Hello! We are alive and well, and excited to share our first post from the trail. We spend a few minutes together each night huddled in our quilts after lights-out typing up our memories from the day on my phone before closing our eyes. We will be posting these, so all of our posts from here on our will be trail-journal style, somewhat raw, and shared as often as we have time and cell reception. Thanks for following along!
Day 0: 1 mile on the Approach Trail
We spent our final days before departure at my parents’ farm and pulled an all-nighter to organize gear despite months of careful preparation. The amount of work that goes into planning a long thruhike is why it is said that ‘once you arrive at the trailhead you’ve already done the hardest part of the trail… getting there’. My dad dropped us at the Dallas airport where we caught a flight to Atlanta. We had to check our bulging rucksacks for the flight and hope for the best. All went smoothly and upon arrive in Atlanta we took the train to North Springs to meet our shuttle driver.
While waiting at the train station, we met Rocky and Matt, two others who are thruhiking this year. Rocky is a triple crowner (someone who has completed the AT, PCT and CDT). She has hiked the AT several times already and is doing it again this year starting in April in honor of her son who passed away last December. Matt is starting tomorrow, same as us, after being forced to leave the trail last year when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Rocky is supporting Matt by picking him up from the airport and letting him stay at her place tonight.
Ron Brown picked us up in his slick ride, a heavy-duty off-roading vehicle nicknamed the Yellow Blaze. Ron shared stories about Dawsonville and the trail. He was also our first trail angel, giving us water and a lighter, participating in the pack-weighing outside the visitor center, and took our photographs under the stone arch that marks the start of the approach trail.
We managed to arrive within 10 minutes of the Amicalola State Park visitor center closing and officially registered as 235 and 236th hiker of the season with approximate pack weights of between 30-35lbs. It’s a relief to have been able to register before climbing the falls, as this will save us a trip back down tomorrow. We are told many may be hiking under the radar this year because of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) messaging around COVID-19 so it’s hard to say what the actual numbers are. In summary, the ATC still wants hikers to register, but they are not officially “recognizing” thruhikes right now and the ATC headquarters remains closed to visitors.
After registering, we hiked up the first—nearly vertical—mile of the approach trail along the waterfall; essentially a great staircase. At the top we caught a beautiful glimpse of the sun beginning to lower over the valley from the top of the fall.
Upon arrival at Amicalola Lodge we checked into our room we watched the sun set over the mountains. We enjoyed a dinner from the hotel restaurant, sat by the fire, and gazed up at the three-story tall map of the AT in the lobby, faded from where visitors over the years have touched the only accessible part of the map at the very bottom. Early to bed, tomorrow is a big day.
Day 1: 7.5 miles on the Approach Trail, 2.8 miles on the AT
Thruhikers have the option of hiking 8.5 miles to even get to the AT trailhead on a strenuous trail called the Approach Trail. It’s something of a tradition and wasn’t something we wanted to miss out on. We were told that the Approach Trail is so challenging many people decide the trail is not for them and call it quits before even giving the AT a proper chance.
We reorganized our backpacks so that we have our clothes and sleep gear in our pack liner (garbage bag) at the bottom of the sack, and everything else accessible on top. We checked out around 9:45 and made our way back to where we left off on the Approach Trail.
We met about 15 other Northbound (NoBo) thru-hikers during the hike. We enjoyed lunch at a spring and ate one of the backpacker pantry meals, and discovered miles later that Chris had left his knife back at the spring. Someone’s lucky day. We made it to Springer Mountain, the official starting point for the AT, around 2pm where we signed the registry and chatted with some other hikers (including Matt from day zero!).
After that we officially began the Appalachian Trail! In my eagerness I almost immediately slipped and rolled my ankle less than a mile into the actual trail. A good reminder to keep our eyes on the path, as the trail is very rocky and tangled with roots. After that we took it a bit slower and eventually made it to Stover Creek shelter just before sunset. Here we discovered our topmost tent pole was nowhere to be found! We think it either got lost at the airport or left it behind in our hotel room. A droopy tent is a bit of a buzzkill, but we will make some calls to troubleshoot the situation when we have cell service again. We have also set up our tent under a tree that appears to be dead; certainly not ideal. For dinner we had another hot meal with tea. Overall, it was a fine day in the low 60’s and a clear, chilly night under an almost full moon. We are happy.
