Amicalo falls to Hiawassee, GA

Day 0 - Airport to hostel

After arriving at Atlanta airport I met Jesse "Iron Chef" and Ellie at the train station while waiting for the hike hostel pickup. They are both from Vermont and met at the Vermont airpot. Lee, from hiker hostel, picks us up and the drive is about an hour and a half. With us are also two guys from germany, Marcel and Johanus,  who have decided to hike the AT after their brief stay in NY city. The hiker hostel is a modern looking cabin in the hills of northern georgia. Here we meet francesco, Lauren, and slim Pickens who are starting at springer mountian.

Day 1 - Amicalola falls to Stover Creek Shelter 11.6 miles.

After showers and breakfast we leave around 930. The Germans are starting the next day while waiting for a few pieces of gear. I will not see them again, at least in this section. Since we are a small group we are able to take the suburban which will supposedly be less bumpy. In the car are ellie, iron chef, slim Pickens, Lauren and francesco. The ride is about an hour on dirt roads up the mountian to the parking lot for singer mointains. The actual start to the AT is about .9 miles south of the parking lot so Lauren, SP,  and francesco will have to backtrack a little. Another hour or so and  Iron chef (still jesse at this point), Ellie, and I are dropped at Amicalola state park. We each weigh our packs on the official scale and sign the first register.  My pack is 29 lbs. The falls are beautiful but start with many many steps to the top. The rest of the day is mostly ridge walking and uphill until we reach springer mountain; the official start of the AT. The wether calls for rain but we have nothing but blue skies at the beginning. We have hiked 8.8 miles before the start. Spinger shelter is only .1 miles away but the weather has turned windy cold and foggy so we hike another 2.7 to Stover Creek Shelter.  This is our fist 3 miles on the AT.

Day 2 Stover Creek Shelter to Gooch Mountian shelter. 13 miles..

The night was bitter cold but the day is sunny and warms up. I start to develop blisters on my pinky toes and we stop at hawk mountian shelter so I can neosporin and duct tape them. I will continue to do this ritual every morning during this section. We stop at Gooch shelter where we see francesco Lauren and slim Pickens who have done two short days. Here we also meet bones, Canada (now true grit) Hawkeye and her dad, tigger, Alex, grizzly bear, and a whole bunch of others I can't remember. After today bone hikes with us also.

Day 3 Gooch shelter to needs gap. 15.9 miles.

Tough day. Rain starts around 4 am but turns to mist by morning. The day ends with the infamous blood mountian. There are really strong wind gusts and driving snow as we go up the mountian. The downhill is brutal and my blisters re- blister. I arrive at the little shop and scramble to find a place to sleep with a freezing cold night ahead. I am invited as the fourth in a 3 person cabin by carver who is basically a hobo on the tail. Although he looks rough carver is one of the nicest and truest people I have met. I buy some microwave food and candy bars for dinner.....

Day 4 neels gap to blue mountian shelter. 18.something miles.

We originally plan to stay at low gap shelter. Our hiking pattern has been to all hike seperarly but meet up for rests and camping. I leave first around 745 but am overtaken by bones and iron chef. I am the slowest of our group which I blame on my sore knees and feet. The morning is freezing cold and extremely windy. The tube to my hydration bladder freezes as I walk. We reach low gap around 230 all within 20 min of each other and decide to pound out the last 7 miles to blue mountian. The shelter is crowded so we all camp outside of the shelter.  This is the coldest night so far and I sleep only a little.

Day 5 Blue mountian to Addis gap. I think 15 miles but I'm too lazy to look right now.

This is the hardest day so far for me. There is a steep downhill first thing but there is trail magic at the bottom at a a road crossing. A church group all the way from Alabama has brought warm food just for us. Another steep up and down hill and there is more trail magic from a few doctors who Thru hiked previously. After that it's up tray mountian and we eat lunch at tray shelter. Only 6 more miles after this but I struggle as I have completely wrecked my knees. Addis gap is not a shelter, just a campsite but we still have a little bit of company.

Day 6 Addis gap to Hiawassee 5.5 miles.

We are doing a Nero (nearly zero miles) today. The shuttle for the motel picks up at Dick Creek gap at 9 and 11 so we get up early to try and make the 9 o'clock pick up. It is pouring rain and we hike in the rain and the dark. Rain always brings mist here so we cannot see too far up or downhill. I miss the shuttle by minutes but bones waits for me and we hitch hike into town. My knees are extemely painful today. In town we resupply, eat at an all you can eat buffet ( ayce) buy beer and hang out.