Date: 2013-03-13
From: Amicalola Falls Visitors Center

To: The Hike Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Good evening dear readers,No "official" trail miles today, but did the 1 mile up Amicalola Falls to where the Approach Trail and Hike Inn Trail split off. 5 more miles to the Hike Inn makes for a nice and easy first day for this flatlander hiking in the mountains! Regina joined me at the visitor's center after we were dropped off by Josh. I was a little nervous we would miss each other somehow, but there she was as soon as I popped out of the van! I'm #357 NOBO to check in at Amicalola, and my pack weighed a moderate 36 lbs - more than I wanted, but what I was expecting with the winter gear. I bought an AT patch at the visitors center and checked in for the Hike Inn. I met a few guys also checking in who reported they were on a service trip for the Inn by the local REIs - awesome!   The famous arch out back and the quick click of cameras, and I was ready to begin at 9:52 am. Pictures hadn't prepared me for the sheer size and power of the falls - amazing!! I was expecting the dreaded staircase of 604 steep steps to the top of the falls, but I actually really enjoyed climbing them! Regina had to take a call, so I meandered up the steps, stopping in awe (and without guilt!) at each landing. The spray from the falls created rainbows, and the sunlight at that time of morning was breath-taking. It was a cool morning, but I quickly heated up. At the top of the falls, time for a break of a fresh carrot and a flushing toilet - the last I would see for several days! We started up the Hike Inn trail where it breaks off from the Approach Trail, and climbed up and down gently rolling hills with gorgeous scenery and many lovely stream crossings. We also met many people descending from the Inn, who began to seem like my personal cheering section! Everyone was so excited to hear about my journey, though at first I was shy, and it seemed surreal, about announcing I was going to Maine.   The sky was bright blue, the distant mountains amazing to my eyes, and the only sounds the breeze and birds chirping. So long since I've heard the relative silence of deep nature, so serene! What can I say about the Hike Inn? It is SUCH a special place! I am thrilled I decided to go there for my first night. We arrived a little before 3pm, and I quickly got the tour and gawked at the fantastic views. The staff are fantastic, hard working, and incredibly committed to their mission. I wholly recommend this place to everyone!! The program that night was on one of the staff's, Wade, thru hike in 2008 - what great timing is that?! Seeing photos of places I had yet to see and hearing stories from him and the 3 other thru hikers in the room meant so much to me. Thank you all for an absolutely wonderful stay!Amazingly warm shower, followed by a fantastic view of the stars and frosty cold, so glad I'm indoors in my bunk. I smiled a lot today, what a great life I have, so thankful for it. Word of the day: phlox - wildflowerThe only decoration in my bunk room at the Hike Inn was a photo of Len Foote's, pink phlox, or plemoniaceae which gets 24-30 inches tall with bright green leaves and clustered flowering stems and pink to lavender 5 petals. I'm hoping I'll remember enough of what it looks like to see it thru NC this spring!