Appalachian Trail - Section Hike 1 --- Day 4

Day 4 you say???? How is this possible? Especially after last nights coyote carryings on...think yelps and yaps all night long, relatively close by.

Well as Milli laid awake all night, physically shaking at times, near tears, I was trying to hold it together...thank goodness I had cell service and thank goodness for google! I googled...will coyotes attack a campsite? How to fend off coyotes and what does it mean when coyotes yelp?

My gut said lets pack up our things, don our headlamps and keep moving...but it was 12am, we weren't going anywhere and who knows what the hell else would be out there at this time of night?

So Night 3 was spent sleepless...and Day 4 started with grumblings, doubts, talk of airlifts out and need for a bed, junk food and common creature comforts We broke camp and were on the trail by 8:00am!


DAY 4 SUMMARY:
Jarrard Gap to Hogpen Gap (via Neel Gap, slackpack)
12.9 miles
Big up Blood Mountain, highest we have climbed so far @ 4400ft.
Weather: Warmer than yesterday, more rain during the slack pack...poncho worthy
Food: We almost ran to Neel Gap and Mountain Crossings...our first hostel! Think bunks, shower, toilet and communal living...We feasted today on microwave chicken parm, ice cream, candy, soda and sandwiches! We felt like hiking queens! 
Water: We drank 2-3 liters of water again today. Every time we hear water...we our ears perk up...and if it's on the trail, we fill up(each)
People we met: Saw Bobby today
Highlights: Blood mountain, other people! A bunk bed, shower, food, hitch hiking, slack packing, cards with Damon and Joel, hikers box - drop off what you don't need and pick up something you might need...one mans trash is another man treasure...
Musts: mailed back 7lbs worth of stuff, think hat/gloves/fleeces/vests...donated peanut butter and fluff to hikers box!
People we met: MC peops: Carley, Bill, Mike Tyler - Met back up with Damon and his son Joel, the kids enjoyed commiserating! Met a Jennifer and her sister and Sarah (aka Bic) & Mu (drove us to Hogpen)

Trail name: this is a name hikers are given on the trail by other hikers. This is done for thru hikers not sure about section hikers...but Milli has been called a "trooper" by a few hikers...it may stick.

Slack Pack: when you hike from one point to another and your pack is at your destination. So we landed at MC at 12pm, no way we could stop at 12, so we ate, got settled in our bunks, unloaded stuff so it could dry, packed Milli's pack up and set off to hitch hike to hogpen back down to Neel Gap! 

Mountain Crossings Hostel: $18 per person includes shower and a towel. Full store of gear & food goodies. Will mail stuff back for you. Awesome, friendly people! Recommend!! 

Appalachian Trail - Section Hike 1 --- Day 3

DAY 3 SUMMARY:
Sassafras Mtn. to Jarrard Gap
15.2 miles
Lots of ups and downs - Probably traveled +/- 2500ft - Lowest point: 2600ft Highest point: 3200ft
Weather: Coolish, sheltered from direct sun traveling thru the "green tunnel", thats what they call the AT in GA at least...Rained for a bit... poncho worthy
Food: Because we ran out of water on sassafras, won't be doing that again...we stopped for breakfast, oatmeal and tea along side the Justus Creek, beautiful stop! Granola bars, sports jelly beans and jerky/cheese...
Water: we drank 2-3 liters of water today with crystal light--- delicious! (each)
People we met: Saw Bobby today
Highlights: Rock ledges, our first "trail magic" (this is when some angel puts something on the trail for hikers delight --- today it was water!, and coyotes (don't ask!) - night from hell! 
Must haves: handkerchief hanging off bag to wipe brow! before we left i downloaded guthook's hiking guide app and i waterproofed my antigravitygear.com AT1 & AT2 maps - before i left by placing three strips of clear packing tape on both sides of the maps and trimming off excess tape, highly recommend all three of these!!!!

