Laurie and I left early Friday morning of Memorial Day weekend to find a campsite on USFS road 58 in North Georgia that would serve as a starting point for hiking the Appalachian Trail, known as the AT, and climbing the summit of Springer Mountain, which is the Southern terminus of the AT. In the photo (right), our feet point to the bronze AT logo plaque atop Springer Mountain. Hidden nearby in another rock is a register book for hikers to sign. While at the summit of Springer Mountain we ate lunch and conversed with numerous hikers. Most were day hiking as we were, yet we spoke to four guys who were hiking for two weeks to Clingman's Dome in North Carolina.
Laurie and I are known as "Section Hikers" and this was our second hike on the AT. Last Christmas we hiked on two areas of the North Carolina AT: Fontana Dam and Cable Gap. Reilly joined us both times. In keeping with trail tradition, each of us have a trail name. Laurie is known as "Moonbeam", Reilly is "Trail Sniffer" and my trail name is "Graybeard".
We prepared for this hike for some time because in addition to the hike we were looking forward to primitive camping.
On Saturday morning we woke up early to prepare for our hike. The hike to the summit of Springer Mountain, elevation 3,780 feet, is moderate but also scenic. United States Forest Service Roads 58 and 42, that were built years ago for logging, now contain primitive camp sites with no usage fee. Campsites feature a fire ring and are miles from each other. We camped three miles from the AT and one of the best features of our campsite was the lack of cell phone coverage. We cooked over the campfire on a grill cover and used a skillet to fry steak, just as it was done many years ago.
Sunday morning we awoke to a great downpour that continued until nearly 11am. We quickly took down the tent and packed the car for our return to Augusta. It took two hours to pack everything and the moment I placed my key in the ignition, the rain started again. I took that opportunity to thank God for holding the rain until we were ready to leave.
The entire trip was a blessing for both of us, a time for being together, a time to be outdoors, and a time to rejoice under heaven for God's Creation. We will forever remember seeing the beauty of nature and hearing creatures of the night. While driving during the day we saw both a coyote and a small bear. Our views were up close, as they were crossing the road. There was nothing to fear from the wildlife we encountered. Besides, Reilly was constantly on alert, his job is security and he never takes a vacation.
Laurie and I left early Friday morning of Memorial Day weekend to find a campsite on USFS road 58 in North Georgia that would serve as a starting point for hiking the Appalachian Trail, known as the AT, and climbing the summit of Springer Mountain, which is the Southern terminus of the AT. In the photo (right), our feet point to the bronze AT logo plaque atop Springer Mountain. Hidden nearby in another rock is a register book for hikers to sign. While at the summit of Springer Mountain we ate lunch and conversed with numerous hikers. Most were day hiking as we were, yet we spoke to four guys who were hiking for two weeks to Clingman's Dome in North Carolina.
Laurie and I are known as "Section Hikers" and this was our second hike on the AT. Last Christmas we hiked on two areas of the North Carolina AT: Fontana Dam and Cable Gap. Reilly joined us both times. In keeping with trail tradition, each of us have a trail name. Laurie is known as "Moonbeam", Reilly is "Trail Sniffer" and my trail name is "Graybeard".
We prepared for this hike for some time because in addition to the hike we were looking forward to primitive camping.
On Saturday morning we woke up early to prepare for our hike. The hike to the summit of Springer Mountain, elevation 3,780 feet, is moderate but also scenic. United States Forest Service Roads 58 and 42, that were built years ago for logging, now contain primitive camp sites with no usage fee. Campsites feature a fire ring and are miles from each other. We camped three miles from the AT and one of the best features of our campsite was the lack of cell phone coverage. We cooked over the campfire on a grill cover and used a skillet to fry steak, just as it was done many years ago.
Sunday morning we awoke to a great downpour that continued until nearly 11am. We quickly took down the tent and packed the car for our return to Augusta. It took two hours to pack everything and the moment I placed my key in the ignition, the rain started again. I took that opportunity to thank God for holding the rain until we were ready to leave.
The entire trip was a blessing for both of us, a time for being together, a time to be outdoors, and a time to rejoice under heaven for God's Creation. We will forever remember seeing the beauty of nature and hearing creatures of the night. While driving during the day we saw both a coyote and a small bear. Our views were up close, as they were crossing the road. There was nothing to fear from the wildlife we encountered. Besides, Reilly was constantly on alert, his job is security and he never takes a vacation.
Frank,
ReplyDeleteLove Springer Mtn ... checkout this post:
http://www.fredmckinnon.com/myblog/2009/04/09/what-i-learned-on-the-mountain-pt-2/