Date: 2004-03-03
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: light rain

Springer Mountain to Hawk Mountain Shelter Wow!This is great! Leigh Saint is really nice. She arranged for me to visit the outfitter after-hours last night after I had arrived. Later that night I met other hikers at the hikerhostel. They were all very nice people. The three guys, Stone dust, Pa Kettle and I all wanted to leave early, so we shared a bunk room and Leigh woke us at 6:30 for breakfast. After a good breakfast we then headed out for the trail. We drove near the top of Springer and hiked SOUTH .9 miles to take pics and sign the register. Later I realized that, although I wrote in my entry, I didn't actually sign it so I turned around, went back to start, signed my entry, and started out again. Soon after I passed the parking lot on my NOBO (northbound) hike, I stubbed my toe on a rock and as I tried to recover I felt a sharp pain in my ankle so I dropped immediately. I was ok and in a few more steps I arrived at my first stream crossing and stepped across on rocks and logs. There was a sleeping bag, clothing and a tent hanging in the bushes to dry. I didn't see anyone. I was dipping my bottle in the water when someone asked if I had fallen. He heard my crash and thought he was being visited by a bear. He talked non-stop and never wanted a reply. I hurried to fill my bottles and get away as he went rapid fire from topic to topic with no break between. He said he had burnt a hole in his tent when cooking. A few topic later he said he uses small chunks of fireplace starter logs, only 39 cents for cooking fuel. "You gotta be innovative," he said pointing to his temple. I was finally ready to leave and he said "Happy trails!" once then again as there was another bit of sage advice he had to add during a drawn out parting.The trail is very beautiful and impressively clean. I am so happy to be out here. Some people are very friendly and some downright unfriendly. Here at the shelter there is a little bantering going on, but mostly people are staying in their groups. Along the trail I was happy to see all the greenery, though it's still winter. I took pics of where the rhododendrons are over the trail, but there were some places where the plants were much more of a tunnel and too dark for a pic.There is a lot of mica on the trail. Mostly they are tiny specks shining like diamonds even when the sun is blocked by clouds, as it was most of the day. It is very humid and I was dripping with sweat most all day too.The trail was marked with blazes very closely placed at first. Then it got very wide where it joined the Benton Mackay Trail. Then the two trails split again and the AT became very narrow and covered with leaves. I thought it looked too unused to be the AT so I began to pay close attention, looking for a blaze..... nothing!The trail then turned SOUTH still no markings, so I became convinced that I had missed a turn. I turned around and walked back looking for a blaze or a trail. After about a half mile I found a blaze where the two trails parted. Frustrated, I retraced and eventually crossed a logging road and finally saw another blaze.Anyway, all is well, and I walked for almost 9 hours, breaks were numerous but short. Even though I'm only 7.6 miles from Springer I feel good. It will take awhile to get the good traillegs.         |                |                                |                |