Ok well we really pushed today. 15.2 miles. Lots of ups and downs but not as dramatic as the first two days. Its peaceful out here, you see one or two people a day. We started early, but it feels so wrong to set up camp after ten miles...we are averaging 1.5 miles an hour, depends on elevation. 

Still talk of shutting this down miles earlier than planned. I feel torn. One part of me feels like a failure if we stop early, the other part feels relieved because I am huffing and puffing and not sleeping so well. Every noise at night makes me reach for the mace...

Milli holding strong, our feet in good shape, we smell terribly, eating plan out the window. Cant wait to send a bunch of stuff home!!! Pack is really heavy. Milli and i sharing my pjs because she forgot hers...that needs to change.

Up and ready to hike...don't mind our clothes, we wear the same thing everyday! Every ounce counts!!

Perfect place for breakfast. Justus Creek

Big Cedar Mountain, Rock Ledges

Took a few pix here...mountains are gorgeous...feeling proud!

Hard to believe we are in our third day...and are still going

Trail magic! Grateful for every drop!!! Thank you

A little rain...lots of sunshine to dry us out! Mountains looking beautiful.

Entering in...not climbing today...thats for mañana!

Pack covers on...smiles on...keep on hiking girls!

We are here...

Appalachian Trail - Section Hike 1 --- Day 2

Well, we are alive, our legs and feet are in good working order. Tent still up and secure, no rain yet...

So now Milli has to use the PRIVY! Wake up call #1...upon her return she informed me she will wait, there was a spider and a few ants in the area which deterred her...shhh, wait till when? There is no indoor plumbing for days...

A little breakfast, discussion about how far and where we are heading, what stops and sights we want to see along the way...

We made oatmeal for breakfast and I made peanut butter fluff sandwiches for our lunch stop. Wont be doing either again...note to self, eat where there is a water source to wash out bowls and remember things can explode after being pressurized (think peanut butter eruption...ugh!), boy did the bugs love that.

While we were hiking today, I must admit, I don't think I am going to make it to our final NOC destination. Although I thought I was in shape...and trained, and lightened my pack as much as possible, I am tired and nervous. Shhh, don't tell Milli! 

DAY 2 SUMMARY:
Black Gap Shelter to Sassafras Mtn.
12.6 miles
Lots of ups and downs - Lowest point: 2500ft Highest point: 3700ft
Rain held out, just a sprinkle, not even poncho worthy
Food: Oatmeal, tea, granola bars, jelly beans, peanut butter/fluff, ramen noodles
Water: we drank 2-3 liters of water today (each)
People we met: Isabella, Bobby
Highlights: Springer Mtn./AT Start, Long Creek Trail/Falls (follow blue blaze off Three Forks) - worth the stop! Hike up the Falls a bit too
Lesson learned: When you come across water, fill up!

Breakfast...oatmeal & tea, very civilized

Uh oh, is this trail going to be another Inca trail...miles of STEPS?!?! 

Barely makin' it! Hot flashes and stairs...perfect combo! :)  

YAY!!! We made it to the START of the AT...hikers that don't do the Approach Trail, start at Springer and have to hike back to this point .9 miles... 

The white blaze, our friend, our guide, our beacon for the next 14 days!

This way and that way...NOBO and SOBO... we are NOBO section hikers!

A beautiful crossing within the green tunnel!

A PRIVY looking pretty good now huh Milli????? 

Long Creek Trail, take the side trail, well worth the visit! A little food, water and a nap for mama!

Field of flowers, we like to take all the off shoots on the trail, just to see what we can see!

Tent up, dinner served! Happy campers...we shall see...this is tougher than I  had imagined. Talk of shaving miles off ... maybe Franklin as our final destination? 

Appalachian Trail --- Section Hike 1 --- Day 1

And off we go! 

Early flights from White Plains to Atlanta! 

I am thankful to all those AT section/thru hikers who have shared their trail wisdom via blogs, books, emails, in person and over the phone! 

