Date: 2008-04-04
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Springer Mountain, Georgia 4-4-08
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

SO I made it through a Deliverence type experience trying to get here but I made it! I have hiked 6 days and feel like I am ready to do this. Last night, I stayed at Standing Bear Hostel with Halftime, Poorboy, Banjo, and others. Got to hang with Rockhound and Curtis and warned them of my passing a couple of weeks down the road. I stayed up pretty late just tinkering with my gear and sending stuff home so that I would not have to do the ritual at Neels Gap since I was having to test my limits on spending. So I woke to cloudy conditions and some rain. I just figured that the sooner I got there the better. Curtis drove us up the back way to Newfound Gap and really saw some of the beauty of the Smokey Mountains. We saw the back end of the park and it was pretty darn awesome. Curtis is a good tour guide and a helluva lotta fun to hang out with. SO we parted with Curtis and drove to Georgia. And thank to Banjo (Mike Banja) for picking up my shuttle fare and driving me to Springer!! We hit up the KFC and killed it. yep, I had hiker appetite already. I probably put away a whole chicken. With our bellies full and mountains to cross, we hit the road to Springer Mountain, Georgia. The clouds were getting heavier and the weather reports got worse the further south we headed. So we passed through and hit Georgia. I got really nervous but excitted. I was about to go out for good. The next 6 months lay ahead of me. SO much was going through me when we hit the GA line. I saw the ridge lines off in the horizon and knew that I was going to go all of the way. I told Banjo, "Im gonna make it!" SO then we got to the last Ingles and I resupplied for the next few days egtting way too much as usual. I was nervous about the running outta food thing. PLus I wasnt sure what my pace would be starting out. Would I be doing 8 miles or 12 or how would I feel after the first few days. I felt like I was in good trail shape and had an advantage after going out for a practice hike prior to starting. Alot of people questioned it but I always seem to take an unorthodox approach to some things.SO at around 3:30 pm, in relentless fog that would build as we drove up Springer Mtn., we reached the parking lot. There was a group of 4 guys that had there gear spread over everywhere. I was here! This was the start of teh adventure. So I had purchased a celbratory Fosters Oil Can at the grocery, as soon as I stepped outta the car, I cracked that beer. I had made it to Springer and the start of my Thruhike. I really just hung out and talked to the guys in the lot. I would call them the Michigan Boys since they didnt have names yet. They spent the whole way up Springer debating what to call themselves. One guy never said a word (ironically became Clown), one guy looked like a weasel (later named Mordicae?), and then the Hydroxycut Twins (Timecop and Dangersnake). I hung out with Banjo and thanked him for everything, got pictures taken then walked South through the parking lot to go to the summit of Springer and the Southern Terminus of the AT. Yes I skipped Amicolola. I didnt want to even mess with that and had no ambition to do it. The Boulevard Trail in the Smokies was my Approach Trail. So we walke dup and up a nice incline til we come up on the rock with the plaque in it. I kinda kept the moment to myself because these guys didnt really understand what this meant for me. No one really did. This was my time! I called my dad and let him know that I was about to start. This was it. I reached down and touched the plaque and heard a loud BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM. It was thundering. How fitting. Then it started to pour. We all threw on jackets and made our way through a massive downpour. We headed down at a pretty quick pace and hit the parking lot and met Mountain Squid. It let up a bit while we talke dto him and gave him our names. It was really cool finally metting Mtn Squid. SO headed down the AT at a quick pace. I talked with the Twins as they kept up with me. It started to rain heavily again, but i didnt care, I was on my thruhike. I just put on my jacket and pack cover and ran. I hit the first Shelter, Stover Creek Shelter. It looed pretty nice. There were a couple of people there including a guy named Aboman. He seemd pretty cool and very well prepared. I didnt really want to stop there for the day but it was pouring down rain. I felt good enough to move and The Twins wanted to push. We hunkered down and made our way. We crossed a few roads and saw some tents set up by streams trying to avoid the rain. The hike reminded me of a rainforest. It was good to get rain since GA was in a major drought. Over the next hour or so it rained off and on. I decided that I was going to stop at the next shelter and make camp. I had about 2 miles left and then the bottom dropped out of the sky. I started to walk at a nice clip but knew I was still a ways away rom Hawk Mtn Shelter. I figured I was getting close when I came upon a guy. He looked to be in his 50's. It was raining so hard and loud that I didnt want to sneek up on him so I just said "Excuse me sir" and he still jumped. He turned around and I saw that he wwas not doing well at all. He was in a pair of Cardhardt Pants and a Nascar Hoodie that had to have been %100 cotton. He had a pack that was bigger than me and he was soaked. He looked to have blue lips and I asked him if he was ok. He said that he wasnt. I felt really bad, but what could I do right then. I told him we were almost to the shelter and made my way. The Twins were far enough back that they would see him. As I got further away, I started to feel worse. I had to go help that guy. After about 30 seconds of thinking, I started to run and got to the shelter in about 20 mins. I started remebering where my first aid kit and emergency blanket was in my pack and my water. I saw the shelter and some people there. I ran up, dropped my pack and gave them a brief rundown of what I saw and said I was going back to help him. I grabbed what I could and headed to help this guy. I passed one of the Twins and told him to drop his stuff and come help me. I got back to the guy in about 10 minutes and he looked worse. He had white skin, and blue lips and was really tired looking. I told him that I was there to help and asked him if he would let me take his pack. He didnt hesitate one second and next thing I knew, I had a 70 pound pack on my back. I started talking to him to keep him alert as 5 other hikers came up from the shelter. I just kept talking to the guy and one of the shelter guys had brough hot water and gave it to JJ. I asked his name and he told me that it was JJ. He said that he had to be carried out the 100 miles the previous year. This guy has tried this before?? It didnt settle with me well. He plopped down in the shelter taking the only vacant spot and spreading out. I gave up and got my stuf fout and set up my tent in the mud and rain. I acted fast to avoid as much water as possble. I did a pretty good job getting my tent up in the rain but it was inevitable, it would be a wet night. I called Jen from my tent and said goodnite to her. I was about 6 weeks from seeing her in Damascus, Va. I slept off and on because JJ was snoring loudly. People started shouting stuff at him in the nite when he got really loud. It was a funy nite. One person said, "so this is how its gonna start huh?" SO I went to sleep, sort of, and thought about the days and weeks ahead.