Date: 2017-12-07
To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

12/7Springer Mtn Shelter15.8 milesI luxuriated in the warmth of my sleeping bags and multiple down garments last night. The only part that wasn't completely warm was the tip of my nose. I sent home my sleeping hat a while ago in favor of my blaze orange fleece hat. While it is indeed very orange, it won't quite cover my nose at night. I have greatly enjoyed not getting shot, however. Joe told me about a hunter he met who told him he had just almost shot him, thinking Joe was a deer. That's some scary stuff. I started walking at 6:30, excited about my last day. As I walked I noticed a light in the woods off to the west. After I walked past, I heard a boom. Hunter I guess. Though I didn't think they hunted with headlamps. My own headlamp started to dim about then. This was disappointing, as the batteries were put in new yesterday. I understand that batteries die faster in cold weather, but this is ludicrous. The battery life indicator is red after something like an hour of use. This affected my plans for the day. I needed to be sure I set up camp early enough to do everything in the daylight, as the headlamp could die completely at any time. As the day moved on, my excitement level dropped. It felt like any other day of the hike. Walk up mountain. Walk down mountain. Repeat. I played leapfrog with Izzy and Detour for a while, finally losing them when I stopped in at Hawk Mountain Shelter for a snack and privy break. Army folks were all over and I was reluctant to drop trou with the possibility of a trainee hiding somewhere. Hence the privy was very welcome. As I walked I contemplated this thruhike. I'm happy to be completing it, fulfilling a longstanding dream. I don't really feel a sense of finality or completion. Maybe because I still have to hike tomorrow? Springer is the end, but there's nothing there but rocks and trees (and a shelter). Tomorrow I'll get up like on any normal trail day, make coffee, and hike about 8 miles. After the sun comes up, because see above about dead batteries. Maybe when I get home I'll have more insights, but probably not. I love hiking, but it's never provided me with much in the way of insight. Not like yoga teacher training did, for instance. Immersing myself in nature and motion and the hiker community for months is enjoyable.. and I guess that's as far as it goes. I feel like the same person. Maybe less negative? Having some distance between me and the rest of the world was emotionally restful. I liked not being very aware of the news cycle. I felt less anxious and less angry. In fact I was trying to remember the last time that I felt anger, and nothing is coming to mind. I enjoyed seeing the Three Forks area again. With its conifers and rhododendrons, it was the greenest place I've seen in a long time. Walking through it was very pleasant. Closer to the summit of Springer I met a few day hikers. None knew or asked if I were a thruhiker. One fellow asked if I were planning to camp up here, and wished a good time for me when I said I was. The summit was deserted when I got there. I took a picture of the rock, and tried to get a selfie with both my face and the plaque in it - with limited success. I contemplated the horizon for a few moments, then headed north back toward the shelter. I forgot to sign the register in the rock. Perhaps tomorrow. I was disappointed but not overly surprised to see the shelter empty. Izzy and Detour like to let things happen. Maybe they got here early and moved on down the approach trail. Maybe someone offered them a ride from the parking lot a mile back. Either way, congratulations, Izzy and Detour!I made ramen and a hot Propel, boiled water for a hot water bottle, and tucked myself into my sleeping bag. It's supposed to be fairly cold tonight - low of 26, last time I was able to check the forecast. I expect I'll be quite comfortable. It's also supposed to rain or snow a little.  I'm not sure which I'd prefer. I suppose rain if it's only happening overnight, snow if I have to walk in it tomorrow. Rain at near freezing does not sound like a fun day. The shelter area is looking pretty rough. There is half burned wood scattered around, and two large pieces of plywood near the fire pit. I haven't visited the privy yet but I'm wondering if someone started disassembling it. Wherever the junk outside the shelter came from, it sure is unattractive. It doesn't affect my sleeping comfort but I don't think I'll use a picture of it to represent the end of my hike. In the morning I won't be a thruhiker anymore. Technically I'll be a dayhiker with a very large backpack. I'm not quite ready to shed the label and turn back into a functioning member of society yet, but I find myself looking forward to the challenges of the next year. I survived Maine. Everything else is a breeze.