I mentioned to a few that I may be a bit more amped up for this trip because I have my daughter traveling with me. The hiking mama in me wants to provide food, safety and shelter without incident...

I mailed out our drop box: (here's what the really nice postman in Hiawassee told me to do)

c/o General Delivery
Please hold for AT hiker Jeanine Behr, ETA 6/16
118 Main Street
Hiawassee, GA 30546

Our bags have gotten only slightly heavier, added about 2 lbs. to each bag...but true test will come at the airport...

Now the wrapping of the bags for our flight!

How to get to the Approach Trail trailhead...

*Flying direct from NY to Atlanta (Delta flights $160 ea + $25ea for bags)
Wearing one set of our hiking clothes and our camp shoes on the plane
*Taking the MARTA to North Springs, last stop on the red line ($2.50 ea)
*Calling an Uber car to get from North Springs to Danlonega, GA ($80)
*Overnight at the Hiker Hostel (Private room $45, breakfast included)
Some people start at Springer Mtn. some chose Amicalola Falls t hike the approach trail. Without fail, we are choosing AF! All up hill and further away from the hostel! :)
*Calling Uber car to get from Dahlonega to Amicalola Falls, approach trailhead. 

CHANGE OF PLANS! 

Well we landed early, our bags were waiting, our check in at HH wasn't until 3pm, we would have to taxi to and from HH for meals and to and from airport to trailhead... and...and...so...no time like the present to start our adventure. #flylandhike

We called Uber, our driver Brian rocked! He made pit stops at McDonalds (Milli's "last supper"), Starbucks (mommy thinking last soy cappuccino) and Walmart (for Jetboil fuel & a mountain house or two...maybe some candy took :)) and then we were off to start the trail at Amicalola Falls, GA.

We finally started our first steps by 2:30pm...the Approach Trail is no joke! If you make it up the 700+ steep stairs, especially in 85degree direct sun, I promise the rest of the trail will be pure heaven! P.S. - there are benches to take a break on...I stopped almost every bench, nearly threw up twice...and wanted to throw my pack over the Falls once we finally reached the top!! Oh boy...

But Milli was at my wings, cheering me on! Oh to be young... :)

FYI - Amicalola Falls --- 
Amicalola means tumbling water
The Cherokees occupied this area until the Trail of Tears/Treaty of New Echota forced them to move to the Ozarks
Highest water fall in Georgia (729 feet)

Well I now know why Stephen Katz (from Bill Bryson's book) was throwing everything out of his pack on the Approach Trail! We only made it 7.3 miles the first day, it seemed like 27 and my pack felt like 50lbs. AND we are not even off the approach trail! 
Pulled up to Black Gap Shelter, because they had a "privy". 
Whats a privy? Well Milli was wondering the same...think outhouse...with no door...
We were greeted by a friendly group of camping dads with three kids out for a night, equipped with hammocks, tents, fire and food. We searched for a tent spot, first attempt yielded some angry yellow jackets...we laid out the tent over a few of their holes...they were mad! 
Tent up, secure, mosquitoes starting to come out...no bugs in the tent, VICTORY! No I had to feed my kid, crossed eyed, we gobbled down a turkey jerky & cheese sandwich, we (or at least I was) were so gassed. 

Let our journey begin! Only 156 more miles to go! How is that going to happen? I hope I can walk in the morning...

DAY 1 SUMMARY:
Amicalola Falls/AT Approach Trail to Black Gap Shelter 
7.3 miles
Lots of up - Lowest point: 1800ft Highest point: 3300ft
Sunny
Food: McD's, Starbucks, granola bars, jelly beans, turkey jerky/cheese/tortilla
Water: We drank 1-2 liters of water today (each)
People we met: Damon & Joel (father/son)
Highlights: Amicalola Falls and the never ending Approach Trail...

UBER from North Springs to the Approach Trail (Amicalola Falls) ! 

Our future forecast...rain rain stay away! 

Packed up and ready to fly...

Both packs coming in at 55 lbs.!!! 

