NOC

Cooold night spent in a shelter with a handful of others the first day out of Franklin, but a fire made it a little more tolerable.

Hiked up to Wesser Bald Observation Tower in the morning, which was cool because it offered 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains.

I had planned to hike straight through the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) which is huge outdoor-adventure center right on the Nantahala River, which mostly caters to kayakers, but has a lot of services for thru hikers as well, but reports of sub-zero temperatures and snow likely, I decided to take up the place on its cheap hostel. Don't plan to stop in Gatlinburg, so this appears to be the last real civilization before I'm out of the Smokies.

Currently sitting in the sun by the river watching some kayakers.