It’s been such a feet just to get here and now we can finally see what we’re made of. Will we be one of the many that go no further than the approach trail? We will see.
Off we go…..
We rode to the trail with a lovely young woman from England named Rosie, who just barely got off of her airplane hours ago and had literally no sleep in all her journey to get there. Kind of made us feel grateful for the luxury we got to enjoy before starting our journey with her.
We took the iconic pictures that everyone takes at the beginning on the approach trail. We got our tags with our start number, #2049 and #2050. Those are number of people who have attempted the Appalachian Trail this year. So on we go. Only just a half mile ahead we all find out that we were given last years tags. Turn back or hike on? Hike on we go. We can always change them when we get the next number at Harpers Ferry. 3 months away we hope.
8.8 miles to go to get to Springer Mountain, the actual start of the trail and we started our hike at noon.
Amicalola Falls was a beast! 604 steps up a stunning waterfall.
We venture on. Soon to lose our new friend Rosie. She camped early to get the sleep she’s desperate for. Hopefully we see her again on our journey.
We then come upon an older man wearing a long sleeve and denim jeans. We asked him how far he’s going, he said Maine. Unfortunately he’s on night 2 and has only gone 4 miles on the approach trail. Oh, we wish him well. Appropriate gear is so important. There’s several high peaks still to go, before we even reach Springer Mountain.
We push on and hear thunder. Far from the clear day our ride prepared us for. It pours and pours for hours. Will we have to set up tent in this on our first night? Then it lightens and the birds start to sing again. Thankfully just in time to find a camp spot. We set up tent, have a meal of Pad Thai and settled in for the night. Then the rain came again and thunder. But, our new tent stayed dry.
7.3 miles, highest peak 3,419, day one done.
Day 2
Thankful for a beautiful day. Feeling the burn on our body, legs and feet. We hiked to Springer Mountain just to start back off at mile 0. Bitter sweet.
Breakfast was our leftover dinner and lunch was a wonderful wrap of cheese and salami. Gave us all the energy we needed to see some beautiful areas. Still many peaks ahead the trail ahead.
We had a beautiful day and settled into Hawk Mountain campsite and used a bear box for the first time.
9.6 miles, highest peak 3,782, day 2 done.
We got enough service to check the weather and it’s looking like rain in the morning. 5 am 50% chance of rain and thunderstorms. We slept as best we could with our restless legs and noisy neighbors at the shelter. 4 am Ben’s up asking me if I want to get ready early and beat the rain on our now dry tent.
Yes, we got ready in a hurry, skipping breakfast and coffee to get on the trail and beat the crowd. As soon as we have our packs on the rain begins. Perfect!
We’re off in the morning, well before day light we hike on.
It’s a wet and humid day with moments of cold when the rain is pouring. Layers off, layers on.
With an early start we got to have a long brunch with coffee and scrambled eggs with bacon. Food seems to burn through us. We’re eating great. Feeling good, but hate the rain.
Ben’s Multiple Sclerosis symptoms are manageable. He’s had floppy foot each day, but it goes away after a half hour or so. Usually high heat causes his blurred vision on his left eye to get worse, but it’s staying manageable.
We talked to some sweet older ladies on a short break (which we do often as we acquire our hiking legs), they warn us of potential bad weather ahead. The next day is a very high chance of strong winds, heavy rain and possible hail throughout the day. Severe weather can cause a higher chance of flare ups, so we heed their warnings and think about shelter for the night. There are no more shelters on the trail ahead between where we were and the area that you are required to use a bear canister for your food. We don’t want to get in a pickle, so we call a local hostel that even has private rooms. We booked a room and got a beautiful room with a spectacular view of all the peaks we just crossed that day.
A nice nights rest and a down day tomorrow depending on the weather. Still we’re doing better than we thought for a couple couch potatoes, lol.
12.5 miles, highest peak 3,222, day 3 done.
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Our personal fundraising efforts to help with any medical expenses during our journey
My MS vs The AT 
Awesome!!!
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