My Spring Break was definitely an interesting stray from the usual sunny vacation in South Padre. I travelled to Georgia with a group of twelve to backpack a section of the Appalachian Trail, the longest hike-only trail in the world at 2,100 miles that stretches from Georgia to Maine. Thousands of people start the trail in hopes of hiking the entire stretch; our goal was just to complete one section in 5 days. I had a rough time packing a week’s worth of equipment into one backpack; I couldn’t imagine having to pack for several months.
On Friday, I took my last shower for a week and said goodbye to civilization, a bit dramatic, yes, but entirely true once you set foot on the trail that lacks proper plumbing and cell service. The trail begins at Amicalola Falls State Park where we camped the first night. The views from the top of the falls were absolutely astounding, and the 800 foot waterfall was breathtaking. The first night of camping was very wet; I remember waking up what felt like every hour to the sound of torrential rain pounding our tents.
Our first day of hiking began at the bottom of the mountain on the Approach Trail and included an intense section of 600 stairs next to the breathtaking waterfall. We set up camp at Black Gap, where we met some thru-hikers that helped us get a fire going despite everything being soaking wet. As we sat around the camp fire, I felt an intense feeling of serenity; it was honestly magical.
The Appalachian Trail officially begins at the top of Springer Mountain with an incredible view and a chance to sign your name in the registry next to dozens of others that hike the trail. At this point I still had yet to get a full night’s sleep, but my body took it in stride. Our second day on the trail flew by; the morning began with intense wind in a wooded forest, and then progressed to warmer air with magnolia trees, then back to an intense woody forest. That second night at Hawk Mountain Camp, I felt like a solid ball of ice; when we woke up in the morning we stepped out of the tent into a winter wonderland of at least two inches of snow that definitely shocked a group of people from Texas.
The third day was the most brutal day physically and mentally. Our trek involved two large peaks through the snow in twenty degree temperatures. We moved at a snail’s pace for at least a mile uphill, until finally feeling a sense of triumph upon reaching the peak, until I was reminded we still had four miles and another peak to climb. But there’s an indescribable feeling that accompanies the completion of each uphill climb that correlates to the obstacles in everyday life. As long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, it’s almost impossible to quit; it doesn’t matter what rate you tackle each obstacle as long as you do it.
There are a lot of different things that my body and mind experienced on the trail that are difficult to describe as well. First, there’s the mental clarity I attained when I made it to the top of a peak, or the astonishment I felt that accompanied the completion of a physically rough day. My entire body was sore and aching, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder for wilderness that encompassed me. I learned about some of my strengths and some of my weaknesses, and I developed meaningful relationships with people that I feel like I’ve known for ages. Our trip was ultimately cut short due to weather conditions out of our hands, but I would never trade this experience for anything in the world. I honestly can’t wait to start planning my next trip, I don’t know where I’ll end up, but I do know it will be an adventure, and that’s all I ask for. One of the thru hikers remarked that “It’s not an adventure if it doesn’t scare you a little.”