Appalachian Trail Georgia
Appalachian Trail, Georgia
Have you ever made big plans that just didn’t work out?
The hubs and I were planning to hike the Appalachian Trail with another couple starting with Georgia where we live. I did hours of planning to find out where we would each park and leave our cars. I wanted each hike to be manageable and not make it where one hike would be too short and another hike had to be crazy long. I know now that most section hikers say the planning takes way more time than the hike. I found this to be surprising, yet true.
Our first hike was a beautiful fall day. We got up bright and early. We ate an amazing breakfast and had a great lunch packed. I packed our supplements and collagen. I. Was. READY!
Well our friends never made it. Don’t worry. They’re ok. They were driving a friend’s Volvo on some questionable gravel roads and decided to turn around. We had driven my Jeep and quite enjoyed the adventurous roads.
John and I decided to do a couple out and back hikes. This REALLY illustrated for us the importance of having another couple with us so we can park at two different places and hike through instead of out and back. The AT is 2190 miles. If you do it all out and back, it’s 4380 miles!
My friend and I laughed about how we had both been spoiled by national parks that have amazing roads, plenty of parking, detailed maps with where and how to get to all the best lookouts. She decided their city cars would make it really difficult for us to hike the AT together. They decided to no longer do it.
When John and I got to our neighborhood, we drove over the dam. We stopped to take pictures of our beautiful lake and mountains. I commented that the prettiest thing we had seen that day was home.
I started to reflect on just how many hours planning had gone into this hike and my favorite part of that day was at home. I started to think about how this would eventually take over our travel plans. Where we might go to Europe or S. America, we would be hiking and entire week in PA or VA. Is this really what I wanted?
The answer was no. Does this mean I quit? I think I just changed my mind. Does it mean I failed? I think it means I listened to my body, heart and mind and found what I truly wanted.
I love to hike 3-8 mile hikes with big payoffs whether it’s waterfalls, beautiful mountain or valley vistas. When we travel we usually do 2-5 hikes in a week. We enjoy the rest of them time exploring the area, culture and food. We decided to keep doing these types of hikes and traveling.
So how can you apply this to your life. Let’s say you start working how first thing in the morning. You try it for a week, but now you’re tired all the time cause you’re used to that extra hour of sleep. If you stop working out in the morning, you didn’t fail. You listened to your body. So the next week, try something else. Maybe walking at lunch with a friend. Or going to the gym on your way home.
What’s something in your health that you tried and didn’t like that you thought it was your fault? You were somehow weak or flawed and not meant to be healthy. Can you take a second to forgive yourself for buying in to that negative self talk?
What is one thing you can try this week and it’s ok if you don’t like it. You’re allowed to change your mind and try something the next week and the week after until you find what works for you. You didn’t fail your diets or workout plans. They failed you. Take time to find things you love and work for you, your body and mind. All 3 will thank you.
I spent a lot of time planning out the hikes for Appalachian Trail, Georgia. I created a planner for myself that will be extremely helpful for those who are considering hiking it. The planner has hikes have been broken down into manageable distances ranging from 7-14 miles. It tells where you can park, stay over night and shuttle when needed. Additional spaces are provided to map distance from your starting points and add personal notes.
Click HERE to get your Appalachian Trail, Georgia Planner
FAQ
What are your favorite day hikes on the Appalachian Trail, Georgia?
We love Blood Mountain and Preacher’s Rock. You can do both in a day, though you would have to drive to them both. Get there early for parking.Where is the start of the Appalachian Trail, Georgia? You can choose to do the approach that starts at Amicalola Falls State Park. You can also park at Springer Mountain and do a quick 2 mile out and back to the actual start. There is a beautiful view and plaque there.
Is it possible to day hike the Appalachian Trail, Georgia? Yes! There will be some places where you might want to stay in the area and be shuttled to and from the trail. There are some parts in other states that will require camping.
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