Date: 2007-04-12
From: Amicalola Falls State Park

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: clear sky

The Approach Trail to Adventure! Now, you might ask why I chose to do the approach trail again, for most people, once is enough. and some choose to skip it altogether, but hey, I wanted to see if the rumor was true. Actually, It turned out to be an april fool's joke. There was not 231 people who started on april 1st. Not at amicalola, not at springer, In fact, there were very few who signed in on the first at either place! Anyways, The approach trail had it's own rewards for me this year. After a great nights sleep and delicious breakfast at the AT Hiker Hostel, Josh drove 3 others to the top of Springer and took me on to Amicalola state park. I signed in as #525 for the year, but I noticed that #480 was empty, if you want to be technical. Josh estimates it at about 50/50 for springer/Amicalola starts, so that's about 1050 thru-hikers on the trail so far this year. So with little fanfare, I started up the path with Bisbee, my half sheltie/half sheepdog on a beautiful day, not too warm, not too cold and feeling pretty good despite my humongus bruise on my knee from a stupid trip over a guardrail the other day. So anyways, I'm just a bee-bopping along and I see a feller sitting on a log along side the trail and I asked if I could join him. It seemed a good time for a break. So, This is how I met the most incredible person to hike the trail. His trailname is Dilley Wolfe and he is hiking on crutches, a brace on one leg from polio. He has quite a freindly personality and so much determination! Anyways, He is sitting there trying to decide if it's ok to leave a few items behind. I tell him, it happens all the time and someone will be sure to haul it down the mountain, so he starts to pull out a few things at a time, and asks if I agree that he could live with out it! My jaw drops with unbelief! A metal lantern that uses 4 D cell batteries. Yes, I said, he could live without it. He kept the plastic 2 AA cell flashlight. then the 4 spare batteries, yes, he could live without them too! How about the sqare cake pan and carefully fitted grill! Yes, If nothing else, he could use a campfire. So we started making a pile, his leather shaving kit, a couple ace bandages, soaps, towels, extra first aid supplies, 3 small bottles of cologne, a huge tube of toothpaste, 2 extra toothbrushes, he kept a small tube and 1 brush! I was beginning to wonder how he had managed to get all this stuff up here this far! We were 3.2 miles up the trail, just before High Shoals Road! Anyways, there's more, 3 specially designed rebar hooks were ziptied to his wooden crutches. I asked if he needed them and he said his cousin specially designed them, so in case he fell on the trail, he could like grapple his way back up! No, I'm not making this up! But as interesting as his gear was, His determination and pleasant attitude is even more amazing! I was totally inspired! I saw he was going to be hiking slow, and as I was about to hike on, I pondered a moment, then went back and gathered all the gear and added it to my load. (I weighed it later, 8.5 lbs) It just about did me in, I almost left it a couple time, but then, I'm here to lose weight and this will give me a good work out! I caught up to a hiker named Siovhan at frosty mt and we both discussed our concerns. I went for water and sent a bottle back with a couple southbound day hikers, and siovhan was going to camp there for the night so she assured me she would look for him! I continued up the trail and ran into 4 thru hikers from last year. Pixie, who I worked with at Hard Core, Gabe, I had met at Gooch, Garden Gnome I had met at Standing Indian, and Dillon, Pixie's fiance of one day! They helped divy up the weight and carry stuff to the shelter. I couldn't keep up with them, but I saw them later at the shelter. On to Springer Mt. where I took self portraits again. No one else around, but at least this time I found the register hidden in the rock. I had missed it the two previous years! Many Sleeps, the ridge runner, met me at the shelter and he gave me a book of matches to trade in at Neels gap for a leave no trace bandana! He is so really cool! Ate dinner, the usual chicken rice, then the 5 of us went to springer Mt to watch the sunset. An awesome spectacle! A very rewarding end to a great day! Uncle John, this hike is for you!