Days 1-7 | The First Week on the Appalachian Trail — Georgia to Dicks Creek Gap

Days 1-7 | Springer Mountain to Dicks Creek Gap — The First Week on the Appalachian Trail

Seven days in. One state down. And already, the trail has taught me more than I expected.

I started Day 1 at Springer Mountain — Mile 0 — and settled into what would become my natural pace almost immediately. Two miles per hour. Not by design, just where my body landed with a fully loaded pack. The goal was Hawk Mountain Shelter at Mile 8.1, just 7.2 miles from Springer — a conservative start, and the right call.

The weather was stunning. Mid-60s to mid-70s, barely a cloud in the sky. The kind of day that makes you wonder why you waited 12 years. I ate lunch at a creek, took my shoes off, put my feet in the ice cold water, and lay back on my foam pad with my legs up for 15 minutes. I’ve decided this is happening every single day.

What I didn’t get right was dinner. I’d brought Knorr pasta sides thinking I’d just add boiling water and let it soak — but without a cozy to keep the heat in, the pasta was still basically raw after 15 minutes. I also brought tinned chicken in water. Heavy, and I don’t like the taste. Classic first-timer mistakes. The trail is already teaching me.

At Hawk Mountain Shelter I met the group I’d spend much of my first week leapfrogging — the Fantastic Five. Cards, a nature walk through poison ivy territory, knot tying lessons from Finn, and a weather check on the Garmin app that turned into a group prep session when I announced a big temperature drop was coming. The trail community is real, and it starts on Day 1.

Day 2 — Hawk Mountain Shelter to Gooch Gap | Mile 8.1 to Mile 16.9 | 8.8 miles | Elevation gain: ~1,200ft

It was bitterly cold. Wind gusts of 35 to 40 miles per hour on the exposed ridgelines. I wore every piece of clothing I had — including my camp socks on my hands as makeshift gloves. I took two falls, one of which cost me a full litre of water on a stretch with no sources. Whit from the Fantastic Five saved me with a water share when I needed it most.

I arrived at Gooch Gap at 12:58pm — I’d estimated 1pm. Two miles per hour, right on schedule, pack and all.

Above the Clouds Hostel in Suches, Georgia was everything I needed — warmth, a shower, loaner clothes, and a fellow hiker named Popeye who turned out to be one of the most knowledgeable trail people I’d meet. It was her birthday. No alcohol in the county on a Sunday. The hostel owner produced a carrot cake and an IPA. We shared both. Sometimes the trail provides exactly what it needs to.

Days 3 & 4 — Slackpacking | Gooch Gap to Woody Gap to Jarrard Gap to Blood Mountain | Miles 16.9 to 26.3 to 31.7

With two nights of 40-degree temperatures forecast, I made the call to slackpack instead of camping out in the cold. For anyone unfamiliar — slackpacking means swapping your full pack for a hostel loaner daypack carrying only water and food. Going from a 27-pound pack to under 5 pounds is something you have to experience to understand.

Day 3 was southbound from Jarrard Gap back to Gooch Gap — 9.4 miles through Chattahoochee National Forest. I passed through Woody Gap where cyclists were grinding up from Dahlonega below — impressive work on that climb. I sat on rocks eating leftover cold pizza with a view that made me forget I was technically doing a 9-mile day. Wildflowers everywhere — rhododendrons, spring colour bursting through the trees.

I also got my trail name. Two hikers — Synchrony and Ben Fox — gave it to me. Cheshire Cat. I’m thinking of shortening it to just Cheshire. I’ll hold onto it — better than risking something terrible later.

My hiking companion for these days was Spoppy — a 71-year-old from North Carolina with a dry, sarcastic wit that I absolutely loved. The hostel owner Lucky also took us into Dahlonega for dinner that evening. I almost said no — I wanted to stay consistent with my editing. It was Spoppy who talked sense into me. Don’t say no to what the trail offers you. I had beef chilli and a grilled cheese. Lucky ordered fried green tomatoes as a starter and shared them around the table. I’d never had them before. Oh my gosh. Life-changing.

Day 4 was the big one — Blood Mountain. From Neel Gap at Mile 31.7, southbound back to Jarrard Gap at Mile 26.3 — 5.4 miles, but 2 of those miles are straight up to the summit at 4,458 feet. The elevation gain from Neel Gap to the summit is approximately 1,200ft in under 2 miles. Start cold — that’s the advice everyone gives. I haven’t figured out how to take it yet. I stripped layers within the first 10 minutes of climbing.

The summit was worth every step. Rock gardens leading up, a stone shelter at the top, and a young day hiker who stopped for a chat. I left before Spoppy — I wanted to keep moving — and sat at Jarrard Gap waiting for him, journaling, listening to a woodpecker that made far more noise than I ever expected woodpeckers to make.

