On April 12, 1980 I climbed Springer Mountain to start my 146 day backpacking journey to Mount Katahdin, Maine. It's been 40 years since that journey. The pandemic of 2020 delayed my plans, but I was able to climb Springer again on June 5, 2020 with my son, Joshua Kennedy.
We left my house in McDonough, Georgia early in the morning and had to drop off some stuff at my son's workplace in Duluth, Georgia. That delayed us some, but we were determined to make the trip. About a half hour before we got to Amicalola Falls it began to rain pretty hard. By the time we arrived at the State Park there were rain showers.
We went inside the visitor's center for a little while and took some pictures, including some with the arch at the beginning of the approach trail. The Appalachian Trail actually starts on the TOP of Springer Mountain. The approach trail is about 8.5 miles from the visitor's center to the top of Springer. Back in 1980 I knew that there was a road to the top of the falls and that I could start the approach trail there. That saved me one mile of extremely steep climbing (including a very long set of stairs).
Josh and I drove to the top of the falls and parked there. It was still drizzling rain just a little bit, but we started hiking at about 11:00am. We knew that we had a 15 mile round trip hike to get up and back before nightfall. Within 15 minutes the rain showers stopped and never returned. Our earlier delay saved us from hiking for an hour in that rain storm!
The trail was very heavily traveled and is marked with blue blazes. It is a steep climb up, up, and up! Yes, there are some level sections. There are even some short downhill sections. But most of the trail is going up. Josh and I labored diligently up the trail, talking almost the whole way. We enjoy just being able to spend some father/son time together.
We found a nice spot to stop and eat lunch and rest. The sun came through the trees and it was beautiful. There were some lovely flowers along the trail. Some were white, some yellow, but the most striking were the deep blue flowers. Josh liked to see some of the old trees with bumps and crooks in them. Some were dead and in various states of decay, often with interesting mushrooms growing on them.
We finally reached the summit of Springer Mountain at 4:00pm. There is a view from the top, but it is not as stunning as the views off of other mountains. The summit has lots of trees and a large rock outcropping that bears a metal plaque showing the summit and the beginning of the Applachian Trail. This trail stretches 2,100 miles through 14 States to Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park, Maine. I looked down and saw the first white blaze marking the trail. I remembered following those blazes all the way to Katahdin. 40 years is a long time, but the memories of the Trail stay with you forever.
We stayed on the summit for an hour talking to several other hikers, signing the register, resting, and enjoying the view. At 5:00pm we started to descend. I knew that it was going to take a while to get down and was concerned that we might lose daylight and have to hike using our flashlights. I did put a brace on my right knee before we began the descent (and I'm glad I did). Going downhill can put a lot of pressure on your knees.
We made good time and only took a few rest breaks. By 8:00pm the sunlight was beginning to wane. After it set we could still see the trail in the dusk. An owl began to call out followed by the bark of a dog somewhere off the trail. Gradually the light began to fade and our steps grew faster.
Just before 9;00pm I was thinking about putting on my head lamp when I saw something through the trees. It was the parking lot! Four hours after leaving the summit, Josh and I emerged from the woods and arrived at the top of the falls parking lot. The light was now gone and we could see the twinkle of tiny lights in the valley from houses below.
We drove up to the Lodge and went inside for a little while. The view off of the observation deck is usually stunning, but the dark made it harder to see. We were hoping to get some food from the restaurant, but it was closed for the night. It was time to leave and find some food.
After a wrong turn in the dark (in the middle of nowhere) we finally regained GPS signal and found our way to civilization (before we heard any banjo music!). The yellow Waffle House sign in Cumming, Georgia was a welcome sight! We chowed down on some good food and left at 11:00pm, right when they were closing the Waffle House. Yes, you heard that right. Waffle House closed! Because of the 2020 pandemic a lot of restaurants had shorter hours, including Waffle House.
It was 12:45am before we arrived tired but safe at my house in McDonough, Georgia. The next day I was so sore I could barely move, but it was better in a couple of days.
I was glad to be able to celebrate 40 years of finishing the Appalachian Trail by climbing Springer Mountain with my son, Josh. We hope to be able to climb Katahdin sometime later this summer. Best wishes to everyone and God bless!
