Date: 2008-04-01
From: Indiana to Georgia

To: Hello Amicalola.
Miles today: 0.0

A long day driving, we leave the major highway and spend the last hours driving through rural Georgia. Twists and turns, uphills and down, I am getting a sense of the mountains I will soon be climbing. We finally reach Amicalola Falls State Park. I want to pause and take in the moment, however it will have to be fast, I have much to do, but man, am I excited! I go into the office and register as would be thru-hiker #523. I weigh my pack on the infamous hanging scale, 47lbs. This is my winter gear, 3 liters of water and 5 days of food. I realize this is excessive for now. I know in the next few days I'll get a better feel and streamline my requirements. Shifting my focus back to Jeannette and the kids, I am so honored to have them here. They will forever be immortalized as part of this fantastic journey. I am so grateful to Jeannette who helped make this possible. I love you so much, Nettie! Thank You!By the way, it is Jeannette who gave me the trail name "Papa Sarge". Back before I knew I would be having grandchildren, Jeannette was testing the waters with me about the idea. I barked that I was still trying to be a father. I wasn't ready for this and didn't want to be called grandpa. The kid could call me Papa or Sarge or something but not "Grand"-anything.My granddaughter Julian is now 4. She has only ever known me as Papa Sarge.Thanks again Jeannette. So since they are all part of this journey and may one day read this journal, I thought they might better identify with Papa Sarge rather than some other trail name that wouldn't mean as much like "Trail Slug" or "Baboon Ass" etc... After changing my clothes in the parking lot, we walked to the stone Arch which marks the beginning of the "Approach Trail". Now anxiously ready to go. I drop my pack and say goodbye once again. It is difficult,as we have had to do this too many times throughout the years. The afternoon sun only has a few hours left. Jeannette is heading back to my Sister Lisa's home in Knoxville Tennessee. I still have the 8.8 mile Approach Trail to do before ever reaching the Appalachian Trail (AT).Although, there were tears in our goodbye, I would later learn from Jeannette that she had not seen such happiness on my face in years. I guess she was right. It had been a long time since I felt so alive. Away she went, I hoisted my pack, took a deep breath then proceeded through the Arch. So at 3:45 p.m. I was heading for the Appalachian Trail. It didn't take long for the Approach Trail to get my attention. It went up and up and up. Chest heaving, leg muscles working overtime and still a few miles to go, this was going to be quite the adventure and I wasn't even on the AT yet.I was tired. It had been a long week and even a longer past couple of days. I was running on adrenaline right now. It hurt, but it felt good. I let my mind take in what I was seeing and began letting my body be broken down to be remolded into what it would need to become. Already, I could feel myself expanding to make room for all the wonderment I would experience. I have long awaited for this and to let go of many things I don't need to carry inside. It will take awhile, but here I am. I have been blessed to get this far and in making this life long dream come true.