Appalachian Trail: Expectations vs Reality

Surreal—the full gravity of hiking from sunrise to sunset every day has not fully sunk in. My mind compartmentalized all the experiences into micro-events as I tried to grasp my new reality. 

 

Morning 

Preparing coffee on my stove from my tent.

It currently takes me 30-45 minutes to get out of my sleeping bag. The 20-30 F degree temperatures outside with 30 mph gusts of freezing wind aren’t very inviting at 6 am. But, once I am up, I am up. I take down my food bag from a nearby tree and immediately start boiling water for coffee and oatmeal. While the water boils, I wash my hands and face in ice-cold (filtered) water so that I can safely put on a new pair of contact lenses. 

 

Soon, my body is warmer and I deflate my sleeping pad and stuff my sleeping bag in its compression sack. I pull out all the tent stakes from the ground and unclip my tent from itself. I reload all my gear into my pack and I am ready to start the day—only two hours after waking up. Eventually, this will become a faster routine, but for now it is a slow process. 

 

I start walking and the sounds of the forest fill my ears. Birds chirp in warning as I get near, squirrels jump through dead leaves trying to get out of my way, and deer quickly scatter as I take those first few steps on the Appalachian Trail. 

 

Early Afternoon

Lunch on a ridge, soaking up the warm sun.


The first two hours of hiking just fly by. I warm up with each step and my fingers and toes finally start to defrost. I scan my body for any new aches and pains, and adjust my pace to get into a walking rhythm. The crisp cool air is a refreshing reminder that I am alive and I am out here—in tune with nature, hiking mountains, watching the sun rise over the peaks through the bare trees, listening to the wind swirl high above me. 

 

By 10 am I have to eat a snack to keep my energy levels up. There is a time limit to this hike and every hiker thinks about their miles each day. When can my body handle more miles? Will I ever get my trail legs? How long before my feet and knees feel better?

 

After four hours of climbing up and down mountains, I finally take a lunch break. I scan the trail for a pretty spot in the sun and plop down on a log or a rock to take a 20-minute break. My body temperature drops instantaneously and I try to quickly resume back on the trail to stay warm.

 

Mid-Day

The afternoon hiking is harder. My feet and body start to feel heavy as fatigue sets in after 4-5 hours of hiking. My brain starts to go over every item in my pack in search of how to cut extra ounces from my gear. Can I cut off the access straps to my backpack? Should I leave some of the wipes behind? How committed am I to deodorant? Should I dump the extra Ziploc bags? Should I buy a lighter sleeping pad? When can I send my warm layers home?

 

I check my phone for service. Verizon covers most of the southern part of the trail with at least one bar of cell reception. It’s time to listen to music or call my family. I scan my emails—one eye on the trail and the other on my phone. At this point I welcome any distraction to keep my mind from sinking into the tiredness that I feel. I can feel my swollen feet and my tired calves. All I can think of is dipping them in a cold stream. 

 

Throughout the last mile I check the FarOut app every few minutes—How far am I from camp? Half a mile, quarter of a mile, one-tenth of a mile…campsite is so close yet so far away. Why are these campsites always up a hill? 

 

Evening 

Setting up camp, new spot each night.


A burst of satisfaction ignites my spirit as I find the perfect patch to set up my tent. It’s my home for the night. My private sanctuary to retreat to after I eat my dinner. It’s such a relief to finally reach camp and find a flat spot to sleep. In another few hours, I will curl up in my sleeping bag and drift away.

 

Once the tent is up, I quickly filter water and set up a bear rope on a good tree branch. It only took once to learn not to hang my 15-pound food bag on a dead limb. The 20-foot branch came down crashing just a few feet away from my face. My heart nearly stopped as I thought about the accident I had just nearly missed. 

 

Once I finish my nightly chores, I drag my food bag to the communal campfire and rummage through it for a freeze-dried dinner. As I boil water, more weary hikers arrive. One by one, slowly, they all find a place for the night around the campsite. 

Campfire for the evening.

Seated by the campfire are typically 5-8 hungry and tired hikers who commiserate over the gruesome steepness of the Georgia and North Carolina mountains and then laugh about whatever randomness might have happened during the day. We are all experiencing this together, equally sharing the same trail and all that it brings with each mile hiked.

 

Nighttime 

By 8 pm, almost every hiker is back in their tent and the quiet of the night envelopes the campsite. Only the wind and the rustling leaves are heard through the thin nylon walls. Sleep comes almost immediately, exhaustion finally taking over.

