Another absolutely beautiful day for hiking today. I walked with Einstein, Condor, and Lucky Dog (He pulled 23 yesterday into the hostel.) We walked through quiet pine forests on largely flat trail, serenaded only occasionally by the cicadas.

We took a little detour to have lunch at a nearby restaurant and continued on, arriving at the shelter around 4. Alabama & Tarzan rolled in and moved on, then the place started filling up. Skyline and Sundance showed up with Hoplite. Then Wings & Feather, a mother/daughter team, pulled in—I had been reading of them for months. Packrat & Mad German joined us, as well as a couple of other hikers. Crazy but fun. I’m tenting out to avoid bugs but get the bonus of some space and privacy. I’m catching up on journal entries and making a few cell phone calls tonight and tomorrow, now that I have my cell phone with me!

Tomorrow I get my next mail drop and my replacement shoes from the Boiling Springs Post office. I also get to walk almost the entire day across the flat Cumberland Valley so it should be an easy day. Then Heather comes for a visit on Saturday. Yay!