Date: 2009-02-01
From: Mt. Springer

To: Mt. Springer
Miles today: 0.0

Here we were at Big Stamp Gap. 2174 miles and now we were now standing at the base of Springer Mountain 1 mile from completing the Appalachian trail. I¢ve dreamed since day one what the end would be like. Hundreds of different endings have played through my mind consuming countless hours of hiking as we slowly made our way south to this point. It always felt like dream that seemed too far to reach. The last week on the trail was a great ending to our adventure. After hitting the Smokys, it felt great hike on dirt and solid ground instead of the blinding deep white snow. It also felt great to regain feeling in our fingers and toes after four days of being numb up in the mountains. Our last nights in the shelters were much more enjoyable. One of the exciting moments in our final week was crossing the border from North Carolina and into Georgia, our final state. My dream of a crossing the border into Georgia on a bright sunny day through a massive prairie with blooming flowers and ripe peach trees was quickly smashed as we crossed a small wooden sign in the pouring rain with ¢NC/GA¢ engraved into it. Never the less, still felt great to know we had made it to the last stretch with only 70 miles left. Another highlight to end the trip was that our Dad and Grandpa made the trip down south to celebrate with us the final miles. Dad joined us for the final night on the trail which was very special. It had been a while since his camping glory days back as a Deerfoot counselor in the 70¢s however, he quickly showed us he was still a pro after building a massive bonfire minutes after arriving at our final shelter. Our last dinner on the trail was a big Mexican feast with all the fixings. It felt good to over eat to the point of stomach pains one last time on the trail. In the morning, we loaded up and strapped on our packs for the last time and hit the trail for the final 15 miles. Also joining us for the end was Chief Naysmith and his grandson Andrew making our summit crew a total of 5 people. Our grandpa was a huge help the final day meeting us at various road crossings and serving us a buffet of snacks and lunch as we crossed paths. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn¢t in one of my dream endings. At Big Stamp Gap, I looked at the sign pointing to Mt. Springer with only .9 miles left and could hardly believe it. Phil and I waved Farwell to the rest of the summit crew so we could one last time to hike side by side and complete this journey alone on top of Springer. We could not have been blessed with a more perfect day to end on, clear sunny sky with a comfortable warm temperature. The final mile was a gradual gentle slope, nothing like the end of Katadin. But we had waited 5 months for this moment and we were just soaking it up enjoying the end. As we rounded the last bend, there it was, the Mt.Springer plaque that marked the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. 5 million steps across 2000 miles of the east coast over mountain after mountain battling frigid temperatures and inclement weather all for this moment. As we touched the final plaque, we both left out a cry and laughter and then we stood in awe that we actually were standing at this point. Touching the plaque of a mixture of joy and excitement that we had accomplished our goal of completing the trail, relief that we were done hiking and we could now rest our bodies, and sadness that our adventure of two brothers living out in the woods alone that we had become so accustomed to was now over. We gave each other a huge hug and sat down to enjoy a little Debbie oatmeal cr me pie and an IBC rootbeer¢¦awe the taste of victory. The rest of our summit crew joined us minutes later on top to share with us in this joyful occasion. Never could I have dreamed of a perfect ending to our trip. The final thing on top of the Springer to do was thank and praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This trip would not have been the same without his many blessings and provisions. It was such a comfort to know he was with Phil and I every step of the way. So all the glory and praise must to given to where it belongs and that to our father in heaven. It¢s hard to believe the trail is finally over. I don¢t think it has quiet fully sunk in yet. This trip has will forever have changed me and I feel so privileged to have shared these memories, good times and bad with my brother Phil. Thank you so much to everyone that helped us along this journey. From the people who took us off the trail for a night to those of you that kept up with our online trail journal. Thank you so much for your prayers, thoughts and encouragements that motivated and helped us over these past 5 months of hiking. Best of luck to any one starting up the AT Nobo or Sobo. Look forward to many adventures to come after the Appalachian trail. -Nate