Jim is in the midst of a long stretch in the Great Smokeys.  Mark prepared a great mailing with food for a seven day stretch, when places to buy food wouldn't be available.  When I called Jim early Thurday morning and actually got him, not his voice mail, he said he was eating breakfast in Gatlinburg, TN!  He said he smelled so badly that he talked a couple hiking buddies into going into Gatlinburg for a night and a bath.  I said, "Well, I bet they didn't smell too good either, Jim...." to which he replied, "But I was bothering me!  I couldn't stand myself."  Doesn't that sound like Jim? So, he was a happy man--a bath, clean clothes, and a good meal.

Jim said he had a meaningful Passover meal with his friend, Larry, and three other people with things Mark had thoughtfully mailed to him.  Sunday he hiked alone and enjoyed it, I think.  Took many pictures and made some calls to family.

He thought he would beat Hot Springs Tuesday rather than Monday.