In the second week of our hike we cross our first state border from Georgia into North Carolina. No matter where we are on the trail the people we meet are one of the highlights for us. Another highlight is staying with host families - eating home cooked food and playing with other kids. The kids enjoy using technology and having internet access when off trail but Tenacious Bling chooses to send back her iPad because of the weight. Getting a new tent, increasing our daily mileage, and becoming more efficient at camp and town routines are all part of finding our feet on the trail in these first few weeks.
In our first week on the trail we experience Neels Gap, our first resupply out of Unicoi Gap, and a rain storm. One of the tents failed, so we got cozy in our three person tent. The following day, we seek reprieve from the storm with other thru-hikers at a trail shelter and we form friendship in the woods.
We're finally here - Springer Mountain! After months of preparation we settle into the first few days of hiking. We meet up with friends, learn how to deal with heavy packs, and start figuring out our routines for camp chores and cooking.
Meet our video editors, the Johnson Family. The kids explain, with a stop motiom, how we're producing these videos while on the trail - with a lot of help from our fabulous editors. On the day before they start, Damien and Renee talk about pre-hike logistics, food shopping for the trail, and other hike preparations.
How do we manage to take off from life for 6 months to hike in the woods? One way to make this more affordable was to become homeless for our hike, moving our belongings into storage. After doing that we had a long drive, first to Maine, then down to Georgia. Before we even start the trail we have a journey of multiple beginnings.
