Appalachian Trail (day 9) - Cable Gap Shelter to Birch Spring Tentsite / mile 172

Muscles behind my right knee did not get better over night and I was really struggling to get going in the morning. I was even considering putting my tent back up and getting a day off to let it heal up. After another hour I worked out that it only hurts when I go uphill and in this slightly limping fashion I made it to Fontana Village Marina.

I got a pit stop here in a Marina shop, I've microwaved a pizza pocket, had pepsi and sat on the pier in the sun. I've decided at this point that I will enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park but I will stay at the first campsite available. The park had a special permit which costed $40 and you had to drop half of the printed out version into a box on entry, so entering the park kind of sealed the deal for the next 70 miles of it.

My idea was to have a short day, arrive at the campsite relatively early, relax and try to heal up the hurting muscle. First part of the trail was relatively easy as it went along the Montana lake and through absolutely huge and spectacular Fontana Dam. I never seen anything like it, the amount of concrete that was poured to build that thing must have been insane, it was stretching between two hills, creating lake on one side and sheer drop on the other.

Second part of the way was a climb, not easy but manageable with slow pace and some pain management. I made it to the campsite around 3 pm and since I was first one here, I claimed the best spot, right by the trail, close to water and way higher up than the other spots. It was my shortest day so far, with only 14 miles completed, but it was the most reasonable way to try to proceed from this problematic spot.

I might have to repeat this approach tomorrow if the pain continues, until finally I'll get my "trail legs" as American hikers like to call them.