Sunday, April 10th

Rockfish Gap (864.3 mi) to Doyle’s River Trailhead (890.3 mi)

Hiking Miles: 26

Total Ascent: 5,815.3 ft

Total Descent: 4,874 ft

Total Grade: 410.6 ft/mi

Steps: 58,415

After 2.5 years of anticipating this exciting trek, Day 1 finally arrived. As life evolved leading up to this day, certain upcoming events influenced our decision to start our AT journey in Virginia (a flip-flop hike) rather than Georgia (a traditional through-hike). We decided to conveniently start at the southern entrance of the Shenandoah’s (in Rockfish Gap) and stop somewhere in either New Jersey or New York to complete the first of three sections. This would enable us to attend a wedding and a graduation ceremony in mid-May before starting the next section (Springer Mountain, GA back to Shenandoah National Park). We would then hop over (to where we finished the first section) and hike to Mount Katahdin, Maine to complete the 2194.3 mile course.

Planned Flip-Flop Through-hike:

• Section 1: Rockfish Gap (864.3 mi) to New Jersey/New York landmark (TBD mi)

• Section 2: Springer Mountain, Georgia (0 mi) to Rockfish Gap (864.3 mi)

• Section 3: New Jersey/ New York landmark (TBD mi) to Mount Katahdin (2194.3 mi)

Not really knowing what to expect, deciding on what food to take on our first day was our biggest decision. Whereas we had the luxury of slack packing (thanks to Teresa), our day packs would therefore only need to hold calorie-rich treats. Our plan was to hike 25 miles from Rockfish Gap (entrance to Shenandoah State Park) to Doyle Falls – an aggressive start but achievable given we were carrying only 5 pounds on our back, and we “thought” the terrain would be “relatively flat”.

Waiting to sign in at the registration box (entrance to Shenandoah National Park), we met two hikers (male & female) at the entrance of the park – they were on day 50, and we thought how incredible that was to have already hiked that many days (over 850 miles).

We soon realized that we left the hotel without our trekking poles (rookie mistake I suppose) and I naturally found a few branches along the way (as I would do during my practice runs back home.)

Everything to us seemed “new” and exciting. We even walked on snow and you would think we had never experienced that before. Later that morning, we met “Crossword”, a local hiker attempting the trail for his second time. He carried a large bear can that was full of snacks and candy. We thought how awkward it was to carry one of those large cans in addition to our packs, although at some point (perhaps when we reach the Great Smokies) that we would need to use one to store our food, rather than hanging it.

Blackrock was a scenic stop where we walked around (Stevie also climbed it to the summit) a huge rock pile leading to amazing views. At the summit, you could see for miles (fortunately it was clear skies) to the north, south and west. Over twenty miles in and Stevie still had terrific energy enough to scamper to to the top effortlessly. I conserved my energy for the last five miles of the day.

We enjoyed a number of sights and landmarks along the way, as the day passed by rather quickly. It was cold but our pace was swift which offset the chilly temps. Twenty-six miles later we reached the Doyle’s Trail Head parking lot where Teresa picked us up and drove us back to our hotel.

After a nice warm shower, we ate at the Outback restaurant within walking distance (like I really wanted to walk more miles) of our hotel and had lots of protein. Later that evening, Stevie chilled in the room and called Christina, while Teresa and I went in the hot tub at the hotel pool. I was sore, and I dreaded how my muscles and joints would feel in the morning. I also caught the end of a Colorado Avalanche playoff game before falling asleep. It was a successful Day 1.