After procuring a couple of biscuits from Bojangles this morning, I walked down to the on ramp for Hwy64 threw out my hitchin thumb. After a few minutes a tiny little 2 door Geo hatchback swerved onto the shoulder and stopped to pick me up. There were already two folks in the front chain smoking cigarettes, so I crammed my pack into the back seat and squeezed myself in. The couple was quite friendly and very interested in my hike. Unfortunately they were only heading up the road about 3mi and the trailhead was 11mi outside of town. They deposited me back on the side of the hwy at their turn off and wished me well on my adventure. I started walking with my thumb out and a few minutes later a nice guy stopped in a truck. He was heading to deliver a cold drink to a stranded motorist a few miles up the road and carried me another 3mi closer to the trail. I was back on the side of the hwy, again, and had a BIG hill to climb. Fortunately, a very nice older couple stopped and carried me the final few miles and I was finally back on track. A church group was setup in the parking lot dispensing trail magic. I had a cup of coffee, talked with the nice folks, and grabbed a few snacks for the trail. I was back in the woods by 10:45am and on my way again. I stopped for lunch on Siler Bald. A side trail led 1/4mi up to the summit with 360 degree views. It was beautiful! I ran into a couple of young hippy dudes named RedBeard and Matt... They said they were planning to sleep in a tower at Wayah Bald tonight and invited mento join them. I spent some time taking pictures and lounging on the summit then started making my way to Wayah Tower. I finally arrived around 7:30pm and threw down my pack with the other guys in the tower. There are 4 of us camping in the tower tonight. Me, RedBeard, Matt, and Matts Uncle Rippin Riles. It should be a good night. The views from the tower are stunning, the weather is clear, and the air is crisp!
117.9mi hiked... 2063.1 to go
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