Survival = lots of energy

SUN 3-15 Bryson City, North Carolina 7:18 p.m.

Survival on the Appalachian Trail/wilderness requires a lot of energy!

Day 1:

Arriving at Amicalola Start Park in Georgia, I had no idea what to expect. The night before I slept in a fancy bed, had access to indoor plumbing, and my stomach was full of fresh vegetables from the local restaurant. Things were about to change very quickly.

My partner «Mr. With that done, we hit the 8+ mile approach trail that leads to the summit of Springer Mountain and the official southern terminus of the AT. You could drive your car to the top of the mountain and start your trip there, but we chose to do the eight miles, so we could show off.

The stairs were hard and I quickly realized that all the training I had done before was not enough. I was thirsty, hungry and my feet already hurt in boots that seemed very comfortable before leaving the house. My partner was in charge of navigation, however I couldn’t keep up with him (I knew he was slower going in, but this was ridiculous). I found it difficult to follow where I was.

We finally hiked 12.5 miles that day and ended up camping at Stover Creek Shelter around 6:45 p.m. To my surprise, the shelter was not crowded (regardless of the “bubble” of registered hikers) and there were enough campsites to set up my tent for the night. I drank water from a small stream using my water filtration system, but I still felt dehydrated. It had been a long first day.

Situational awareness

Over the course of the next few days I felt filled with anxiety. Not being able to keep up with my partner was a cause of concern for me. I was using the agreed upon app to fetch water, track our mileage, and locate shelters/campsites for the night. When you walk, you are constantly looking down, just a few feet in front of you, without much time to look up. Most of the time I was running, my feet starting to blister and wondering what the hell I was doing wrong. But my biggest concern was the lack of water I was absorbing. The Sawyer mini juicer I had purchased did not flow as fast as I needed it to. I needed to take long, big gulps of water, but at best I only got a small gulp. This was not good.

It wasn’t until the fourth day, when we reached Neel Gap, that I was able to reach a resupply center. The famous Mountain Crossings provider. I desperately needed a new water filtration system, a 4-5 day supply of food, I needed to charge my battery, and even more importantly, the Body Glide (just kidding), oh my!

Outside of Mountain Crossings is the famous «Leavers Tree.» It is said that approximately 25% of registered hikers abandon here (the first chance they have to reach civilization). If you look close enough, you can see countless pairs of boots, thrown away by all those who decided the AT wasn’t right for them. I wasn’t thinking about quitting, but I knew something had to improve to make this adventure less stressful. So I bought the Far Out app and decided to move forward.

Waking up early, cold and tired from the previous day, thirsty and hungry seemed to be the case for at least the first 7 to 10 days. Lihat juga adt5yed. Georgia was mostly wet in the morning with views obscured due to low fog. My feet had gotten worse and spending a night in a shelter (due to overnight rain) led to my first wildlife incident…mice! The mouse prey got into my backpack and bit a hole in my kitchen kit. All in all, Georgia hadn’t been my favorite way to start my adventure.

Having solved my water seepage problem, my navigation problem, it was finally time to take care of my feet. When we arrived in Hiawassee, we were picked up and stayed at our first hostel. Immediately after the registration process, I headed to the closest supplier to the city. A big thank you to Trailful Outfitter for connecting me with my first pair of trail runners! What a difference these shoes made compared to my old, stinky boots. My feet were already pretty bad with blisters and a blackened toenail, but at least I felt like they weren’t going to get any worse. As soon as I got back to the hostel, I threw that pair of boots into a tree to never wear them again.

Walking 12 to 14 miles a day is a lot of work. It’s not like walking on the sidewalk all day. It’s rough and hard on the feet, with jagged rocks, jumping over fallen logs, crouching under fallen trees, slipping in mud, on wet leaves, it’s not easy. With all that said, we crossed from Georgia into North Carolina on the 10th. On the 12th, we hit the 100 mile mark.

Goodbye Mr.

Unfortunately, on the 13th, in Franklin, North Carolina, I had to say goodbye to my friend, riding buddy, and companion Mark. He had been complaining for a few days that the ankle he had previously broken was causing him too much pain and he couldn’t continue any further. I will miss him, his jokes, his laughter, because despite all these complaints, we were still having a good time together. Sitting around the campfire at night with the “tramily” has been the best part so far.

So, as I sit here in another lodge, waiting out a cold, wet storm, taking a “zero” day, I reflect on what this trail has meant to me so far. Overcoming obstacles, determination to keep going, finding ways to improve my walk. So far everything has been worth it, it’s just another part of the journey. Oh, and yesterday I got my first official “trail magic”! Grilled cheese sandwiches, RC cola, and some crackers, all served by a stranger. Despite all the energy it takes to do this… the trail provides it.

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