Summary of the last week or so:

Got soaked to the bone in rain storms the first few days in the Smokies. 

My knee was hurting bad so I went to the doctor in Gatlinburg, he said to go easy on it and gave me a brace and a prescription pain gel. I met some amazing Trail Angels in Gburg who got me to the Doc and fed me multiple meals and were a complete goddess send. 

I finished the Smokies with much better weather and the knee felt much better.

 I'm currently in Hot Springs with good folks at a sweet hostel. 

The trail is hard. The terrain is often unforgiving and the weather a wild card. And I couldn't be happier to be precisely where I am.