(Daily Mi: 7.8) Short walk to the Hiawasee roadhead where Chris has parked his rental car. Nice morning. I lope along behind Chris. He is surprised that I don't want to go sprinting off ahead. But there is not much point as I will just have wait for him and I have no desire to walk one lick faster than is absolutely madated by law.

We have breakfast -- mmmmm, biscuits and gravy -- at a diner, shop for my last round of supplies and buy pulled pork sandwiches at a local bbq joint to eat for dinner -- Chris wants to buy ribs, but decides against it once I inform him that he will be packing out any bones.

Quick 3.5 mile walk from the roadhead to the shelter for the night -- Chris will walk back north to the car tomorrow a.m.

Weather has turned a little, overcast and threatening to rain. Heard a really grim three day forecast on a local Christian station while driving back from town.

In the three days that he has been out this time, Chris has seen the worst the Trail has to offer -- and the conditions I have been living with more or less for the last six weeks.

As we eat our pulled pork sandwiches at the shelter it begins to rain and we are forced inside.

Chris tells me that although he has dreamed of doing the Trail more or less all his life, he is not sure now watching me that he ever could or would necessarily want to live under these conditions.

And I am no advertisement. I started the trail at almost 220 lbs. and now under 170 lbs. The 30" waist of my hiking pants are hanging off my now skeletal 6'1 frame. The cold and wet have taken a tool on my fine motor coordination. I have not taken my sock off since Wesser more than 70 miles back. Before today I had not had a solid meal since Fontana Dam some 100 miles back.

But this is the lowest point of a very long trip.

I am 60 miles from Springer. Four days of ordinary hiking. Cold and wet. Or dry and warm.