Date: 2019-03-24
From: Amicalola Falls State Park

To: Len Foote Hike Inn
Miles today: 5.8

1408, my official trail number! Day one done! It¢s hard to believe more than a thousand people are on the trail already! I arrived in Atlanta at 9am, unfortunately with little sleep. My shuttle driver Murris was a hoot! I now know all about pigs, bears, wolves, fire towers, gear, and much more! A shuttle is definitely the way to go! He had a disco ball and goggles hanging from his mirror. Murris was an experience... I was also given advice to climb a tree when running from a wild pig. I enjoyed that picture haha. Arriving at Amicalola Falls State Park was a bit overwhelming. There were so  many tourists and families and a ton of thru-hikers! Some seemed very confident, I was a bit more nervous. I also felt that my pack was too heavy. I tend to overpack or ¢mom pack¢. You never know when you¢ll need that extra pair of shorts! The trail is a good way for me to minimize stuff. Just the important things! I needed to send the duffel I used to check my bag home anyway, so I went through my bag and sent quite a bit of other things home. Hopefully I¢ll be warm and comfortable despite that! Unfortunately my water bottle spilled inside the duffel on the flight as well... here¢s to the unexpected! Leaving took me a bit. I checked my pack and checked my pack again. I chatted with thru-hikers and other friendly day-hikers and finally set foot through the arch! The whole first mile of the approach trail is all stairs up to the top of a waterfall. I took it really slowly on purpose. Better to care for my body rather than get there earlier. I met so many people on the lookouts all the way up the stairs. At the top, I started following the trail to the Inn I¢m staying at, the Len Foote Hike Inn. It was a fairly short hike of about 4.8 miles, but it felt quite long. My back, shoulders, and feet were starting to ache and I could hear my body saying ¢what on earth are you doing?¢ I had a moment of thinking that, but I was also so taken by how beautiful it was. I had the perfect start day. 70 degrees, sunny sky, a nice breeze. I arrived at the Inn at about 4pm. I collapsed in my bed and just stayed still for about 20 minutes. Everything ached! Then I went for ¢snacks¢ in the kitchen and they had chocolate fudge cookies. They were so yummy and the perfect treat! The views from the Inn are wonderful, as it is right in the mountains and only accessible by foot. There is a communal dining room, a bathhouse, and a game room with a woodburning stove and large windows to show the beautiful view. The whole Inn has that musty New England smell that I have always loved when I stayed in Maine or New Hampshire with my family as a kid. Side note: the slippers I purchased from the North Face are actually heaven on earth. A true comfort to my angry feet. I wore them on a tour of the area and dinner, where I had the best conversations with two couples from Georgia. They were sharing photos of trips they¢d done and chatting about my journey. We watched a slideshow afterwards about Patagonia. Next destination after this, I want to go! I am not disgusting yet given that it¢s my first day, but I took a shower anyway because I had the option. It was nice and warm. I am finally resting now, about to pass out. It¢s been a very long day! One thing I want to do in these journals is leave a ¢song of the day¢. I have been listening to music during the trail and I have received plenty of questions about battery. Essentially, music has been such an important part of my life and it¢s helped me through so many struggles, I just need it. At least for now. Spotify does not use a lot of battery. I definitely took a lot of pics and snaps today, but that was because I knew I¢d have an Inn to charge my phone at. I will be more cautious in between towns. Anyway, the song of the day today is ¢New Skin¢ by Beach Weather. It just hit the spot. Signing off and passing out,Diana (trail name yet to be determined)