It was another frosty morning on the trail. We didn’t get above freezing until well after midday when we dropped elevation and got out of the wind.  There was a little ice on the trail, but nothing too bad.

The first half of the day was great, clear sky and an easy trail.

We climbed to Wesser Bald and had some great views from the fire tower.  You could see Lake Fontana in the distance at the foot of the Smoky Mountains.

From there, we hiked over Fork Mountain, then stayed on a nice ridgeline until a brutal descent to Rufus shelter that lasted several miles and had everyone’s knees hurting.

We made it to the shelter with just enough time to set up camp before it got dark.

Another cold night, but tomorrow we hike about a mile to a hiker pancake breakfast, then a ten mile climb that puts us near the doorstep of the Smokies!