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“Just you and me down an old dirt road; Nothin’ in our way; Except for the Georgia rain.” Trisha Yearwood
What does a hiker do when their pack is all packed and plans are settled for their hike? They start second guessing themselves. One advantage of being a section hiker is that you can make adjustments right up until the day you depart for the trailhead and if you guess wrong, the consequences don’t last as long. And meeting Nightingale halfway would make it even easier for me to readjust if necessary. The main thing I thought about during the last few days before leaving for Georgia was the expected rain on Day 2 and Day 3. I made no adjustments to my packed gear, but did put a complete change of clothes and a towel into the resupply bag Nightingale would bring to me at Woody Gap. If necessary, I could completely change out wet hiking clothes.
The drive from our Maryland home on the Chesapeake Bay to Amicalola Falls State Park in the North Georgia Mountains is over 10 hours. So, we decided to drive almost all the way on Day 0 (28 March) and spend the night at a hotel along Interstate 75 in Cleveland, Tennessee. Nightingale insisted on doing most of the driving to Tennessee; so, I could be as rested as possible for the next day’s hike up the Approach Trail. We chose the western route around Washington, DC, passing under the AT along Interstate 66 near Front Royal, VA. The drive down Interstate 81 through the Shenandoah Valley to southern VA and northeastern Tennessee gave me plenty of time to think about the AT, which tracks along the mountains just to the west of the highway. Curiously, I felt little anticipation about the upcoming Georgia section even though this would be about as close as I’ll ever be to experiencing an actual thru hike. I deliberately chose to start this section on 29 March during the “bubble” from Amicalola Falls in order to have this vicarious experience; but I can’t explain why I didn’t feel the excitement I expected when I first started planning this section. Maybe because I knew this was “just” another section to my already multi-year journey.
I slept well and woke up early to pack Nightingale’s SUV and hopefully grab at least a muffin and coffee from the hotel’s breakfast room. Fortunately, the full buffet was open earlier than the scheduled 7am time for a group of sports teams also staying at the hotel; so, I was able to enjoy two plates of scrambled eggs, biscuits, and sausage gravy! I was already feeling grateful for southern Appalachian Mountains hospitality. Despite the misty morning and chance of rain for the day, my mood was bright. We were ready to go by 7am and I convinced Nightingale to let me drive the last leg into Amicalola Falls. Amicalola Falls SP is about 2 hours from Cleveland, TN, along country roads. The transition from interstate commotion to rural tranquility was palpable as we crossed the border into Georgia.
We arrived around 8:30am to Amicalola Falls SP. I was not sure how the park would appear; most hiker photos show just the Archway or glimpses of the Falls themselves. After reading so many thru hiker journals over the years, along with their dreams and hopes for their journey ahead on the AT, Amicalola Falls SP, Base Camp, and the Approach Trail were legendary, almost mythical, in my mind’s eye. I half expected to see something bordering on Tolkien’s Rivendell and the house of Elrond on the edge of the Misty Mountains, the “last homely house” for wayward travelers and rangers. Imagination is a curious thing. Indeed, the entrance of the park and the visitor center itself were rustic, surrounded by beautiful Georgia pines. The morning was still misty and I could smell the wet pine trees. However, this was just the usual state park visitor center; restrooms, a gift shop, and various outdoor enthusiasts wandering about. Nature walkers, day hikers, and backpackers mingled in the parking lot and among the benches and cultivated plants. Of course, thru hikers were conspicuous with their large backpacks. Otherwise, there was nothing that would set this locale apart from hundreds of other state parks. Oddly, enough there were no signs directing one towards the AT Base Camp, almost hidden away, behind the gift shop.
Having inprocessed many a military installation and passed through many airports and international border crossings, Base Camp appeared more like an intake processing center rather than the gateway to the adventure of a lifetime. Fill out this (online) form, watch this video, get a pass, and go out the door into a new land. I had heard previously about the terrible LNT video with the fake (human) bear and really did not want to endure that skit. Fortunately, I had already completed the LNT online course and already knew about restrictions etc in the Georgia section. The ATC presenter was almost finished speaking to an earlier group of hikers; so, I caught the end of his presentation, while Nightingale picked up my AT Hang Tag #1505. Quick, easy, but not particularly useful for anyone with a modicum of experience. I understand that they need to dial it down to the lowest common denominator (i.e. completely inexperienced, yet enthusiastic, hikers), but Base Camp was a disappointment. When one of the volunteers asked me if I was excited to get started, all I could manage was, “It’s just another section hike. Another day on the trail.” The look on her face was one of utter confusion. (PS: I do appreciate that the ATC has a way to register as a section hiker at Base Camp. I hope they get better at tracking our statistics by updating the online registration form.) So, out the door I went, and took the obligatory photograph at the Archway.
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