Date: 2014-03-08
From: Amicalola Falls State Park

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: scattered clouds

It still doesn¢t feel entirely real being out here¢I can¢t think of many decisions that have more immediate effects than deciding to live in the woods for 4-6 months. When I stepped onto the trail, I left everything familiar and secure behind: my wife, my family and friends, my house, my pets. I already miss them all, and yet I am anxious to see where this adventure will take me.The entire day today was beautiful, starting with a buffet breakfast at Amicalola Lodge with my friend and 2012 AT thru-hiker KitFox. Shortly afterward, I saw someone in the restaurant who I thought looked familiar; I turned to KitFox and asked, ¢Is that AWOL?¢ KitFox¢s eyes widened and she immediately drug me over to introduce us. Thankfully, the man actually was AWOL, who wrote one of the most popular travelogues of an AT thru-hike, AWOL on the Appalachian Trail. I will also be using his thru-hike guidebook to schedule my days on the trail. He was very gracious and wished me luck my hike, I good omen if I ever saw one.Afterward we headed to the visitor¢s center, took the obligatory (but awesome) departure photos underneath the AT gateway arch, then my wife, KitFox and her friend, my father, and two family friends trudged the 8.5 miles up to Springer Mountain¢s peak. It was great spending a few final hours with family and friends (especially my beautiful and very supportive wife) before setting off on my own. The Approach Trail was no joke, with the wooden stair climb up the falls having us all out of breath and sweaty. The trail itself was also rough, with many PUDS (pointless ups and downs) and rocky conditions. Yet almost everything we said focused on how beautiful it was outside¢mid-60¢s and sunny¢and how great it was to be in the mountains. It seemed to only further validate my decision to thru-hike.After the five-hour hike, we finally arrived at the summit. There were over a dozen other people at the top (and almost as many dogs), some of them potential thru-hikers, others just enjoying the wonderful views from the top. I laid down by the first blaze and plaque commemorating the trail, thinking about how many days it would be before I could do the same upon reaching Mount Katahdin in Maine. I kept reminding myself not to think too far into the future, as there were a thousand variables and twice as many miles¢that could disrupt my plans, but it was hard not to daydream.After summiting Springer and signing the register, we were greeted at the trailhead parking lot with sandwiches and fried apple pies provided by my mother and mother-in-law. They were much-needed spirit-lifters, as I was very much getting the jitters before I started. But with a final send-off and well wishes from my family, I stepped happily onto the trail, ready to embark on a great adventure. It was a short hike to Stover Creek Shelter, and I am spending my first night inside the shelter itself. There are around sixteen people here with me, most of them tenting, so I have ample space to myself. It¢s chilly out as the sun goes down, but my sleeping bag and jacket will keep me toasty. Day one: complete.