Day 2 - 12.8 miles hiked (trail mile 15.6)
Having made the mistake of believing that 8am was a respectable start, we awoke to realize most others had already cleared out. The waves of pain my ankle sent up my leg all night must have been an indication of my body performing its natural healing process because I was able to walk this morning. Chris reminded me that it was ok if I needed to take a day and relax at the camp sit, we are on no one’s schedule but our own, but we ultimately decided to hike on and were back on the trail at around 9am.
We had a few stream crossings today and explored a couple side trails as well. We first took a short detour to see Long Creek falls, and later Chris walked down a road to see Hickory Flats cemetery. I decided to wait at the crossing and spent some time talking to a sweet local couple who pulled over to make sure everything was ok. They are the caretakers of the cemetery and told me that they rescue a hiker who’s ready to quit the trail just about every other time they come out—only 6 miles in! Everyone we’ve met so far is so supportive and helpful toward hikers.
We came upon a trail angel legend named Fresh Ground at Horse Gap, just before Sasafrass Mountain. He was cooking burritos for thruhikers, and had fresh fruit and cookies! We felt so lucky to meet Fresh Ground this early into our hike! While we ate our lunch we chatted with a couple other hikers, including an experienced hiker who was thruhiking the trail while being supported by her husband in his RV, and man who said he would need to lower his pack weight if he wanted to stay on the trail. It didn’t come to us until later that the name Fresh Ground might mean different things to different people… fresh ground (as in land), fresh ground meat, fresh ground coffee, etc. Great name.
Stuffed from Fresh Ground’s wilderness buffet, we climbed the very rugged and strenuous trail over Sassafrass mountain. On Sassafrass we met our first, rugged-looking southbound hiker who about to complete the trail. We also had our first ridge-runner encounter; a ridge-runner is a seasonal ATC role in which someone lives in a tent or shelter on the trail and regularly walks a certain section of trail to care for shelters and campsites, and make sure people are hiking safely and responsibly.
The trail is visually stunning even now, in the winter, when the trees are bare. It permits us expansive views of the mountains beyond as we hike along the ridges. The mica all along the trail causes it to literally glitter where the sun touches. When we see Rhododendrons and Dogwood trees, we know water is near; it is like a fairy land walking along the creeks.
We finally arrived at Gooch Gap shelter just before the sun went down. We put up our tent, ate dinner, establishing our routine for the next few months. We also met a couple with what can only be described as a pack of dogs. We are exhausted, and wary of the rainstorm that is supposed to arrive in the early hours of the morning. We are going to attempt a very early rise to pack up before the rains arrive. Tomorrow is sure to be wet; every local we met today eagerly warned us about it.
Side note: I rolled my OTHER ankle today; this trail is no joke. I am determined to walk deliberately and with hiking sticks in both hands from here on out! KT tape proves to be an amazing resource as the ankle that rolled first felt very supported and had no issues.
4AM update: Awoken by heavy rainfall. It feels like our first real test is about to begin.
Day 3: 12.1 miles hiked (trail mile 27.7)
We awoke at 5am, listened to the rain fall on our tent until about 6:30, then broke down camp. We sat with the other campers in the protection of the shelter for a while and ate breakfast before hitting the trail. Chris used his ultralight umbrella for the first half of the day, holding it in one hand and his hiking pole in the other. I found mine quite cumbersome and obstructive, and decided to ditch it we make it to Neel Gap.
Less than a mile into our wet hike, we waved at a man standing under his RV awning in a camping spot just off the trail, and he beckoned us over for fresh brewed coffee, sheltered from the rain. We dropped our packs and chatted with him for a while. One Shot is the husband of the woman we met yesterday (Spark Plug) at Fresh Ground’s trail magic set up, and he is supporting her trek the whole way. He introduced us to their darling toy poodle, Princess Bella.
