As stated, the approach trail will give you an idea of what you are really in for. I would suggest that you do the first mile from the visitor center to the lodge and then stay at the lodge overnight. the first mile is almost all uphill, about 1200 ft, I think. You will find out that your pack is probably heavier than you really want to be pulling hills like that.
That night at the lodge, you can re-assess your gear and identify things you can probably get rid of. If you start from the summit, your first opportunity for getting rid of excess gear will be 20 or 30 miles down the trail.
Some good advice! I'm not sure if I would go about lowering pack wt exactly this way, but it is one way to go about, and certainly a good suggestion in principal. I don't know how you are planning to get to the TH or what your pre-hike plans are, but if you are coming from Ohio I think it can make a lot of sense to consider Josh and Leigh Saint's Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega. You can recuperate after the flight, train, car, or bus ride, get picked up from wherever public transportation from Ohio leaves you, get a meal that will ready you for your AT start, get some savy last minute pre-hike info, get a ride to the TH, and have someone at the hostel look at your gear. When I went through the Hiker Hostel Pilgrim was there. He offered to look at what everyone was carrying. I saw him reduce the wt of one prospective thru-hikers pack by TWELVE (12) lbs. Most of it in excess food wt or packaging. That can make a difference!
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In either case, as was stated.. Hike Your Own Hike. Take your time early on and enjoy. As you get in shape, the terrain gets somewhat easier (in Virginia), and the days get longer, the mileage will pick up. A lot of the speed hikers (15-20 milers early) never make it past Damascus. They are burned out or get injured from all the stresses of hiking that sort of distance before your body is ready for it.
Good advice! I also witness this quite often. It often happens with those obsessed with speed, which is common with younger thru-hikers, but certainly is not confied to that group. I have been to hotels in Franklin that could more aptly be described as thru-hiker hospitals largely because of thru-hikers going out too hard too fast too early. You will most likely hike yourself into better shape. Take it slower at the start. ENJOY the Journey!
Have a great hike. See you up the trail.