Date: 2004-03-23
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: clear sky

I'm at the shelter, fed, in warm clothes, and hanging out with the rest of the crew taking advantage of the remains of the day. In the shelter, the boys from Texas are playing Pass the Pig (a game given to me by Melanie) with the twins from Vermont. They renamed it Pigout!I lucked out with the weather again. All day it averaged about 50 degrees, sunny, and clear blue skies. Here at the shelter, they say that last night was very cold--in the teens-- and tonight is expected to be warmer. So I'm taking a chance with sleeping in the shelter.It is a double decker with a picnic table and fire pit. While the shelter is quiet, the area is peppered with tents. Even tha Amish are here somewhere. I've never seen a camp area so crowded.I got here around 3:20. Pretty good time considering I started from Springer Mtn. at 11:26 am. It is a shame that I spent the first hour getting to Springer only to turn around and start the Trail. So I really hiked 8.5.As many former thru-hikers have mentioned, the first part of the trail is like a sidewalk--a pretty sidewalk. You are surrounded by the woods. The trees are bare so you can see the peripheral ridge lines of the national forest. The primary colors are brown and grey, which adds to the crispness of the scenery.This morning I woke up after a comfortable sleep at the hostel. Josh made us a large breakfast. I had my last coffee for the next few days and sat down with the other hostel guests family style. I learned that Rob's trailname is HUD for "homeless, unemployed, & divorced." They named Mark "Gadget" because he was bringing a PDA, GPS, and cell phone. Josh had to drop Laurie, Sarah, & Rob at Neels Gap so we didn't set out until 9:30. The dirt winding road of US 42 was long. Josh kept us occupied with stories of how he and Leigh met and military school. The rangers train in these same forrests but left last week. The Springer parking lot was not as desolate as Josh led us to believe. Pictures were taken, thank yous were exchanged, and then we headed south for Springer. That's the last I saw of Mark & John.I was so pumped and ready I booked it to the starting point. The head of the Appalachian Trail is a modest nook with an impressive view. Although there were many people by the marker, Springer has that feel of quietude and peace. No neon signs saying "This is it!"After signing the registry, I glanced at the time. It was 11:20. Gotta get a move on to Hawk Mountain Shelter. I couldn't believe how easy the first five miles went. I never felt weighted down either. But at some point after Long Creek Falls, I felt an overwhelming urge to take a nap. I didn't though and forged on.I spoke to two thru-hikers. Cat who is hiking with her dog and got here ahead of me and Kyle who is taking a semester off from college to do the trail. His family was with him at Springer and he mentioned how he already missed them. We remarked on the fine weather which allows us a chance to pull together a routine before rain hits. But I have since heard that the rest of the week forecast sprinkles at most and temps in the 70's.I have to admit that it would be more fun to have conversation and company. I hardly saw anyone all day which may have been a result of a late start. By three, I was longing to see the shelter merely because I craved the company of other humans. As I traversed a large horseshoe of the trail, I heard voices to my left and perked up. That was the first siting of the Amish community of tents. Yet I had a few tenths to go before hitting the shelter. And here I am.I'm amazed at the numbers here. Where did all these people come from? It took me awhile to get my Pepsi stove going but curious onlookers were impressed with it anyway. We all nestled in early after that because nobody got any sleep in the cold the night before.