“Sometimes it’s so bad it’s good”

I can vividly remember the first time I loaded up a backpack and went for my first hike. Little did I know that my first hike might just be my last. You see, I was a complete “noob”” so I had no idea what I was doing. So, I loaded up my cheap backpack with 30 pounds of gear, put on my weekend jeans, and Nike running shoes, and headed off to the Pine Mountain Trail which is about 25 minutes from my home. Well, the hike was horrible! My pack was incredibly uncomfortable and very heavy. My back hurt and my knees felt like they were going to give out at any moment. The Nikes that I was wearing had zero support which in turn were brutal on my feet. After struggling mightily for a mere three miles, I vowed to NEVER hike again! Fortunately, I did not give up and began hiking just about every weekend determined to improve my endurance and lighten my pack. Living so close to the Pine Mountain Trail and the Georgia section of the Appalachain Trail, it was easy to get out and hike. Over the next weeks, months and years, I trained almost every weekend and miles increased from 3 miles to 5 miles to eventually 10 miles and beyond. Once I began hiking over ten miles on a consistent basis, I decided that in 2021 I would set two goals for myself: begin section hiking the AT and knocking out 1000 trail miles.

My journey to section hike the Georgia section of the AT began on March 12, 2021. I was pretty excited to step off, like so many before me, at the top of Springer Mountain. I knew this was going to be a week full of challenges, good times and rough times. However, what I did not expect was how the trail changed me. I quickly became aware of how much I loved being outside hiking alone through the woods. It was so liberating being self reliant! Even when I was wet, cold and not sure I could take another step, knowing that I was on my own made me feel so alive! After I returned home, I immediately began making plans for a couple of weeks later. The goal for my second trip was to complete Georgia. I had a couple of hiccups on my first trip and had to cut it short by a couple of days. I was eager to get back after I made a few refinements to my gear. I was able to compete Georgia and had a celebratory beer on the GA/NC border with a thru hiker named Slapnuts. This character hauled a twelve pack of beer for a good 12 miles just to share with fellow hikers who made it to the state line.

•