April 5, 2006: The Beginning...A wonderful start it was...

Well, pardon for the weeks absence from the computer... Not much internet stuff in NE Georgia... Its the 9th and Ill try to catch up... And by the way these images apparently loaded backwards.
(1)First image is of me having a bit of trouble sleeping the night before... I got up at 0500 and watched the sunrise at about 0700, we didnt get to the trail head until 0930... Kind of an agonizing morning for me... It was a beautiful day though in the hight 40's early then getting into the sixties with plenty of sun during the day, great hiking weather... I havent seen the people I started out with since we were dropped off. They were planning to tackle about 5-8 miles a day while my plans were more like 10-15. I have managed to stay healthy so far without any blisters or any other injuries. Dont get me wrong though my feet hurt...ALOT. But the aches and pains associated with hiking, the sore muscles in the neck, shoulders, legs, etc. are deminishing. But... on this day I start at the (2)Trailhead Springer Mountain....thats me with my finger on my ultimate destination...MT Katahdin in Maine. While on Springer Mt, I couldnt help but look North (3) at a few of the "hills" I will have to traverse on my way to Katahdin. (4) The Dogwoods are in bloom down here, its early spring and there are plenty of buds on the trees but the leaves are only out in the lower elevations. (5) Thats me at the end of my first day setting up camp by a nice brook... I had been hiking alone all day and was quite ready to turn in for the night. Funny I picked a camp spot in the middle of an ARMY Ranger training site. At about 2145, by the moonlight about 60 ARMY Rangers came through on night ops...Needless to say I was a bit startled at first. Thought someone, (somebear lol) was after my food which I had hung a ways from my tent. But the wispers and stomping from the boots were a dead givaway. And no I didnt get out of my tent to chat with them either...lol... Catch you all later...