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3 lessons in the first 3 days of the AT
1. The Approach Trail is no joke.
After the ceremony of the send-off at the arch, surrounded by other hikers and their families, it was finally time to begin the trail. But the actual Appalachian Trail did not begin for another 8 grueling miles. That’s right, we had to make an 8-mile climb (including 600 actual stairs) to get to the top of Springer Mountain to officially start the AT. Simply put, the Approach Trail kicked my butt. But it also taught me that hiking on the AT is no joke, a lesson that I have kept with me through the next several days of hiking. After only 2 miles on the official trail, we settled into our shelter at Stover Creek to officially begin our thru-hike. On the plus side, I met some fantastic other hikers— including some who packed in the board game Settlers of Catan to play at the shelter (board games on the trail were a first for me).
2. Finding a pace is difficult.
As a person, I am someone who liked to go fast, and playing sports growing up, going fast was just the way to do things. But on the trail, I quickly learned that going slow was really the way to go. After some very hurried and long days to start off my thru-hike (both of nearly 12 miles), my body was left sore and beaten. But I quickly learned that hiking slower and for a longer part of the day made me feel much better— and I could still maintain the same miles. In the next few days, I kept up the same mileage but slowed down my pace, and my body felt astoundingly better.
3. Hiking is fun.
Even after beating up my body for entire days of hiking, every single break that I took while on the trail was met with breathtaking views. This reminded me of the real reason that I am out on the trail— for the adventure that it brings and the beauty of nature that I get to enjoy. While the AT is commonly referred to as the “green tunnel” to make fun of its lack of scenic views, the lack of leaves on the trees has given amazing sights in every direction so far. So being able to appreciate the constant beauty of the trail has made it so easy to balance out the challenging hiking that comes with it.
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Comments 5
Catan on trail is a new one! Never seen that before. 😂 Slow and steady wins the race, take it easy and enjoy the ride. No sense beating your body up this early in the trek! You’ve got this!
Ya! You are catching the vibe right off, congrats! It’s the journey. Whether the end be Katahdin, Neel Gap or a parking lot in New Jersey, enjoy every step and Keep Hiking! You ROCK!
Hi, I just discovered you. Good luck on the trail! What area of law will you specialize in?
I met you at woody gap and asked you why you were doing the AT. Found your site and will follow your post, good luck and keep hiking!
Recommend that you stretch once you get to a shelter. Lots of stretching to get your muscles back to where they should be. Massage your feet every night too. It will help to keep them in better shape. Lots of hikers get numb feet by the end of the trip but no one tells you that. Most of all, enjoy it all.