Impressions: Two Weeks on the Appalachian Trail

Found taking a break at shelter
in North Georgia

Like the teeth on a gear, the Appalachian Trail has so many little ups and downs, and makes it one of the more physically challenging hikes of the the Triple Crown.  I had forgotten how taxing the grind of ascents and descents are on the body (yep, my knees are feeling it!), and I am now looking forward to rest here in Hot Springs, North Carolina, before hiking the last 110-miles of this journey.

This is the earliest I have ever set out on a trail (March 11th), and I am both bored and intrigued by the landscape of the southern Appalachians.  On the one hand, it is a grind to see a lot of the same scenery (dead leaves, rocks, denuded trees), while on the other I am watching spring foliage slowly explode, hearing more birds chirping, and seeing more wildlife.  It truly is a spectacle that only be seen by living in the wilderness on a day-to-day basis.  This spring spectacle seems more pronounced as I fluctuate from high to low elevations, where wildflowers are already in bloom.

Trillium in Bloom along AT

Every thru-hiker has humble beginnings, and I am reminded of that when I meet a lot of these newbie hikers.  I cannot believe how much stuff a lot of these hikers carry!  However, I am reminded that I also started out with a 50-pound pack on the AT in Maine in 2000.

I get a lot of questions from other hikers about gear.  I have been asked about my pack, and how I fit so little inside of it.  Some hikers have asked me when they should switch out their jackets, or when to start carrying bug spray.  I try to offer some advice, but I am hesitant to dole out too much.  I feel that people need to discover some of these things themselves.  I did tell one hiker not to buy the same backpack that I have, only because he would also have to switch out his sleeping bag and tent to make things fit.  He agreed that switching would be a bad idea at this time.

I have received a lot of trail magic out here.  One guy was cooking hot dogs at Woody Gap, and another was passing out chips and honey buns just north of Davenport gap.  I've also had hamburgers at Hogback Gap, sodas and chips at Unicoi Gap, and I am sure that I've missed out on many more trail magic opportunities.

Oak Tree at Georgia-North
Carolina Border

The trail magic thing here in the south has me feeling a little conflicted.  No doubt will I turn down a free hot dog, but I wonder if many of the northbound hikers get a little spoiled.  When I hiked southbound on the AT in 2000, I had a woman buy me lunch in Gorham, New Hampshire, which was completely unexpected.  That was the only trail magic I received until I hit Virginia!  Out here, I have received it 5-times in 2-weeks!  Honestly, I think hikers need to be a little more hardened to their experience.

Similarly, I am also amazed by the number of vendors, hotels, and hostel owners out here who are scratching for business from hikers.  It seems like every gap (Woody, Neels, Dick's Creek, Winding Stair) in Georgia and North Carolina has free hiker shuttles to hotels, hostels, or an outfitter waiting to change out one's heavy pack for a lighter one.  Again, when I stated out my hike up in Maine, I had none of those options!  I lament the commercialization.  However, I can see the flip side to the coin that it's good for one to have options to switch out gear to encourage a lighter, more enjoyable hike.

A Snowy, Foggy Morning on the AT

All in all, I am charmed by this experience, and I have met some wonderful people out here.  The people out here love to be outside, and enjoying the wilderness.  Hiking the trail is an enriching experience for anyone, which teaches responsibility, simplicity, and a deep care for creation.  I love this lifestyle, and the people who embrace it.  I love these AT hikers!