Date: 2004-03-15
From: Springer Mt

To: Stover Creek Shelter, GA
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Began today at USFS 42. Hiked South to the Southern terminus of the AT (Springer Mt), and then back to Stover Creek Shelter. So, my first day on the trail. Lots to tell today, including more on the kindness of strangers, serendipity and some trail magic! I was so excited last night I couldn't sleep, and so when I boarded my 6:50am flight to Atlanta, I'd already been up a good 20 hours. The flight was uneventful, but when I got to the airport, I discovered the shuttle I'd scheduled to take me to Springer was a no-show! I wander for a while, hoping he's simply late. 45 minutes later, still no shuttle. However, I did pass by one guy holding a sign that said "Greg" with the AT symbol on it. We start chatting, I explain my situation, and Greg and I share a shuttle. Yay, not stranded!This shuttle service, for the record, was fantastic. If you need a ride to anywhere in GA, call Marty Rogers at 404 256 2907. For your $75 (no extra charge for extra hikers!) he gives you fuel, canisters, stops for food or gear, and even a guided tour of the local towns. Him and Bear Behind (Greg, I think that was his real name) and I ate lunch together and it was really a great time. ON top of everything, my shuttle cost me $30 less because I split it with Bear.Today I was only planning to do the 0.9 miles from USFS 42 to the Springer Shelter, and spend the night there. I was even planning to spend tomorrow there, circuit hiking the Benton McKay Trail and adjusting to the altitude (40 feet to 3500 feet affects you!). Well, "bah" on all that! I was too excited to sit still. At Springer I met a mail list buddy, Welsh Nomad, and her husband Andrew, along with my first Ranger, Gizmo, who was passing out matchbooks with the principles of Leave No Trace (LNT) camping printed inside. He helped me fit my new pack a little better. Met lots of other great people too, who I'm sure I'll see again as time passes.God, I can't believe I'm really out here.So, after hitting Springer and staring for an hour through the haze and drizzle, I decided to go on to Stover Creek Shelter. It's only 2.6 miles, which I should make no problem before my lack of sleep catches up to me. The hike is breathtaking, despite the hazed-out views. There's some sort of tropics-like plant growing, and aside from that the only green is evergreens. The trail floor is coated in pine needles and it makes everything smell so insanely wonderful. Though I passed a dozen hikers on my way to Springer, I saw no one going to Stover. I did, however, get a cool picture of a turtle bathing in a stream crossing.Regarding photos, my transcriber Kate will be uploading all my photos a card at a time, so they'll probably be a couple weeks behind my actual journal entries, which I'm able to do myself from libraries. Sorry!So, back at Stover Creek... there's close to a dozen people at this shelter. I'm sadly too tired to remember anyone's name with accuracy. This is the least social group of people I've met so far, but still very friendly. Maybe we're all just tired, and a little overwhelmed. Grandma sent me with Kreplach, so I have an insanely tasty cold dinner to eat. One of the hikers gives me tips on how to pitch my tarptent in the rain - he has the same one.It's raining hard now, almost 7pm and I'm off to sleep. I'm lying under my dry, super-ventilated tarptent, loving every second of the sound the rain makes as it hits my roof. I'm lying for the first timne ever in my very cool Raku bag from Nunatak - it has arms! So I can write without freezing. I'm pretty much using all this equipment for the first time and am relieved not only to see that it works so well, but that I can take care of my camp and myself well, and by myself, even without practice. And though sun and stars would have been nice for my first day out, the rain is beautiful too (I'm sure I won't be saying that for long! But for now...) and my first day was everything I'd dreamed it would be.Now to find my gloves, as it's cold enough to see my breath, and get my first night's sleep on the AT.