Wednesday June 20, miles today 13.1, miles from Springer 274.5

In the morning, Obi Wan and I finished wringing out our pads and sleeping bags, ate breakfast and were packing up when one of the eight women camped below, came up carrying her sopping wet tent.  She threw it in the shelter and explained "This tent can't stop water, I am not carrying the useless thing out of here."  I guess they had rain trouble as well.

We started on the trail with a 500 foot decent and then a 1000 foot climb.  I felt better than I had the previous day.  Obi Wan and Hellcat then sped down the 4 mile downhill to Garenflo Gap.  I tried to keep up, but couldn't and took a pretty good fall.  Major Tom was even slower than me with his bad feet.  I stopped at a spring to clean off my scrapes, then descended at a more moderate pace.  When I got to the Gap, Obi Wan and Hellcat were waiting.  They decided to continue to Deer Park shelter to eat the last of their food for lunch, I stayed and waited for Major Tom.  While waiting, two trucks with metal cages in the beds containing blood hounds drove up and parked in the gravel parking area.  They asked me if I had seen or heard any hounds.  They had several out between where I was and Hot Springs, tracking a rogue bear.  The dogs had radio collars but once they got in the hills they lost the signal.  At about 11 am, Major Tom came limping down the trail.  He had twisted his ankle.  I talked him into getting a ride to Hot Springs with one of the good ole boys.

I then started on the trail for Deer Park shelter hoping to catch up.  I made very good time hiking the 3.4 miles in an hour and ten minutes arriving for lunch with Obi Wan and Hellcat.  We ate the last of our food before heading down the trail for our last 3 miles to Hot Springs.  As we moved to the lower altitude the flowers were in full bloom.

We walked into town and stopped at the first store we saw, The Hillbilly Grocer.  We bought and quickly consumed apples, bananas, orange juice, chocolate and sodas.  We then continued down the street and met Major Tom showered, fed and happy.  He had gotten our cabin keys and directed us to where should go.  I dropped off my pack and ran to the Post Office to pick up my bump box that I mailed from Fontana.  Major Tom came back with some beer and we sat on the back deck to rest.  At 4 pm the three of us went for another lunch while Major Tom took a nap.  At 7 pm we went for dinner.