The First Week
Well, Lyle has been on the trail since Tuesday, March 28. It was quite a production to send him off! Note to all who want to drive to Springer Mountain--none of the printed directions are exact! Be prepared to navigate by guess and by gosh! :)
Monday afternoon we went up to Springer Mountain to check things out--which was a good thing based on the directions we had (hence my comment above). The final leg to the top involved driving 6.5 miles on a mountain gravel path with pull off areas in case you met another vehicle. We parked in the lot a mile below the summit and hiked up to the summit so Lyle could sign in at at the start, and we could see the view and take pictures. What a spectacular view--well worth the white knuckle drive! We met 8 hikers that were preparing to through hike--all ages, shapes and sizes. Then we went into Ellijay to spend the night in a hotel and eat pizza (Lyle's choice)! Because he hiked up to the summit and signed in the day before, he left from the parking lot on Springer Mountain on Tuesday morning. He had one mile of hiking the AT without carrying his pack! What a wonderful suggestion by an experienced AT hiker (Thanks Hiker Bob!) There were almost as many hikers starting Tuesday as we saw on Monday afternoon. Lyle hiked off into the mist and fog at 9:10 a.m. EST. I drove down the mountain trail in the mist which matched my mood! Tears of joy and sadness mingled together most of the morning. I made it back to Appleton late Wednesday afternoon after an uneventful 2-day drive.
I've spoken with Lyle every day so far (thanks to a good cell service). He is hiking with about 4-6 "regulars" so he is developing a circle of support. Rain and mist have been constant companions with periods of sun, but Lyle says that it's better than the heat and humidity of St. John's! He has hiked at least 7 miles each day--today (Monday April 3)--was 7.6 miles with a 1-mile straight up and then a 1-mile straight down section as part of the journey. He feels as though he is training for a marathon every day!
He has slept in the tent most nights but tried a shelter last night. He woke up twice after a mouse (or mice?) ran over his hands...yuck! However, when the sheets of rain, thunder and lightning hit in the middle of the night, he forgave the rodents! There have been many reminders to be careful of bears but no sightings yet thank goodness!
He has passed Blood Mountain and Neels Gap, and is heading toward Tray Mountain. I'll post a picture or two soon and add an update later this week. Please keep Lyle and the other hikers in your prayers.
Monday afternoon we went up to Springer Mountain to check things out--which was a good thing based on the directions we had (hence my comment above). The final leg to the top involved driving 6.5 miles on a mountain gravel path with pull off areas in case you met another vehicle. We parked in the lot a mile below the summit and hiked up to the summit so Lyle could sign in at at the start, and we could see the view and take pictures. What a spectacular view--well worth the white knuckle drive! We met 8 hikers that were preparing to through hike--all ages, shapes and sizes. Then we went into Ellijay to spend the night in a hotel and eat pizza (Lyle's choice)! Because he hiked up to the summit and signed in the day before, he left from the parking lot on Springer Mountain on Tuesday morning. He had one mile of hiking the AT without carrying his pack! What a wonderful suggestion by an experienced AT hiker (Thanks Hiker Bob!) There were almost as many hikers starting Tuesday as we saw on Monday afternoon. Lyle hiked off into the mist and fog at 9:10 a.m. EST. I drove down the mountain trail in the mist which matched my mood! Tears of joy and sadness mingled together most of the morning. I made it back to Appleton late Wednesday afternoon after an uneventful 2-day drive.
I've spoken with Lyle every day so far (thanks to a good cell service). He is hiking with about 4-6 "regulars" so he is developing a circle of support. Rain and mist have been constant companions with periods of sun, but Lyle says that it's better than the heat and humidity of St. John's! He has hiked at least 7 miles each day--today (Monday April 3)--was 7.6 miles with a 1-mile straight up and then a 1-mile straight down section as part of the journey. He feels as though he is training for a marathon every day!
He has slept in the tent most nights but tried a shelter last night. He woke up twice after a mouse (or mice?) ran over his hands...yuck! However, when the sheets of rain, thunder and lightning hit in the middle of the night, he forgave the rodents! There have been many reminders to be careful of bears but no sightings yet thank goodness!
He has passed Blood Mountain and Neels Gap, and is heading toward Tray Mountain. I'll post a picture or two soon and add an update later this week. Please keep Lyle and the other hikers in your prayers.
posted by Trail Widow | 5:33 PM
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