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Wow, how to even recap my first week on the AT? I’ve had lows, highs, and too many “firsts” to even count. I’ve slept in my tent, a shelter, a hostel already. There’s been rain, wind, heat, freeze, sun. Here’s a play by play of the first few days and it’s just the beginning!
Day 1 – Approach Trail
The excitement of starting this adventure had me feeling so great… until the morning I was to start. I woke up anxious reluctant to really pack up and say goodbye to my partner. Looking for any way to stall I decided I absolutely had to start the ‘right way’ and walk down the West Ridge Trail, with my pack (and 2 liters of water), have my pack weighed, and do the entire approach – including the 604ish strenuous steps I had already done twice.
At the top of those steps I threw up. The anxiety hit my stomach like a ton of bricks (or like a 30 pound pack filled with what I would need to survive for 6 months). Then I took a nap on the gorgeous porch of the lodge. I was seriously stalling now.
My partner had the honor of getting a ride from Ron of Ron’s Appalachian Trail Shuttle and he would be there any minute. Cue the tearful goodbye.
I didn’t last long. I wondered what in the world I’d gotten myself into. I wondered where I would hide out for the next 6 months when I quit and was too embarassed to show face. Long before sunset I knew I wasn’t making Springer Mountain and found a nice tent site. I set up and fell right asleep (with a couple sprints out to throw up..). The upside to all this is 1. I know my anxious stomach and that I didn’t have norovirus. And 2. It could only be uphill from there!
Where my bear can got to rest after a not so long but incredibly strenuous day!
Day 1 Summary:
- 5.2 miles of Approach Trail
- First night in a tent
- First puke in the woods
Day 2 – Approach Trail Campsite to Hawk Mountain Campsite
I woke up feeling so much better. I was sad I hadn’t lived up to my expectations but, honestly, my expectations are totally made up! I can change them whenever I want and I’ll have to do just that. I listened to my body and it was time to move on! But first I had to get a photo of the big snail on my tent inner!
I trucked on. I couldn’t eat breakfast and was just happy to keep down water. I had something like 3.5 miles to the actual start of the trail – the top of Springer Mountain. I still wasn’t sure I could actually do this. The trail had kicked my butt and I hadn’t even reached it yet!
I trudged into a small clearing and saw a few men talking. Not in much mood to chat I gestured forward and asked, “is the trail this way?”
“Nope, it’s over here. All white blazes now!”
I had almost walked right past Springer and not even noticed! White blazes meant I made it! I laid on the ground and snapped a selfie with the plaque, holding back my tears. The ridge runner let me know about the first register of the trail and I wrote my motto, stolen from my dad – fish don’t care, they’re already wet!
With a whole new energy, I carried on down the trail, still dehydrated and getting very hungry. I started to see more people – a dad asked if I knew where we were and I happily said, “no, I’m just walking through to Maine.” He proceeded to give his teenage kids grief for complaining about a 3 mile hike. I ran into a wonderful man from New Jersey in that moment, who later became Turtle.
Thanks to John and Ron the shuttle driver I knew to pull off at about mile marker 5 to see Long Creek Falls. I almost didn’t because I was exhausted but who skips a waterfall!?
Finally, after apparently missing my first trail magic, I wandered weakly down the hill of Hawk Mountain Campsite. It was only around 3pm but I needed to eat and rest. I set up quickly at the second spot and then looked around anxiously. Where do I cook? Where do I eat? Where do I get water? Do people know I don’t know what I’m doing?
I wandered down the long hill, past the first privy I’d seen (i.e. smelled..) and gathered water from the stream. I came back and could wait no longer, I boiled water, scarfed my favorite trail meal (Good-to-Go mushroom risotto) and hid away in my tent. I will say I was quite happy to see my neighbor walk past and it was the man who would become Turtle.
Word was circulating about severe rain coming. With no service and my anxiety coming back I used my satellite phone to have my partner text the Above the Clouds hostel and I suddenly had a plan for the coming days.
Day 2 Summary:
- Start: MM -3
- End: MM 7.4
- Total miles: 10.4
- AT miles : 7.4
- First official campsite
- First time cooking
Day 3 – Hawk Mountain Campsite to Gooch Gap Shelter
It’s funny how much of a difference being fueled and hydrated can make. I woke up on day 3 and was so proud of myself for just making it where I was. I was on the Appalachian Trail!
I poured some cold water in my oatmeal (yeah, I really don’t mind cold-soaked oatmeal..) and enjoyed the view. I contemplated the coyote rave that woke me in the night – seriously, what a wild sounding party they were having! And I even made my first privy visit, ew.
Truly rejuvenated I was on my way to Gooch Gap so I could get picked up Sunday morning for my reprive from the supposedly coming weather. It was incredibly hot since I hit the trail and I was getting really frustrated thinking how heavy all my useless cold weather gear was. But, nonetheless, I felt better than I had yet and the views made it even easier to just keep pushing.
I still wondered if there was any way I’d actually make 6 months of this. I still wasn’t socially comfortable and worried everyone could tell I was totally flailing through this dream of mine. I was ready to quit and sure I wouldn’t ever give up all at the same time. I mostly wished I had more skittles. I started day dreaming about a delicious meal one of my MAP families provided us before (thanks Prakash and Uddi, just the thoughts of that dinner powered me through)!
I was so excited to come across a stream with a nice spot to sit and soak my feet. Normally, I wouldn’t even think of touching water this cold, but my feet were so happy to slowly numb.
By the time my socks were back on and I was walking back up the trail I was more than ready to be done. I couldn’t bring myself to check how much further so when I caught site of the Gooch Gap Shelter sign I was surprised and overwhelmingly relieved!
I set up my tent on one of the closest tent spots and was so happy with my pitch. I sat down and started wondering if my tent was taking up too much space. I watched people file in and imagined them thinking I was such a jerk for taking up so much space. I quickly broke down my whole tent, moved it about 6 inches over, and pitched it again.
Now that I’m a few days past this, and even mentioned it to others that were there, I was so overthinking. The only thing people thought was why I would break my tent back down. The internal monologue and anxiety is something I hope to work on out here.
I put stuff together for dinner and awkwardly made my way toward the shelter, forcing myself to socialize, or at least be near the socializing.
While I waited for my freezer bag meal to cook I chatted with people from Maine, Canada, the UK, Germany, Chicago, Connecticut.. we laughed over food and even came up with a trail name or two. A man from the UK shared a rule he’d made for himself: he wouldn’t just take anything people gave him. So when he went to the visitor center and the volunteers handed him his coveted thru hiker tag with his starting number, he simply took a photo and handed it back. We all burst out laughing and he quickly was deemed Tagless – the only person we know to turn down the tag we all dreamed of!
I went to sleep happy that night but knew rain was coming. While I knew I’d be off trail and safe at Above the Clouds the next day, I still had 4.7 miles to hike to get there.
- Start: MM 7.4
- End: MM 15.8
- Total miles: 8.4
- First shelter adjacent campsite
- First freezer bag dinner
- First foot soak
- First day feeling okay
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