Appalachian Trail (day 12) - Icewater Sorin Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter / mile 231

Today could be described in one word - windy.

And it was not your refreshing summer breeze, it was the kind of wind that chills your bones and the moment you feel it you want to turn around and go back home, except there's no home and you can't turn around.

The food I hanged last night was completely frozen, it was funny to crunch on a solid snickers and granola bars for breakfast. At least it was sunny, I've put all my layers on and started hiking.

Trail looked really good, I could see small patches of snow and icicles probably formed last night hanging from the bushes. Later during the day you could see the damage last years hurricane has done, fallen trees, layers of uncovered rock showing that there was not much trees could hang on to beneath, trail was trying to manoeuvre around the blow downs and disturbed earth.

I haven't met many people today but I hiked alongside Blazer, a friendly, older American guy. He also hiked PCT, so we shared our memories and horror stories from the trail. He said that one woman the year he was hiking (2016) got lost in Sierra Nevada mountains when she went to the "toilet" (you meant to go 200 feet off trail to do it, but no one was following that restriction). She got lost in the forrest and snow and wondered the wrong direction, she stayed by the stream she found and managed to survive for 21 days waiting for help, unfortunately no rescue came. Blazer was in a search party the year later, and the following year trying to find her. They only managed to recover her body two and a half years after she disappeared. It was located only 3/4 mile away from the trail.

Blazer suggested that I might try stretching my leg because it could be a tendon not a muscle that was causing the problem, I've done it in the evening and the leg seemed to be less painful at night.

Second half of the day was mostly downhill as we were nearing the end of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I've only had 10 more miles left of it for tomorrow.

My supplies were running low but luckily there's a hostel called Standing Bear just outside the park, so I could resupply there, it should get me going until the town called Hot Springs, forty miles away. I'm considering taking a zero day there to let my old bones recover a bit.

Overall a good day with decent progress.