Bryson Hikes the AT

The weather’s back to being fantastic! We got through yesterday, and today was the reward. Blue skies and in the 60s all day. And we got our first trail magic! Some awesome folks provided hot dogs, soda, beer, chips, candy, fruits and veggies, literally everything we could possibly want at Unicoi Gap. Even chairs to hang out in. We spent probably an hour there just relaxing before moving on, headed toward Tray Mountain.

Tray was busy when we got here, but we found an area of sites toward the back where our whole group fit, and got set up. Eventually, we all decided to go be sociable and hang out with the group that had made a fire while we made and ate our dinners, and we ended up making a couple new friends and hanging out around the fire a while. However, we’re all still pretty wiped, so now it’s definitely time for a little reading and then sleep.

Today was the first difficult day on trail. It was windy, raining steadily, and cold all day. The actual hike was pretty brutal. However, that made it a lot more rewarding as we all started rolling into camp and were able to bond over how awful it was. My friend Britches (that’s their trail name) and I quickly set up our tents so they wouldn’t get gross sitting wet in our bags. My fingers were barely working while I was doing this because of how cold they were from the hike. Then I immediately hopped in the shelter with my quilt and pad next to my friend Travis. I ate a hot lunch in there to warm up, then basically napped and hung out under my quilt to stay warm until the rain stopped and I could take the rest of my stuff to my tent. Even in the shelter it was still pretty cold and damp, but we were all dealing with it together.

The rain did stop around 7:00 pm or so, and the mood rose so quickly. When the sun made a brief appearance just in time for a beautiful sunset, we literally cheered. The mood was so happy and goofy, and it was only able to be that way because of how awful the conditions had been earlier.

Today was rainy in a nice way. Light rain off and on (mostly this morning until it started up again like half an hour ago), with a couple heavier showers early this morning.

I hiked with Wandering and her dog Totoro, and the fog was soup-thick. No views, but the fog honestly looked really beautiful on its own. It did part for us once while we were taking a break and we got a pretty fantastic rolling mountain view. We got into camp around 1:30 or so, and some of us chatted and ate as more friends rolled in. Then I got into my tent and took a wonderful nap, gray dreary days like this are perfect for it. First nap of the trail!

My plan is to continue to keep this easy pace until after my second resupply in Hiawassee on Tuesday, then to step things up a bit.

Time to read until I fall asleep again, that nap ought to mean that I’ll make it through more than a few pages tonight.

Weather yesterday was once again lovely. We all made our way mostly solo and in pairs from Gooch to Jarrard. Nearly all of us who have been together since the start were at Jarrard. It was a nice gap to camp in, and the first time I haven’t camped in or near a shelter since starting the trail. We hadn’t exactly established a solid plan, so showing up to Jarrard and seeing a bunch of friendly faces was a good feeling. Another great evening around the campfire, before heading to bed around ‘hiker midnight” (9).

Today, most of us were headed to our very first resupply here at Neel’s Gap. Blood Mountain was a fantastic view along the way, and the biggest climb so far. From there, it was just a couple miles downhill to the gap, and to resupply at Mountain Crossings. This place feels so luxurious, with its pizza and cold sodas and hiker food to resupply on. It’s even a full outfitter, you could buy all the gear to start the AT right here if you needed to. When we showed up and walked around the building to the picnic tables, it seems like we saw everyone we’d seen so far on the trail, and it already feels like a family reunion just 5 days in, which is pretty crazy. It’s amazing how easy it is to make friends out here. I guess it’s because you know that everyone you meet has this one particular thing in common with you. Also, it feels like time has slowed way down. Maybe it’s just all the new experiences, but it feels like it’s been weeks since I started at the Falls.

I’m now actually camping at Bull Gap, just a mile or so past Neel’s. This is another nice campsite not near a shelter, but there are still probably a dozen tents here, as this is where a lot of the folks who resupplied at Neel’s today went.

(Written April 4th, 10:45 pm)

Yesterday was lightly rainy in a pleasant sort of way. Today was gorgeous weather all day long. Our little group (10ish people) has continued to hang out together, which has been a lot of fun. Sometimes we end up hiking in various sets of 2-4, sometimes solo. But we’ve continued to encounter each other on breaks, on the trail, and in camp at night. Today was a particularly good example of the current group dynamic. We all stayed at or near Hawk Mountain Shelter last night, and planned to make it to Gooch Mountain Shelter today (a fairly short hike, because we’re all still trying to sort of ease into this). I left camp with a couple friends, and we had a lovely morning hiking to Cooper Gap. We ate lunch there together, because it was a pretty spot for a break, and the local army base actually leaves a water tank truck there to help hikers. Then, in ones and twos, more folks from the “group” start showing up and we get to talking. We even made a new friend during this, a really nice hiker from France who just got to the US for the first time a few days ago. Eventually there are 7-8 of us there hanging out, having a lovely time. Eventually, people break off to start hiking again, once more in ones and twos. I left on my own that time, but not an hour later, came to a gorgeous stream where Nick, my friend from earlier, has already taken a dip in the water. I join, and pretty soon our friends trickle back in as they arrive from the previous spot, and most of us get in the cold water, which feels fantastic. Eventually we dry off and split up to hike the final couple miles to camp in the same fashion.

When we get back to camp we each made dinner and we hung out some more; our new French friend was given a small bottle of Jack Daniel’s by a random person yesterday, so we did a shot with him. Then two people start stretching in the shelter loft, and this turns into an impromptu, and very silly, yoga class up there, which I of course joined. Then our friend who recently earned himself the trail name Pyro made a campfire, and we all finished the night just talking about anything and everything (although mostly telling stories) around the fire.

Some photos from the Springer to Hawk Mountain section (April 3):

April 4:

I’m dead tired so this post will be short, but my first day on trail was everything I hoped it would be! Gorgeous scenery, and amazingly, it already feels like a community out here. Encountered so many awesome people on trail and at Springer Mountain Shelter, where I’m staying. A group of us were having a lovely time just hanging out, eating, and chatting at the shelter, and then we all decided to do the short walk back to the top of Springer Mountain to watch the sunset together.

Progress report: today I finished the 8.9 mile Approach Trail, which means I’m officially on the AT. Springer Mountain is the official start of the trail, which means I saw my first white blaze, pictured below.

Today was a lovely day with my Dad, hanging out in Georgia before I start the trail. We finally got into a hotel in Ellijay, GA this morning around 6AM. We were expecting to stop a lot earlier in Chattanooga, but every hotel there was unexpectedly full, so we just kept going. It worked out, though, because we got to spend the day relaxing in the scenic mountain towns near the start of the trail. We woke up and ate lunch at a fantastic rooftop restaurant, caught some live music at Cartecay River Brewing Company, and hiked part of the AT Approach Trail together. I’m thrilled to start the trail tomorrow morning!

Because I have yet to start but would like to make a first post to try this out, here’s a photo of (most of) my gear for the AT! Not pictured: hat, trekking poles, Opinel #8.