I had the pleasure of running with Bruce Fox today. We met up at Newfound Gap at noon and drove together up to Clingman’s Dome. It was very cloudy when we started so no reason to go up the tower since there would be no views. Luckily, the weather only sprinkled on us for a couple minutes and it cleared up as we ran.

The trail near Clingman’s Dome reminds me of some of the AT in the northeast with lots of moss, ferns, and fir trees. Bruce and I had a fun time getting to know one another better as we ran down the mountain.

After we ran, Bruce drove me back up to get my car. I was able to be a trail angel and help a section hiker get back to their car. He was a retired physics professor from UT that hikes the trail a lot. I need to be a trail angel about a million more times to repay the universe for all the trail angel treats I’ve received this summer. 🙂

Next, I went to Cherokee to check in to the hotel for a shower and a nap before joining Susan K. and Laura S. (Trail Angels!) for dinner.