AND SO IT BEGINS....

AND SO IT BEGINS…..

MY APPALACHIAN TRAIL LOVE AFFAIR….

“It just doesn’t get any better than this!”  (My sister’s words upon reaching the summit of Blood Mountain.)

      ….and so began my love affair with the Appalachian Trail! 

I’d never even heard of Dahlonega, Georgia until a little over a year and a half ago, when my youngest son decided his college of choice was North Georgia College and State University.  We arrived in town on the afternoon of November 9^th, 2010 so that he could attend an ROTC event that weekend.  Since we had time to kill, we ended up at Amicalola Falls, which is where most Appalachian Trail adventures begin.  The AT approach trail leads to the summit of Springer Mountain, a mere 8.5 miles from the gift shop where all thru-hikers are asked to check in.  All I had to do was set foot on the start of that approach trail and the longing to walk from Georgia all the way to Maine took control of my heart and has become my obsession. 

Our next trip to Dahlonega included plans to complete several day hikes, starting with the summit of Springer Mountain, where a meager plaque marks the southern terminus of the AT and the beginning of the almost 2200 miles journey for most.  I turned my Toyota Highlander off the main road onto GA service road 28 and proceeded to make the harrowing ascent to the parking lot that marked the trailhead to Springer.  After what seemed like hours, I finally put my car in park, grabbed my daypack and headed out, thrilled and filled with the anticipation of finally actually standing on the spot I’d only seen in videos or read about in books.  It didn’t take long for me to realize just how out of shape I was, something I chose to blame on having lived in Florida where there aren’t even any hills, let alone steep ascents to mountain tops.  Needless to say, I made it to the summit of Springer and the overwhelming sense of joy and accomplishment filled my heart.  I felt a closeness with so many I’d never even met as I made my own small entry into the journal that was safely tucked away in that metal box.  I felt like kindred spirits with those who had been there before me.  I finally felt as if I was exactly where I was meant to be….like I’d finally come home.

It’s been said that time on the Appalachian Trail “changes you” and it “fixes you,” and I have to say that for me, no truer words have been spoken.  That first 7 or 8 mile hike was all it took for me to know that one day I will walk the entire length of the AT.  It’s hard to describe how it makes me feel to simply “be” out there on the trail.  In order to prevent certain stumbling, I walked on with my eyes on the ground…but doing so opened up a whole new world for me as I discovered all kinds of new things:  mushrooms in colors I never knew existed; bugs I’d never seen (and hope to never have on me); tiny flowering plants, animal tracks….the list goes on and on.  Then there’s the smell of the woods.  There’s something about that smell that takes me back in time.  I love to take deep breaths of the crystal clean air…..it seems to fill my lungs with a new vigor and I find energy I never knew I had.  Often times, I’d simply stand in the silence of the deep woods, listening to the wind rustling through the tops of trees so tall they seemed to touch the heavens.  I can honestly say that my soul has never known such peace.

I can agree with what’s been said about how time on the AT “changes you” and “fixes you,” but I’d have to add one more attribute to that list.  My time on the Appalachian Trail is what saves me.  I’ve been through some extremely emotional times and whenever I feel that pain becoming more than I can bear, my spirit returns my heart to the AT….because when I’m there, my heart doesn’t hurt. All my troubles seem to fade away. The woods seem to wrap its arms around me and take me in, welcoming me back with total acceptance and no questions asked.  It doesn’t matter if I can only walk a few steep steps before I have to stop and catch my breath.  There’s no one out there to tell me I can’t.  In fact, there’s always something waiting ahead of me to reward me for a job well done…for not quitting or giving up, even when my body feels like it’s at the edge of exhaustion and I am certain I can’t haul my rear end up one more rock.  I can…and I do….and when I finally reach the top, no greater reward exists than the view! 

To date, I’ve only been blessed to have hiked short sections of the AT, to include some of the approach trail, Springer Mountain and the Benton McKay Trail, and up to the summit of Blood Mountain (which was by far the most challenging thing I’ve ever done), but the passion to complete a thru-hike has overcome me and become my life’s goal.  I may only be able to do so in sections, but my personal challenge has become to one day have my picture taken behind that sign posted on the summit of Katahdin.  I’m often quoted as saying that one of these days, I’m simply going to disappear into those woods and emerge some 2100 miles later a changed woman.  I can think of no better way to end my story that’s just beginning than to quote a piece of a song lyric:  “I walk this walk for me.”

Lori Domingo, Trail name “Dreamer”

(the piece above is the article I submitted to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's publication, 'AT Journeys' for consideration for their 'As I See It" column.

My Movie

I WALK THIS WALK FOR ME

A MOUNTAIN BIDS ME FAREWELL...TILL WE MEET AGAIN

One Goal Achieved!

MY APPALACHIAN TRAIL ADVENTURE....AN UPDATE

I will start by apologizing for the fact that I'm unable to share pictures at this time.  I borrowed a laptop to bring on my trip that does not have my new Cannon DSLR software installed.  That having been said, I thought I'd still post a bit about my time on the Appalachian Trail.

