Getting on the midnight train to Georgia (Well, actually the 3 PM train from NYC)was the start of an adventure that will live on in my mind. The ride seemed long and yet there was anticipation that built the closer to Gainesville, GA that the train got. Eating in the dining car I was seated with a nurse from Connecticut who (after I told her of my planned adventure) asked, “What about the animals; the bears?” I replied that I would talk to them. “Do you know their language?” she asked.
As the train entered Gainesville, and I debarked with three other AT wannabes I found myself standing at the station alone, in a place I had never been and my arranged for ride no where to be seen. What to do? I waited and then decided to get to the local library. What direction to go was answered by a cab driver (me, too tight to pay for a cab) and with pack on back I hiked into town. At the library I was treated to an hour on their computer, contacted my ride and was able to continue my adventure.
Getting to Georgia was a thrill, getting to the AT where the trail goes south from Forest Road # 42 was the beginning. There was the sense of an open-ended adventure that spelled freedom in a way that is inviting me to do it all again. No, I did not get very far along the trail. But the thrill of standing on Springer Mountain with the dream of hiking north was immense. No time restraints, no responsibilities except to put one foot in front of the other. There were many people met along the trail and each enriched my life. I will do it again when I am in better shape. But the initial encounter with Springer Mountain will always live within.
Skylander
