Date: 2007-05-08
From: Augusta, GA

To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 0.9
Weather: clear sky

Today is the day I've been awaiting for many years now! My friend Lance has agreed to drive me up USFS Road 42 at Big Stamp Gap, just .9-miles North on the Appalachian Trail from the summit on Springer Mountain.This morning, my mom is in tears, but they are tears of joy. She knows I'm doing what I want to do, and she's excited for me. If she could, she'd probably come along. My dad takes me to breakfast at Waffle House, and his eyes appear to be misty all the while, too. Shortly after arriving home, Lance arrives, ready whenever I am to head up to the mountains.Last night, I decided to finish packing my backpack. As to why I didn't do this earlier, to make sure everything fit, I don't know; this is definitely a situation where wisdom did not prevail! My gear fit into my pack fine, but I had trouble getting the food to fit with any degree of ease! In the stuff sack, it wouldn't fit. So, I had to take some of the meals out and stuff them in external pockets! This is a complete pain-in-the-ass, and I'm wishing I had a bigger pack, reasoning, "If it's going to be this difficult to get my food in my pack all the way to Maine, then I'd rather carry a slightly larger/heavier one!"You see, I'd been working 45-50 hours a week for the past several months, and had no time for a shakedown hike or really even to whip myself into reasonably decent hiking shape. There is a nice Trail around 20-minutes from my house, along the Savannah River, complete with ups-and-downs and rocks. But, the Trail is a loop, maybe 2-miles total!Nonetheless, here I am, about to set off to the Appalachian Trail, hoping to reach the summit of Mount Katahdin by mid-October at the latest. I have no idea what to expect, really. I know I'll be walking through rugged mountains, and will experience physical trials, mental trials, and spiritual trials. It's part of the package, and no hiker can hike long-distance without having to encounter these three trials in some capacity. Lance agrees to stop by REI in Atlanta, where I purchased my pack, to see about swapping it for another model. I currently have the Osprey Atmos 50, which is a great pack; it's just a smidgen too small!At REI, I meet Sarah and Tim, two thru-hiker alumni, whom I've met on previous visits, and who have always been most helpful. Both are excited for me, it seems, and possibly even a wee bit jealous! I swap for the Osprey Aether 60, which is maybe 1.5-pounds heavier, a weight I'm glad to carry, as it provides ease with the loading of my gear. Thanks to REIs 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, I spend maybe $20 on this pack, as it is only that much more than the Atmos 50.After the gear swap, off to Arby's it is for a nice reuben sandwhich, then off to North Georgia. Lance has found USFS Road 42 on his GPS, and we follow the directions up to Dahlonega, then down hwy 60 towards Sucches. Sure enough, we find the USFS Road, but we have just crossed Woody Gap, which is the 20-mile mark on the A.T., which means that it will be a long, bumpy drive on the dirt road! On the Georgia-AT Club website, they provide other directions, which mention only driving on the dirt road for 6-miles (I have obviously decided to bypass the strenuous 8.8-mile Approach Trail from Amicalola Falls State Park, as I reason the Trail will be hard enough!). We backtrack to Woody Gap, where we discuss out plans. I tell him I will hike the Approach Trail if need be, but that I'm pretty sure I remember the websites directions to Big Stamp Gap. At that, a hiker stumbles off of the Trail, asking for a ride into Dahlonega to pick up a mail drop. We give him the ride, and he gives us directions to USFS Road 42, which is exactly as I remember reading it online!So, we drop him off in town, and off we go to the Trail! We eventually get on Hwy 52, which goes right past Amicalola Falls State Park, and we follow it until we find Roy Road on the right. We then follow that until it comes to a t-intersection, where we turn right. Shortly thereafter, we see a sign that says, "Springer Mountain: 6-miles" to the right! We've found it!What seems like an eternity later, we arrive at the parking lot to find 3-deer, bravely grazing nearby, not caring that Lance and I but a stones throw away!After my thanking Lance and giving him a big hug, I make the .9-mile trek south on the A.T. to the summit of Springer.Here I am, completely alone on the Appalachian Trail. It is now after 7pm, due to our going the wrong direction in the mountains, then the long bumpy drive on the dirt road. I don't want to make a night hike on my first day (and I've not even begun, yet, really!), so I try to go relatively quickly. I'm surprised by how rocky this short section of Trail is on this mountain that is almost 300' shy of a 4,000' elevation! After crossing the Benton MacKaye Trail 3-times, I find myself at the rock slab overlook atop Springer Mountain. Tears well up in my eyes, as here I am, beholding the plaques marking the Southern Terminus on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail! The vista looks due west, right as the sun is setting. What a glorious view for my night atop Springer!Here at the summit is Roger "Many Sleeps", who thru-hiked at the age of 67, and is also the caretaker of Springer Mountain; and Dave, a 64-year old from Missouri who is out to see how much he can hike. "Are you a thru-hiker?" asks Many Sleeps. I am the only one today, he tells me after I answer in the affirmative. Not long later, John arrives at the summit from the tenting area, from Alabama. He, too, is out to see what he's made of. He figures he'll at least hike to Neels Gap, if nothing else so he can tell his friends that he's climbed Blood Mountain (he's completely infatuated with the title of the mountain).I pitch my tent and converse with Dave for a good while, before deciding to retire. I notice how clear the sky is, with not a cloud to be seen; the stars have all come out tonight, it seems, to wish me off, as the number of stars out tonight are vastly more than what I see in Augusta, with the light pollution that is generated by an ever-growing population.