I will begin my hike at least 50 miles prior to the Smokies and end at least 50 miles beyond the Smokies so I want to take advantage of the thru-hiker permit. However, I have a small problem. I intend on staying in Gatlinburg for a few days so I won't complete the Smokies within the 8 day timeframe the thru-hiker permit allows. It looks like I'll be beyond the Smokies on the 9th or 10th day. Is there anything I can do to stay "legal"?