We were so excited about this adventure. Dean had really wanted to spend a week or so hiking the Appalachian Trail. I wasn't quite so excited based on our other hiking adventures but was still excited to go. We didn't really know what to expect and we hadn't really trained or physically prepared for caring our backpacks. We had everything we needed and were ready to go.
We decided to start our hike at the very beginning. The actual Applachian Trail begins on top of a mountain so we started from Amicalola Falls State Park near Dahlonega, GA. The trail there is the gateway to the Appalachian Trail. The state park itself was great. It is home to the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River at 729 ft.
Once we arrived at the park we checked in at the Visitor's Center to get our permit and let them know how long we would be hiking. We planned to be gone no longer than TEN days. In Gaitlinburg, we saw a great map for the Appalachian Trail but decided to wait and get one in Georgia. Unfortunately for us, the Visitor's Center did not have any maps of the Appalachian Trail. We doubled checked our packs and headed out on the trail. It was about 5:30 pm when we began. The projected time to get to the trail head was 6 hrs. Uh-oh.... it would be very dark in six hours and we had NO map. Would it take us 6 hours to get there? Not with Dean in charge.
We hiked as fast as we could. Our packs were very heavy. The first mile of our hike began with 425 stairs up to the top of the waterfall. The view of the falls was great but after that 425 steps I was ready to head back to the car. We continued on, trying to make those 7.3 miles in less than 6 hours. As we kept hiking the weather started to change. For most of our hike it rained off and on. We could hear thunder but continued to pray that we would make it without getting soaked or having any other problems.
About 3/4 of the way there, as it was starting to reach dusk, Dean spotted a black bear. It was about 200 yards from us but seemed unfazed by our presence. Dean clapped his hands, made some noise, and the bear ran off. Thank goodness for Dean and pepper spray!!
As it got darker it got harder and harder to see. Thanks to my wonderful grandparents King we had a nice handheld GPS that could tell us how far we were going and our elevation. We knew we were getting closer but it never seemed like we were going to reach the shelter at the top of Springer Mountain. About 9:30 pm, we were really hoping to find a shelter or somewhere to sleep. Just a few minutes later we saw the sign, "Shelter". What a relief! We could finally rest. We hadn't reached Springer Mountain but this was good enough for us.
We didn't really know what to expect with the shelter. Would it be comfortable? Would there be other people staying there? Would there be bears? Our questions began to be answered as soon as we arrived at the shelter. The shelter had a wood floor, roof, and three sides with an open front. It was built off the ground to help keep animals out. There was a backpack hanging from the bearline wire and someone's belongings, including a hatchet, inside the shelter. However, there was no one there. Strange... We assumed maybe they were going to the bathroom or getting water..........
We started to get settled in and ready for sleep. The rain had started again along with lightning. We tried to huddle together in my sleeping bag with Dean's blanket. We used the tarp inside the shelter to cover our packs. It was very dark, expect for occasional flashes of lightning and thunder. Dean hid the person's hatchet so it would be harder for them to kill us, if they came back. A bit extreme, maybe, but when you are in the wilderness you think of all sorts of dangerous situations. Dean was ready for anything. He even slept with pepper spray in one hand and the flashlight in the other. I was scared.
We had been sleeping about a hour when Dean abruptly sat up. A mouse ran up his leg and across his stomach. We checked around the shelter and tried to get resettled to go back to sleep. The other hiker had still not returned. Just as we were falling back to sleep we heard a rustling in the tarp. It was that mouse trying to get in our packs! Dean shook the tarp and the noise stopped. So we tried to sleep again. This routine went on about every ten minutes for the rest of the night. Every flash of lightning we expected to see a person or bear standing right outside the shelter. We did not sleep well and were relieved when morning came. I knew that the night was when Dean asked me if I wanted to turn back. Turn back? Is my husband really interested in quitting now? In a way I was excited because the 4 hours of hiking and night of sleep were not what I had expected on this trip. However, we decided to continue on. The trip could only get better, right?
Early into our hike that second day, we reached Springer Mountain and the beginning of the Appalachian Trail. The view was beautiful and it felt great to make it that far. We were ready for a great second day. We continued on and stopped every now and then for a snack or drink of kool-aid. Our goal was to hike 20 miles every day of our journey. How we were going to get back to the truck was still a mystery.
We hiked all morning and arrived at a nice cool stream for lunch. After soaking our feet for awhile we continued on. I was wearing new hiking boots and my feet were starting to ache.
We continued on. The scenery was forever the same. No animals, a few streams, and a hiker or two along the way. It was BORING and we were not interested in sleeping in another shelter. About 2 o'clock we decided that we weren't having much fun, our packs were heavy, and we wanted out. You may be shocked that we quit after only one day but we needed more fun and less solitude. So we turned around and hiked all the way back to Amicalola State Park. We hiked about 20 miles that second day and made it out just before dark.
We drove to the campgrounds, showered, and decided to spend the night at a hotel instead of camping. We called our parents to let them know we were safe and sound. My parents were quite excited considering my mom thought that Dean was taking me into the woods to kill me. Apparently, she has watched too many CSI and Criminal Minds episodes. What a ridiculous idea.
We were so happy to be back in civilization and in a nice comfy bed. What a wonderful way to end our adventure on the Appalachian Trail.
