What a day! And where to start?
- TedI made more trail friends. Rowan and Alex were dropped off with me at Amicalola today and we summited Springer together. They are both around my age. Rowan is taking a gap year before college, and Alex just graduated. More people like me! I also met Corrine on the Approach Trail.
Corrine is the general manager of the Hike Inn, a nonprofit inn that is part recreational and part educational. She was excited to hear about my LEEP project idea and was impressed that I am interested in outdoor education. She told me about Trails to Every Classroom, a program that brings outdoor experience on the Appalachian Trail to kids in need, especially those in cities. I see great potential to do something like that in Worcester.
The hike up was tough, mostly because I need to get used to hiking with a large backpack. In all (with full water, way too much food, and extra gear I'll find I don't need) my pack is 45 pounds. This is what I expected, and it is not getting any heavier. It will be getting lighter, however, something I decided after a couple miles. It was also raining on and off, as it has for the last 5 days here. Very wet, very muddy. But tomorrow promises to be sunny.
Despite there being no view due to the clouds, Springer was wonderful. I am just so thankful to have made it this far. Tonight I am camping near the Springer Mountain shelter, and let me tell you the hammock works great! I'm dry and warm and feeling good about tonight.
Some funny stories:
I though Am-i-ca-LO-la was pronounced Am-EE-ca-lo-la, and when Josh at HH told me he only gives rides there if you know how to pronounce it, I said it was good I had at least made it to Dah-lo-NE-ga (its pronounced Dah-LON-ega).
I thought I lost my watch when I got to the top of Springer. Turns out it had fell off my wrist and into my rain jacket. Do'h!
5:45 pm 3/14/2015
All of the Day 1 Images can be seen here!: http://tedatgwlt.blogspot.com/p/day-1.html
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