I had an absolute blast on this trip! Really enjoyed hanging out with y'all and relaxing. Chris and Steve told some pretty memorable stories (FYI, my wife's sisters went to Kennedy High School in Taylor) on Saturday night - had me laughing pretty hard even though I was only half awake! The Cullowhee spot was pretty amazing; secluded with a nice stream - I think Chuck led because he had his mind set on that spot! That evening was pretty perfect minus Rick's differential snafu (hope you get it resolved quickly, sir). The Courthouse Falls excursion was beautiful - I'm glad I didn't skip it but next time I'll bring a camera. And I won't push Eric in to Blue's swim path. Hagan, glad you rocked the Hundy on Black Balsam, it was good to see one getting out there and mixing it up. The potluck dinners were pretty dang amazing. My expectations were pretty low with the tacos, but they blew me away; damn good cooking, Marshall! Breakfast was awesome too, thanks Steve. Besides Gabe's ham, I think I filled up with charcuterie on Saturday. Gabe, you and Jennifer did a very nice job raising your boys. They're very well-mannered and polite. They seemed to get along well with Philip's son Ethan - I was very happy to see them enjoying themselves.
I admit that I was a bit bummed about not being on the bald at Black Balsam, but I got over it pretty quick once we had our chairs up there. The crowd was much smaller than I was expecting and it's still one of my absolute favorite places on earth. Plus, I can't get Will's trip to the bongo beating sweat lodge out of my mind! That story never gets old. Great memories of this place and I can't wait until next time! Thanks, gents. I hope I get to spend more time getting to know more folks next year.
