March 13th -Day 9 - Long Branch Shelter to Franklin, NC
Cold morning, there is a dusting of snow about and the moisture in the ground has frozen into tiny vertical columns jutting through the leaves. This creates a very crunchy sound to the hike. It's only 3.5 miles to rock gap where an advertised shuttle should be at 9am. Live and I got to rock gap and there was another hiker there. After striking up conversation we found that she was just a denizen of the trail had been on for nine years or so. She had two packs on, camo head to toe, smoking a cigarette, and she spoke in a half cry half angry yell. Ron Havens shows up in a bus to shuttle us to town. Ron Havens is the most intelligent man in this part of the south, owns multiple motels, has been in government, yet still he reminds me of the stereotype fat segregationist southern mayor. He is a lovely man. his prize quote of the encounter, speaking of his home town in the summer, "Hotter than the blue blazes through purgatory in the summer." In town Live and I resupply, find lunch, and get a motel room. March madness is in full swing and we spend the afternoon watching basketball. sitting around doing nothing is just what I need right now.
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