AT again! Standing Bear Hostel to Cosby Knob Shelter

Today was absolutely fabulous!  It felt so good to be back on the trail today.  We started at Standing Bear Hostel where we parked the car and walked down to the trail. Unfortunately, people told us the wrong way to walk and we started up the trail with a light step but soon something felt wrong.  Jamie and I stopped the group and as we were panicking about going in the wrong direction some Northbounders came up behind us to confirm that fact.  SO!  After our little warm up, we walked back down the hill and started off again going south.  
It was so great to be on the trail and be feeling fit.  I walked with Rachel today and we went at a leisurely pace, stopping periodically to smell the flowers-literally.   We started at 8:30 and arrived at the shelter 10 miles on around 6:30.  It was a great day.   We saw a skink, a salamander and (thanks to Laurens) two bears!   I forgot how glorious walking in the woods can be.  Quiet, peaceful, it smells good, the views are spectacular and your endorphins are pretty high from the exercise. 
Jamie, Jon and Laurens got to the shelter before us so dinner was just about ready as we arrived and after chatting with the other shelter residents for a few minutes and sharing tips from our thru-hike last year we gave our hiking friends their ration of whiskey for the trip and now we are snug in our sleeping bags.
Weather wise today was absolutely perfect and we hear that the weather for the rest of the week should be equally splendid.   We've only got 7.7 miles to hike tomorrow and that on flat (ish) ground.  (Today we hiked 10 miles up 5000feet). 
Anyway, life is good.  The smokey's have been lovely so far but to be honest, no more beautiful than any other bit of the trail.  We'll see what tomorrow holds.  The other hikers have told us that the ridges will be spectacular.
Happy Trails!