Appalachian Trail: Springer Mountain to 3 Forks

Today I hiked another section of the Appalachian Trail.  Since I spent 11 years in the Army, I’ve had my share of “roughing it”.  I’ve therefore decided to hike the Appalachian Trail glamping style: one day-hike at a time.

My husband and I started at the Springer Mountain Trailhead again, but this time headed North. We did a simple 3.2 miles out to the 3 Forks Trailhead then turned around and came back for a total of 6.4 miles. 

The weather forecast varied, initially predicting rain, then changing to overcast and cloudy.  We drove to the Springer Mountain Trailhead and as we exited our car, there was a heavy drizzle.  There was a park ranger asking if we were sure we wanted to hike today.  “No problem,” I said, and put on my nifty poncho.  My husband wasn’t as enthusiastic.  I encouraged him to hike for a little while and we could turn around if we became uncomfortable.

While it was rainy with poor visibility, with my poncho, I wasn’t uncomfortable.  The beginning of this hike was woodsy and downhill.  We soon adapted to the wet trail, though it was a little slippery.  The rain persisted for most of the hike.  It was enough to be annoying but not terrible.  We came to a pretty bridge crossing a stream.  My instinct told me to go to the right of the bridge.  My husband noted the well-maintained trail after the bridge and felt going left was the proper way to go.  I’ve mentioned that I can be directionally challenged.  I’ve learned over the years that if my instinct tells me to go one way, I should probably go the other.  We proceeded to the left and soon noticed the white blazes; we were still on the Appalachian Trail.  It’s a good thing we didn’t follow my instincts.

I was surprised at the number of hikers we encountered.  Several were out for a day-hike, like us.  We were almost at the halfway point when we encountered 2 families who had started at the 3 Forks Trailhead.  They asked if we found anything interesting.  Yes!  We noticed a small waterfall along the way.  There was a stream and several bridges.  My favorite part of the hike involved crossing a balance beam.  Yes!  Obstacles!  My husband didn’t like that part as much, but he made it.  The most notable hiker was a 79-year-old man who was on the first day of his adventure.  He wanted to complete the entire trail.  He told us he was in pretty good shape, but the trail was challenging him so far.  He had fallen twice in the slippery conditions but was not discouraged.  His goal was to make it to the Stover Creek Shelter that day.  We assured him he was almost there and wished him well. 

Today we completed another 3.2 miles of the Appalachian Trail with a 6.4 mile out and back hike.  I realize that if we continue this approach, we’ll have to hike over 4,000 miles to complete the trail.  Soon we’ll research ways to hike longer sections using 2 vehicles or hiring a shuttle. 

It will be several months before we can get back to our cabin and explore more of the Appalachian Trail.  Meanwhile, we’ll have fun exploring trails near our home in Florida.