A survey of firsts. When did you...?

[VictoriaM]

For those of you who have completed a thru hike, when/where did you:

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?
Take your first zero day?
Send home your first load of unneccessary items?
Send home your winter clothes?
First receive trail magic?
Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?
Spend your first night in an empty shelter?
First get homesick and want to quit?
Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?
Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?
First hike through a rainstorm?

Feel free to elaborate, and add any other firsts that you might want to share.

[Sly]

For those of you who have completed a thru hike, when/where did you:

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?
Mimbres, NM Mile 120


Take your first zero day?
After420 miles!



Send home your first load of unneccessary items?
I didn't take any unnecessary items.


Send home your winter clothes?
I never changed clothes/gear except from tarp to tent (NM to CO), and only replaced worn out/torn/lost items.



First receive trail magic?
Rawlins, WY Mile 1500



Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?
It was never a problem.


Spend your first night in an empty shelter?
CDT doesn't have shelters.


First get homesick and want to quit?

Homesick? I was home.


Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?
When I decided to hike the trail.



Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?
Still eat it!


Feel free to elaborate, and add any other firsts that you might want to share.
I'm not much of an elaborater and I'm not sure if I should/can/would share my 1st on a family website! ;)

[mweinstone]

your question requires too much effort to answer. read every word on the blaze and get more than you need to know. welcome.

[Footslogger]

[quote=VictoriaM]
Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?
First mail drop was Harpers Ferry. First re-supply was at Mountain Crossings/Neels Gap

Take your first zero day?
Hiawassee

Send home your first load of unneccessary items?
Pearisburg, VA

Send home your winter clothes?
Pearisburg, VA

First receive trail magic?
Breakfast courtesy of a local Boy Scout Troop at the base of Tray Mountain

Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?
Haven't yet

Spend your first night in an empty shelter?
Penn Shelter - July 18 2003 - Why do I remember ...cuz it was my birthday

First get homesick and want to quit?
Not homesick per se but missed my wife a lot starting in New England. I never wanted to quit.

Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?
Before my hike. As it turned out I completed the entire thru with serious kidney stone disease and had a related episode of hypothermia on the way up Franconia Ridge.

Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?
I never ate either one so ...NEVER. I ate breakfast bars and my dinners were varied but did not include Liptons

First hike through a rainstorm?
Can't remember the exact date but we had SOOOOO much rain in 2003 it's hard to pin down the first day. It was in early April though.

'Slogger

[Amigi'sLastStand]

[quote=VictoriaM]
Spend your first night in an empty shelter?
Penn Shelter - July 18 2003 - Why do I remember ...cuz it was my birthday

'Slogger

I wanna cry....:( Happy birthday, 'Slogger.

[Footslogger]

[quote=Footslogger]

I wanna cry....:( Happy birthday, 'Slogger.
================================

Well ...I'm over it now, but that was SOME irony. Loads of people on the trail all around me and no one showed up that night. It's kinda weird staying in an empty shelter. Almost doesn't feel right. But it was raining cats & dogs and I just wanted a dry night.

But hey, thanks for the belated wishes.

'Slogger

[Mouse]

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?

At the Walasi-Yi at Neels Gap.


Take your first zero day?

Hiawassee

Send home your first load of unneccessary items?

I pared things down carefully before I left, so never had to do that.

Send home your winter clothes?

Some at Hot Springs, more at Bland, the rest at Pearisburg.

First receive trail magic?

Within a week. I'd also had several opportunities to do trail magic, reuniting a cap with its owner and fixing a treking pole.

Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?

Before I left!

Spend your first night in an empty shelter?

LeConte Peak in the Smokys. (I'd gotten lost and strayed off the trail)

First get homesick and want to quit?

NEVER!!!!!

Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?

Somewhere in Maine.

Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?

Oatmeal: a few weeks. Liptons: never but mostly I ate ramen.

First hike through a rainstorm?

Carter Gap Shelter, 91 miles.

Feel free to elaborate, and add any other firsts that you might want to share.[/QUOTE]

[Lilred]

great thread. I haven't thru'd, yet, but looking forward to answers from others.

[rickb]

For those of you who have completed a thru hike, when/where did you:

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?

Got it in Monson, but had it forwarded to Straton, ME

Take your first zero day?

Perrisburg, VA two or three month later.

Send home your first load of unneccessary items?

Never

Send home your winter clothes?

Never. Not everyone is a northbounder!

First receive trail magic?

Day one, Roaring Brook Campsite when Ranger gave me the walking stick that got me to GA


Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?

Never bothered me. Wet socks were another story

Spend your first night in an empty shelter?

