The arc towards a new life

Chill Out (Chilly) and I woke up early at Scott’s house in Tennessee. His house was beautiful, an old wooden farmhouse, handcrafted by himself and decorated with wood stained gray, brown and yellow. Set in the mountains outside the Smokies, it looked like something you would see in “Jedediah Johnson.” We had spent the night sleeping on our egg cartons…on the hardwood floor. The combination of excitement about hitting the trail, sleeping conditions, and the oncoming cold made for a less than ideal night’s sleep.

The night before we had taken apart our backpacks, trying to see how much weight we could lose. It was a blessing to have two previous hikers shake my pack. Even with hours of research and miles of pretesting, there were still elements that didn’t need to be included. One of the most interesting discoveries was the disconnect between weekend or week-long backpacking and hiking. I had been incredibly confident in my backpack and what I was carrying, but somehow it ended up being six pounds heavier than normal.

There is a saying on the road: «Pack your fears.»

And I had more fears than I thought.

In the end, however, it didn’t matter if I had a little extra weight. In a week and a half, Marley would be off the road and we would return to Scott’s house. There would be plenty of time to decide what I need and what I don’t need. But time waits for no one and the trail was calling.

Around 6:30 we got into Scott’s truck and headed to Amicalola. The trip there was ineffably surreal. The silence of the mist-covered mountains, still bare of leaves, created the perfect environment to fully recognize what I was about to undertake. A journey not only of the body, but of the soul, spirit and mind.

My body.

My soul.

My spirit.

And my mind.

We finally reached the falls around 10:15 am After unloading our bags, we headed to the visitor center. The anticipation to go down was building and I was eager to get started. Around the back of the visitor center was the AT orientation room. I weighed my backpack at 28.2 pounds, still much heavier than normal, but there would soon be opportunities to get rid of more gear. We were issued our 2026 hiker tags, used the bathroom, and finally left the building to head to the stone arch.

Standing in front of the stone arch was one of the most incredible feelings I have ever had. I actually made this happen. Against all odds, I found myself at the beginning of the Appalachian Trail. The arch is approximately eleven feet high and stones of all sizes and colors form the gateway to nature.

After finishing the photos and videos, we said goodbye to Scott and thanked him for making this happen. Scott Shuttle Services for the win. And so, we began the approach to the Appalachian Trail.

The 175-step climb to the top of the falls is no joke. The zigzag stairs cross the falls from one side to the other and were beautiful. Watching the roaring water cascade down six hundred and fifty feet of rock face made the climb much more bearable. Every step had my quads burning, but we finally reached the top.

The Approach Trail is anything but flat and North Georgia has some decent climbs.

Up and down.

Up and down.

Up and down.

That’s what we did for the next 4.4 miles.

On the way we ran into Andy, a father who was walking with his son a few kilometers to say goodbye. He told us to take care of his son. His name is Brian and he has an otter tattoo on his forearm.

We wish him the best and continue along the Approach Trail.

About halfway up Springer Mountain we found a small campsite. There were a handful of other hikers eating lunch, which made the decision to sit down and eat easy.

We started to mingle with each other, introduced ourselves, and quickly discovered that Alex, Cody, and Turk (the dog), Rowan, and Daniel, who I started calling Shaggy because he carries a stuffed Scooby Doo, were also hikers. We talked about where we were from, why we were here, and what we had done before we left. Rowan said something that really struck me.

«I’m here because I still don’t know what I’m doing with my life.»

And honestly, I think that’s why most of us are here. The path gives you the space to truly listen to what you need to follow.

Lunch was quick and we all finished at about the same time. One by one, the hikers left, all heading north.

Chilly and I were the last to leave. As we were walking, an idea suddenly occurred to me. I am usually someone who says that I am entitled to nothing, that I deserve nothing and that I must earn everything. But this thought struck me:

«My life has had ups and downs, but the last three years have had a lot of ups and downs. I earned it and I deserve to be as happy as I am here.»

