Smoky Mountains!

Shawn is currently hiking through the Smokies! We were able to talk for a few minutes today while he was on top of a mountain. He said that sometime tomorrow or so he will have less than 2000 miles to go on the AT! He also said that within the next few days he'll reach the 10% completed mark.
The weather seems to be a big concern throughout the trip. He said that today was one of the coldest days in a while, and it was in the 50s, so I know he's been luckier than most of us, but apparently there has been a lot of rain.
Since he left Franklin, NC, he spent a night on the trail with a few friends. The people he's been hanging out with the most are Coma, Rambo, No Responsibilities, Bearpaw and a few others. Those names mean just as little to me as they do to you, but it's interesting to hear the other names that people get on the trail.
The next day there was terrible rain, so Shawn and two others, I think Coma and Rambo, hitched a ride to a town and stayed there. Since then, he's been right outside and through the Smokies. He said that it has been a lot of difficult uphills. But while we were on the phone a lot of people who had been traveling behind him were passing him, and it seems as though he's gotten to know most of the hikers. He said that he's still enjoying himself. He also said that he hasn't done laundry in about a week, and it seems to be becoming a bit of a problem. Hopefully he'll be able to do it at some point before all of his new found friends abandon him for someone who has done their laundry more recently.
Reception has been pretty bad in the Smokies, but I'll update again in a few days.