I awoke to a frigid but beautiful morning. I had three easy miles to hike and then I could enjoy my zero in Franklin, North Carolina. I put on some good music as I sat and ate another breakfast of bacon jerky and Oatmeal Creme pies. As I was camped very close to the trail I chatted with a few of the hikers who passed by as I was packing up. I finally got everything in my pack and set off to the tunes of Taylor Swift. 

 It was somewhere in the 30’s but to me it felt like excellent t-shirt and kilt weather. I started the descent to Winding Stair Gap and the sky began to cloud over. At the map pavilion near the parking lot I saw my German hiker friend. She was waiting on the rest of her group hoping they’d join soon because the temperature was dropping. I made my way down to the road and surveyed my options. There was a fair amount of traffic passing by so I could hitch hike the 10 miles into town. Or I could call a shuttle. I tried all of the numbers for the shuttles because I thought that would be the quickest option and I was getting chilly rather quickly. Fortunately or unfortunately none of them answered so I was left with hitchhiking. I had never stuck my thumb out for a ride in my life. I was a bit timid at first but I quickly became bolder. After about 45 minutes a gentleman in red Ford pickup truck stopped and offered me a ride into town. I was cold, damp, and ready for my zero. I jogged across the parking lot to get my pack and I tossed it in the bed of his truck before hopping into the warm cab. As soon as I sat down I noticed the immense pride this guy took in his truck and I was grateful for the jog across the parking lot hoping it had dislodged most of the mud on my boots. We chatted on the way into town. He told me he used to drive for a shuttle service and he was a veteran. He gave me a few food recommendations for my stay in town and dropped me at my hotel. I thanked him profusely both for the ride and for being my first hitch.