 

***

 

Impressions – First Two Days

 

Social Factor

I was a bit surprised that many people kept mostly to themselves during the first two days on the trail. I expected a lot more socializing right away, particularly during those first few days. All the YouTube reels showed a string of “AT community” clips, and my expectations were high for how social everyone would be from the minute I stepped on the trail. 

 

Perhaps the other hikers were exhausted, shell shocked, wanted some space to take it all in, or just apprehensive of strangers—but, at first, I found only a small number of people who were chatty and eager to meet the other hikers. 

 

Terrain 

I was mentally prepared to conquer mountains—tall, steep, and jagged mountains. The Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail still managed to surprise me with its steep pitches and fairly technical terrain. I didn’t physically prepare prior to the hike, but as a runner the cardio baseline certainly helped. Within those first two days, almost every hiker was dealing with knee, ankle, and/or foot issues. The assortment of bodily ailments made their way into every conversation.

 

Disney of Trails 

Trail magic

Having hiked many primitive and highly remote trails before, the Appalachian Trail seemed like the Walt Disney World of hiking. The trail is complete with shelter accommodations every eight miles, picnic tables and privies, shuttle rides to town, campsites galore, bear cables and boxes, and water spots every few miles. Ridge Runners—paid employees to help hikers with questions or any sort of trouble—roamed the Georgia section each day.

 

The Georgia Appalachian Trail Club of volunteers keeps the trail in pristine shape, not a single tree to step over or climb under! It’s like they swept the trail just for us, hikers. The only thing missing was an ice cream stand (oh wait…we did get trail magic with fruit, chicken noodle soup, hot apple cider, and food galore—twice!).

 

Temps 

Coming from Florida, I totally overpacked and underpacked. The first few nights were brutally cold by Florida standards. I wore every layer and was still shivering in my 17 F degree sleeping bag. The late March temperatures dipped into the 20s and even hikers from Michigan were commenting on the frigid weather. But as the morning hours transitioned to the afternoon, the sun warmed up the trail, and layers were quickly packed away. 

 

I was grateful for remembering to bring sunblock. The bare trees along the trail offered no shade from the sun. A few hikers were already sporting sunburns. And my exposed hands instantly became two shades darker than my arms which were covered by my long-sleeved shirt.

 

***

 

Impressions – Two Weeks Later

The temperatures continued to stay on the cooler side. But, I was more mentally prepared for how to handle the colder nights and mornings. 

 

Hiking mountains has not physically gotten easier—yet, but I better plan my day with thoughtful breaks to refuel and regain my hiking momentum. 

 

The hiker shyness of those first few days has melted away. Every campsite and shelter now bustled with chatter and laughter. Hikers were leapfrogging each other every couple of days since most did not have consistent mileage just yet. Some were hiking 10 miles per day, followed by 15 miles, followed by 7 miles, and then taking a ‘zero day’ to rest. 

 

In those first two weeks, I mingled with the same 10-15 people on varied days and nights. We would spend one or two nights camping and/or hiking together and then not see each other for the next three days, and later catch up again at a random shelter. It will be interesting to see who I will end up hiking with more regularly in another few weeks when we all get into a more rhythmic hiking tempo and more consistent mileage.

 

In the last two weeks, the number of hikers has also drastically dropped. I estimate that roughly 30-40% of those who started at Springer Mountain are now gone. Not everyone was physically and mentally prepared for the steep ups and downs, brutally cold temps, hours of rain, or the 50 mph gusts of icy wind.

 

Many looked utterly exhausted at the very onset of their journeys—as they went from ‘couch-to-trail’ without any physical training. 

 

I once read that backpacking is 50/50–half of the experience is pure awe and magic, while the other half is uncomfortable and can really test your mental game. In reality, the ratio of suckiness to amazingness varies by each day, hour, or even by each minute. Just when your spirit really drops, some trail magic will appear miraculously to lift you up.

 

Tip: If you are seriously considering coming out on this journey, I would highly encourage you to do a 2-3 night backpacking trip to test your gear, get a feel for the trail, and be mentally prepared for the full adventure that awaits. 

 

Long Journey Ahead

As of today, it’s still fairly difficult to imagine being out here for another 5-6 months. It already feels like an infinity has gone by. Every day is filled with new experiences, and yesterday seems like a long time ago. More than 90 percent of the trail is still before me, but for now, I take each day in stride, trying to take it all in. It’s exciting and scary, and it is all bundled together, but that is what makes for an adventure.

