I always knew Georgia was going to be a super special state for me, even before it all happened. Being from Athens, Georgia, many of my first backpacking trips, lessons, and memories are from the Georgia AT. Aside from the homesickness, I am incredibly lucky to have a supportive family who are as excited as I am about my hike. So I knew there would be a lot of magic (trail magic aside) in my first state along the trail.
The Road to Springer
I decided to spend the night before arriving at Springer Mountain at the Len Foote Hike Inn in Amicalola. This eco-lodge only accessible by a 5-mile hike was where I first learned about hiking that gave me the virus when I was in high school. My family has stayed here several times over the years and I knew it was the right place to start my big adventure. My sister and I checked in at the visitor center to get my AT tag and walked to Len Foote, where we ate delicious food and played several rounds of Battleship.
The next day my hike was going to begin! We left Len Foote and walked up the access trail to Springer Mountain, where we once again played Battleship. Our parents and my dog, Felix, met us at Springer Summit across the Springer lot and we shared a picnic lunch together at Subway in the south terminus. We all walked back to the lot as a family where mom, my sister, and my dog left and my dad and I got ready to start the hike!
Hiking companion
My family never discouraged my love for backpacking, but it wasn’t born out of family ties. My backpacking experience is independent of my family, so when my dad said he was going to spend the first 5 days with me… I gave him a minute to see if he was serious. And I’m so glad he did! Even though he probably hasn’t spent a night outside since he was a kid and hasn’t gone on a non-hunting related hike in years, he did amazing! I wasn’t worried about having a newbie with me because I used to work as a backpacking guide and I loved taking my friends backpacking for the first time. But aside from a few training moments (“Dad, you turned the stove upside down”) you would never have known! I loved having my dad with me to show him firsthand the culture of the AT trails and what I’ll be doing in the coming months. Come back whenever you want, old man!
Although I wasn’t easy with my dad. I walked him at a pretty solid pace, but rewarded him with surprise Girl Scout cookies I’d smuggled into my bear can and a night at the Above the Clouds Lodge to shower and rest. But among the delights, we continue walking. Since we were prepared with our bear cans and could camp anywhere in Georgia, we slept at Woods Hole Shelter the night before reaching the top of Blood Mountain. Woods Hole, which we liked to call “Blood Mountain Base Camp,” was a standout memory because of the clear night, campfire, and fantastic company of other hikers. The serene and jovial surroundings helped me break the news that he planned to have us hike Blood Mountain at dawn. 
Dawn Summit
We wake up before the sun and begin the climb. I took a page out of our Sherpa’s book from my Kilimanjaro climb in 2019: if you walk in the dark, you can’t see how steep the trail is. It’s a rare thing when the hike is short enough and the weather clear enough to be able to hike at dawn on a good summit, so I knew we had to take advantage of it. We went up and were able to watch the sunrise from above. It was super special because the summit is usually packed with people as it is a popular day hike in Georgia and it was a nice weekend, but we were able to have it to ourselves for quite a while that morning! I made us a backpacker meal with biscuits and gravy, coffee and hot chocolate at the summit! 
The sunrise hike wasn’t the only thing we had to look forward to that day! We knew that when we arrived at Neels Gap, my mom would meet us and bring Zaxby’s clementines for hikers, and my dog, Felix, to join the hike for a night. We had an amazing lunch visit (where we were also able to dispose of some unnecessary equipment). Thanks mom!!
Felix on the way!
From Neels Gap, Felix walked with Dad and me to Unicoi. I was so proud of my little friend for being strong on the long hike and brave when it started to rain during our final descent (this diva hates rain and would rather hold in pee for 16 hours than go in the rain in Philly). I loved having him with me and he made the days special, but I am also so grateful that he will be safe and sound with my family while I move on. Having Felix walk around is fun for one night, but it also adds new tensions. Are you tired? Did I get enough water for both of us? Are you going to bark at howling coyotes? Will you sleep well? (Yes, but only if he sleeps with me IN the sleeping bag and makes me uncomfortable.)
Dad and Felix officially finished their hikes on the AT section at Unicoi Gap. My sister and her dog picked the three of us up in the rain and chauffeured us to Unicoi Lodge, where we took turns showering before having dinner together at Helen’s. After pretzels and beer by the river, Dad, my sister, and the dogs left and I watched the Oscars in my hotel until I passed out from happy exhaustion. 
mountain family
Although my time with my immediate family in Georgia was over, I had one last big visit with my aunt, uncle, cousins and their families before walking to North Carolina. I was able to take my first zero day (zero mile walk) in Cleveland enjoying free laundry, Mexican food, and no walking. This time zeroing with my family made me very happy because not only did I get to wait out a snow storm, but I got to spend more time with my family who I love but rarely visit outside of the holidays. Highlights included my cousin’s little boy telling me «you’re so strong» for hiking and the amazing homemade St. Patrick’s Day stew and Guinness cupcakes my cousin’s lovely wife made us for dinner after a long day of resting in the snow. 
Thank you, thank you, thank you to my Georgia family for making my first week at AT so special! Although I will now be further and further away from your tangible support, your continued moral support means A LOT to me as I continue walking! I feel so grateful for my sweet family who went out of their way to say goodbye properly or let me stay with them or accompany me on my hike! I know I’ve had a sweet life in this first state and I’m a little nervous to see what it’s really like on my own. But with support like this, I also know that I will never truly be alone. You know what they say: it takes a village… to walk from Georgia to Maine.
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