Monday, March 23, 2009

Hike-Inn weekend


Sunrise
Originally uploaded by TheTurducken
I spent three days at the Hike-Inn at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia this weekend. It's a 4.4-mile hike to the Inn - no drivers allowed. Once you've arrived, you can camp in comparative luxury. It's not the Ritz, nor does it pretend to be, but it's a huge step up from a tent or even a primitive cabin. There are showers, heat, home-cooked meals, and entertainment.

On the second day of our stay we hiked up to Springer Mountain, the southern end of the Appalachian Trail. Although I've read about the AT and should have known better, I was still surprised by the trailhead. I expected it to be a three-ring circus swarming with people, surrounded by a parking lot and maybe even a visitors' center. Nope. You have to hike over five miles just to get to Springer Mountain. It was still a busy place - the vernal equinox is the traditional AT through-hike start date, and this was the day after - but it was just a one-ring circus.

No comments: