Round 3 GSMNP (Fri)

Guess what? You guessed it, Ding Ding!! Round 3 in the GSMNP started with a phone call from SHOE. After work on Friday I zoomed up to the Smoky Mountains for the start of a new adventure. I met SHOE and Shemia (another trail dame) at the usual spot, Smokemont Campground. I actually got up there early enough to put up my hammock in the day light. YAY! (My set up is getting a lot easier and faster to hang because all the practice I've been getting. )

I finally got to sit down, relax, and enjoy camp. Let me say that these girls know how to car camp right too! They had a huge blue tarp set up over a picnic table in case of rain (and wouldn't you know, it didn't rain a drop that night. hahha!) and a table full of goodies to snack on, like garlic hummus and veggie crackers, roasted peanuts, and all the makings for S'Mores. SHOE even had a camp chair she was lounging on. It's actually pretty nice to have some amenities when your outdoors. With all the backpacking I've been doing lately, I've missed being able to sit at a picnic table, lounge in a comfy camp chair, warm up to a good fire, and walk to a clean bathroom ... aahhh... it's the little things you miss. hahha!

While sitting at the picnic table, I watched as Shemia brought a pile of sticks to a roaring fire right just as the sun was going down for the day. She's pretty talented with firewood and a book of matches. I don't think I could ever get a fire roaring the way she had it going. SHOE pulled out the map and we got down to business looking over the weekends itinerary. 9.4 miles on Saturday with an easy 5 miles on Sunday. DONE, on to more important things... chillaxing...

As Shemia stoked the fire and Shoe assembled all the items for our S'Mores, I lazily took advantage of the down time and just took it all in. I think it was Shemia who said it first, about loving the smell of a camp fire. I whole heartedly agree. I love everything about a camp fire. The crackling, snapping, hissing sounds the wood makes; the heat generated from the fire licking your face, hands and legs as it keeps you warm; the white smoke spiraling from the flames and getting into your hair and clothes; and the orange, red, white, and blue colors that you see. Something about staring at the fire is so soothing. I was content just sitting there.

SHOE passed out some wire hangers that we both unraveled to use as our marshemellow sticks for our S'Mores. Shemia is on a major health kick. She knocked out all suger from her diet and is even on the verge of becoming a vegetarian, so she bypassed on the S'mores. She had no idea what she was missing. Warm gooey goodness slapped between two graham crackers and a piece of melting hershey's chocolate. YUM! I had two S'more sammies that night.

After a couple of hours chit chatting around the campfire, we decide to call it a night and went to our respective tent/hammock to get a good night sleep for the next days adventure. I slept the entire night through and woke up around 7am. And guess what? no one heard me snoring :) hahaha! Til tomorrow....