The trail has officially tested me. We got an early start from Dick’s Creek gap after checking the weather radar. It seemed like we had a clear window. The previous night’s thunderstorms had all but passed over.
My fellow hiker Goldfish and I got a ride to the trailhead at 8am. Immediately the rain started pouring. After about 2 hours of hiking, I noticed my core temperature start to drop and I rounded the bend to the next shelter to warm up. I put on dry clothes and made hot food, while waiting about an hour for the rain to pass. It didn’t. We all decided to suit up and just go out. No pain, no rain, no Maine! The weather made the trek seem like a fairytale. The mist provided very poor visibility and the dark woods whispered in the wind. A few hours later I arrived at the NC/GA border, having completed my first state. I sat down to take it all in. I realized that I can really do this.
However, the afternoon wasn’t any easier. The rest of the day was spent in near freezing rain over two more mountains before arriving at camp. As I rolled up in my frog toggs, I must have looked like a biohazard worker emerging from the mist because other hikers started to refer to me as “Hazmat”. Edit: I now go by “Bumblebee”.
The sun came out, but the temperature quickly dropped. We all huddled together and slept in the shelter that night to share body heat and get through the night. On the AT you must buckle up, because you can never really know what the ride has in store.
The next morning all of our gear was completely frozen solid from the deluge and howling winds. The only way out of this situation was through. I decided I needed to move. I heated some breakfast, threw on my ice block shoes, and got on trail to thaw in the morning sun and get my blood pumping.
The highlight of the day was the climb over Standing Indian Mountain, the first 5500 foot peak on the trail. Reaching that summit, I was elated to see for miles back where I just walked in from Georgia. The tribulations of the last 24 hours were over and the trail gave way to this spectacular reward. The trail certainly has highs, but they come at a price.
The next day I felt great. I hiked with some fellow thru-hikers to get over Albert Mountain, which is the 100 mile marker of the AT. There was a bit of scrambling to get up, but I made it in record time. Again the views were spectacular. This time we could see what lay ahead, all the way out to the town of Franklin, where I planned to obtain my third resupply the next day, and even further to the looming Great Smoky Mountains.
I ended the day with 14 miles total. I felt like I was beginning to get my “trail legs” and the miles were starting to come much easier. Today, however, I will admit my bear hang took 15 tries to get right. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. When faced with a frustrating moment, remember to take a deep breath, smell the roses, and focus, because this too shall pass.