First night, July 13th, 1983

First get homesick and want to quit?

Never homesick, but got discouraged in Southern ME, which kicked my butt.

Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?

When Mom and Dad offered to loan me some Money (if needed) somewhere in Southern VA

Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?

Never. It was the sardines that I got sick of.

First hike through a rainstorm?

WHenever it rained. Not really a noteworthy event

[Programbo]

Interesting questions...I think the percentage of AT Thru-Hikers of today who have never done any previous long distance hiking is far far higher than 30 years ago which may account for a lot of these....I would be willing to bet that the number of people starting out on an attempted thru-hike in the mid-70`s who hadn`t been backpacking for years and already been on numerous long distance hikes would have been very small...Oatmeal and Lipton packets?..I assume that is the standard hiking fare of today?

[rockrat]

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?

Spend your first night in an empty shelter?

LeConte Peak in the Smokys. (I'd gotten lost and strayed off the trail)

[/quote]

Man you got lucky for the Leconte shelter to be empty. Thats also a long ways off trail. Was it snowing or something that day. For eight miles out of the way, there has to be a dang good story.:)

[Mouse]

Man you got lucky for the Leconte shelter to be empty. Thats also a long ways off trail. Was it snowing or something that day. For eight miles out of the way, there has to be a dang good story.:)[/QUOTE]

How's this?

http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=58299

[Chickety]

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?
Bought some food in Hiawasee, had we known how well stocked Neel's Gap was....we wouldn't have started with so much food. First maildrop was Pearisburg where we traded winter/summer sleeping bags

Take your first zero day?
Hiawasse

Send home your first load of unneccessary items?
Hiawasse

Send home your winter clothes?
Pearisburg after Mt. Rogers as suggested by many others, good choice.

First receive trail magic?
Day 2 - Woody Gap

Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?
Guess I got used to it, depends on how dirty they were. When they were wet and turning into that moldy smell....that was gross.

Spend your first night in an empty shelter?
Day 43 - Lost Mtn Shelter in VA

First get homesick and want to quit?
Never, too many opportunites to call or e-mail the fam.

Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?
In Maine.......it's not over.... until it's over!

Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?
Never got sick of oatmeal, liptons and snickers got old pretty fast though

First hike through a rainstorm?
Crossing the state line into NC, (rain/snow)

[Krewzer]

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?
Neel's Gap
Take your first zero day?
NOC
Send home your first load of unneccessary items?
Neel's Gap
Send home your winter clothes?
Most went in Damascus, bag and the rest in Harper's Ferry
First receive trail magic?
Springer, it's all magic.
Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?
Millinocket
Spend your first night in an empty shelter?
There are empty shelters?
First get homesick and want to quit?
Homesick? When I got that rash in Virginia. Want to quit? Never!!!
Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?
NJ
Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?
If it was food, I didn't get sick of it. Didn't eat peanut butter again for over a year though.
First hike through a rainstorm?
Day 5 or 6

[The Solemates]

For those of you who have completed a thru hike, when/where did you:

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?
Neel's Gap

Take your first zero day?
Hot Springs, NC

Send home your first load of unneccessary items?
We didn't take any unneccessary items.

Send home your winter clothes?
Pearisburg, VA

First receive trail magic?
Before even stepping on the trail. We got a free ride up to Springer with family, who also saw us off.

Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?
We wore the same stuff hiking and to bed; thus, we were never pulling on new clothes.

Spend your first night in an empty shelter?
Somewhere in GA; we started really early -FEB 1.

First get homesick and want to quit?
Never.

Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?
On the first day out of Springer.

Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?
Never.

First hike through a rainstorm?
I don't remember solid rain for great lengths until Vermont, when it rained on us the entire state for 8 days. We hiked through plenty of snowstorms early on though.

Feel free to elaborate, and add any other firsts that you might want to share.


See answers in quoted post.

[SGT Rock]

Pretty good thread. Nice answers.

[sarbar]

How's this?

http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=58299

That has to be the best! If you are going to get turned around, talk about a sweet deal!

[Cedar Tree]

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?
First drop NOC

Take your first zero day?
Newfound Gap (Gatlinburg), only 9 total zeroes.

Send home your first load of unneccessary items?
NOC, bout 6 lbs.

