Best. Job. EVER.

Just so you all know, getting paid to hike and talk to other hikers is AWESOME. I head out on my second patrol tomorrow morning and can't wait.

Welcome to my office. No cubicle for me...

Here's some more info, for those of you who have been asking about logistics. I am the Caretaker on Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the AT. There is also a Ridgerunner in Georgia--Rhea "Razor" Patrick. As the Ridgerunner, he hikes a section of trail on each patrol, checking on trail conditions, shelter cleanliness and maintenance issues, and keeping track of hikers. I am stationed near the shelter on Springer, monitoring the same elements at the Springer shelter, on the Approach Trail, and the Black Gap shelter just south of Springer. We're both tasked with getting a head-count of hikers--both thru and day--and talking to as many as possible. A primary part of our jobs involves education, keeping hikers informed regarding regulations and conditions on the trail, as well as Leave No Trace principles. And especially in my position, I'm setting the tone for all of the other Ridgerunners and Caretakers up the trail, letting folks know that we're here to help and not to confront them about every little thing.

So I work a 5-on, 2-off schedule, on patrol from Friday to Tuesday, since the majority of thru-hikers head out over the weekend. My first patrol didn't exactly go according to plan, though, due to the wintry weather last weekend. The high winds and extreme low temperatures forced a lot of hikers to abandon the trail within the first couple of days, some with hypothermia. For safety reasons, I did not stay on Springer, instead day hiking on the Approach Trail.

A beautiful snowy day on the Approach Trail.

Fortunately, the weather is getting better and this weekend should be much more pleasant in the mountains. This weekend is also the Appalachian Trail Kick-Off, a hiking festival at Amicalola Falls State Park. There will be a number of presentations Friday evening through Sunday, mostly covering thru-hiking topics. The festival will also be the impetus for a boat-load of folks to start their hike, so I expect to be very busy. If you have the time, please make the drive to Amicalola--there should be lots of fun and informative events, in addition to an opportunity to check out the highest falls east of the Mississippi!

And a beautiful less snowy day....
Here comes spring!