The Trailhead: Day 1

       His journey began at 11:00 PM EST at home in Jacksonville Florida. I drove him up I-95 to I-16 to Swainsboro Georgia, where after a quick pit stop, he took over the driving until we reach I-75 and just below Atlanta.  From there I drove again circling around the East Loop until we got to State Road 400, then up numerous state and county roads until we reached the base of Springer Mountain in the National Park system then it was all NPS service roads the fog was thick and the dirt and gravel road was full of switchbacks and with solid walls to one side and cliffs to the other dropping off into the foggy voids of undetermined depths. Progress was slow no better than 5 MPH with David navigating with the GPS function of my phone and unable to see beyond 25 feet.

      Soon the darkness was replaced with grayness and yet still no better visibility.  As we crested one rise we gave up the solid walls on one side to cliffs on both, we were running along the ridge or backbone of the mountain.  A misty rain started to fall as we approached the parking lot for the trail. We parked and David gathered his gear slipped on his 45 pound pack wolfed down his high calorie breackfast of Honey Buns and Cinnamon Rolls.  We hugged and I told him how proud his Mother and I were of him, that we only wished we were going with him.  He told me he loved us and was so thankful of how supportive we had been on this quest of his. He then walked down the trail to the trailhead he would walk 0.9 miles just to turn around and come back through the same parking lot we just stood in.  But, he had to so he could say he had hiked the entire 2180 miles.  I stayed just long enough to see him disappear into the mist and rain.  Then I returned home the same way I came (well sort of), I got home around 6PM wondering how far he had reached that first day.