Hey there!

I’m finally getting enough wifi signal to give y’all a quick update about life on the Appalachain Trail. This first week has brought on many surprises and has been an amazing experience. I’d like to share a list of things I’ve learned during my first week.. 

1. The stink is real.

I heard all about this hiker stink and how you should learn to expect it..you won’t care about deodorant anymore because you know it won’t work. Well, it’s true. After about two days the stink is there. Sure, you can bathe off with wipes, splash around in a creek, or wipe yourself down with a wet bandana. But, until you hit a trail town and get a legit shower the stink is there, and it is real. 

  

2. An impaled leaf can hang out on your trekking pole for almost up to a mile! 

Hiking with the crew in the Blood Mountain Wilderness

3. Mice can run across your shoulders even if you don’t sleep with your head to the back of the shelter.     

My bed in the Springer Mtn shelter

4. Frogg Toggs have a fashion factor of 0, a durability factor of 3 (but they are easy to repair with a needle and floss!), but most importantly a keeping your body dry factor of 9.

   

 

5. The sunrise at Blue Mountain shelter is AMAZING!

  

6. Although you are craving huge steak and draft beer, after reaching a cabin on a cold rainy day you GREATLY appreciate a frozen pizza and coke. 

    

7. There are many truly selfless people in this world. They provide something wonderful on the AT called trail magic. I never thought I could be so thankful to someone that offers me candy or to take my trash. Some of these people will hike a three mile round trip up a mountain to bring hikers beer…or even drive hundreds of miles every Easter to spend their annual vacation providing an ‘in the forest feast’ for hikers out of their own pockets.

   

    

 

8. Most thru-hikers love and respect nature. One group of guys (spice, cap, and goose) is packing out trash from Ga to Maine. Check out their blog at: www.packingitout.blogspot.com 

  

9. Broken in, properly sized leather boots can cause tendonitis of the Achilles even if they don’t cause blisters. 

  

10. I’m not the only chick hiking the AT alone. Check out my new friend Rigga’s blog: www.smilesformiles2015.wordpress.com 

Enjoying hot chocolate at the hostel

11. Being an Aubrn fan improves your bear bag hanging skills! I nailed it my first attempt (got so excited that I almost didn’t notice the rock coming back at me). 

   

12. Apparently, my southern accent is thicker than I thought–my earned trail name is Dixie.

 

13. Georgia is BEAUTIFUL!

 
  


 

I will hopefully give a better update when I make it to Franklin! Thank you all for your support. Also, my friend Whitney is helping me put together some of my video clips on YouTube, so stay tuned for that link…

 

Happy Trails 🙂