We set out early from the campsite at Birch Spring Gap, ready for a long day. Our intent was to catch up to Underpants, El Gato, and Simone.
Not far into the hike, the clasp on my hip belt exploded. It marked the third malfunction of my Arc'teryx Altra 65 pack, including a broken zipper pull and a broken tooth on the load transfer disc. To continue on, I tied the hip belt in a knot; this helped keep some weight on my hips, but the bulky nylon knot wore a hole in my base layer.
At Rocky Top, we met two other hikers, Smalls and Dark Age. The two convinced us to attempt a 30-mile day, pushing toward Clingman's Dome by sunrise. However, we all grew weary and sore by the time we reached Derrick Knob Shelter, 17 miles from our initial starting point, and we stopped for the night.
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