March 14, 2018 -- Today marks one year since I set foot on Springer Mountain in Georgia and started my 2,190-mile, 176-day thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail to Maine. The memories are precious and the people I met along the way are golden. I looked back on my very first journal entry (I managed to journal every day of the trip) and it made me LOL, so here you go:
“Night 1 - March 14, 2017
Miles Hiked: 9.1 (8.1 + Springer Mountain parking lot mile)
Start: Springer Mountain
End: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Well, it’s freezing. Hiked thru the snow all day. Started around 11am. Met another DCer @ top of Springer Mountain: Shaylee? (LOL, sorry Shani). Hike felt good, minus growing-into pains w/ pack. Met ppl along the trail, including Steven from Wellsley. Pet a dog! Staying in shelter bc it’s so cold (in the teens or colder tonight). Sleeping @ the base of everyone’s feet. Glad to be in shelter though. Gonna try to get warm! Tried to stay up and move aound as much as possible to stay warm. Layered up! Two negatives from today: almost choked on tuna lunch at shelter. Kinda embarrassing. Also, don’t know exactly where everything is, including Sawyer Squeeze. Not cool but too dark now. Two good things: starting out with hiking partner, beautiful snow.”