Day 18: Zero day at Fontana lodge

Our second zero day: this time without wineries or wives. The weather today isn't too bad. I am enjoying the day off, but want to be making progress. Lots of hikers are here at the Fontana lodge. We are all a little scared of the Smokes & are waiting on the weather.

This morning I went down to the General Store & Laundromat, and did laundry. (Even though I did laundry a few days ago at NOC...I still like clean clothes). To do laundry means to take off all dirty clothes, put on my rain pants & my rain jacket & my crocs, and wait until the laundry is finished. Everyone in the laundromat was dressed exactly the same. :)

I spent most of the laundry wait time in the general store. Everything is very pricey ($7 for a can of cheez-whiz, $11 for a tiny bag of jerky, $8 for a tiny can of fuel, $40 for a foam sleeping pad). But it is cheaper than getting food at the lodge! So after much consideration I got sandwich stuff for 'breakfast', easy mac for an afternoon snack, and a teriyaki noodle pasta side + salmon pack for dinner. We also got a bottle of red wine, to have with cheese and summer sausage. Maybe that hiker hunger is kicking in, after all. :)

It's been nice to chat with other hikers and have a day to catch up with the journals of those who haven't made it this far yet. PrayerWalker got off the trail at Stecoah Gap. Several others have bailed out as well. Some who I thought were far ahead (Trekker & Pilgrim) were only a day ahead. PathFinder looks like she is doing great.

Snowman & Escargot are holding here for 2 nights. Snowman thrued a few years ago but he & his wife are on their third thru attempt. Since he has been through the Smokies three times before (once in a snowstorm) we are going to follow along with him. Or, at least, we aren't going to leave before he does.

I've caught up on posting to the blog, written email, written postcards, watched basketball, laid in front of the fire, read my Sun magazine (the good one not the trashy one). Getting a little bored but not stir crazy yet. Maybe I'll go soak my feet in the bathtub next. Wild & crazy, I know.

We are all eating hiker food in hopes to save a little money. Scorched Pipes Wilson (scorched because he singed his eyebrows while lighting his pipe in his tent, Pipes because he sings, Wilson because he is STILL carrying a volleyball around) decided to save fuel by using the lodge fireplace to heat up his mashed potatoes. Pretty smart idea!