I've spoken briefly about my experience on Springer Mountain and plan to go into more detail once my photos are available.  My second "meeting" with the Appalachian Trail included a hike to the summit of Blood Mountain.  Now, being the avid reader that I am, I'd already been warned that this hike was considered strenuous, something that didn't scare me off.  My son and I found getting to the trailhead much easier than the previous day.  We parked the car, looked around the almost empty lot, and just stood, taking it all in.  Our first order of business is to suit up with bug spray because the insects along the trail are persistent hiking companions.  Lo and behold....I'd taken the spray out the night before to adjust the contents of our bad and forgot to put it back in.  Okay....so no big deal.  We could deal with the ever-present buzzing sounds in our ears.  Surprisingly enough, though, neither of us suffered any bites.  Double checking our bag for water and other items, we were finally ready to head out.

The trail head led us almost immediately into a dense forest of low growing, flowering trees, giving the trail an almost spooky effect.  Pretty much from the beginning, the trail ascended steeply via a series of swithbacks as we seemed to zig-zag up the side of the mountain.  Approximately .7miles up the trail, we came into a clearing and met up with the Appalachian Trail.  Once again, my senior brain couldn't remember which way we were suppose to go.  My son's advice proved to be wise:  if we want to hike to the summit then we have to take the trail direction that goes up not down....so we did just that...and boy, UP it went!  My son has the patience of a saint with me so my frequent requests to stop and catch my breath didn't phase him.  He seemed to have non-stop energy for our climb while there were moments when I seriously didn't think my leg muscles could lift my butt up on more rock or step.  My heart was pounding and sweat was pouring off of me and I'll even admit that there were a couple of times where I thought about quitting.  My son would just say "it's up to you."  I knew I couldn't quit.  For most AT hikers, this is just a small piece of their journey.  For me, it's the beginning of what I hope to continue some day in the future.  So, onward and upward we went.  After over 2 hours of hiking up, we finally broke the summit and the view was amazing!  We were so high at times that my son would ask me if we were actually in the clouds.  Yes, we were.  I have to digress for a moment to add that my son said several times that the forest that surrounded us was just what he would think a bear would come out of and he was forever planning his escape route should we encounter one.  I told him that the bear would just have to eat me because I was too exhausted for an escape attempt.  It wasn't until we began our descent that I could take the time to notice just how deep in the woods we really were.  Very few people ever get to see what we were seeing.  It's amazingly peaceful and natural...so real.  Getting down the mountain didn't take as long as going up did and before we knew it, we were once again in that clearing where the AT crossed a side trail that was our exit to the trail head.  It was then that we were joined by a solitary hiker who simply smiled and said hello as he passed us and headed up the same trail we'd just come down.  Hiking that area alone would really be amazing but I'm not quite ready for that one yet.  I have decided my next goal is to hike from Amicalola Falls to the southern terminus of the AT atop Springer Mountain.  There's a shelter there to spend the night before making the return trip the next day.  Again...a trip that would be a baby step for the experienced AT hiker but will be an achievement for me.

I am hoping to put all my feelings into better words that will be shown in the pictures I took along the way.  I was exhausted and sore from my "mountain climbing" adventures but would do it all over again if I could.  I want to stand on the summit of Springer Mountain again (just via a route other than that drive up FSR28 or 42).  I want to hike from one mountain to the next.  I want to be where my spirit feels free.  I want to hike the Appalachian Trail.

MY APPALACHIAN TRAIL ADVENTURE SO FAR...

There are those who cannot understand just what it is that draws me to these woods.  There terrain can be treacherous, there are active bear warning signs everywhere, and I often walk for miles without seeing another person.  We approached our destination yesterday, Springer Mountain, via an unpaved forest service road that was a hair-raising experience for me.  My son kept saying "cool, I'm looking DOWN at the treetops," to which I replied "I don't want to know that!"  It seemed to take us forever to traverse that 10 miles to the parking lot but we finally made it.  We hiked a narrow trail and when we reached the summit a feeling of accomplishment came over me...I was finally standing in a spot I'd only read about and longed to see....the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.  It's rather simple....modestly marked by a small plaque on the ground and a slightly larger one on a boulder not too far from the other one....but as I made my entry into the journal that's safely kept in a mailbox attached to the boulder, I felt a connection with hundreds who had been there before me.  I felt like I was a part of a group that shares common ground...a love for the outdoors and the splendor of the Appalachian Trail.  I will be heading back out today, this time to tackle the trail to the summit of Blood Mountain....a trail that gains 1000 feet in elevation in one mile.  My calf muscles are barking this morning but I am determined to make the climb.  It's more than just a hike to me...it's a spiritual journey of sorts that I can't wait to share in more detail later....a journey that will stay with me forever in my heart...


More to come: Journey to the summit of Blood Mountain (and photos once I return home and get them uploaded)