Send home your winter clothes?
Waynesboro, VA

First receive trail magic?
Can't remember that, got so much

Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?
never

Spend your first night in an empty shelter?
Tri-corner Knob in the Smokies. I had many, many nights alone in shelters

First get homesick and want to quit?
Really only 1 bad day, the day I met Blue Jay, not that he had anything to do with it. I think it was CT

Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?
Daicy Pond

Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?
Can't remember exactly, but I definitely did. Can't eat Liptons even now 6 years later. I went with cold cereal and powdered milk mostly, especially after Bland VA, when I sent my stove home. Luckily I LOVE Ramen, and it was a major staple of mine. I ate it a lot of times uncooked, sometimes smeared with peanut butter or maple surup. I still eat ramen all the time, at least once a week.

First hike through a rainstorm?
Don't remember exactly the first one, but I hiked through an unbelievable storm over Dragon's Tooth.

Cedar Tree

[Bloodroot]

For those of you who have completed a thru hike, when/where did you:

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?
Take your first zero day?
Send home your first load of unneccessary items?
Send home your winter clothes?
First receive trail magic?
Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?
Spend your first night in an empty shelter?
First get homesick and want to quit?
Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?
Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?
First hike through a rainstorm?

Feel free to elaborate, and add any other firsts that you might want to share.

First drop......Hiawassee
First zero......Fontana
First send home....Neels Gap
Winter clothes......NOC
First Trail Magic....Trey Mtn. by two fellas: Red Truck & Green Truck
Nasty clothes....bout a week into it
Empty shelter....Hmmm.....can't remember
Homesick....never
First hike in BIG rainstorm.....Man got nailed hard by hail and heavy rain before coming into NOC

[mweinstone]

intresting.....

[Slingshot]

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time? I didn't do mail drops and resuplied in at neels.
Take your first zero day? Haiwassie...The weather really was supposed to be bad....
Send home your first load of unneccessary items? I walked up to the first trash can I saw after getting on the trail and started unloading into it.
Send home your winter clothes? Pearisburg VA
First receive trail magic? Right after Blue mtn GA
Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning? That took a good month to get used to
Spend your first night in an empty shelter? I never did that
First get homesick and want to quit? Day 1
Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing? ah...sadly I never realized that because I ran out of money in CT :(
Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets? ahaha night 2 UGH!
First hike through a rainstorm? I hiked through a sweet hail storm in the smoky's on day 19.

[Jack Tarlin]

First maildrop: Neel Gap.
First Zero: Hiawassee some years. Otherwsie, Franklin.
First mail sent home: Also Neel Gap.
Winter stuff home: Pearisburg VA.
First Trail magic: Summit of Springer (!!)
Getting used to nasty clothes: Around the third day.
First empty shelter: Don't stay in 'em.
Homesick: Never.
Realized that nothing would knock me off the Trail: From Day One.
Tired of Food: I NEVER ate oatmeal, and I STILL eat Liptons.
First rain: Georgia.

[MoBeach42]

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?

No mail drop, first resupply Neals Gap

Take your first zero day?

Damascus

Send home your first load of unneccessary items?

Hot Springs

Send home your winter clothes?

They kind of dribbled home starting in Damascus

First receive trail magic?

Albert Mtn.

Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?

Never started feeling disgusted. I still love it.

Spend your first night in an empty shelter?

Pretty sure Fullhardt Knob Shelter, but I camped alone several times before that.

First get homesick and want to quit?

It wasn't homsickness, but being sick of the pounding ups and downs on slabs of wet slippery granite coming down Saddleback. Yeah, really. I said if my girlfriend was at the roadcrossing at the bottom, and she offered me a ride, I'd take it. But that was the only 2 hour window when I entertained such thoughts.

Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?

Harper's Ferry

Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?

Never at much oatmeal, and prefered Velveta shells to Liptons.

First hike through a rainstorm?

Coming out of the NOC. It was a heckuvah rain, and wicked cold.

Feel free to elaborate, and add any other firsts that you might want to share.

[Thumper 2006]

Receive your first mail drop, or resupply for the first time?

First maildrop was at Fontana Damn
Take your first zero day?

Hot Springs, NC

Send home your first load of unneccessary items?

I used everything I had

Send home your winter clothes?

Pearisburg, VA way too soon.

First receive trail magic?

Cheese Factory Campsite in GA.

Stop feeling disgusted at pulling on dirty clothes in the morning?

Never felt disgusted.

Spend your first night in an empty shelter?

The Shelter right before road crossing for Catawba, VA.

First get homesick and want to quit?

Never really got homesick, but simply got tired of walking up and down, all day, probably VT
Realize that nothing but unexpected illness or injury could keep you from finishing?

Harper's Ferry

Get sick of oatmeal and Lipton packets?

Never ate oatmeal. I ate it enough in college and on my younger years of backpacking.
First hike through a rainstorm?

Smokies