Slackpacking Trip - Day 8

[woke up around 0615 and looked outside - it didn't look too nice, so I napped a bit more and ate breakfast - left hotel around 0900 - used US-25/70 to drive through Hot Springs - it started to rain, so I didn't get to hike near there... - regretted not leaving earlier (everything got wet as it rained for a few hours in the middle of the day) - got on I-40 and drove east until reaching exit 451 (eastern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park) - found trail near Waterville (1100) - spent some time on the phone with Nicky while I waited for an opening to hike - break came around 1215 - hiked on both sides of the Pigeon River (lots of kayakers and rafters south of really tough rapids) - took a bear claw from the trail magic checkpoint on the east side of I-40 (bottom of big hill) - most of the first section of my hike was on paved roads, so I didn't get too wet - however, I did hike a section of muddy trail under dripping trees that got me really wet - actually didn't see anyone else during the whole walk and made it back to my car around 1300 and then used NC-284/TN-32 to find the trail again (1315) - this time, I was inside of the National Park and saw lots of warnings about bears and notes that I needed a back-country permit - but I didn't see any rangers and only encountered one hiker (NOBO woman who I passed twice) during the entire segment - I actually managed to finish up the section (making it to where I had turned around earlier in the day) - saw some birds (rather big, black color with red head) that made a large commotion when flushed out of the trees - also encountered a lot more rhododendron bushes (still no flowers) - as I returned to my car (1500), I noticed a standing stone off the trail and that it was inscribed with what looked like a year (barely legible) - a later search on the internet revealed it was related to a NC/TN survey team that came through the area in the early Nineteenth Century - at the bottom of the hill (driving back to Waterville), I found a N.P. campground (and restroom) - back in the car (more rain), drove east on I-40 and got off at US-23/74 (west) - the scenery was great and I enjoyed mostly four lane roads that followed the Blue Ridge - almost ran out of fuel but found a place to stop just in time (in Sylva at 1630) - continued west and found myself almost alone after everyone else headed towards the National Park (nice...) - followed signs for a resort complex north of Robbinsville (used NC-28) and found a place to stay (Tuskegee Hotel - mainly for bikers) - after getting settled and making myself some dinner, drove about seven miles to check out the Fontana Dam (where the trail enters the National Park on the west side) - made a plan to avoid a significant amount of backtracking in the morning - back to the hotel, uploaded Facebook photos and decided on early (2200) bedtime again (satellite TV disabled after a tree fell behind the hotel!) - hiked 3.05 miles (not counting backtracks) today - Grand Total on A.T. is now 47.57 miles]