Georgia on my mind

When I did all my research about hiking the AT none of the books, articles, or videos mentioned how beautiful the trail is in Georgia. I just crossed into North Carolina. I will be reaching the Smokies later this week and I'm sure they will be even more incredible, but I am blown away by the mountains and forests of northern Georgia. The trail is sometimes like walking on a carpeted hallway with walls of rhododendron and mountain laurel on each side. Often it is a gently undulating path winding along the steep sides of wooded mountains with carpets of ferns rising sharply on one side and falling just as sharply on the other. Sometimes it is as rocky and steep as anything in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It is a pleasant surprise to realize that the hundred miles or so of the AT in Georgia are not just something you have to get through to get to NC. They can be a destination of their own. It's that nice.

Maybe the best part of changing my plans and coming to Georgia to hike north is I have developed something of a trail family - a small group of people who are hiking in the same direction at roughly the same daily pace. We gather at the same shelter each night, sit around the picnic table eating dinner and trading stories, and listen to each other snore through the night. Some of the "family" left already having only planned to hike for a week or so. But the trail bonds people quickly. I know that if I ever run into any of these folks again, it will be like reuniting with old friends. It's nice to be part of the AT subculture and feel the shared love of the trail. 

I also have a hiking partner now. I met JusMel (a mash-up of his two kids' names) on the first night in Georgia. He's a retired CFO/COO of several companies, married for 40 years this summer, and a great hiker who has hiked most of the AT including NH and Maine. We enjoy sharing the trail with each other and taking time off the trail to enjoy the local towns and hostels. I learned how great it is to hike with an old friend in the Shenandoah with Speed Bump. Now I am learning how great it is to hike with a new friend. Barring some total breakdown in our relationship (he is a Bengals fan, after all) I think JusMel could easily become the fourth Amigo. 

The mountains get bigger now. I feel like I am at the top of my hiking game so I'm not too worried about the four thousand foot climbs coming soon. But my next post could be an exercise in reality. We'll see. Meanwhile, the joy of the hike is as strong as ever. Hakuna Matata.

JusMel on the trail


Visitor at my campsite
Early morning vista from the trail

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