Date: 2014-07-27
To: Top of Georgia Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

In July, I traveled to North Georgia to continue my trail education at the Top of Georgia Hostel run by Bob "Sir Packs-a-lot" Gabrielsen. We learned a lot about the flora and fauna along the trail, about trail etiquette, and about the large mental component of a successful thru hike. The highlight of the weekend was a short hike and overnight trip on the AT. My pack, tent, bag and pad got a workout and came through with flying colors; thanks to Judy "Heartfire" Gross of Light Heart tents. The "So Long" was easy to set up and take down, felt roomy and was super comfy. Bob also did a pack shakedown for me. My homemade cozy for FBC, as well as sacks for tent accessories (stakes, Tyvek, etc) and bear bagging received the Sir Packs-a-lot stamp of approval. The topic of courses such as these created a spirited discussion on FaceBook - with some folks saying to "just walk" and "anyone can do it". I am a nearly 60 year old woman with no experience in backpacking since my scouting days. I love to walk and hike and have always held a hope in my heart of a thru hike. Given the poor odds of "making it" from Georgia to Maine, this seemed to be a way for me to test myself and level of preparation, and, at the same time learn from experts. $299 for one night in the hostel, plus a night on the trail plus six meals, plus snacks and a shower seemed very reasonable. Of course, I am within driving distance, so that kept the cost down. When I signed up for the class, my feelings were that anything I can learn now, to better prepare for next March, is all to the good as it may increase my chances of making it to Katahdin. While it may not be for everyone, I am still at the sponge stage. I want to learn as much as I can, and the course met all of my expectations. We hiked from Dick's Creek Gap to a campsite near the Powell Mountain Vista. The views were awesome and I wanted to kiss my first white blaze. (Settled for blowing a kiss due the the large amount of poison ivy making its way up the white-blazed tree).   I needed to make some adjustments to my pack; I realized about halfway up that I didn't have the balance pockets on right. I had planned to really practice loading and unloading my pack the week before the class, but ended up traveling all that week on business, so felt very rushed in getting to Bob's. I had about 18 pounds as my base weight and it was HARD going up and down that mountain, though I think the primary factor was the heat. There was also a lot of mess in the fire pit. People had left bits of paper and foil as well as what looked like toilet paper that hadn't been burned completely. Worst of all were a few Jolly Rancher candies left there. We had a fire which took cared of the paper and packed the rest into our trash bag that we hung along with our food bags. There was definitely some large animal activity after we all went to bed based on plats that had been trampled nearby.So, I now know: 1. I need to fine tune how I pack and continue to try to lighten the load 2. How to tie a bear bag 3. What I need to work on as part of my physical conditioning 4.   That I am more than a little bit in love with the ATNext stop - Maine!