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A hiking companion calms the nerves of a new thru hiker. Getting to Springer Mountain with said companion is a process.
Ladybug
Ladybugs are a sign of good fortune. They are believed to bring blessings. They are a symbol of positivity and luck.They are a talisman to my hiking companion. Her trail name is Ladybug. She embodies one. She is a positive, bright spirit.
I met Ladybug only once prior to starting our AT journey together. We met up at Coffee Republic in Huntersville, NC to get to know one another.
Warren Doyle got us in touch knowing we were both females, around the same age, both planning to hike the AT solo, around the same time.
It made our friends and family feel more secure and comfortable knowing we would be getting on trail with another human. It made us feel better too. I would have been a lot more anxious and nervous about starting the trail if I didn’t have Ladybug by my side.
Drop Off
My Mom and aunt drove me to Greenville, SC on Friday, April 4th. We walked around the city, enjoying our last bit of time together. We had dinner at Ink and Ivy then they drop me off at Ladybug’s. Mom had to wait for me to change into my base layers and hand her my regular clothes so I would have nothing extra to bring on the trail. I gave my mom and extra long goodbye hug.
Getting there
We started the drive at dawn. We, referring to Ladybug, her supportive boyfriend and myself. We drove from Greenville, SC to Amicalola Falls State Park, GA. It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive. We went to Amicalola Falls Visitor Center where we got out AT hiker tags and watched a video with a man in a bear suit talking about safety, rules and regulations of the trail.
My AT tag # is 1795, so presumably there have been 1794 people who have already registered to hike the AT this year!
Skipping the Approach Trail
Warren Doyle told us not to do the Approach Trail. The Approach Trail was made to fill up the Amicalola Falls Lodge, it’s all part of a buissness plan.
The Approach trail, which is an 8 mile precursor to the Appalachain Trail, is unnecessary for thru hiking the AT. There are no white blazes, its not part of the AT, enough said.
Where to begin
Ladybug’s boyfriend took us on Forest Service roads in order to bypass the Approach Trail. The precarious gravel roads were meant for 4 wheel drive but we were in Ladybug’s front wheel drive Toyota Camry. I have the same car so I assured them that my car had mad it up and down similar bummpy roads and lived.
We made it to where GPS said there was a Springer Mountain trail head and there was but it would be a 4 1/2 mile hike to Springer. TOO FAR! There and back would have been the same as doing the Approach Trail so what was the point of the extra hour long drive down the service road?
We had ended up on US Forest Service road (USFS)-58 we found out we needed to be on USFS- 42 at Big Stamp Gap. Ladybug was able to direct there with the little phone service available. We then were only a 1 mile hike from Springer. We let out a big sigh of relief that we finally found where we needed to be. We got out of the car, put on our packs and stepped onto the AT.
Springer Mountain
With full packs on our backs and treking poles in hand, Ladybug and I hiked the mile up Springer Mountain. The minerals on the trail sparkled in the sunlight. I imagined it was pixie dust helping us to fly up the trail. Walking up rocks, we soon found a plaque inset in stone with the first white blaze of the trail painted next to it. We made it to the start of the Appalachain Trail!
Pictures were taken to celebrate and document us officaly beginning our AT adventure. In a large rock on top of Springer there is a metal latch, open it and you will find a plastic tub with pen and notebook. I took out the first log book and signed it.
It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that I was actually doing it, I was starting the Appalachain Trail! With a deep breath in, I took my first steps North Bound on the AT.
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