FIRST DAY ON THE TRAIL!

 Three years ago, today, I started hiking the Appalachian Trail in Georgia.  

Actually, I began the 'approach trail' that starts in Amacolola Falls and takes you up the falls and then eight miles  toward the summit of Springer Mountain.  That's where the AT actually begins.  Many people skip the approach trail, since it really doesn't count.

But, being a purist, I decided to start at the beginning.  BIG MISTAKE!

First, you sign in at the Amicalola Falls center with the rangers - so they know that you're going to be on the trail.  They give you tips and suggestions and test you a bit to make sure you know what's ahead.  That takes over half-an-hour.  I arrived from Atlanta after noon, so I was already under pressure to make it to the top before nightfall.  

When you leave the ranger's station, you pass through a stone gate where a selfie is standard operation.  Then you walk a couple of hundred yards up a slow grade to the stairs that crisscross the falls repeatedly leading to the top.  Six hundred steps!  With a backpack that you're not used to that weighs about forty-five pounds!  I must have stopped to breathe at least fifteen times!  By the time I reached the top of the falls, I was exhausted and well over an hour had passed.  😂

Then the trail begins a gradual ascent with few flat spaces, weaving you gradually to Springer Mountain.  I was overwhelmed at the constant incline!  Again, even though I'd put myself through a fairly aggressive training program, I had to stop frequently to rest and breathe!  

My pace was slow.  Several weeks later I reported to my brother that I thought about quitting probably three hundred times - THE FIRST DAY!  

As I was climbing this mountain I could sense that I was losing my daylight and was not going to reach the first shelter (near the top).  I began looking for a place to set up my tent and camp for the night.  Eventually, I spied a spot about fifty yards off the trail that looked reasonably level.  I climbed over downed trees until I reached it and cleared a small space.  I set my pack down and began to unpack.  

I unrolled my tent and began to set it up.  I decided not to use the tent pegs - figuring that I'd be fine.  I used my stove to prepare some hot water and made my supper.  During this time two groups passed me on the trail  They were younger men travelling in pairs.  We hollered greetings as they passed.

As dark descended, I sat up for a while wondering what I had gotten myself into.  I had never dreamed that it would be so hard!  It never occurred to me that I wouldn't reach the camping area that first day.  I was already behind!

When it was fully dark, I crawled into the tent and into my sleeping bag and went to sleep.  As I was going to sleep, I realized that the ground wasn't as flat as I had thought.  All night long, I had to scoot myself back up the grade before dropping back into sleep!  It was a horrible night!  

Finally, daylight came.  Although I was not well rested, I was anxious to get up and have breakfast and get started.  I heated water and made a bowl of  oatmeal with some dried fruit - nasty stuff, hard to swallow.  I was already low on water...

Then I broke down my tent which had nearly turned upside down overnight.  When I finally had everything packed, I was shocked at how late in the morning it already was!  I crawled over the downed trees again, found the trail and restarted the climb.  After going about two hundred yards, I came to a kind of summit where the trail leveled out for a bit.  There, on both sides of the trail were beautiful, flat, much-used camping spots!  Two of the young men were frying eggs on one side and two on the other side were eating pancakes and bacon.  They hollered greetings to me and I dragged past them.

Quickly, the trail continued its upward climb.  Later in the morning both sets of guys passed me on the trail.  They made it look so easy!  Several others passed me as they made their way down the trail toward the falls.  Each stopped to talk briefly.  I've learned since that lots of people just hike the approach trail, spend one night and then return to their vehicles.  That thought crossed my mind many times that second day.  By mid afternoon, I had to make my first major decision.

Should I stay at the shelter near the top of Springer, or sign-in at Springer and keep going six more miles to the trail's first shelter/camping area?  

I pressed on...

Fortunately, after peaking at Springer, the trail descended for a while.  It felt wonderful to be stepping down instead of up!  When I did hit grades, they were usually fairly short and not as steep as the approach trail.  As dusk arrived, I saw the shelter off to the right of the trail.  Heaven couldn't have looked better!

It was packed!  The temperature had dropped to forty.  There were about thirty people ahead of me!  The shelter only slept fifteen - on two levels, so it was obviously full!  A freezing rain had begun to fall.  Tents were set up everywhere.  People were cooking their meals.  Almost everyone had more modern equipment than I had brought.  Their meals looked and smelled delicious.  There were two small tables for cooking and a few places to sit.  After setting my tent up and unpacking, a small area had cleared and I began cooking my meal.  I think I made spaghetti and meat sauce - all of which I had dried in my garage in the months preceding my hike.

I used the tent pegs every night after my first terrible night.  I also was far more careful to try to find a truly flat space.  

I was finally ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL!  Let the fun begin!