Fly, land & hike...thats the way to start the AT!

How many more +*%&#$@ steps??? Am I going to make this trip? 

First 425 steps...next 178 steps more....... UGH!

We made it to the top of the Falls...still miles away from the  AT!!!

Still not to the AT yet...???

The Approach Trail...why did we do it? Because I wanted to be an AT purist...but it almost sent me home in tears...

Ok already, I get it, I am exhausted and still have MILES to go... :) 

Tent up, we are smiling...can you tell my eyes are crossed?

Dinner...

 

Appalachian Trail 2017 --- Section Hike 1 --- Getting ready

Well we are days away from starting our first section hike on the Appalachian Trail.

Last year you may have read about our trip to Peru, three generations, me, my Mom and Milli. We had a blast! 
Early on in our adventure, I was inspired by my Mom's and Milli's grit as we scaled the side of a cliff for two hours up to our luxe "accommodations" in the SkyLodge. 
Halfway up the ferrata I thought Milli and I should take on a challenge like this together every year; to connect us to nature, each other and to other people outside of our immediate community, to challenge ourselves and use what we experience to learn from, enjoy and to keep us growing.

One of my favorite quotes:

"In every walk with nature, one receives far more then he seeks." - John Muir

So here we go...

The Appalachian Trail Facts:

2200 miles long (approx., it seems to waver a bit over the years)

Longest hiking trail in the world

Crosses 14 states, 6 National Parks and 8 National Forests: GA,NC,TN,VA,WVa,MD,PA,NJ,NY,CT,MA,VT,NH & ME

Starts: Approach Trail - Amicalola Falls, GA or Springer Mntn, GA and ends Mt. Katahdin, ME

2-3 million people walk on some part of the AT every year

October 1921 Benton MacKaye went public with his idea for the AT that came to him while sitting in a tree on Stratton Mntn, VT

1937 the AT was completed, but no one did a continuous hike (thru hike) until 1948 (Earl Shaffer)

Most thru hikes take 5-6 months to complete

Total elevation gain (ascents & descents) on the entire trail = 16 climbs of the 29K foot Mt. Everest

Our Section Hike 1

From Amicalola Falls, GA to Nantahala Outdoor Center, Wesser, NC

163.1 miles
June 11 - 25, 2017

Depending how it all goes this trip...next year will be a 300 mile section hike...our goal is to finish section hiking the entire AT together by 2025, or before. 
This is the first hike I have done without a guide, so my nerves are running high...shhhh, don't tell Milli! :) 

Here are the books we read:

Here are some of our favorite web sites/blogs/resources:

ATC: http://www.appalachiantrail.org

AT Database:http://www.sophiaknows.com/atdb/sections.php?section=1 

ThruHiker blogs: https://thetrek.co/the-bloggers 

Section Hiker:http://sectionhiker.com/how-to-section-hike-the-appalachian-trail-beginner-advice 

REI- couldn't really go anywhere without their gear, advice and guidance!: https://www.rei.com 

We started planning this trip in December 2016, so our Christmas list didn't look like many others...think tent, compasses, pocket knives... :)

Here is our 1st gear layout: (I say first, because we will take one more weather check before we leave and add or subtract...)

Milli's Pack:

PACK: Rei Flash 45L: 2 lbs. 11 ozs.

FOOD (6days): 2lbs. 10 ozs.

CLOTHES: 2lbs. 3.4 ozs.

SNACKS (6days): 1 lb. 4.5 ozs.

HIKING SHOES: Merrell All Out Blaze Aero Sport Non Waterproof: 1 lb. .6 ozs.

HIKING POLES: 14.1 ozs.

CAMP SHOES: Teva : 11.2 ozs.

SLEEPING PAD: ZLite: 10.0 ozs.

STAINLESS STEEL CUP & BOWL and TITANIUM LONG SPORK: 9.8 ozs. 

RAIN COAT: 8.3 ozs.

