From Amicalola to Stover Creek Shelter

The drive was long and monotonous across the Great Plains of America, but we finally reached Georgia and began the road on April 6. I am very grateful to all my friends who gave us a place to stay along the way.

We were initially going to arrive in Georgia and start on April 3rd, but didn’t you know that? A cross-country road trip is pretty exhausting. We ended up recovering at my parents’ house in Georgia for a few days while we waited for some storms to hit the North Georgia mountains. I was a little sad to push the start date back once again, but it ended up being a wonderful time for Jessie and I to see some old friends and spend time with my family.

After a few days of rest and last-minute packing, we were ready to leave. Starting the ride was exciting and anxiety-inducing, but the first push of the AT has been pretty impressive overall. There’s a lot to do in this new life, like realizing that all we’ll do is wake up and walk around for the next six months, but it’s already been a fun adventure with some interesting people mixed in.

For the first segment, we’ll start at Amicolola Falls and end around Unicoi Gap, near Hiwase, Georgia. But so as not to give you a textbook to read, I’ll be posting one day at a time this first week, and probably just a weekly synopsis once all the excitement wears off.

We started where I assume most people do, at the Amicolola Falls Visitor Center Arch. We attended a presentation given by the ATC, which was led by a VERY enthusiastic ridge runner. He clearly LOVED his job and the enthusiasm was kind of contagious.

Much of the information presented was quite helpful, but in the end, we got what we were looking for: the famous Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker hang tag.

This grim little thing is what helps distinguish us from the rest of the riff-raff walking the back roads of Appalachia. Hopefully it will help us get a ride into town, or maybe even get someone to buy us a meal (one can dream).

With our hangtags secured, we walked through the arch, took pictures, said goodbye to my dad (thanks for the trip and for being the photographer), and began the Appalachian Approach trail. It’s not exactly starting the AT. First, you need to hike ~9 miles to the top of Springer Mountain to officially reach mile 0.

The approach road was no joke. It begins, literally, with a staircase that leads directly to the falls. It was absolutely beautiful, but with a full package, the stairs weren’t as fun as I remember them as a kid. But we kept our positive dispositions packed and climbed up and celebrated with a short break at the top.

The rest of the way was a typical hike through the Georgia foothills. A little up, a little down, some were even flat! Jessie and I talk almost all the time, but we observe strict moments of silence during moments of elevation gain.

We met two other hikers along the way. One of them was a single woman who admitted that this was only her second backpacking trip. His backpack looked huge and heavy and he seemed to be having a hard time. He even admitted to carrying three different heavy books because he reads quickly. Jessie and I started referring to her as «The Librarian.» She was super sweet and positive, and I hope she makes it to the end!

It took us about 6.5 hours to travel the 11.6 miles to our first shelter at Stover Creek. I guess almost everyone had the same idea to skip the Springer Shelter because the place was absolutely packed with tents and hikers. We were too tired to socialize, so we set up our tent somewhere in the group and started eating dinner.

The sunset radiated the forest with a beautiful red glow that gifted us as we ate our instant mashed potatoes and package of chicken. I was able to try out the camp toilet, which smelled distinctly of flowers, sunshine and all things good. That, mixed with the twilight forest, gave rise to one of the most beautiful sterns of my life.

Upon my return, we were super brave and ventured down to the creek to get some water and hurried to bed. Overall it was an amazing day. And I’m so excited for what the rest of the trail has to offer!

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.