The Appalachian Trail holds a special place in my heart and soul. I have been hiking sections of it for over 15 years. The AT is 2198 miles that stretches from Springer Mountain in GA to Mount Katahdin in ME, passing through 14 states. The AT is the longest hiking-only trail in the world.
Five experienced backpacking friends and I took on a 25 mile route this winter and had a blast! All the content was captured with my GoPro Hero 12, which worked out well due to the second half of the trip was on and off rain with a steady downpour on the walk out.
We parked at the James River Foot Bridge and were shuttled 25 miles south to then walk north back to the cars. This section of the AT was a moderate difficulty level with a few tough spots along the way.
Day one was perfect weather and temps in the 40's while walking to our first shelter/campsite location. We were near Buchanan, VA and as expected the temps dropped that evening and overnight into the high 20's or so. We did wake up to crisp clear morning, enjoyed some fresh pressed coffee and breakfast.
Day two was the long hike of the trip and we pushed thru 12 miles that day.
As day two progressed it got cold and wet quickly, but thankfully it all worked out for us. It began sleeting a little bit late afternoon then stopped just long enough for us to setup tents and our campsite before the rain came in. We all decided to call it an early evening, ate dinner in our respective tents and went to bed early. It did rain all night, but miraculously stopped for us that morning for a few hours which allowed us to pack up and head on out.
I am always so grateful to be on the trail and experience the AT and simply be in nature. I'll be honest to say I was a little nervous for this one, but so glad my friends and I pushed through and it was certainly a memorable trip.
I love the challenge of the hike, setting up all my fun gear and the solitude of the trail. The quite time allows me to reflect and breath which we all need to take time and do more of.
What will you do in 2025 to challenge yourself?
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
-Robert Frost
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