WATER BOTTLE/FILTER:  REI/Sawyer Mini: 8.1 ozs. 

SLEEP LINER: 8.0 ozs.

SOCKS (3 prs.): 6.0 ozs.

LUXURY ITEM...NECK ROLL/SLEEPING PILLOW: 4.7 ozs.

JAMMIES: 4.6 ozs.

(just in case) HAT/GLOVES/BUFF: 4.1 ozs.

HEADLAMP/FLASHLIGHT: 3.6 ozs.

TOILET PAPER: 2.2 ozs.

WASHCLOTH/BANDANA: 1.9 ozs.

MISSING: toothbrush, hairbrush, phone/charger, journal/pen, cards

MILLI'S "in formation" TOTAL WEIGHT:  14 lbs. 8 ozs. 

 Jeanine's Pack: 

FOOD (6days): 4 lbs. 6.2 ozs.

PACK: Dueter 65L: 3 lbs. 15 ozs.

TENT/FOOT PRINT: REI Half Dome 2person: 3 lbs. 8.1 ozs.

CLOTHES: 2 lbs. 10.4 ozs.

Fluff & Peanut butter: 2 lbs. 8.7 ozs.

HIKING SHOES: Hoka One One Waterproof: 1 lb. 10.8 ozs.

SLEEPING BAG: REI Helio: 1 lb. 10.6 ozs.

LUXURY ITEM...POWERPACK: Poweradd Pilot 30K mAh: 1 lb. 6.4 ozs.

TOILETRIES (toothpaste, deodorant, facescrub, sunscreen, bug spray, chapstick, camp soap, gold bonds itch cream, handsanitizer) : 1 lb. 5.8 ozs.

CAMP SHOES: Merrell : 1 lb. 3.6 ozs.

SNACKS (6days): 1 lb. 2.6 ozs.

 Gerber pocket knife/Sabre pepper spray/Robocopp alarm/batteries/Bic & Optimus lighters: 1 lb. 1.1 ozs.

TOILET PAPER/BIODEGRADABLE WIPES: 1 lb. .2 ozs.

FIRST AID KIT: 15.3 ozs.

JET BOIL: 15.3 ozs.

HIKING POLES: 14.1 ozs.

SLEEPING PAD: ZLite: 13.4 ozs.

REI WATER BOTTLE/ Sawyer Mini FILTER/Potable Water PURIFICATION tablets/ Lyte Show HYDRATION DROPS: 11.3 ozs. 

RAIN PONCHO: 11.0 ozs.

STAINLESS STEEL CUP & BOWL and TITANIUM LONG SPORK: 9.8 ozs. 

WASTE BAGS: 9.7 ozs.

(bringing two liners & one zip out sleeping bag) SLEEP LINER: 9.4 ozs.

TOWEL & WASHCLOTH: 7.4 ozs.

JAMMIES: 6.6 ozs.

SOCKS: 6.0 ozs.

LUXURY ITEM...NECK ROLL/SLEEPING PILLOW: 4.7 ozs.

(just in case) HAT/GLOVES/BUFF: 4.1 ozs.

LUXURY ITEM...Eno Lights: 4.0 ozs.

BUG NET/BANDANA/DAY GLOVES: 2.9 ozs.

HEADLAMP: 2.3 ozs.

MISSING: toothbrush, phone/charger, journal, aleve!, knee braces, maps!...

JEANINE'S "in formation" TOTAL WEIGHT:  36 lbs. 11.2 ozs. 

Any comments? Questions? Having a problem with the Fluff? Lol! 

Not quite sure what we forgot, pretty sure we have more than enough though...we read a lot of lists and tried to be smart and not pack more than we need...

We also have a food drop box waiting to go --- just have to figure out where it should go, thinking Hiawasee, they have a post office, lodging, an All You Can Eat place and are friendly to hikers.

Milli taking a break from packing to test drive her pad, sleep liner, sleeping bag blanket, neck pillow, and tent again...

Stay tuned for travel day!!!