Refreshed from another bit of trail magic we spent the rest of the day covering as much ground as possible, setting our sights on Woods Hole shelter so that we will be in a good position to reach Neels Gap by mid-day tomorrow. It rained all day long, making our packs wet, and alarmingly heavy. As we hiked through the mountains, we marveled at the army ranger recruits who were training by running a 12-mile training circuit through the mountains, carrying what appeared to be very heavy packs, wearing only their fatigues and no head protection. Once the novelty of hiking in a rainstorm wore off, the second half of the day was very challenging, and certainly tested our morale. The rain, biting cold winds, dense fog, and waterlogged backpacks were a drag.
We made it into camp around 7:30 to find a small, densely packed shelter and a couple other tent campers. We set up our damp tent, at dinner under the overhang of the shelter, and then retired to our tent as quickly as possible, where we exchanged our wet clothes for dry ones. Our shoes are sopping wet but we are thankful for wool socks and waterproof winter gloves which provided us with some semblance of warmth. On the bright side, we both sleep better with the steady sound of rain, and we see our friends Laura and Dave tomorrow! Tomorrow morning, we ascend Blood Mountain—intimidating for its name if not the steep elevation grade. It is the highest point on the trail in Georgia.
Side note: KT made both of my ankles strong enough for no ankle rolls today, despite challenging terrain! I am gradually feeling more confident in my ability to do this trek.
Day 4: 3.6 miles hiked (trail mile 31.3)
We awoke to a sopping wet tent, a slick layer of condensation on our quilts, and rain continuing outside. By the time we emerged from our tent around 8:30am the rain had subsided, and we were able to shove all our wet clothes and gear into stuff sacks and prepare for a short day of hiking. We learned the names of a couple different solo thruhikers today: Casey from Ann Arbor and Laura from Pennsylvania.
Today we summitted Blood Mountain. Thanks to pushing so hard the first few days, we had less than 4 miles to Neels Gap, where we would be meeting our wonderful Austinite (turned digital nomad) friends Laura and Dave.
We weren’t quite sure what all the fuss was over Blood Mountain because we found it much easier than the unnamed pass we hiked the day before, which we have begun referring to as Soldier Mountain due to the Army Ranger trainees. It could have been that we were well rested, and the rain had stopped, but for whatever reason we both felt stronger today and had enjoyed our summit. An eerie stone shelter at the top (the fog makes everything feel eerie).
The fog stayed, but we still stopped at the overlooks to use our imaginations for the view beyond as we peered into a wall of soupy white fog. We enjoyed watching the vegetation change as we climbed and were impressed by the number of dayhikers making the ascent on this foggy, wet day. We reached Neels Gap right at 1pm as planned, and embraced with Laura and Dave, who were right there waiting when we emerged from the forest!
Another trail angel gave us a donut, which we ate while observing the hundreds of shoes suspended from the large tree out front. It is a hiker tradition to fling your uncomfortable hiking boots over a limb once finding a better pair at the outfitter with which to continue your thru-hike.
We dropped our packs in their car, switched to dry socks and sandals, and visited the outfitter, Mountain Crossings. Here we picked up a package of shock cord we’d had shipped to Neels Gap since our old tent pole shock cord had lost its stretchiness and made for an awkward assembling experience. In the back of Laura and Dave’s camper conversion car—dubbed the Klugenwagen—we snacked on fresh berries and grapes that they surprised us with, as we made our way to the Airbnb.
The Airbnb is spectacular; it has a rustic cabin feeling with all kinds of modern amenities. We were especially excited for showers, laundry, and hanging out gear to dry on the spacious covered deck. Laura and Dave made us beyond meat burgers and brauts with salad and corn, and we took a soak in the jacuzzi after dinner. Tomorrow we will resupply at Walmart and then do a day of slackpacking with Laura before returning to the Airbnb. These friends are so generous and wonderful. We feel fortunate to have become so intertwined in one another’s lives. We chat for as long as we can stay awake and then turn in for a good night’s sleep [in a bed].