Touring the park

   The day started cool and foggy, and stayed that way until supper time.  But it was a good day anyway.  We grabbed breakfast, then headed to Amicalola Falls State Park, the closest point to Springer Mountain.  The ranger station maintains a checklist for hikers, one for section hikers, another for thruhikers.  I signed in as Thruhiker number 427 for this year. Then we walked out back to the first shelter, Mac Epperson shelter, then up the park road to the base of the falls.  We hiked up to the top of falls, meeting other tourists along the way.

   Amicalola Falls are 729ft, the highest east of the Mississippi, and the path up involves a 175 step stairway, a crossing over the front of the falls then another stairway of 425 metal steps.  It is marked as 'strenuous'.  If the weather is good, the view from the top is very nice.  We met Jay, no trail name yet, saw 6 or 7 other hikers besides him and met a younger couple from Alpharetta, GA wearing Virginia and North Carolina sweatshirts.  Their story was, she had gone to Virginia, he to NC, and a bet had been made over Friday's ACC semifinal game.  She lost, and so had to wear the North Carolina colors, but he was a good sport and was wearing Virginia.

   Lunch at Amicalola Falls Lodge was club sandwiches and fresh fruit.  The strawberries and pineapple were perfect.