Date: 2009-12-16
From: Springer Mountain

To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 114.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I never thought that when I was younger I would thru-hike the AT. The places I have seen, the people I have met, and the lessons I have learned will always be a part of me. On December 12, 2009 at 1:00 pm, Tex, Lightweight, and I climbed the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, Springer Mountain, to complete our thru-hike. At the beginning of July, each of us started our hike at Mt. Katahdin in Maine, but at the end of our journey, I realized that I could not have made it without the other 2 members of the 12-12 Gang. It was once ¢I¢ when I started, but I am proud to say that ¢we¢ all finished together as a group. The last week of the journey was tough due to freezing temperatures and bad weather, but with the help from a few random strangers, we were able to keep going and overcome these obstacles. As a SOBO, it felt as though trail magic (random acts of kindness from strangers) had slowly been diminishing ever since Virginia. When we had almost lost hope for trail magic, we had something extraordinary happen! I had caught up to Lightweight on the trail that morning, and he was talking to a day hiker. I walked up to both of them and this lady says, ¢Hi, G Fog!¢ I politely said hello back, thinking to myself, ¢This lady is kind of creepy for knowing my name.¢ I thought that Lightweight had briefly mentioned my name to her, and I thought it was weird that she would remember it because most people wouldn¢t. When strange things like this happen, I normally put up a cautious fa§ade, but as I talked to her, I realized that she was very cool. Robin and her husband Dave had been reading my website as well as Tex¢s blog to follow our progress. I thought it was great meeting strangers that knew about my journey on the trail, and I was even more flabbergasted when they offered to help us slackpack! We accepted their offer and appreciated their help, especially since we got soaked in the rain that day when my thermometer read 33 degrees! When we got to the road where they were waiting for us, they said, ¢Ok, you have 2 options. Option one- you can hike up the next mountain to the shelter, or option two-you can spend the night at our house out of the cold rain.¢ About a second later, all of us had answered, ¢Option two!¢, and on top of that, they had cheeseburgers waiting for us in their car! Amazing! We spent the night in their wonderful, warm home, and we very much enjoyed their company. Robin and Dave, thank you so much for your hospitality!Other people have helped along the way too, and I would like to personally thank them for making my trip so much more enjoyable. I would like to thank God during my trip for the many blessings and protection, my Mom, Dad, and family for their love and support, my wonderful girlfriend Jess, Jim (Aye Aye Aye), Debbie, and their family, Blue Moon Printing, Paul at the AT Lodge, Trill for his help before the trip, John and Holly, The Outhouse and its crew Dick, Butch, and Bill, Beth and Carl, the Millers, the Eberhardts, the Berbert family, Dave and Robin, Tex and Lightweight, any of the SOBOs that I hiked with along the journey, the multiple trail angels along the way, all of the hostels I stayed at, the people that came to hike with me along the way, my Dad (Bluetoe), Mr. Anderson (Smalls), Dom, Eric, Jess, and all of the family and friends that gave their prayer and support. I know I am probably missing people, and I am extremely sorry for not recognizing you. Know that without the help and support from others this trip would not have been possible. Thank you again everyone for making this an unforgettable journey.On summit day, Lightweight and I really took our time getting out in the morning. Tex had his dad with him the last stretch, so they left a little earlier. I made a fire and just sat there for a few hours thinking about my trip and how amazing it was. I don¢t fully think I can explain what I experienced out there, other than it was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. Some things in ¢real life¢ don¢t seem to matter as much any more. It was nice slowing down and getting away from the craziness that goes on in the world. I was so glad to get away from the news and media in particular - not to take myself out of what is happening in the world, but to realize that there are still great things happening all around us. It seems that just about everything that is ¢reported¢ on televison is negative, and what I learned on the trail is that even though bad things can occur, the sun will still rise and set each day.   I have chosen to put my efforts into things that will bear fruit.The statistics page on trail journals is not accurate, so let me give you some stats about my epic adventure.Total Miles: 2,178.3Days on the trail: 162Zero days: 23Near zero days (less than 8): 9Average miles per day (excluding zero days): 15.1Longest day: 33 milesShortest day: 2.2 milesNights spent in shelters: 93Nights spent in hostels/homes/hotels: 61Nights spent in tent or hammock: 7Towns visited: 27Pack weight when starting: 47 poundsPack weight when finished: 17 pounds (without food)This is a breakdown of mileage per day:0.1- 5 miles :                 3 days total5.1- 10 miles:                 20 days total10.1-15 miles:         40 days total15.1-20 miles                 42 days total20.1-25 miles                27 days total25.1-30 miles                5 days totalGreater than 30        2 days totalMore Statistics:Pairs of shoes: 3T shirts used: 2Shorts:        2Pants: 1 pairHiking socks: 4 pairUnderwear: 0!Packs: 2Trekking Poles: 1 and it made it all the way!Spork: 1Pots: 1Lipton Side items consumed: ~115Candy bars: +200Photos Taken: 5,084Videos Taken: 453Walking the Appalachian Trail is equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest 18 timesThe drop out rate for AT thru-hikers is about 75%For every 10 Northbounders there is 1 SouthbounderIt takes approximately 5,000,000 steps to completeTo sum everything up, I would say that I have had some of the highest moments in my life on the trail. I can also say that I have hit the bottom on some days too, and those days have made my trip even more memorable. I have covered 14 states of this great country and my top 3 states in order are New Hampshire, Maine, and Virginia. Each state had something different to offer, and it was a blast learning about different areas of the country. I would do it all over again if I could, and I would encourage those of you who are considering a thru hike to take the opportunity to do it without hesitation! It¢s awesome! My final words of advice are the same as when I started, and they have made all the difference. It¢s not about the destination, it¢s about the journey, and it¢s not about the miles, it¢s about the smiles!