Month: April 2019

Highlights From My First 100 Miles

Jori

Hey all! These first 100 miles have been an absolute blast, I am so happy to be out here experiencing such wonderful sights with such wonderful people! Here are some highlights from along the way.

Before hitting the trail I spent a week in Chicago visiting family. It was so nice to spend time with them before heading out, I also got to set up my resupply boxes with my mom and sister while I was there.

It was a hot mess getting them all sorted and organized but I pulled it off! The week flew by, and the day finally came for me to fly to Atlanta. I felt like a kid on the first day of school, I even took a photo on the front porch before leaving.

I was lucky enough to have a friend of mine in Atlanta agree to house me that night and then drop me off at the trail the next morning. Gerald, if you read this, thank you again for everything!

We arrived at Amicalola State Park and I finally got to walk up to the arch I had been seeing in everyone else’s Day 1 photos, and it ignited an excitement in me like nothing else. I of course had to get the iconic photo, too.

Gerald hiked the first 1.5 miles of the approach trail with me, which I did not expect, but it was a nice surprise!

Any nervousness I had felt faded away the moment my feet hit the trail, I was finally back in the wilderness and I was damn happy to be there.

One of my biggest worries about this experience was that I wouldn’t make friends and find a tramily (trail family) right away, but on night one I met some amazing people and that worry quickly faded.

I got to experience my very first night in a shelter, and coincidentally one of the coldest nights I’ve slept outside. It got down to 22° that night! We all woke up cold and ready to start moving. But the sunrise that morning was absolutely beautiful!

Let me tell you, it’s amazing out here. The east coast is vastly different from the west, but I’m loving it. Here are some of the beautiful sights I’ve gotten to see so far!

I’ve also been lucky enough to come across a handful of people doing trail magic! Trail magic is when people from nearby towns will haul food and supplies up to parts of the trail and hand them out freely to passing thru-hikers.

My favorite is when people have fresh fruits and vegetables, anything fresh after days of only dehydrated foods is a luxury I am grateful for. On the other hand, I was also pretty damn stoked on the Taco Bell we came across in Hiawassee.

Within the first 100 miles I got to hit my first big milestone – completing my first state! I crossed over from Georgia into North Carolina, leaving 13 more states for me to get through.

The day after completing Georgia I hit my second big milestone – the 100th mile! Only 2100 to go after this, and I’m looking forward to every single one of them.

I really appreciate the support you all have given me along the way – you have no idea how much it means to know my friends and family believe in this incredible venture I’ve set out on. Here’s to hoping the next 100 miles are as great as these first 100!

Week One On The Appalachian Trail

Jori

It’s only been a week out here on the trail and I’ve already learned so much. Here are some of the things I’ve picked up so far..

Shelters

Pros:

-You can escape the rain and keep your shelter dry, because packing out a wet tent in the morning is less than stellar.

-You can meet new people and make new friends since people tend to congregate at shelters.

-Easy set up and take down limits your time spent in camp if you’re trying to get more miles in.

Cons:

-Mice are annoyingly persistent at finding your food, and will even chew through your gear if it smells like there is something they can eat inside.

-They’re noisy. If shuffling through gear, rolling over on a Thermarest Neoair (seriously how are these so popular), or snoring will keep you awake, consider camping nearby instead.

-They provide zero privacy. You’re in such close quarters with about a dozen other people, and other than a nearby privy, finding time to yourself is in short supply.

-Bears have figured out that where there are hikers, there is food. If you’re around people who don’t properly store their food there’s a good chance a bear will find it.

Gear:

I now understand why so many seasoned thru hikers rely on the Thermarest Z Lite Sol (closed cell foam accordion-like sleeping pad), because I’ve already had to patch my Nemo Tensor. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my sleeping pad, but with so much time spent in shelters it’s exposed to me and a dozen other hikers shuffling around it each night. We’ll see how long I last with it before I trade it in.

I’m so thankful I chose a (almost 100%) waterproof pack. As promised, the AT is wet, and knowing my gear is safe makes me feel a heck of a lot better hiking in the rain.

I really enjoy the ease of my Purinize purifying drops. Watching people struggle with their Sawyer filters (again, how are these so popular) makes me wonder how they got to be so widely used. They’re cumbersome, they malfunction on the regular, and are hard to clean if they get clogged. That’s a big no thank you from me. I switch off between two Smart Water bottles and I’m drinking one as the other is purifying. Works great. Plus it’s a one part system and only takes an hour. I’ve also seen some Katadyn filters and really like the ease of those as well.

Looking back I don’t know why I chose to switch up shoes right before the trail. I’ve exclusively been a Salomon user, and forcing my feet to adjust to Altra’s on the trail was not a good choice. I had to buy inserts when I got to Neels Gap because of the pain in my arches, and when I wear through these Lone Peaks I’m definitely switching back to Salomons.

I love loooooove my quilt. Its versatility alone is worth having a quilt instead of a sleeping bag. I can open it up and use it as a blanket on warm nights, or sinch it up tight when it gets cold. Win win.

I love my polycro footprint for any other trail, but trying to prevent it from getting ripped in shelters is an impossible task. I put it under my sleeping pad, and with all the commotion it’s gotten ripped three times already. I’m thinking about switching to some tyvek for its durability even though it is a bit heavier.

Food

I definitely overestimated how much food I would need. I knew it would take time for my hiker’s metabolism to kick in, but I’m barely eating 2000 calories a day even with hiking anywhere from 8-15 miles with 25 lbs on my back. Here’s to hoping it kicks in soon because it’s no fun carrying food and not eating it.

I don’t know why I thought I’d want to sit down and actually prepare lunch. I packed things like beans and tortillas, and hummus and pretzels, which would make great dinners instead of lunches. When I’m moving trying to get miles in, I’m finding that the last thing I want to do is take time to make lunch. I think I’ll switch to a meal bar, or something else easily consumed, for lunches and save the cooking for dinner.

Community

One of the big reasons I chose to do the AT was because of its reputation for having such a great community. And let me tell you, the rumors are true. I found a trail family (tramily) on day one, and they’ve been such amazing hiking partners. In addition to the hikers, I’m also appreciative of the people who set up trail magic. There are so many people looking out for thru hikers out here and I hope they know it’s not going unnoticed or unappreciated.

Overall I’m having an absolute blast out here, it’s everything I’ve wanted it to be so far and I’m definitely looking forward to the rest.