Date: 2008-04-12
From: Dalton, GA (off I-75)

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night I arrived at a Travelodge in Dalton, first thing off of I-75. My sister and brother-in-law allowed me to sit in on their ride as they drove home from Florida to Michigan. I captured one last good nights rest before awaking today to the complications certain to set in on a little planned adventure.Dalton is a 60 mile winding mountain drive to the unofficial trailhead at Amicalola Falls State Park. Catching a cab at $2.00 a mile was an obvious non-option so I packed up, worked my way to the nearest postal drop and mailed out my taxes before making my final escape from society. And thus began the adventure.When thinking things through this morning, I determined the worst case scenario would have me walking three days to the trailhead as opposed to a best case chance that I might be able to hitch hike my way there by night fall. But more beautifully, I now am strung up in my hammock some 12 miles along the trail, isolated in the quiet woods of the Appalachian Mountains.To get here though, after dropping off my taxes , I walked a mile through Dalton, bearing my 30lb pack much to the curiousity of passer bys. People here get out very little in these isolated parts and are unaware of the significant trail head that sits rather nearby. But my first attempt at thumbing it found good luck in a dirty old Honda Civic captained by a forty year old man with obcious qualms against the government. He kindly drove me in his well lived in car some 15 miles... well past his intended destination, to a gas station at the base of Fort Mountain. I thanked him and tried to no avail to flag down another ride. And so on I walked, up the winding road still wewll back from the state park. Three miles passed before a pick up truck heading in the opposite direction pulled aside and on older guy enthusiastically roled his window down and said, "Hey, my grandkids want to say hi to the hiker! Why don't you jump in. We're going to get gas and then we'll take you back." In a former life, I would have had no interest in back trackin to the gas station from which I'd just walked, only to be returned to my present location some time later. But this adventure finds me in a far different mindset. So I jumped in the bed of the truck and babbled back and forth with my new found friends Kelby 5, and Kendin 8 as they story told the entire ride about their dog and the bear they feed on occassion in their backyard. Besides that, I could hardly interpret their back woods dialect more similar to a foreign language. Then their Grandpa chimed in saying, "Hey, why don't I show you our place and then I'll drive you to the top of the mountatain." Without hesitation, I agreed and we headed off to his house where he proudly showed off incredible vistas in one direction all the way to Atlanta and the other to Chattanooga. After the five minute tour, we hopped back in the truck towards the summit of Fort Mt. Not without a hitch however. Halfway up the steepgrade, a pick up truck pulled us over. The Law."You pick this kid up on the road?" the towering officer said."Yes... bringin' him up the mountain."At which point I turned to Kelby and Kendin and said, "It's the Sherrif"."I ain't no sherrif. U.S. Marshals"Trying to make light of things, I replied, "ah... you guys go after people on the run, right?""Yeah. You on the run?""Yes sir. I'm running from growing up. Going to hike the Appalachian Trail.""Well then... get on with it."And so we did. AFter another 15 miles we arrived at a look out point atop the mountain where my luck continued. Two middle aged women were stopped taking pictures and so I asked, "You going to the next town?""Yes"."Think I could get a ride?""Are you going to kill us?"No mam... just trying to get to Amicolola State Park to start the Appalachian Trail.""Well hop on in... that's right where we are going."And so for the next 30 miles I accompanied the two of them and their dog "Gypsy" to the head of the Appalachian trail. And before I could even realize how fortunate my day had progressed, I had arrived at the State Park some 60 miles down road already by 1:00 in the afternoon. I thanked them, bid them farewell and registered at the ranger station before setting off on my newest of ridiculous adventures.The Appalachian Approach Trail winded 9 miles through the wood all the way to the top of Springer Mt. where the official trail finds it's beginning at a picturesque 3800 feet. It was my intent to stop there but with spring in my step and spring in the air, I was feeling especially happy hiking in the woods and continued on another 3 miles to the Stover Creek Shelter. Now 4 miles of road walking, 60 miles of hitched rides, and 12 miles trodding the trail, I am bundled up in bed well filled from my tuna and rice mushroom soup made by a fire. I'm not sure I could have asked for a finer start to this exceptional adventure.