Adventure Awaits

We arrived in Georgia yesterday, Nick and I via an 11-hour road trip and Mimi via the air. The road trip was overall uneventful which is in many cases preferable to an exciting one when the trip is destination-oriented. We left Pittsburgh before the sun came up, which means we were treated to all the stages of a sunrise from the moment when you can barely distinguish the murky ridgetops from the lightening sky, to the last vestiges of pink fading from the daylight. It was interesting to see the vegetation and topography change from north to south, and we made pretty good time since the weather was great and the traffic was light. It definitely wasn’t lost on me that although the car ride was long, it’s going to take a heck of a lot longer to walk back to Pennsylvania!

After picking Mimi up from the airport, we travelled back to our lodgings for the next two nights and crashed pretty quickly. This morning we visited Amicalola Falls State Park to sign-in as AT Thru-Hikers and pick up our registration tags (Hikers 1382 and 1383, reporting for duty!). It was exhilarating to see other Thru-Hikers signing in with their full gear kit–they are starting today! We were also treated to a short presentation by an Appalachian Trail volunteer named Mack on Leave No Trace (LNT) ethics and trail etiquette. The principles of LNT are critical at all times, but even more so now that the “Hiker Bubble” has begun: the popular AT start time for Northbounders like us. Another hiker in our “class” asked if there was a possibility of spending a whole day on the trail without having access to a privy, and he seemed worried about the prospect…Mack let him down as easy as he could. A Trail Runner named Chris also gave us a quick training session on the PCT Hang method of hanging a bear bag. The Trail Runners are a group of fit AT enthusiasts who literally run or hike quickly along sections of the AT every year to educate hikers on Leave No Trace principles, pick up trash from poorly-trained and/or rude hikers, and provide assistance to hikers if needed. Chris asked us if we were prepared for the cold this week, and I felt relieved when he nodded in approval after I told him what my sleeping kit was rated for. It is currently unseasonably cold down in Georgia, with nighttime temperatures below 20F and daytime temps barely hitting 45, but the sun is currently shining without a cloud in the sky. It’s also supposed to be warming up as the week goes on! Followed by rain, but c’est la vie.

The PCT Hang is a relatively simple, but effective method for hanging a food bag that’s out of reach of a bear on the ground or on your branch; the bag should be at least 6 feet away from the tree trunk, 6 feet below the hanging branch, and 12 feet off the ground. Once you get your rope over the branch you slide one end through a carabiner with your food bag at the other end. There’s a hitch knot that you place a stick through which acts as a stopper when the stick meets your hanging carabiner. Although I’ve hung plenty of bear bags before and luckily never had issues, the PCT Hang with the Marlin Hitch (variation from the clove hitch!) is a much simpler and more foolproof method than my previous strategy of just winging it and hoping all of the area bears are lazier than I am. Definitely glad we stuck around for the tips!

After leaving the sign-in process behind, we hiked up to the top of Amicalola Falls, the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi. Although it was pretty cold and there are still icicles hanging from some trees and small escarpments near the Falls, we heated up quickly due to the sharp incline of the trail. The waterfall was definitely an amazing sight, and there were several other smaller trickles that we defended as being important Amicalola Drips as well.

It still doesn’t feel quite real, and it’s a little hard to believe that tomorrow will be our first day as Thru-Hikers. The plan is to wake up relatively early and head back to Amicalola Falls State Park to begin the 8.5-mile “Approach Trail” to the Appalachian Trail official trailhead at Springer Mountain. If all goes well, we’ll hit the Appalachian Trail by early afternoon and take our first steps in the Long Green Tunnel. At this point it’s difficult to summarize how I feel, although excitement is the clear winner. I’m also still humbled and grateful for the opportunity to even begin an adventure like this, so thankful for the support from all of you, honored by the pledges and donations I’ve received for Open Hand Ministries so far, absolutely dreading saying the last goodbye to Nick tomorrow morning even though I know I’ll see him in a few weeks, and trying to remind myself to be cool when I see the trailhead tomorrow…but I’m not promising anything.

As they say…Adventure Awaits!

Thanks for stopping by.