(Daily Mi: 12.2) Had a nice breakfast 2 miles into my hike this morning. Link sausages and a great big stack of pancakes at a diner .3 miles off the trail. Found Piper shortly after breakfast. He had missed the sidetrail to the shelter and camped by a stream about .5 north of the roadhead. Humped over a few bony ridges but the last three miles into Boiling Springs cross big, flat, open fields. This was a nice change of pace from the green tunnel, and I had a nice leisurely stroll with the Commander and Scout into town. Boiling Springs itself was a bit of a let down. It is a very pretty town, and there are in fact boiling springs (and an ATC regional office). They do not, however, much care for sweaty, stinky hikers. One B&B owner was so mean to mean to me I decided I would rather spend the night in a tick infested field by the railroad tracks than give him my money. So, I did -- although I did get a cheeseburger sub first.