A celebration at the Georgia/North Carolina border with my trail family.
It is amazing the close friends acquired on the trail thus far, well, 78.5 hiker miles to be exact. This was the first true milestone of the journey.
Our first state crossing!
Between mile zero atop Springer Mountain to here, many adventures were to be had. They include, but are not limited to: a sweltering hot first day of hiking that transitioned into an icy and freezing rain ridge ride, a tornado touching down at a neighboring gap, riding out an unseasonal snowstorm, and battling homesickness (yes, within the first two weeks). I realize that the majority of these experiences noted forever in my mind are weather related, but when you call the Appalachian Trail your home, foul or great weather become a larger component in your life than you ever thought possible. That said, I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything. They are intangible and brilliant. They are life changing. They also make you seriously glad you brought along the Arc’teryx Alpha SL Hybrid jacket.
