Date: 2021-04-15
From: Springer Mtn Shelter

To: Justus Creek
Miles today: 14.1

To say my second day was easy, would be a lie. If you want to talk about a rude awakening to a thru hike, I feel like I got hit from all angles. After my somewhat leisurely day up the approach trail, I was feeling great knowing I had overcome the odds and actually started the trail and done some miles. I had my tent all set up and said "I got this!" with a cheerful grin and optimistic look on my future, but that was soon to change. My first night staying at Springer Mtn shelter was one hell of a rude awakening. I awoke to find myself shivering, pelted by rain, facing the harsh elements that Mother Nature had brought upon me. I couldn't get myself to stay asleep. The rattling of rain and the howling winds kept me from even getting close to having a "good nights sleep". Eventually though, I fell asleep and awoke early in the morning.In the early morning, the rain had been nearly put to a stop and was now a mere drizzle. Immediately upon waking up, i felt a cold spot on the tip of my toes only to realize that a pool of water had collected in the corner of my tent. My feet had been dipping in and out of this puddle all night, and I didn't think anything of it. I'm sure this happened because I didn't pitch my tent right in that corner, note to self, SET YOUR TENT UP RIGHT OR ELSE.On top of the water incident I had, my eyes were puffy, my nose was clogged, and I could've sworn I've either been punched in the face or something. I was not ready for summer allergies and was all too used to the winter dryness of my home state of Maine. Needless to say, I was eager to get out of camp and be on my way as soon as possible. Upon leaving my campsite, soaking wet and puffy, I was approached by a guy who proceeded to ask me for a lighter as he had left his on the plane or lost it somehow. Seeing this made me realize, man, my morning was bad but some can have it worse. We chatted a bit and I gave him a light and then was on my way.In the morning mist, I wandered out onto the trail and went on my way, feeling the weight of my pack and my face after a nights "rest". Eventually I met up with another guy who was a little older than me but was from New Hampshire and he told me about his adventures in the Whites. He was saying that he had done winter hiking, (something I had never done, but knew I wouldn't enjoy), and I thought he was crazy for it. Imagine Mt. Washington in the snow, yeah? No thanks. He told me how he had prepped so much and was looking forward to doing big miles today, I tagged along and ended up doing 15 that day. My biggest day possibly in my whole life, but somehow I still felt good. Talk about youth resiliency.This day, I got my first taste of trail magic. A guy who had hiked the trail over 10 years ago told me his story about how he had section hiked over the years and eventually completed the whole 2,200 mile trail. That's some commitment. Six months is one thing but over a few years? That's a lot. In addition to his stories, him and his wife gave us ham sandwiches and cokes, which I can say definitely contributed to big miles that day. I socialized and eventually played "leap frog" with many others that were at the trail crossing throughout the day.I ended the day with 15 miles under my belt, feeling good at Justus Creek. I bounced back from a rough morning and continued on, optimistic and ready for the trail to come.