So by the title of this post you can surmise that I did not make it out of Standing Bear Farm as planned. I really liked this place and it was fun meeting other hikers as they were passing through or were checking in for the night. Also, my knees were pretty sore following the descent off the Smokies.
But the final decision to stay was purely psychological. I was conflicted over taking a down day and pressing on a mad dash to catch MotMot and Zeeba in Hot Springs. I could see how feelings of conflict could turn negative had I hiked. In the end, I decided to not risk a bad mental day and to just enjoy my stay at Standing Bear.
Oh, and did I mention the weather? Rain was forecast at 100% chance for the day. That made me feel even better about staying. But what happened? After a very short spell of light rain in the morning, the sun came out! It was sunny the rest of the day.
Later on in the afternoon, Woodstock and Giggles showed up! Remember those two? They’re the ones from Doc Brown’s DeLorean’s trip to the sixties. I’d seen these guys in Gatlinburg briefly but not since then. Oh and Maynard showed up to. I haven’t written much about him, but he’s a funny guy from Maine who is hiking home. I’ve had sporadic contact with him in Franklin, in the Smokies and in Gatlinburg.
So it was great seeing these familiar faces again. By the next morning, it didnt take long to decide to stay yet another day, since all of them were taking zeroes here.
But that would be it. The next day, I would have to be moving on – which is exactly what I did.
Wandering on…
Mojo