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Comments 9

  • bamboo bob : Apr 12th

    deodorant?

    Reply
  • Miss America : Apr 13th

    Don’t worry about getting those trail legs..they will come with time. Virginia is where you’ll start stretching out those legs. Be patient with yourself.
    The trail will changes, as do the hikers. Keep going..

    Reply
  • pearwood : Apr 13th

    Hi, Kate!
    I was one of the early dropouts. I’ll be back next year, a whole lot more ready to go.
    Blessings on your way,
    Steve / pearwood

    Reply
  • Ed : Apr 13th

    Hi there! My daughter, the pasta salad chef, is the one who drew the sign you included in your entry. So cool to meet you at Newfound Gap. Happy trails!

    Reply
  • Laura Burbach : Apr 18th

    I hit the approach trail with such enthusiasm on March 16th. It was going well and we have walked 30 miles in one day so we thought we could do 8.7 miles in one day. WRONG!!!!!! We didn’t prepare enough. First off was our snacks and food soooooo not enough, then water, again not enough. I realized very quickly we were out of shape (from couch to trail). I was also not anticipating carrying a heavy backpack on a really rough trail. There are tree roots, rocks, boulders, mud and rain. We ended up stopping the first day because it was dark. I was feeling sore but thought surely we are close to Springer Mountain?? Right?? We loaded up and walked what felt like me 10 miles, we were out of water and I was in so much pain on the back of my legs. We heard there was a thunderstorm warning so we knew by looking at the map we needed to set up camp again. My husband volunteered to go pack-less up the trail 1/2 mile or so. By the time he returned the rain, thunder and lightning started. The winds were blowing so hard I thought the tent was going to blow away. It’s a new day we packed up and hit the trail. I would ask everyone who passed me from either directions on the trail. I quickly realized everyone said the exact same thing, “about another 2 miles” How is that possible when I am starting to think all of this is crazy, heck I even wanted at that point to get off the trail but there was absolutely nowhere to go. I was exhausted. I saw day hikers, runners, kids, dogs and squirrels ? because they all passed me. The lady part of the trail was excruciating but made it to the top of Springer Mountain just before dark. We took the iconic token pictures of the first white blaze and monuments. I continued to the next shelter. It was cold and I was in so much pain. Day 3 we get up and make a plan to get water from our closet water source so we could share the last packet of oatmeal and what tiny amount of beef jerky we had placed into the bear box. We were the last leaving. It was a cold night and morning. My husband went to get the tiny amount of food we had put into the bear box. We have not eaten in two days. What!! Someone stole our bear bag! So we drank a lot of water and loaded up our packs. Everyone said it’s only a mile to the parking lot. It had to be the hardest mile in history. I had fallen several times but I finally had a fall that broke my spirit. I just sat on the ground crying ? my husband at this point was going to carry my pack and then all of a sudden a group of day hikers came by and asked if we needed help. I saw an older gentleman who refused to give me his name he took my backpack and put it on. He offered to carry it to the parking lot where I had arranged for a shuttle. I am hear to say the AT can quickly teach you a through hike is brutal. Sorry for such a long post. Thank you and Happy Trails.

    Reply
  • Pink Panther - 2021 thru- hiker : Apr 18th

    Yes! That just about captures it! Those first days were “educational” for sure. ? Then blood, sweat, joy, laughter, amazement, and some tears happened along the way. New challenges came along every day. The days melted into each other, and then suddenly it was November and I was almost done (late start and I am a slow hiker). I hope your journey is at least half as amazing as mine. Peace ☮️.

    Reply
  • Unicorn : Apr 20th

    Hi Platinum! Your article just popped up in my feed. Great stuff! Tag, your it! I hope you’re well! Nosh’ems and I took a short break for reasons and will be back on trail on 4/30. Stay warm and safe!

    Reply
  • David : Apr 27th

    I got on the trail May 3rd of 2021. I was surprised at how small the shop was in Amicalola, just a tiny area for parking and the arch, that surprised me but not as much as how steep and rugged the trail was. I think most people who go will be surprised at how different it is from what they expect.

    Reply
  • Kurt Utz : May 7th

    Kate,
    I like how you broke down a day into segments, articulated nuances of each. Also dig your initial impressions at the 2 week mark.

    Rock on!

    Reply

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