Day 5 — Neel Gap to Low Gap Shelter | Mile 31.7 to Mile 42.7 | 11 miles | Elevation gain: ~2,100ft

Back to full pack. I was only carrying two days of food — Neel Gap to Low Gap, then Low Gap to Unicoi where the Green Dragon Hostel would pick me up. The pack felt manageable.

It was a beautiful day. Low 50s at the start, up to the low 70s by afternoon. I got completely lost in my own head. I’ve noticed out here that I carry my music and podcasts and I just don’t use them. The trail and my own thoughts are enough. More than enough.

What I keep coming back to is how simple it all is. You need water. You need food. You need shelter. Everything else falls away. That simplicity isn’t easy — it takes thought and energy and planning — but there’s a clarity in it that I wasn’t expecting.

At Low Gap Shelter I met Peaches — an 18-year-old from Georgia hiking with a woman named CC. Two strangers who found their pace together and became a team. Beautiful to watch. I’ve decided I’m going to be what I call healthy selfish on this trail — I want company, I love people, but I need to hike my own hike.

That night my mum accidentally called the whole family group instead of just me. I ended up on a 4-way call with brothers and sisters showing them the shelter, the bear hang, and the creek. Not what any of us planned. Exactly what all of us needed.

Day 6 — Low Gap Shelter to Unicoi Gap | Mile 42.7 to Mile 53.0 | 10.3 miles | Elevation gain: ~1,800ft

Beautiful weather — low 50s to start, up to 75 degrees by mid-afternoon. The kind of day that reminds you why you’re out here.

My IT band on my right leg has been getting tight around the five or six mile mark each day. Not burning, just overused. I’m watching it carefully. The slackpacking days have been a gift for recovery — I’m convinced that’s what’s kept it from becoming a real problem.

The terrain surprised me today. More mountainous than I’d anticipated, more rocks than I expected. A green tunnel section that was genuinely magical, and enough rock gardens to slow the pace considerably. The AT has a way of humbling your expectations.

I arrived at Unicoi Gap at 1:15pm — early enough that the Green Dragon came up to collect me ahead of schedule. Two things were waiting at the hostel: Popeye — unfortunately nursing a knee injury and taking zeros — and the Garmin charging adaptor she’d ordered online for me. Trail magic in a small package.

Popeye and I went into town for a double smash burger and a beer. My favourite combination anywhere in the world. Still true on the AT.

Day 7 — Dicks Creek Gap back to Unicoi Gap | Mile 65.6 to Mile 53.0 | 16.3 miles slackpacking | Elevation gain: ~3,200ft

My longest day yet — and I did it with a pack under 5 pounds.

The morning started perfectly. Coming into Dicks Creek Gap I found the Fantastic Five camped there overnight. Whit is leaving the trail tomorrow — it was always his plan — and I’m so glad the timing worked out to see him one more time. That group of people made my first days on trail something special.

The day was big. Three significant climbs over 16.3 miles through some of the most mountainous terrain I’ve hit so far. I was mostly alone, going southbound, getting the occasional puzzled look from NOBOs wondering why I was heading the wrong way.

Halfway through I realised I had made a mistake. I hadn’t packed my rain gear — the forecast looked clear and I thought I’d be fine. A rain cloud rolled in overhead and I got nervous. Got wet, got frustrated, got in my own head. Then a hiker coming the other way checked her Garmin and told me calmly it was just a light sprinkle and I’d be fine. She was right. But more than that, she reminded me that frustration doesn’t serve me. It adds danger. It clouds your thinking. I filed that lesson away.

I was racing the 4pm free shuttle back to Hiawassee. Checking the app constantly — going to make it, not going to make it — picking up pace on the downhills, slowing on the rocks. I came into Unicoi Gap with 5 minutes to spare, yelling at the van to wait for me.

Then trail magic. A hiker named Uno was there with a cherry Coke. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more in my life than I wanted that cherry Coke in that moment. She offered me a beer. I took the Coke. Perfect.

Our driver Judy offered to take Ben and I to Helen for our zero day the next morning. No charge. Just kindness.

People. It’s always people.

Week One — By the Numbers

Springer Mountain (Mile 0) to Dicks Creek Gap (Mile 65.6)

Total trail miles: 65.6

Days on trail: 7

Slackpacking days: 3 — Days 3, 4 and 7

States completed: 1 — Georgia

Highest point: Blood Mountain at 4,458ft — Day 4

Trail name earned: Cheshire

First trail magic: Cherry Coke at Unicoi Gap — Day 7

First fried green tomatoes: Dahlonega, Georgia — Day 3

Biggest lesson: Don’t say no to what the trail offers you

Seven days in and I already know — this is going to change me.

If you want to follow along in real time, every step is being documented on YouTube. New videos every Wednesday and Saturday at 9am AEST.

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Let’s go.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​