Date: 2004-02-01
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Start time: 12:00End time: 15:45 Overnight low: 22Morning weather: Cold and windy but sunny all day. Afternoon weather: Temps started out in the low 20's but climbed to the high 40's.Evening weather: High 40's with strong winds at times. About 40 degrees at the shelter. Temp is dropping.Breakfast: English muffins w/peach jam and instant oatmealLunch: Snickers bites from Lauren's grandmaDinner: Chili w/Fritos and cookies and cream puddingTrail description: Mostly downhill according to the maps but all I remember is the climbs. Nice and clear views.Wildlife: Birds and squirrelsComplaints: Pack too heavy; sad to leave Lauren and Andy; cold at the shelter Where to begin....If I could have put today¢s weather in my pocket and save it for later. Just gorgeous. The 3 of us rolled out of the bags around 1000. Continuing Lauren and Andy¢s GB challenge I read trivial pursuit questions until like 0230, followed by deep discussion and even a little mummy bag freestyle wrestling. I pretty much had Andybeaten until he got leverage on me due to his enormous butt. More deep theological discussion then eventually everyone shut up. We had the place to ourselves, which was nice. Andy and Lauren really helped me get packed up in a hurry. By 11:30 we had the shelter register signed and we headed out back up Springer. We took about 20 minutes worth of photos and I started down the AT at exactly noon. Andy led me down the mountain, as I would not have it any other way.The time spent on the summit was pretty emotional but nothing compared to when we prayed. At about 1210, I realized that I had forgotten to pray. I began with dear heavenly Father and was trying to say how thankful I as for everything He has blessed me with but just got too choked up. What seemed like minutes later I was able to somehow regain myself and tried to finish with The Lord¢s Prayer, just like we used to do in football before games. I think I almost finished it. I am not sure if you are always supposed to cry during prayers like that or no, but the Lord knows it came from the heart. The last mile toward the parking lot was done with minimum words spoken. As speaking only seemed to make someone cry. I thought that once we got the parking lot and we would part ways that things would be easier. Both Lauren and Andy had even more kind words to say. I did my best to speak but it was pretty much useless. I told Andy I would see him Tuesday and then I ended with "I'm going to Maine".The way that I had been working it in my mind to prevent myself from breaking down all the time was by telling my self that I was going to be done on Tuesday. I figured by Tuesday it would hit me that I would not be going home and that I was going to be gone for a really long time. So I plan on having a breakdown sometime Tuesday. Well I am too far from anywhere to quit. That¢s the plan at least. I am not sure how much text this will allow me to type in one message so here is the 2ndpart of day one. There in the parking lot I left Lauren and Andy and never looked back. I was crying so hard. I hit the very first tree I came to with a white blaze on it with my hiking pole. I would guess that I sobbed for a good half mile. I could not stop thinking about the friends I was leaving behind. They mean more to me than I thought possible. I thought back to the movie the ghost and the darknss just after the first lion is killed. Remmington says as the lone lion screams in the darkness, "he's alone for the first time; and he's scared". That pretty much describes the way that I felt.The afternoon went by really fast, thankfully. I really felt my pack weight forthe first time ever. This was also the first time I have ever carried 50 lbs. too much food I think. I do not have a surplus of gear and the gear I do have islight. The cost of traveling in the winter I guess.   I met Steve as he was resting just before Chester Creek. A super nice   British man. More on him later.   I carried on and left Steve finish his break in peace. I then began the first real cimb of the AT up long creek to the falls. On the way up I met some really nice folks out for a leisurly Sunday atertnoon stroll to see the falls.Somewhere up at the falls I took my first lunch and ate the Snickers Bites thatLauren's grandma so graciously bestowed upon me. Mm mm good. Thankyou Lauren'sgrandma.   My pack still felt uncomfortably heavy so I was glad to reach Hawk Mtn shelter at around 1545. Jacob and Trisha, the solemates, were aready there. They had gotten thee aout 15 minutes ahead of me. A super nice newly wed couple from clemson university. Good people. I unpackd my stuff and got water from the stream that flows behind the shelter.I wrote for a while and talked more with the solemates and then Steve ambled in.He has such a cheery smile. Once he was unpacked we began to fix dinner. Mychili with Fritos was excellent.    Steve was aparamedic with the british royal army for 12 years. He served part of his time as the emt for the royal family, but alas, never got t ave their lives. Here is the emotional and inspirational part...   10 years ago while on duty he was struck by a train. They removed partof his brain and he was unable to walk for 4 years. He says that his balance isalmost non-existent and he fell 6 times already. Remind me to never evercomplain about anything ever again. I think we all fell asleep by 2000. Steve said to me just before lights out "to wake me up if I snore". Steve was snoring within 10 minutes of saying that.   I was just happy to know the poor chap was breathing.