Amicolola

Got up at 4 am this morning to catch a Southwest flight to Atlanta.  Thank you Deirdra for getting up and giving me a ride to Logan.  From the Atlanta airport I hopped on a MARTA subway train to the last stop at North Spring Station. The subway station was literally in the airport and maybe a few hundred feet from baggage claim. Atlanta you got that right!  ATSURVIVORDAVE shuttled me and another hiker (Dave from Harrisburg PA) from North Spring Station to Amicalola.  Staying at the lodge at the park tonight and starting the hike tomorrow.  All the connections were good.  At the Visitor Center at the bottom of the falls, the ranger did a short talk about leaving no trace and what the first week’s hike will look like.  Also got my picture at the Arch.  A family overheard that I was about to hike up to the lodge and gave me a ride up which saved me from a long and steep climb to the top of the falls.  I was checking my gear at the hotel and found that I had lost my sleeping pad (later determined that I forgot to pack it).  Thinking that perhaps I could get one down at the Ranger station I decided to walk down and then return back up the stairs by the falls.  I was planning on doing the stairs at the start so I got this done earlier than planned.  No luck on the sleeping pad at the Ranger station and there is no store nearby to get a sleeping pad.  Crap!  After a bit I called Survivor Dave to see if he was coming back to Amicolola and if he could get me a pad.  No luck again but he gave me a name of someone who might help.  I cannot remember his name at the moment.  So I called him and at first he offered to loan me one of his pads since he didn't think he could get to an outfitters to buy one for me.  He said I could leave it for him at Neels Gap a few hiking days up the trail.  They have an outfitter there and I can get a pad and leave his. The people know him there since he does a lot of shuttling in the area among other hiker support activities. A short while later he called me back and said he could get to an REI to buy one for me and would be by later that evening to deliver it which he did.  I reimbursed him for the pad but he refused any additional monies.   Can't believe I experience trail magic twice before I even got on the trail.  The sense of community among hikers is strong.  Things are looking up for tomorrow's start.

Early to bed tonight for an early start tomorrow.  The excitement and anxiety are large and sleep will come uneasily.