Date: 2007-03-12
To: In whichI hike the Approach Trail
Miles today: 0.0

I came down with one of my Famous Derek colds on the 9th - the first time in 5 months. What a time - just as I'm about to leave for my adventure. Ah well. I decide to delay the trip by one day. Dad and I leave for Georgia on the 11th, and arrive the next day, around 11 AM. Still feeling a little under the weather, but I hope the fresh mountain air will do me good. At the Amicalola Falls visitor center, I weigh my pack. 23 pounds. I go inside and register. The lady asks if I'm starting at Springer or doing the 8.8 mile Approach Trail, starting behind the visitor center. I tell her the latter."Most people skip the Approach Trail, y'know. Drive straight up to the top of Springer.""How come," I ask.She smiles. "You'll see."Dad and I get the obligatory photo shoot at the stone archway leading to the Approach Trail. And then we're off!It's an absolutely beautiful day. The sun is shining, hardly a cloud in the sky, and it's over 70 degrees out. A few feet into the trail is a sign: "Amicalola Falls: 1 Mile." The trail is a continuous upward climb, twisting and turning the entire way. It is hell. Just as I'm having second thoughts concerning the decision to hike 2,174 miles, however, the trail comes to a stone road. A trail maintainer wearing a hard hat and eye protection is trimming a tree with loping sheers. He sees our blank faces indicating exhaustion and says in a cheerful drawl, "Don't forget to write in your journals that the first mile is the best!" Don't I know it.At this time I hear water rushing, and the maintainer tells us that the waterfall is straight ahead. Awesome. Dad and I walk over to the falls, along with the first thru-hiker we've met - a chubby guy named Donnie who's from W. Virginia. I can see why it's considered one of the "7 natural wonders of Georgia" - it seems to stretch on down forever. Quite incredible. Try as I might, I can't convince Dad to hike down to the bottom to take what would undoubtedly be a weird picture (because he can't really operate technology, being so old and all).Anyway, after resting for about 15 minutes or so, we finally continue our ascent. We're pleased to find it's not so steep anymore, and in fact is quite mild, and quite pretty - lots of holly trees on the trail.Pretty soon it's steep again, and then flat, then steep. It does this for 7.5 miles. About five miles in, my right heel is beginning to throb, so I take off my boot and inspect the damage. Big ole blister. I fix it up to the best of my ability, and we continue on. Eventually Dad and I separate (he's ahead) after deciding to meet at the top of Springer.Some time later I meet an ancient man wearing two hearing aids and sporting a long bear as white as snow. He introduces himself as Many Sleeps, and tells me he's the ridgerunner for this mountain. He explains the leave-no-trace policy to me and gives me a book of matches that I can give to the guys at Neels Gap in exchange for a bandanna.I reach the top of Springer exactly 15 minutes later. Dad is waiting for me near the plaque. We take photos and enjoy the view.Presently, an enormous man wheezes his way up the other side of the AT side. he has one of the largest guts I have ever seen, but he is quite genial. I ask him how far he's hiking, and he tells me he's doing a thru. I can't believe it. No way will he ever make it. Who is he kidding?It is only later at Springer Shelter that we learn he thru-hiked in 2005 and was itching to do it again. His name is Not Guilty, and he's an attorney. Just goes to show that first impressions are not all they seem at all.There are only 4 of us at the shelter. Three hippies are camping nearby, and dad is camping, too. This trip couldn't have started out any better (that is, if I didn't have a cold).