The Ultimate Appalachian Trail State by State Guide Blog: Day 1: Georgia

Admit it.  

When you think of a hike through the north Georgia Mountains, the movie "Deliverance" is sitting in the back of your mind.  But have no fear, I'm here to assure you that you don't have to be Burt Reynolds when you start your trek on the Appalachian Trail.  We won't even talk about poor Ned Beatty.  You MAY hear gun shots in the first 20 miles or so, but that's just the Army Ranger camp over the hill, not Jimbo and the boys.  With that said, onward to our hike. 

The southern most state on the Appalachian Trail runs 78 miles from it's terminus at Springer Mountain to Bly Gap at the North Carolina border.  The hiking in this section can be described as moderate, as we'll come across some decent ascents/descents, but it is also predominantly a walk in the woods with plenty of switchbacks on the hills.  The highest point we'll come across along the way is on Blood Mountain, with it's stone built hiker shelter and views for days.  Speaking of breathtaking mountain views, don't forget to check out Ramrock Mountain, Preacher's Rock, and Cowrock Mountain while we are in Georgia.  

The first resupply point we come to is 30 miles in at Neel Gap, the home of the Walasi-Yi hostel and the infamous "Shoe Tree".  This is the first real point on a thru hike that some hikers decide "this isn't for me" and arrange a shuttle back to civilization.  Tradition is for quitters to lace the strings of their shoes or boots together and lob them over a limb on the tree in front of the hostel.  It's truly something to behold.  Also located on the property is Mountain Crossings, a gear and supply shop, and also home of the best Digiorno pizza you'll ever eat.  Hiker hunger is a real thing, but we'll talk more about that later on in our virtual thru hike.  

After leaving Neel Gap, the next (and last) resupply hub is off of Unicoi Gap.  From there a hiker has to hitch or call for a shuttle into one of the towns of Hiawassee or Helen.  Before I get to telling you the perks of each of those towns, this is a good place to mention trail magic.  'Trail magic' is the serendipity of something nice happening to hikers, when they appreciate it the most.  Things like locals having coolers of food and drinks at road crossings, offering a free ride into town, or even a warm bed for the night are some examples of the trail magic hikers experience on the journey to Maine.  It's really an amazing part of the hiking community, and we as hikers should never take this for granted and treat our 'trail angels'  kindly.  I bring 'trail magic' and 'trail angels' up at this point, because we can't leave the state of Georgia without mentioning how many people in that state truly care about their Appalachian Trail hikers.  You will only rarely come to a road crossing in Georgia that DOESN'T have some form of 'trail magic'.  It's a nice counter argument to the "Deliverance" fear mongers mentioned at the beginning of this blog.  

With that side tangent explained, it's off to Hiawassee or Helen for a day of rest and relaxation...usually coming by form of a ride into town from a 'trail angel' (see what I did there?).  Each town has something different to offer.  If you're looking for a simple town to mingle with the locals, loaded with many restaurants, hotels, and grocery stores for resupply, then Hiawassee is the town for you.  If you're looking to be more of a tourist and want to experience the kitschy side of life, Helen is right up your alley.  It is modeled after a Bavarian German town, complete with small shops, authentic cuisine, and all the beer one could want (bonus points for Southbound hikers, coming into town during Oktoberfest!).  You can't go wrong with either of the two towns, it's just different strokes for different folks.  After leaving whichever town you choose, it's just a short hike to wrap up this wonderful state along the Appalachian Trail.  North Carolina is within 20 miles.  It's been a pleasure walking these 78 miles with you!

Join me this weekend when we enter North Carolina and Tennessee, tackling things like the Great Smoky Mountains and a 60 mile stretch without privies (get used to digging catholes) before we enter Virginia early next week.  

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