I set off from Spence field this morning and after hiking the 6 miles to Mollies Ridge, I decided to call it quits for the day. This gave me a chance to get some much-needed rest and have a nice dinner. The shelter is very crowded and there’s a ridge runner here checking everyone’s permit. I was able to call the back country office and get permission to stay here for the night.

The big mile stone today is that I now have more than 1000 miles on the Appalachian Trail. It seems funny because the thru hikers here all have trail legs and are hiking strong, yet they’ve all done less than 200 miles.

I’ve got 11 miles to hike to Fontana Dam tomorrow. That will take me out of Smoky Mountain national Park.

AT Thru-Hike Stats
Section Day # 3 (4/8/21)
Start — Spence Field (183.7)
End — Mollies Ridge (177.7)
Today’s mileage: 6.0
Total section miles: 30.0
Total miles on AT: 1004.6

Be courageous! Have faith! Go forward. ― Thomas A. Edison