First days on the AT

[Mitey Mo]

I am new to hiking but very much in love with it . Being a 61 year old small woman I wanted to find out what I could do. My29 year old son went hiking with me from Front Royal to Elkwallow wayside this weekend. I carried a 26 lb pack (I am 112 lbs) I loved every minute of it It was challenging and intense. I held up pretty good. No knee problems that I feared would slow me down even further. I hike in the mountains at about 1 1/2 mph. We did 12 miles first day and hammocked at Gravel Springs. Very cold night _ 38*. Did 6 miles to Elkwallow Wayside and called husband to take us back to our car at 4h center Hitching idea didn't work. Home is hour and half away! We saw a deer that almost ran us off the trail and a bear eating new tree leaves for breakfast! Many wildflowers!! This trip answered two questions I needed answered and that is I should only do about 7 - 8 miles a day if I to do more than one day and I would prefer to hike with a companion to share the experience with. The trip was concluded by getting to meet Mouse Bait, Meats, and Geronimo at the wayside. What a fun, friendly and lively bunch of young people! Hope you make it to Maine, guys! We did pass Aloha Grandpa on the trail but he seemed in a hurry. Meats told us he was 78 years old and got up every day and hit the trail hard!! I think he will make it. 78!!! Now I have to get up tomorrow and go to work

[Blissful]

Glad you had a good time.

[slovakiasteph]

I'm going out on the AT for the first time this summer and am also looking forward to seeing how I'll hold up! Sounds like you had a great trip.

[Loneoak]

Sounds like you had a wonderful, now know your limits and got to see some really cool wildlife/flowers. Hope you are able to get out more often.

[rocketsocks]

Congrats on your hike and not getting yourself hurt,You are officially a Backpacker and your life will never be the same.You've really gone and done it this time!

[Mrs Baggins]

Love love love stories like yours! I didn't start hiking/backpacking til I was 45 yrs old. Fell instantly insanely in love with it all. Now I lead a hiking group of 216 women, many who had never hiked a mile of any trail in their lives until they joined us. And many of them were hooked on their very first day out. The oldest in our group is 73 and she can out hike any one of us! Hope to meet you on the trail someday!

[Jim Adams]

Good for you!.....don't stop, it only gets better!

geek

[lemon b]

Welcome to the club. Sounds like your hooked.

[Mitey Mo]

I know you are pretty far north of me, but could you give more information on your hikig group? I have no one to really hike with. My son lives in Buffalo' NY

[OldFeet]

Great start Mitey Mo. Happy hikng for the future.

[oldbear]

For some people hiking is very easy to fall in love with and once so smitten impossible to fall out of love with.

[Hikes in Rain]

Mitey Mo, there just happens to be a chapter of the Trail Dames in Front Royal. Here's a link to the main web page: http://www.traildames.com/ And another to the Front Royal chapter: http://www.meetup.com/Trail-Dames-of-Virginia/

While I've never met nor corresponded with any of the Trail Dames, I do love their website and what they represent. Worth checking out.

[kofritz]

good reading - mountain marching mamas; ATC magazine can be consulted for similar experiences.

[Mitey Mo]

Thanks!!!!!