Week 1

I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on my first week on the Appalachian Trail. In the future I will do this after each week on The Trail as well. I will try to elaborate on things that I talked about in my logs, talk about other memories that weren't mentioned, and any other relevant information that I can think of. So....here goes.

I was working as a pipefitter with a construction company here in Phoenix when I finally decided that it was time to fullfill my dream. It was winter time and we were working on a project in Payson Arizona. The crew was staying in a cabin that the company had rented that was quite a ways off the beaten path. Why am I telling you this? I think because I'm trying to figure out why it was at that particular point in time that I finally decided to do The Trail, and I believe that this has a lot to do with it.

Anyways, it was winter time. There was lots of snow. We were staying in a cabin that was "out of the way"; on a dirt road as I remember, and I was driving a Nissan Sentra. OK, picture it! I'm driving up to the cabin one day in my Sentra when my tires start spinning in the snow. I have to get out and put chains, or actually cables, on my front tires just to move any further. Even with the cables on, my tires were spinning and I was getting nowhere. Then, SNAP! One of my brand new cables came apart. My boss came around the corner just as I was throwing the broken cable into the woods along with several profanities. That was it! I'm not sure why, but that was the moment that I decided it was time to take my hike.

I remember driving back to my apartment in Phoenix a few weekends later. There at my door was the package that I had been waiting for. It was my set of Appalachian Trail guide books that I had ordered earlier that month. When I got back to the cabin on Monday night that following week, I was sitting at the kitchen table with the map of Georgia spread out before me. I was plotting. I was plotting where I would stay the first night on the trail, how many miles I would hike the next day, what I would carry for food and anything else that I could think of. When my boss showed up that night and asked me what I was doing, I don't think he believed me. Well, a few months later he was a believer, because I had already given my notice, my car was packed and I was headed for New Hampshire to make final preparations for my trip. Fast forward to Monday, April 3, 1989.

My friend Ron Fleury had agreed to drive me down to Springer Mountain in Georgia where my adventure would begin. We left early Monday morning and took turns driving straight through. We arrived in Amicalola State Park on Tuesday afternoon, April 4. In an unceremonious goodbye, Ron dropped me off at the visitor center and headed back to New Hampshire. I like to think that I had at least paid for the gas along the way. I'm sure I did. So, this is where I pick up with my logs from along The Trail. Oh, by the way, thanks Ron! I still owe you.

When I arrived at the visitor center there was already a tornado warning out for the area. I was itching to get on the trail, but the park ranger warned me against it. He suggested that I stay in the park for the night, but that cost $8.00 and I was on a tight budget. I couldn't see paying $8.00 the first night on the trail. I had a better idea. I was going to hike up the approach trail to Springer Mountain just far enough to get out of the park and pitch my tent along side the trail and weather the storm out. Bad idea!!

I started hiking and the weather wasn't too bad at first. Then, I came up onto a small ridge and I saw it. A wall of blackness was headed my way. It didn't take long before the winds picked up, and I do mean picked up. The rain that erupted from this dark cloud was falling horizontally and that is no exaggeration. I tried to construct a temporary shelter using the fly from my tent, but it was no use. In a matter of minutes I was soaking wet. My only option was to retreat. I headed back down the trail and back to the visitors center as fast as I could. And, as you know from my log of day 1, I ended up staying at the campground in the park after all. And yes, I still had to pay the $8.00. I spent the night sleeping atop a picnic table under a large pavillion in the rain. It was all good!


This is the scene of the crime. It really wasn't all that bad after I got settled in. I did have the whole place to myself. This is obviously a picture of the morning after.

When you look at my picture from day 7 on The Trail, keep in mind that I weighed approximately 200 lbs. This is important to remember, because as you see pictures of me as I progress towards Maine, you will see some dramatic changes! Also, keep in mind that my pack was exceptionally heavy for a thru-hiker. It averaged about 70 pounds when fully geared with food and water. It was sometimes a little lighter if the hike to the next supply point was short. It also weighed more at times when the distance to the next supply point was longer than usual. This was especially the case heading into the 100-mile wilderness in Maine. But that's a story for much later in this blog. About 15 pounds of the weight was the camera equipment that I had with me. I also ate very well so that tended to add to my burden as well.

Well, you pretty much know the rest. I had hiked 49.3 miles of the Appalachian Trail so far, spent six nights on The Trail (seven including the first night under the pavillion), and met several other thru-hikers. I was already experiencing problems with my feet and the weather. But, I was already having the time of my life as well. And, the adventure was just beginning!!!