After tearing down camp in the rain at Black Gap, Bo and I set off towards Springer Mtn to meet with my friends for one last time. It was a 1.5-mile trek to Springer and then a mile descent to the parking lot. Bo and I arrived at the terminus only to discover that the view was completely covered by fog. We were soaked head to toe, and our sleep system was also wet.

On the descent down to the parking lot, Bo and I ran into our friends, and they were cracking up at the sight of us: two wet rats. At the lot, we snacked on gummy worms, yogurt, chicken, and Jerry and said our goodbyes.

A bad storm was brewing, so Bo and I stopped at a shelter just a few miles from the parking lot to take cover. At the shelter, we met Micheal from GA, who we would continue to leap frog for the days to come. The dog, Spirit, his owner, and friend came and stayed, followed by Cassie (“Views”) and her pitbull Millie. Bo was anxious and territorial today–he is still adjusting to new life. Due to the rain, everyone set up their tents under the shelter and then ran to find a spot for their tents. Since my tent requires trekking poles, I had to set it up in the rain. There was so much rain that the tent leaked, lightning lit the sky all night long, and the thunder clapped. Despite all the ruckus, Bo remained calm all night. To avoid going out in the rain to pee, I have perfected my method of peeing right outside my tent under the little canopy, haha. Some may call that a personal low, I see it as innovation.

GA supplies bear boxes and bear cables at all the shelters in the state. I will soon need to learn the bear hang method.

• Day: 2
• Date: 4/06/2025
• Miles: 5.5
• Camp: Stover Creek Shelter
• At Mile: 2.8
  • (Remember they don’t count the Approach Trail in the mileage count).