We all awoke feeling excited and nervous. Good-bye luxury! Good-bye civilization! Long Walk BEGIN! Before you even get to the AT you have to hike the 8mile approach trail to Springer Mtn. And it's no walk in the park. Up and down, up and down and up. By the way trekking poles are bad-ass. I used to think they were for pussies, but I rationalized buying them to ease the knees. I was surprised to find THEY WORK! Trekking poles make it easy to ascend and descend allowing you to move much faster. In addition, you get to work out your arms; total bonus. We encouraged Fowler to use walking sticks which he gladly did.
On the approach trail we encountered our first experience of trail magic. We checked out a shelter and found Golden Child a ground mat. Someone must have left it behind. Also, on the path to Springer Mtn we encountered a guy who had already given up on the AT. This poor pathetic soul couldn't even make it past the approach trail. His eyes said it all - he was broken. He needed a lighter pack and a stronger spirit. Or maybe, just some heart. We celebrated Springer Mtn with lunch and then continued another 8 or so miles to a shelter. All together about 15 miles on day one.
Fowler was hurting because this was the first exercise he's had in a long time, but we were all hurting a little. The shelter was a lot nicer than I thought it would be with excellent protection from the rain, but not the cold. All day it hovered around freezing. And when the sun went down it was chilly. Nearby I purified 4 liters of water from a stream. Cleaning water is so simple. First you pump it through a filter and then you add chemical solution. It tastes a little funny but not too bad. For dinner we used my stove to make Velvetta Mac n cheese with salmon. For extra flavor we added pepper, parsley flakes and tapatio hot sauce. Mmmmmmm We also made a fire. Every shelter we've come accross has a fire pit so you really don't have to worry about leave-no-trace.
Since we are in bear country now, before you go to bed you have to hang your food up. Thankfully the shelters come with cable pulleys to make life easier. We were not alone at the shelter. Two other hikers were there. one guy, Steve, was very helpful by giving us all sorts of tips and information. For example, because the shelters are mice infested it is important to open up your back pack and all pouches and ziplock bags. If not, the mice will eat their way through. I really like it out here. The terrain is beautiful. We are nearby an Army base and I can hear them firing long bursts from an M240 machine gun. Music to my ears.
It has just began to snow. Time for sleep.
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