anxious to hear an update on the MotoGP races of late. Perhaps next phone call, we will be able to let him know of the current standings.
He sounds very energetic, upbeat and confident. I believe this adventure has already had an impact on his psyche and self esteem. He is more talkative than ever!"
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