There are those who cannot understand just what it is that draws me to these woods. There terrain can be treacherous, there are active bear warning signs everywhere, and I often walk for miles without seeing another person. We approached our destination yesterday, Springer Mountain, via an unpaved forest service road that was a hair-raising experience for me. My son kept saying "cool, I'm looking DOWN at the treetops," to which I replied "I don't want to know that!" It seemed to take us forever to traverse that 10 miles to the parking lot but we finally made it. We hiked a narrow trail and when we reached the summit a feeling of accomplishment came over me...I was finally standing in a spot I'd only read about and longed to see....the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. It's rather simple....modestly marked by a small plaque on the ground and a slightly larger one on a boulder not too far from the other one....but as I made my entry into the journal that's safely kept in a mailbox attached to the boulder, I felt a connection with hundreds who had been there before me. I felt like I was a part of a group that shares common ground...a love for the outdoors and the splendor of the Appalachian Trail. I will be heading back out today, this time to tackle the trail to the summit of Blood Mountain....a trail that gains 1000 feet in elevation in one mile. My calf muscles are barking this morning but I am determined to make the climb. It's more than just a hike to me...it's a spiritual journey of sorts that I can't wait to share in more detail later....a journey that will stay with me forever in my heart...
More to come: Journey to the summit of Blood Mountain (and photos once I return home and get them uploaded)
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