A NOBO who started SOBO (Day 0)

Today was my first official day of hiking the Appalachian Trail. At least that’s what it felt like. I’m actually currently camped at Springer Mountain Shelter, which means I’ve hiked only about 0.2 miles of the actual AT.

Approach Trail Shenanigans

The night before my hike began, I stayed at the well-known Amicalola Lodge. What I didn’t know was that the lodge is located at the top of the iconic Amicalola Falls. This meant that if I wanted to pick up my hiker tag at AT Base Camp and begin my hike at the beginning of the Approach Trail, I would have to travel south to the base of the waterfall. Because the East Ridge Trail was closed, the only way down was to take the waterfall’s legendary staircase, in reverse.

This added only one mile to my total for the day, but it was definitely interesting to hike a portion of the route I had always imagined going in the opposite direction. Going down the stairs also made me very aware of how difficult it was going to be to go back up.

Getting started

When I arrived at AT Basecamp, I saw the Leave No Trace (LNT) presentation and received my hiker tag (number 1604). The weight of my backpack, including food, water, and fuel, was 24.4 pounds. The staff member working told me I had the lightest backpack he had seen all day. This comforted me (even though it was only 11am), but it was also fun because my backpack didn’t feel as light going up the stairs.

I found the approach trail very challenging. I know some say it’s not that bad, but the elevation gain felt brutal at times. When I finally reached Springer Mountain, I was relieved to have arrived. I took some pictures and signed the log book, but overall it was disappointing. But I guess that makes sense, since we’re just at the beginning.

By the time I arrived at Springer Mountain Campground, I was exhausted. I set up my tent and made dinner with the other nine people who had also camped. Everyone was very kind and friendly. The Approach Trail wasn’t exactly what I expected, but the people I’ve met since arriving in Georgia have exceeded all expectations.

Injury tracker

I wrote in my first post about my past knee injury. Wonderfully, my knee feels great after this first day. Unfortunately, what I think is that my hip flexor (on the opposite leg) started giving me trouble just a few miles into the Approach Trail. Obviously, this worries me, but I’m hopeful that my body will adjust. I’ll keep you posted!

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