AT Round 1

My first time doing a long distance backpacking trip was after my Sophomore year of college. I heard many good things from other students who had taken the class the year before. I bought and borrowed all my gear and I was ready to roll. When we finally arrived in Dennis Cove, TN and met some thru-hikers, I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. These people had already been out here for months, they smelt bad, looked dirty, and hiked 20+ miles that day. Here I was with a fresh set of clothes and soft feet. I had a longing to be accepted into this hiker community, but I felt like an outsider looking in. I felt this way the first week. Once my blisters finally callused and I looked and smelt dirty. I also felt like I could endure more than other hikers because after a day of rain a section hiker gave up and decided to go home. However, that day of rain turned into a week of rain. I had endured waking up being wet and cold, hiking wet and cold, and going to bed wet and cold. This took a toll on me, because once we got to the campsite, we would sit in our tents and we would wait until it was time to cook for dinner then retreat back into the tent. Being up in a cloud is amazing for an afternoon, but it gets old after three days. One day when I was hiking to "echo rock" there was a break in the cloud and we were finally able to see the breathtaking landscape that surrounded us. The one day we had of sun and clear skies made all of it worth it. It is like we had to work hard and endure for our reward.