(Daily Mi: 0.0) Rained like the dickens all day (started around 1 am). Brother left his boots out on the stoop last night and then tried to dry them this a.m. in the resort sauna. Now nobody can use the resort sauna -- cooked thru hiker boots are among the rankest smells known to man.

The drop box I hoped would be bounced to the Fontana Dam Post Office, has still not arrived -- fear it ended up in Erwin. This is pretty grim because the pickings at the Fontana Dam Resort convenience store are themselves pretty grim. A handful of Ramen, pop-tarts, crackers and white bread.

I get the last dehydrated meal available in the picked over racks at the resort outfitters and a couple of Clif bars.

Confirmed with my northbound trail angel Choo Choo that she would meet just below the Springer summit on November 24th -- so I have an official target date.

I have not yet figured out exactly how or even where I'll go from there. But my goal involves Thanksgiving and fantastic amounts of hot food and, in particular, sausage stuffing.

Have dinner with Brown Trout, Brother and Laura. Flutterby and Poppa Husker are also at the resort but sticking to their rooms for the evening.

Pick at my meal. I am hungry but cannot seem to stomach a lot of food at once which is my usual calorie packing scheme when in town.