Date: 2023-02-08
From: Springer Mtn Ga

To: Green Corner Rd
Miles today: 241.5

After completing my initial loop the weekend of August 25-28, 2022, and getting home, I decided to get back on the trail as frequently as possible and begin hiking from Springer Mtn, GA, and see how far I could get before Thanksgiving by hiking on the weekends. So on the weekend of September 17-18, 2022, with my wife¢s assistance, I parked my pickup at Woody Gap, GA and had her drop me off at Springer Mtn via the forest service road. I had worked out a schedule (with my wife¢s approval of course) to hike practically every weekend through the end of November. I had planned it out so that by the end of November, I would have completed the entire Appalachian trail from Springer Mtn, GA to Green¢s Corner Rd in Tennessee on the North side of Interstate 40, which is at mile marker 241.5 according to the Farout app. I had also reached the decision that I was going to count these miles toward a thru-hike. I¢m sure there are some who will argue that I can¢t really be considered a thru-hiker by counting my initial sections. I get it. But for me, my reasoning is that as long as I make it to Katahdin by August 24th, 2023, I will have hiked the entire AT in less than a year. Besides, I¢ve read numerous people who have taken much longer than a year and still others who have written about themselves as being thru-hikers who have never even hiked the whole distance. So as long as I can make it to Katahdin by August 24th, I¢ll just be happy I made it. HYOH.So here is what I ended up completing:September 25, 2022, Wayah Bald to Wayah Crest, 4.2 miles. I chose to do this section southbound because my 82 year old mother wanted to do the section with me and it would be somewhat easier on her to do the section southbound because it would be more downhill than uphill.October 1-2, 2022, Woody Gap to Hogpen Gap, GA, 17.7 miles.October 8, 2022, Hogpen Gap to Unicoi Gap, GA, 14.3 miles. I originally planned to do this over two days but I made such good time on this section, I did it all in one day.October 15-16, 2022, Unicoi Gap to Dick¢s Creek Gap, GA, 16.7 miles.October 22-23, 2022, Dick¢s Creek Gap, GA to Deep Gap, NC, 15.8 miles.October 29-31, 2022, Clingsman¢s Dome to Fontana Dam, 33.7 miles. I jumped ahead and did this section because I had a three day weekend available to me (I was still working a full-time job at this point). Also, I did this section southbound because there was so much elevation gain going northbound that I didn¢t think I would be able to accomplish it in the three days I had available to me.November 5, 2022, Wayah Bald to Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), 17.4 miles. Just like the Saturday in GA the previous month, I had originally planned to do this hike over two days but I made such good time, I did it all in one day. I could have slack packed and made it much easier on myself if I had realized I could do it all in one day. This was a tremendous boost to my confidence.November 12, 2022, Clingman¢s Dome to Newfound Gap, 7.7 miles. This was an anomaly to my schedule. That weekend, my wife and I had planned to go RV camping with our friends Bill and Sandy over in Cades Cove, TN. But Bill had agreed to do this section with me while our wives went shopping in Pigeon Forge.November 19-20, 2022, NOC to Fontana Dam, 29.6 miles.November 25-27, 2022, Newfound Gap to Green¢s Corner Rd (I-40), 33.1I still had a small section from Glassmine Gap to Wayah Crest, 12.2 miles, which I hadn¢t completed. I completed those over a couple of day hikes with my friend Bill in early December, 2022.As time allows, I may do an additional journal entry or two and elaborate on some of the sections I just listed before I get back on the trail Thursday, February 16, 2023. On that date, I plan to get back on at Green¢s Corner Road and head northbound towards Max Patch and Hot Springs. However, from this point on, I don¢t plan to be doing sections. My hope is to keep going all the way to Katahdin.