[at-l] Jumpstart and the Approach Trail.

[hudsom@us.ibm.com]

There was a story going around on the trail in '92, I assume from
Jumpstarts second hike. First, as I understand it, Jumpstart sometimes came
across a little strangely (like most thru-hikers?) Jumpstart and several
other thruhikers were on a peak in NC (Rocky Top area, I think) where
Jumpstart had previously arranged a "food drop".  Another thru-hiker came
along and Jumpstart invited him to stay because "Food will fall from the
sky". Needless to say the other hikers reaction was "Yeah, right", and he
kept going. Small plane flies over head, streamer drops out to check the
wind direction, and on the next pass a styrofoam cooler (on a parachute) -
Barbque chicken, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, etc. After the big
pig-out they broke down the cooler and tied it on one of the packs to take
out, and arrived at the next shelter to greet the same hiker with the
"evidence".   :  )

As for the approach trail... I (like many others) put in years of dreaming
before hitting the trail, and I don't need to describe Katahdin as a
special place. I didn't realize the emotional attachment I had for Springer
until I was at my second Gathering. Filling a gap in the schedule I sat in
on one of the videos (5 Million Steps?), that opened with a long shot of
that famous bronze marker, and I had a lump in my throat the size of an
apple. The hike up the approach was part of the prep for all that followed,
including that moment at the Gathering, and I'm glad that I hiked it....

Skeeter


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