I shared this idea with Chilly and she enthusiastically accepted. Lihat vch2 untuk info lebih lanjut. We deserve to be happy in this life. God created so much beauty, from the highest mountains to the deepest seas. They were designed to be explored, admired and prayed upon. To say I am happy and at peace would be an understatement.

The next 4.4 miles to Springer flew by. The approach path is almost perfect. The climbs have enough curves that you won’t be out of breath trying to hold a conversation while walking them.

The trees were still bare, but the sun was shining in full force, raising temperatures into the 70s. What a beautiful day to start. Rhododendron and mountain laurel formed deep green tunnels along the trail. The smell of southern pines filled my nostrils and cleared my sinuses of the cold I had been fighting. As we walked along the mountain ridges, I stopped several times to appreciate how far I could see.

Then I saw it.

Springer Mountain.

The official start of the Appalachian Trail.

We ascended quickly, talking about our families back home, what we had left behind, and where we were headed. The mountains, trees, clouds, and leaves do a wonderful job of bringing to light the thoughts and fears that we rarely stop to face in the daily chaos of life.

We finally reached the top of Springer.

The summit was packed with hikers, probably ten of us there together. I dropped my backpack and soaked in the view, smiling widely at the first flash of white.

This is really happening.

I’m officially on the AT.

2,197.9 miles ahead of me.

We met a group of firefighters who were walking along the stretch. We talked about how stressful lifeguard work can be and how forest therapy is a necessity in that field. These gentlemen do a job that not many people are willing to do and it was an honor for me to share the journey with them.

Soon the trio arrived first: Alex, Cody and Turk. Shaggy and Rowan appeared shortly after. I recorded some images and took many photographs to capture the moment.

After a few minutes I spoke to the group and got permission to use their names and faces in my images. The mention of blogging and filming sparked a conversation about The Trek. Surprisingly, four of us were blogging. Rowan, Cody and Alex also blogged. I wasn’t expecting to run into other bloggers so early, but it was refreshing to find common ground so quickly with other hikers. I have a feeling we’ll spend some time together at the beginning of this experience and I’m not opposed to that at all.

Chill Out took a group photo of all of us, marking the start moment. I prayed to God that each of them would reach Katahdin.

We soon packed up and decided to head the next 2.8 miles to Stover Creek Shelter.

Fortunately, that entire stretch was a descent towards the shelter. My feet and ankle had started to hurt, although it didn’t hurt, it was starting to feel tired. The last thing I needed was to try too hard and pay for it later.

We walked down and down, passing arches of green leaves before finally reaching a stream.

Stover Creek.

Voices and laughter came from the shelter, out of sight. We were close and I was happy.

The shelter was full when we arrived. Chilly and I left our backpacks and wandered around the area looking for a place to pitch our tents. We finally found a fairly flat spot before heading back to the shelter.

Another hiker asked if we were looking for a place to camp. He told us that if we walked a little further north, there was a nice flat spot by the creek. We took his word and continued down the trail.

Indeed, we found possibly one of the best sites that exist. A nice flat clearing right next to the trail, about a hundred meters from the stream.

After drawing up a quick plan for the night, we filtered the water, set up our tents, and sat down to prepare dinner. I can’t lie, tuna and ramen taste different when your stomach is screaming at you.

I wanted to socialize again at the shelter, but exhaustion quickly took hold. After dinner I washed my kitchen utensils, spent some time stretching my sore body, and climbed into bed.

What a day!

There are many kilometers ahead, but I have already found people, I have begun to find peace and, above all, I have found a purpose.

A thunderstorm raged overnight, creating a magnificent light show with deep thunderclaps. Tomorrow we’ll start off wet, but for now I’m warm, full and ready to sleep.

Tomorrow we move another 12.8 miles north.

And somewhere in the dark forest, beyond my tent, the rest of the trail awaits me.

The journey has only just begun.