[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[at-l] Fontana Dam to Springer Mt.

In 1996 one of my sons and I attempted a southbound thru-hike.  After
1930 miles and almost 6 months on the trail, I had to leave from Cosby
Knob Shelter in the Smokies due to a knee injury.  My son reached
Springer 14 days later.
In 1997 both my sons got on the trail with me at Cosby Knob and I
finished the Smokies leaving again at Fontana  Dam.

This May I plan to finish the trail and hope to do the approx. 160 miles
in about 2 weeks.  This time I will be joined by my new hiking partner,
Chili, my 15 month old black lab.  My younger son would like to join me
somewhere along the way and hike with me to Springer.  I have two
questions for my fellow listers.  Here goes:

Where would be a good place for my son to leave his car?  Right now I'm
thinking either Unicoi Gap or Winding Stair Gap.
Are there parking lots at either place and how safe would you think it
would be?  (Would you want your car there a week+-?)   Any suggestions
would be appreciated as the son who completed the trail can help us with
trail related questions but not car, road, parking lot related
questions.

My second question is this.  If any of you have come this close to
completing a thru-hike without completing it, what did you feel when you
finally got to the terminus?  I forgot to mention that by the time my
son finished the trail my knee had improved enough that I drove up FS 42
and did the last 7/10 with him so I've been to Springer before.  

I can't tell you how crushed I was to leave a son on the trail and go
home that close to the end.  I had told someone in Hot Springs that I
would crawl to Springer if I had to but in reality I couldn't.  I not
only gave up a thru-hike but gave up a father-son thru-hike after we had
been thru so much together.  

My concern now is that I'm going to feel nothing when I get to Springer.
I watched my son and friends he'd made celebrate at the end and I had
planned on being part of that celebration.  I was there but I was a
clean shaven intruder with a day pack.  Now the son who thru-hiked with
me won't even be there due to work and while it's important to me to
finish what we set out to do, I'm afraid it won't mean anything.

Yeah, I guess I'm whining and wanting sympathy but I really would like
some feedback from my fellow listers.

Magoo
* From the Appalachian Trail Mailing List | For info http://www.hack.net/lists *

==============================================================================