Date: 2008-11-22
To: Back to Springer
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I went back. 8 months and 1 day after starting my northbound thru-hike from Springer Mountain, Georgia, I found myself standing back on the summit. The weather and conditions were nearly identical. Clear and sunny and probably in the 50's. There were again no leaves on the trees. And I found myself even less inspired by the view than I had been on my first summit. However, this time I was not alone. Even though there were people on the summit the first time I did not know any of them (although I would get to know one quite well during the course of my hike). This time I was there with Bearbait, Creek Diver, and Shelter Monkey, all friends made during the course of my NOBO. Also, this time I was standing on Springer for a finish instead of a beginning. I came back to help Shelter Monkey finish her thru-hike. She had originally started her thru-hike in June by starting at Harper's Ferry with her college friend Snake Whisperer. I met them just inside the Pennsylvania border when they were only a few days into their hike and as I was nearing the halfway mark of my own. Upon meeting them I continually ran into them and hiked with them off and on until the White Mountains in New Hampshire. After that I hiked with them continually until the end of my hike at Katahdin and got to know them quite well along with two other hikers, Whisper and Creek Diver. However, Katahdin was only the halfway point for them and they soon returned to Harper's Ferry to hike south from there to Springer. In early November Snake Whisperer had to get off the trail for a job commitment and Creek Diver returned from England to hike with Shelter Monkey from the NOC on. I made plans to meet them in Neels Gap, where I would hike the last 30 miles (which were the first 30 for me) with them to Springer. Also, in secret, Bearbait planned to meet us there as well. It turned out to be quite the surprise for the girls. We hiked the last 30 miles of Shelter Monkey's hike over the course of 3 days. Without us she probably could have done it much faster, but it was good to be hiking as a group again. It just felt good to be on the trail in Georgia again. The trail in Georgia certainly isn't easier, but it was a breath of fresh air after the trail up north. I had nearly forgotten how smooth and rock free the trail in Georgia seemed in comparison to the trail up north. It also turns out that I still love hiking after all, despite some negative thoughts I had towards the end of my own thru-hike. In part this was because I knew it was only a quick, limited visit back to the trail. It was almost like a 'trail vacation' as I called it. It got to be rather cold out at night, but it was dry for all three days, and on the third day we met Shelter Monkey's parents at the base of Springer Mountain. Then we climbed the last .9 mile of the trail with Shelter Monkey to the summit. It was nothing compared to Katahdin, just a quick 20 minute walk up a fairly easy grade to the summit. Shelter Monkey's reaction on reaching the summit was 'Is this it?' as she looked at the rock with the plaque on it. Kind of a shame that Springer in no way compares to Katahdin, but it was still a finish and it was great to be there to celebrate the end of her hike with her. After all she was with me for nearly half my hike and was there for my finish and some of my toughest moments on the trail but she was always ready to laugh is one of the funniest people I met on the trail. When she laughs you can't help but laugh along.