Southern Terminus

The morning was bright, and my back was stiff. We hung out in the tent until everyone else at the campsite was gone. The boys moved like they were stiff too. Regardless I woke smiling that I was sleeping on the ground in a tent with my dogs and such a wonderful man that wasn't holding a grudge against me for my freak out last night. We packed up and took our time getting things shook out and organized. I was surprised how good I felt, I wasn't really sore and had an itch to get moving. The weather was perfect and the winds were constant on top of Springer which kept the bugs away in the sunshine- nice. I sat with the dogs while Matt filtered our water for the day. We talked and agreed that we were only going to hike today to the Falls and then look for a campsite around 5 pm. We were going slow and going to find a site where we could spend some time making real camp.

Our hike was easier than the 1st day as it seemed to be all downhill and our spirit was high. About noon we got to the Falls and they were better than I thought they would be with a perfect campsite. We unpacked, had lunch, brushed our teeth, let the boys play in the cold perfect water and hung out for a couple hours and played with the camera....







We saw four or five really great camping spots along the trail. I think both of us although not sore or tired much just wanted to find a great spot after the fiasco the night before. We went about another 4 miles and I saw a nice private site across a little stream that had a fire pit. So we called it ours and settled in. I made a nice fire while Matt did his job of filtering water.



Everything was going great and seemed really perfect. It was a little buggie, but we wanted to hang out by the fire and in the tent anyways. We just talked and talked- mu favorite part about camping. There isn't much to do but talk to each other (and play with the camera). As we were settling down the evening we heard helicopters over head. Matt said there was a Ranger base nearby and they must of been doing some practice missions. After about 5 black hawks went over in about 30 minutes Matt said they should be done. They weren't. They flew over us ALL.NIGHT.LONG!!! They would stop for about an hour or so they start up again. I would fall asleep and then be woke up with choppers 100ft overhead. I'd look over and Matt was sound asleep!!! I don't know how he slept through that. He was in the Army and was a ranger, but I don't know how anyone could sleep with that noise. It was like we were camping next to the airport. We were at a spot called Hawk Mountain. The next day I told Matt they call it that because it's really Black hawk Mountain because of the training base.

We got kind of early and started a fire. We had breakfast of summer sausage and triscuits with a few fruit bars and lots of water. The boys ate their dog food with tuna and lots of water too. Then it started sprinkling so we put the fire out and climbed back in the tent and into our sleeping bags. We talked for awhile then cuddled up and napped for hours while it rained. It was a great way to spend a vacation day! When we woke about 1pm it had stopped raining and we decided to head back and just stop at the next great campsite about 4 miles back near the falls. Matt said that he wasn't feeling well he was really sore and just didn't feel right.



We hiked on light on water knowing that there was a lot of water on the way back so we didn't need to carry much. It was getting warm and the boys ended up needing us to stop often for water breaks. We saw a few other hikers and would stop and chat a little. Most everyone was happy to see the dogs and that they were 'packing their share' with their packs. We had a few comments on what nice and fancy packs they had. The forest was fresh from the rain and the green was still that bright new springtime green color. Matt kept saying he just didn't feel right and that he thought he might have some virus from the water or something. We found a really great spot right by an old logging road that again was private but next to a refurbished trout habitat stream. It was PERFECT, private but right there and had a nice soft tent spot, big fire pit, lots of wood to burn and the perfect fast moving stream. We made camp at about 4pm. We were on vacation! Matt made the fire and had the epiphany that he was having withdrawals from coffee is why he felt so terrible. I had thought it but didn't want to say it as he is a little sensitive about his coffee addiction. But he would not drink instant so he went four days without coffee and he thought he had giardiasis!
We made a fire and surveyed our food stash. It was a camping vacation, we layed out a rain poncho and laid on our backs with the dogs at our side and watched the clouds go by. Again we talked about everything and just enjoyed being outside together. We learned a lot of lessons about hiking with the dogs and what we will do different next time. We did good, we had the right amount of food and equipment. Nothing was extra, we used everything we brought. We stayed up late next to the big fire that Matt built and talked in the pitch black of the night. He commented on how I wasn't scared of being outside in the dark and how many people are. I grew up in the woods, it brought back a lot of memories of camping with my grandparents, it was just what I knew, I didn't know people didn't camp and hike. I just grew up doing it. I'm comfortable in the woods, making a fire, eating with filty, dirty hands, wearing the same clothes day after day, and using babywipes to clean myself. Matt with his army experience- we were a good hiking team. The boys....have some work to do!

We had a great night's sleep on our soft spot for our tent, we slept great, so did the boys. We had a system down, us on the outside and the boys between us so we all stayed warm. The next morning we woke and felt the best we had the whole trip. We were planning to only walk back 4 miles to Springer Mountain and camp for the night, then walk out the next morning. We had just enough food to make that. We made it back to Spinger in just a couple hours. We enjoyed the Southern Terminus this time...



We had lunch and played around taking pictures and enjoying the view. Dreamt of when we'll be back to hike the entire trail. We took the time to sign the hikers notebook, these are at every shelter along the entire Appalachian Trail so that there is a record and it serves as communiation between the hikers along the way. We have some work to do, especially the boys who need to mature a little more mentally before we can leave our regular lives behind and just be 'thru-hikers'. But that day will come!




Coming down off Springer Mtn and our 'high' of feeling so great we decided to go all the way back to the car. It was only 7 miles and it was only 1pm. I did great until about 3:30 - for whatever reason I thought it was going to be all downhill from Springer, I remembered it being all UPHILL on day 1. Going back down it seemed like it was uphill after hill...I pooped out. My legs were just done. They were'nt burning anymore they felt like rubber, I started whining. Blue wasn't pulling me up the hills anymore either, I would get slow and he would just stop and wait for me instead of pulling me. Matt and Petey would wait for us and tell me how good I was doing, but I was dragging up those hills. Before I left on this trip my grandmother emailed me and said to remember "I think I can, I think I can" I repeated this over and over in my head (and sometimes out loud) to get myself up those last hills. I kept thinking about my grandparents, and how my grandmother wouldn't quit and Grandpa would say 'Quit your sniveling and get up here!' I also used my putting on a big smile trick. For some reason when I smile I get the go under my butt to do hard things, like hike up an endless hill with a 25# pack on!



We made it to Amacolola Falls and my car at about 6 o'clock. We were exhausted but very, very proud of ourselves. We stopped at Pizza Hut and had a big ol' pizza (no cheese) on the way home and talked about what we learned and what we need to do to get ready to the whole trail. We both need to get in better shape and the boys need to grow up a little. But it's coming I can feel it in my bones.........