5/30 Fontana Dam, NC. They have progressed 162.5 miles up the trail to date, and seem to be very well. Most of the hike is at altitudes above 5000 feet. They're both well ready for that challenge. Some days have been easier that others, and they recently did another 14 mile day, because they met a "very interesting and scary" character at their planned stop, so they continued an additional 5 miles in order to avoid staying there. At this point the trail consists of a lot of P.U.D.s (pointless ups and downs). There are a lot of trees, and not much visibility here; they haven't encountered much wildlife, although there is plenty of scat and other evidence.. Pete reports of being challenged by a grouse as their wildest encounter, and startling a wild boar that leaped off a small cliff and tumbled down the hill. They have encountered a few days of rain, but for the most part it has at least been warm. Pete says it's a rain forest up there, and it's always wet. I say welcome to the south. Renee is finally on the road, but tonight I’m holed up in a hotel in Illinois, waiting out thunderstorms. I still hope to be in Tampa by late Sunday