Hello, I'm Denise and I'm going to be logging some journal entries for Eric. This is the first packet I got from him, and so the dates will probably be slightly off.
March 13, 2008
Hostel last night was terrific. Very nice, new, log building. Counting myself and John, who was picked up from the train about the same time, they had 9 people there who were starting thru-hikes today. If I was under any illusion that I was trying something unique, that would do it.
Woke up at 7 am to a fire alarm- Josh, the hostel owner got a little careless making breakfast. It's okay - I'll trade a rude wake up for French Toast and eggs any day.
After eating, Josh and his wife Leigh took two loads of us over to Springer to start. And already I've deviated from plan. I was planning to do the approach trail but since everybody else was just getting dropped off at the road that runs up near the peak, I caved to peer pressure and did the same. Actually, the only reason I was considering the approach trail was because I thought that's what "everyone" did. It actually makes a lot more sense, from a pacing-yourself point of view, to pass on trying a steep 10-mile uphill for your first day.
On the drive to the trail, Josh amused us with stories from his time running the hostel. (He owns Earl Shaffer's old VW minibus! If you know who Earl Shaffer was, you know how cool this is.) Josh is of the opinion that the numbers that ATC keeps for thru-hike success rates are a myth - they say that about 25% for attempts succeed, but Josh thinks they real number is only 10-15%.
Supporting his case were the 9 of us this morning. Since we did not go through Amicalola Falls we did not sign the book there. And while the ATC does hire someone to sit at the top of Springer and count people starting out, that guy does get days off, and apparently today was one of them. There is a book to sign at the peak, but most people just put their names - there's no way to differentiate people starting thru-hikes from just your normal weekend/spring break hikers. If all 9 of us quit after a week, we would not show up in the records; we'd vanish like a lost platoon.
Of course, if we finish you can bet we'll tell the whole world.
The walk today was nice and easy for the most part. 1 mile South from the road crossing up to the top of Springer, stop for the obligatory Kodak moments and prayers, then turn around and come back the way you came. By 12:30, I was at Stover Creek shelter, and I had to decide what to do - it was too early to knock off, but if I pushed on to Hawk Mountain shelter it would take me until 5 or 6 to get there, uphill all afternoon. Given that I only got 7 hours of sleep last night (snoring in the hostel didn't help) and almost none the night before (geeked up on adrenaline and nerves) I wasn't sure if that was a great idea.
It was, even though I never did make Hawk Mountain. Around 2:30, I took a short side trail over to Long Creek Falls. As soon as I arrived, I immediately knew I was done for the day. Partly because 6 miles was, to my mind, a nice, modest first day, but also because it's a gorgeous spot.
I'll get some pictures posted, but for now suffice it to say that the falls drop about 30 feet in the middle of a secluded little glen. I pitched my hammock about 40 yards downstream from the falls, literally five feet from the creek. If only it was warmer (It's in the low 60s), I could wade in the creek and it'd be perfect.
I've enjoyed a nice lazy afternoon had a mac-and-cheese-and-tuna dinner, and now I'm finished my journal. It's now almost 6, and I've got an hour or so left to read before dark. Good night's sleep means an early start tomorrow.
March 13, 2008
Hostel last night was terrific. Very nice, new, log building. Counting myself and John, who was picked up from the train about the same time, they had 9 people there who were starting thru-hikes today. If I was under any illusion that I was trying something unique, that would do it.
Woke up at 7 am to a fire alarm- Josh, the hostel owner got a little careless making breakfast. It's okay - I'll trade a rude wake up for French Toast and eggs any day.
After eating, Josh and his wife Leigh took two loads of us over to Springer to start. And already I've deviated from plan. I was planning to do the approach trail but since everybody else was just getting dropped off at the road that runs up near the peak, I caved to peer pressure and did the same. Actually, the only reason I was considering the approach trail was because I thought that's what "everyone" did. It actually makes a lot more sense, from a pacing-yourself point of view, to pass on trying a steep 10-mile uphill for your first day.
On the drive to the trail, Josh amused us with stories from his time running the hostel. (He owns Earl Shaffer's old VW minibus! If you know who Earl Shaffer was, you know how cool this is.) Josh is of the opinion that the numbers that ATC keeps for thru-hike success rates are a myth - they say that about 25% for attempts succeed, but Josh thinks they real number is only 10-15%.
Supporting his case were the 9 of us this morning. Since we did not go through Amicalola Falls we did not sign the book there. And while the ATC does hire someone to sit at the top of Springer and count people starting out, that guy does get days off, and apparently today was one of them. There is a book to sign at the peak, but most people just put their names - there's no way to differentiate people starting thru-hikes from just your normal weekend/spring break hikers. If all 9 of us quit after a week, we would not show up in the records; we'd vanish like a lost platoon.
Of course, if we finish you can bet we'll tell the whole world.
The walk today was nice and easy for the most part. 1 mile South from the road crossing up to the top of Springer, stop for the obligatory Kodak moments and prayers, then turn around and come back the way you came. By 12:30, I was at Stover Creek shelter, and I had to decide what to do - it was too early to knock off, but if I pushed on to Hawk Mountain shelter it would take me until 5 or 6 to get there, uphill all afternoon. Given that I only got 7 hours of sleep last night (snoring in the hostel didn't help) and almost none the night before (geeked up on adrenaline and nerves) I wasn't sure if that was a great idea.
It was, even though I never did make Hawk Mountain. Around 2:30, I took a short side trail over to Long Creek Falls. As soon as I arrived, I immediately knew I was done for the day. Partly because 6 miles was, to my mind, a nice, modest first day, but also because it's a gorgeous spot.
I'll get some pictures posted, but for now suffice it to say that the falls drop about 30 feet in the middle of a secluded little glen. I pitched my hammock about 40 yards downstream from the falls, literally five feet from the creek. If only it was warmer (It's in the low 60s), I could wade in the creek and it'd be perfect.
I've enjoyed a nice lazy afternoon had a mac-and-cheese-and-tuna dinner, and now I'm finished my journal. It's now almost 6, and I've got an hour or so left to read before dark. Good night's sleep means an early start tomorrow.
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