Walnut Mountain shelter- northbound mile 260

This post is from Tuesday April 7, 2015.    The GPS data from today's hike can be found at:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/742278297

Put in over 21 miles today including an embarrassing situation where I got disoriented and hiked about 15 minutes southbound retracing my steps without realizing it until I met an oncoming girl that I had passed going north about 1/2 hour before. She asked if I was turning around already ...😊

There were several hours of heavy rain and some thunder and lightning that was a bit scary. I ended up just hiking through it as I was not near any shelter anyway. Then it cleared up and I am in a great campsite tonight comfortable in my totally LEVEL tent.

Here is the view from Mack's Patch a huge bald I went over today just after the rain stopped:

I want to write down the trail names of some people I have met before I forget them. I may add more about them in the future.

PA TRAILRUNNER- 62 year old man usually wearing a 2012 Boston marathon shirt. He hails from Pennsylvania and he is going to leave the trail for a bit in June to support his son who is doing the Western States 100.

ROCKOCEAN young man from Tampa whose two loves are hiking and surfing.

CHAMELEON young woman I passed as she tried to catch up with her friend (UKELADY??) who subsequently found me walking in the wrong direction. Apparently this happens to a lot of people- in my defense 😇. They are hiking together sort of with another girl called LEAPFROG.

PACKMAN A guy who did not believe in the Smoky Mountain National Park rules about only tenting near shelters.

DOC (Mark from Macon, GA) a veterinarian that I had a lovely dinner conversation with tonight. He is also  A PADI Divemaster so we talked trail, diving and livestock.