Awe: Georgia Edition

Awe 

The first full book I listened to while hiking through Georgia was “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life” by Dacher Keltner. I thought the timing was right, as we were gearing up for all sorts of awe-provoking experiences. In our mind, awe makes us feel goose bumps and a pleasing warmth (fiori, in my native language) – it’s like an enlightened experience induced by external factors. Keltner defined awe as the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends one’s understanding of the world and identified eight common sources of awe: moral beauty, collective effervescence, nature, music, visual design, spirituality, life and death, and epiphany. These categories emerged from a global study of 2,600 narratives across 26 countries, highlighting the universal nature of awe experiences. 
Our examples, giving that we are writing this quite a bit after we finished the Georgia portion of the AT, will seem random, but they’re what impressed us the most. The photo we chose as our Featured Image for this post (mating of Luna Moths) was a rarity to witness, and filled us with long lasting awe. We noticed them while randomly stopped for a backpack adjustment, and couldn’t believe our eyes. Their beautiful, intertwined bodies were moved by the wind while perched on top of a leaf of a baby tree. We learned later how they prefer night flight, also mating at night, and how extraordinary it was to be able to witness this in broad daylight . Yellow, a hiker friend, whom we waited for on trail to share this experience with, shared later this magazine article that she found on Luna Moths: 

https://countryroadsmagazine.com/api/amp/outdoors/knowing-nature/on-the-cover-luna-moth/

Moral Beauty: Trail Magic and Hikers Stories 

For the ones not familiar with the term, trail magic is any act of kindness towards thru-hikers by others not involved in the journey. It can take many forms from offering free snacks, drinks, to offering a ride, or extra item that’s needed.
We had barely started the trail itself, day 2, when we were at the receiving end of our first trail magic experience, we each received a trail bar from two sisters who drove over an hour to that gap to greet and “feed” hikers. If you are not part of the trail culture it’s really hard to comprehend why somebody will use their Sunday to wait at a trail head for hikers just  to wish them good luck in their journey, listen to their stories and offer them snacks. 

The second one in Georgia came unexpectedly, at the end of the downhill from Cow Rock Mountain, towards the end of the day, at Tesnatee (wild turkey in Cherokee) Gap. The spread was unbelievable, just like the people that were there (from Nudge Ministries) , all day, welcoming hikers, making sandwiches for them, offering drinks, snacks, fruit, resupplies of all kinds, balms for achy joints, and most amazingly, knitted hats with the AT blaze. Witnessing acts of extraordinary kindness (moral beauty) naturally instills humility. When we see others act selflessly, we recognize our own smallness and interdependence. We were touched by these people, their prayers for our success and left the gap with a needed second wind to make it up quite a steep uphill. As a side note, it was after a Coke I had at this trail magic, that I was skipping on the trail, and telling Steve about my habit to skip a lot as a child, facts that lead, just a few days later, to my trail name: Skip. 

With “Kingtut” from Nudge Ministries , organizers of the amazing trail Magic at Tesnatee Gap, GA.

Card that was attached to the knitted hats

One other way we felt humility in those first days was meeting and talking to other thru-hikers. Everybody has a story or reason for why they are attempting this hike, and listening to the ones that want to share their reasons was awe-provoking too. In was in the early days in Georgia that we met a hiker, Steve called him Hawaiian Punch , as he was wearing a very typical Hawaian shirt, that opened up to us at a watering hole about his past in the army, his injuries and disability, his constant pain, but also the determination to attempt this hike to recenter himself and get healthier, in body and mind. It’s hard not to be touched by such a story. We also met North, a hiker probably just a tad older than us that attempted the hike last year, tripped early into his hike, broke his hip, got off trail, got better, and started again this year. Steve called him North because at the often asked question of where are you heading , he learned to say North, rather than Maine or Kathadin, to not jinx himself. We truly hope they are both still on trail and maybe we will see them during trail days in Damascus. 

Wild Awe 

Keltner also reflects on the awe inspired by nature’s vastness and beauty. He discusses how natural environments can lead to transformative experiences, promoting environmental stewardship and again, a sense of humility. He discusses how awe can reduce inflammation, enhance immune function, and promote mental well-being. He emphasizes that awe shifts our focus from the self to the larger world, fostering humility and interconnectedness. 
Hiking for 8-10 hours a day in the beautiful southern Appalachian mountains in Georgia, gave us plenty of awe inducing experiences. We started hiking with spring. Wasn’t sure who was faster, spring or us, but we had front seats at witnessing spring not rushing and getting everything done. Mayapples, alien looking ferns, and red trilliums were popping with life all around us. The tenacity to push hard up through layers of soil and leaves in the forest floor is totally awe inspiring . Witnessing new life, an amazing sunset, the beautiful light of the moon redefining the shape of the forest around us, staring far out in the distance marveling at the views, or witnessing the eerie patterns that leaves’ shadows made on our tent, were all moving and made us feel connected with everything around. 

Mayapples at different stages of emerging out in early April.

Baby ferns uncoiling slowly on the forest floor

Beutiful red Trillium

Collective Effervescence 

Collective effervescence examines the shared energy and unity felt during group activities, such as concerts, religious ceremonies, or protests. Keltner discusses how these collective experiences can lead to profound feelings of connection and transcendence. On trail, joyous moments of laughter often come when group of hikers end up together, at watering holes, in hostels, at a trail magic, or when celebrating a hiking milestone achieved together. 
We met one of the founding Gaggles, Chef (formerly known as Weevil), the day before we starting hiking, at Amicalola Lodge, when he saved Gumny Bear after a reckless fall from a guard rail during a photo shoot , then first day on approach trail when he passed us almost running , mentioning in passing that he is from Maine and that he’s hiking home. The second Gaggle founding member, Tracker, also a blogger for the trek, we met second day on trail, and the third one, Tagless, we met day three, when we were all forced off trail by a very strong thunderstorm. At same Woody Gap, we ran again into, and we’re officially introduced to Yellow (we named her because of her rain gear being all yellow), a very versed hiker from France, whom we will end up being very close to for a long time on the hike. Pictures have us making it to the first milestone on trail, Neal’s Gap, at almost same time, feelings joy and happiness like the one we felt the night prior at the hostel when Chef was excited to learn how to make macaroni and cheese. There were no age barriers, there was just sheer joy. 

With Tracker, Chef and Tagless at Neal’s Gap

With Yellow at Neal’s Gap

Hiking in Georgia brought us close to a few other hikers with whom we would be hiking on and off for several days. It was another collective effervescence moment, when, right at the crossing into NC, we laughed and struggled to place a phone on a rock to get a picture with all of us . I rember Slim Jim saying when asked if she wants a picture alone with the sign, that the group one is perfect , and it was. 

With Slim Jim, Sonic and Icognito at GA/NC border.

Sacred Geometries

The AT, like other long trails, is a pilgrimage. It holds the energy of thousands before us. The curves of mountain ridges, the patterns in leaves, the flow of streams, the dancing flames in a camp fire, even the shape of our tent in the moonlight, it all represents the sacred geometry of the wild.

And thus, with small milestones, like crossing a state line , we realize that a thru-hike is more than miles—it’s a journey of perspective shifts, acts of kindness, laughter, surrender, and deep connection with something larger than ourselves. Awe is not just a concept we read about, awe comes alive in the rhythm of foot steps on the path, in the silence of the woods, and in the shared moments with fellow hikers.