And so to Sandy Springs

Day -1 Sandy Springs

Two rather splendid things happened today.

  1. I met up with Elie.  I fist met Elie on the Camino in Spain sat at a little bar on a square, as you do.  We got talking and one big beer lead to another and the bar owner kept bringing us little snacks, that always seem to get better the longer you stay.  Before you know it your rather drunk and have missed the nuns singing vespers.  Still as part of that conversation I casually mention the dream of hiking the AT, he did to! Go figure.
  2. I went to an REI.  Literally kid in a candy store!

Any way, after breakfast at the hotel at about 6am (3 egg omelette and coffee served by a delightful grandmotherly woman who I think did the cooking and serving) because I was up most the night, Elie and I got the shuttle bus back to the airport and found our way onto the metro train to Sandy Springs.

The hotel here is lovely actually, we got an early check in for one of the rooms and hit the supermarket.  $150 dollars later I had enough food and snacks for 4 days (and probably the rest of eternity, note to self, you have to carry all that up and down mountains) and some pharmacy supplies and I was quite content.

We had lunch, hit the REI which was just around the block, and I dropped another $100, however I’m now a member for life don’t you know (I guess that means the PCT and CDT have now got my name on them!)

Elie and I found a bar and spent the afternoon catching up on the last 5 years, we came back to the hotel, I checked in and then the bag explosion happened over the room, as always.  We seem to have a similar philosophy to our gear which is nice, or we’re both wrong!

We got dinner at a little Italian place and now I’m all tucked up in bed.

Elie and I have agreed to hike with each other at least until we get back on trail after our first town re-supply.  This means we both have support for the first week or so and I can ask all my stupid British guy questions to him, like how do you drain the sink? (There is a little pull thing behind the tap don’t you know).

Tomorrow it’s the shuttle to the start, we get our registration tags, weight our bags and we hike!  Crazy!

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Comments 3

  • Michael Beecher : Mar 9th

    Sounds like it’s going well. Fairly warm too. Enjoy the start.

    Reply
  • jen l : Mar 10th

    Enjoying coming along with you and Elie. You are brave. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Craigen : Mar 10th

      I’m so glad your enjoying the posts!

      Reply

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