#006 Day 1: Springer Mountain to Cooper Gap. ATMM 0.0 – 12.1.
It becomes clear how much damage is done to this section of trail each spring.
Welcome to Georgia and the Southern end of the Appalachian Trail.
It’s a beautiful April Day on top of Springer Mountain. We step out of the two shuttle vehicles into the cool spring air. The trees are bare but signs of new life are beginning to show closer to the ground. The gravel parking lot on the mountain is a flurry of activity with people are grabbing hiking gear from vehicles. Some are rooting through their gear to make sure everything is in order. Others are saying goodbye to family and friends. Some are hiking for the day or a week while others are planning to hike to Maine.
Hikers follow the trail like a long train follows a track. This is nuts. I’ll participate in this congested conga line ritual again in about three years when my son and I begin our through-hike .
We meet several trail maintenance crews throughout the day. It becomes clear to me how much damage is done to this section of trail every spring. The first thirty miles of the A.T. gets a substantial amount of foot traffic. There has been talk of beginning a lottery or a permit situation to help regulate traffic.
I notice a lot of abandoned gear lying around in and around shelters. New hikers typically carry too many unnecessary comfort items or heavy gear. Some people discard them wherever they can. I did not expect to see vital items such as small stoves, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cook pots, and water bottles strewn about the shelters.
Upon talking with some hikers at Hawk Mountain Shelter I am surprised to learn that some of them have been on the trail for several days. How could that be? I could understand spending one night on Springer if they hiked from Amacalola Fall’s approach trail, maybe that could be counted as two days, but we are only eight miles from Springer. They will never make it to Maine this year if it takes them five days to hike eight miles.
Mosey, JS, and I camp at Cooper Gap. Problem Child hikes farther on to set up camp on the other side of Justus Mountain. There is a threat of rain in the air. JS finds that he is unprepared for it. He borrowed a hammock from a friend but is missing the rain fly. He pulls a small tarp from his pack that isn’t designed to be a hammock fly, we try to make it work. I cover him with it the best I could as the rain begins falling on us.
I brought my small one-person tent, otherwise I’d share my space with him. As soon as I lay my head down, I fall asleep. Looking back, I wish I had thought to see if he wanted to sleep under my vestibule. He would have gotten a little wet but would have avoided getting soaked and losing a whole night’s sleep. Who knew it was going to rain like that all night long?