Appalachian Trail: Day 0
Disclaimer: This post is NOT sponsored. All the gear mentioned in this post was purchased by me at retail prices. I have no affiliations with any of the companies or brands mentioned.
We started the drive at 10 pm yesterday to avoid most of the traffic. Even still, we got Atlanta around 6 AM and had to deal with traffic. The problem with this plan is the check in time at the Amicalola Lodge was 4 pm and we were looking at getting there at 7 AM. So, we stopped in Alpharetta to kill some time. We napped in the car a couple times since we didn't get much sleep the night before, spent a couple hours walking around the mall, and then finally made the drive to the Amicalola Falls State Park.
Our first stop was the visitors center where I checked in and got my hang tag and say through a Leave No Trace (LNT) briefing. We then continued on to the Lodge and checked in early. After settling into the room for a bit, my sibling and I hiked over to see the falls from above. We decided to hike down the 425 steps to the bridge about half way down the falls only to hike back up to the Lodge. These are part of the 604 steps in the first mile of the Approach Trail. I will be hiking these steps again tomorrow, but with a full pack as I officially start the AT.
I also ordered a little black bear keychain that will be clipped to my pack and be making the hike with me. For tonight, it's a good meal and early night so I can start fresh in the morning.