Springer Mountain June 7, 1974

On June 6, 1974, I left Maryland to hike the AT.

Topo of approach trail, a good introduction to the next 2,000 miles.

Most 2,000 milers start in Georgia, and most will quit in Georgia.  While the AT is most often defined as Maine to Georgia, since Earl Schaffer thru-hiked the Trail back in 1948, the chance to walk with Spring has been the idea for decades.  In fact, his trail memoir is titled Walking with Spring (1981) and continues to inspire thru hikers today.  The idea to move north with the seasons has been chronicled in numerous accounts of the five million step journey.

I too hoped to walk with the (late) spring, skipping my high school graduation and hopping a bus south. After an overnight bus trip from Baltimore, Maryland (5:00 pm) to Washington DC (6:00 pm) to Greensboro, North Carolina (3:30 am) to Ashville, North Carolina (6:30 am). I arrived at the birthplace of the GATC, Dahlonega, Georgia (11:00 am).  I probably slept for 30 minutes during the bus trip. From Dahlonega, I phoned home to let my parents know that I survived the long bus trip as I waited for someone from the local church to give me a ride to Amicalola Falls State Park.  

The famous plaque is found on a rock outcrop south of the summit and makes for a great photo op for the visitors.  The plaque was modelled after Mr. Warner Hall in 1934, and several monuments were installed at Neel Gap, and Unicoi Gap in addition to the one on Springer.

Just north of the summit, the first lean-to, abbreviated LT from now on, using the AT lingo on the period, was open for one more hiker, me. 

A capture from the ATC Mileage Factsheet.  The check marks show my camp for the night and an underline means I slept in that LT.

Read more about the trail from 50 years ago here:

Source: Bristow, R. (2025).  The Real Appalachian Trail BC.  Appalachian Trail Museum.

All proceeds go to the Museum.