It’s February and that means that the thru hiker class of 2015 is starting off soon. Hiking the entirety of the Appalachian Trail is a daunting task and the first few days are a big learning experience. For those of you who are about to begin your journey, here are 5 things that you can expect during your first 5 days on the trail.
1. You will be nervous
I’m sure that most prospective thru hikers feel nervous the night before their hike begins. At least for me, there was a lot to worry about. Would we even make it to the trailhead? Would we get a spot in the shelter on the first night? What would we do if we couldn’t find a spot to camp? Did I pack everything I need?
The first night I sat around camp at Amicalola Falls State Park with other hopeful thru hikers, I started to cook dinner and realized I was too nervous to eat. The next day as I took my first few steps on the approach trail, my nervousness was replaced with excitement.
2. Your pack will feel enormous
Unless you are on your second thru hike, odds are you packed too much. Whether your pack weighs 20 pounds or 50 pounds, you brought wayyyy too much. Get used to that feeling because for the next 6 months you will be racking your brain for 10 hours a day trying to decide what else you can get rid of.
At Neel’s gap, the first stop on the AT in Georgia, you will have a chance to mail extra stuff home, so start making a list.
Click here to read about my packing list for the Appalachian Trail before and after my thru hike.
3. Your feet will hurt
It doesn’t matter which shoes you are wearing, your feet are going to hurt. Many MANY people make the wrong decision when it comes to shoes. Maybe they went with boots when they should have worn trail runners, or the other way around. Frequently people purchase shoes that are too big or small.
On top of that, your body won’t be used to carrying so much weight and hiking up mountain after mountain. Georgia terrain is HARD. Be prepared by bringing some foot first aid like body butter or Goldbond, and don’t push the mileage too hard. If you take care of your body you will make up the miles later, but if you ignore your body, you might end up going home.
4. You will learn the importance of food
I have talked about this in other posts and I will talk about it again. Food on the trail rules everything. At this point on your trek you haven’t truly built up the eating endurance of a thru hiker, but you will start to see the way your body reacts to extra calories.
On my first day hiking up to Springer Mountain I was feeling pretty tired and stopped to eat a snickers bar. 15 minutes later I hit an energy boost that sent me flying ahead of all my new buddies. Make sure to bring food that you like and treat yourself to a snack often.
5. You will make a lot of new friends
If you are starting your hike between mid-February and late April, there are going to be a ton of other folks hiking the trail. From complete beginners to triple-crowners, these people have chosen to set out on an epic journey.
There will be a lot of people who are on the same boat as you so remember to support each other! That first night at the shelter at Amicalola Falls, I made friends that I hiked with all the way to Maine.
There are a lot of other things you may learn in the first few days, like what a hostel is, or how to adjust your pack, or how to poop in the woods. You’ll be feeling lot of different emotions but most of all you should be excited! The fact that you have even started this journey makes you different, special, and brave.
Remember these feelings of excitement and keep them for a rainy day, because you are going to have times where you will need to remind yourself why in the hell you started this mess in the first place.
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