Looks Like Great Weather Ahead

The rains have moved through Georgia, bringing with it cold temperatures and high winds. However, the weather report looks great for the next three days.

I am excited to get back on the Appalachian Trail. I am poising myself to hike 20-mile days up to Fontana Dam to meet up with Squatch there. Although this will be a short journey (3 1/2 weeks), it should be epic! I

The Hiker Hostel in the North Georgia Mountains

hope to check in again in four days with a full report with my impressions.

I am staying at a lovely hostel called the Hiker Hostel. This place is seriously the Taj Majal of hostels. It is a beautiful log cabin with three levels for hosting hikers. The owners, Josh and Leigh Saint, have decorated this place with all kinds of pictures from their previous hikes. This is the place to stay in North Georgia.

Getting to the Appalachian Trail's Southern Terminus

Freefall at Springer Mountain, GA

I am making plans for the Appalachian Trail... finally. One thing is certain: I will be meeting up with Squatch up at Fontana Dam, NC around March 20th. However, getting to the Appalachian Trail's southern terminus (Springer Mountain) is still up in the air.

I did a Google search "shuttle to Springer Mountain, Appalachian Trail," and I turned up a wealth of information. Whiteblaze.net had some great suggestions.

Hiker Hostel, which is operated by Josh and Leigh Saint (770) 312-7342 looks to be the top choice. They offer a Thruhiker Special, which includes a pickup at the North Springs MARTA station, one night's stay, breakfast, 8 oz. of denatured alcohol, and a shuttle to Amicalola Falls State park. As of 2010, they charged $75 for the service, which seems very reasonable. I first read about them in an A.T. Journey's Magazine, and have been eager to check out their place. I also know that Josh and Leigh hiked the AT in 2000, so I guess I am biased to choose them. I signed up for a reservation online, and I look forward to hearing back from them. Hopefully they can swing the ride.

There's also a guy named Survivor Dave, (678) 469-0978 who also provides a shuttle from the North Springs MARTA station. The good news is that it looks like he keeps things simple: he takes one to the trailhead. The bad news is that he does not post a price. That actually deters me from choosing him. Second, I think it would be easier if there was a way to sign up for a reservation online instead of having to make a call. Not that I am averse to the phone. It's actually a west coast-east coast thing. As I research this at 8pm on the west coast, I am not apt to make the call at 11pm EST, and I am not going to remember to do it the following day. Nonetheless, he seems to run a good barebones service.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy also provides a shuttle list, which includes others like Appalachian Adam and North Georgia Outfitters. Based on what I've seen online, I imagine anyone operating on their own schedule or with a myriad of needs can score a ride to Springer Mountain... I think I did (keeping fingers crossed)!