Day 20- Cosby Knob Shelter to Davenport Gap

Wed May 25th
Total Miles Hiked: 237.9
Miles Hiked Today: 7.9

  The day started with a bright sunrise and a clear blue sky. 

I retrieved the food bag from the bear cables and observed that all I had for breakfast in the meal bag was a packet of tuna, a packet of mayo, and some bacon bits.

  I decided to save the bacon bits for an emergency,  and enjoyed my breakfast of tuna. I supplemented it with some dried fruit and a couple payday bars. The empty fuel canister continued to burn, so I made some instant espresso as well.

   I still had a Chicken and Noodle Mountain House meal for Sage, so I made that for her breakfast.

With a few snacks left, and almost 8 miles to go, we set out on our final day in thr Smokies. 

The day started with a pleasant .8 miles downhill. Then we began a couple miles of climbing about 800 ft. Enough to get the blood flowing, but not difficult. 

We took a side trail to see  the Mt Cammerer Overlook, definitely worth the extra mile of non-AT hiking 

 It always amazes me to see how high the mountains look, and to look back and see what we've already climbed.

 I love this trail, it has taken us over and through a beautiful part of America. I wish we were doing a thru hike as it would be fascinating to see the landscape change as we move North. But i feel blessed that we were able to take this time, so I'm not complaining.  We will continue to chip away at the trail one Section Hike at a time.

   The hike down the mountain to Davenport Gap Shelter was gradual, and we made excellent time. Sage was in high gear and I soon forgot I was trying to go easy on my left foot to protect the toe. Moving at Sage speed, my toe gave me no issues. We made it to the shelter by 1:15 pm and took a break. 

   About 15 minutes after our arrival, a couple of day hikers greeted Sage at the Davenport Gap Shelter. They were familiar faces,  Nanna and Granddaddy.  They drove up to cheer us on, resupply for the final push to Hot Springs, and pretty much provide everything a dirty, hungry hiker would want when leaving the Smokies.

   I tried to take a picture of my fresh Chicken Caesar Salad from Costco they brought to the shelter, but it was almost gone before I could snap a picture.  It was great to enjoy a fresh salad before I had even left the Smokies.

   Nanna and Granddaddy also shared fresh fruit and snacks with John from Minnesota,  a thru hiker we've hiked with for over a week.

We enjoyed hiking back to the car with Nanna and Granddaddy. 

  After a shower and laundry at the hotel, we were treated to some NC BBQ at a local restaurant. I managed to snap this picture before I had eaten all the food.

Sage and I are now resupplied, well fed, and eager to make our final push to Hot Springs. We have never been in better hiking condition.

My toe seems fine, and we are eager to push to the end of our section hike. Both of us would love to keep going, but a full thru hike just isn't possible at this time of life. We will, however, keep chipping away at the trail, choosing the best seasons and times for other section hikes.