Dan and Kara are off to Maine!

Well I dropped Dan and Kara off at Amicalola State Park today to begin the 2184 mile trek to Mt. Katahdin in Maine.  Dan was the 448th thru hiker to check in so far in 2013.  Last year there were over 1200, so he is getting a jump on most of them.  The approach trail that begins at Amicalola is 8.8 miles long just to get to the start of the A.T. which is atop Springer Mountain.  The approach trail goes about 1/2 mile to the base of the falls, and then there are 600 + grated steps to climb to the top.  Because of the steep grated steps and this being Kara's first time carrying a pack, we planned for me to "slack pack" (drive) Kara's pack to the top of the falls.  I drove on up to the parking area at the base of the falls and while I was waiting a young woman hiker with the trail name "Alf" came along the trail with a dog about the same size and carrying the same pack as Kara.  I told her my son was coming along with his dog and since I was carry his dog's pack up to the top, asked if she would like me to carry her dog's pack up to the top as well.  She was grateful for the offer and even asked me to drive her pack up too.  Dan's a purist so I knew he would carry his pack up, but everyone hikes their own hike.

I met them at the top just a short time later along with two other hikers, Boomerang, and Walkabout_1.  Of the 4, Dan is the only one without a trail name yet.   The hikers took a rest at the top of the falls while I took a few pic's.  Then it was time to send them off.