1st Major Contact

This post comes a few days later than I'd hoped due to a busy past four days. Indeed, it's been a bit of a challenge trying to keep up with Matt and James on their AT for CZC adventure while juggling an overnight camping trip of my own (a school trip with four adults and 50 5th graders, so a bit different than Matt's adventure but equally challenging) and traveling home to Virginia to help my father recover from surgery this past weekend.

Matt and James have continued to chew up about twelve miles a day since my last post, culminating with a weekend stay in the small town of Helen, Georgia, a town of 300 year-rounders known for its large Oktoberfest celebration and often referred to as Georgia's "Gatlinburg." More on their stay in Helen momentarily...

This past Thursday morning (April 26th), Matt checked in via his Spot device, reporting that all was well on the Trail from this location.

Later that evening, I received the following text message from him, my first "extensive" contact with him since Saturday afternoon:

"In Helen, GA, for the night. 50 miles or so in. Feels like a lot more. Call me tonight. Staying in town to rest the knees."

With limited cell service of my own, I was able to do little more than congratulate him on making it to Helen. He left me a voice message on Friday morning as follows:

"Hey, Mike. Just wanted to let you know I'm doing alright... We're in Helen, Georgia, about 50 miles into the Trail. We already made it over Blood Mountain, which is the highest mountain in Georgia at 4,450 feet... We saw some hail on top but are staying dry by tenting every night... It's been beautiful so far with purple flowers on either side of the Trail for the past 35 miles... We've decided to stop in Helen to mail drop and restock on food... Let Mom know that everything is alright... Our next stop will be in another 50 miles which will put us in Franklin, NC... I'll call you again once we make our way up the road."

After finishing with my commitments at work on Friday, I gave Matt a call, afraid that he'd already headed back to the Trail. I was thrilled to find out that he and James had elected to stay in Helen a second evening to restock and brace themselves for Week #2. Many a thru-hiker have noted the importance of these breaks and, in talking with Matt on Friday night and Saturday morning, it became immediately clear that his morale, energy and enthusiasm had been lifted by this brief respite from the Trail.

A few of Matt's additional thoughts from Week #1:

• Food is a constant thought on the Trail. You're hungry all day, everyday.

• He and James have met some amazing people already on their adventure and are eager to come up with "Trail Names" in the next week.

• He will need to need to restock on Gold Bond often.

• The Trail is unbelievably massive.

With full bellies, restocked packs, a new deck of playing cards and clean clothes, James and Matt set out from Helen, GA at approximately 10am on Saturday, April 28th. They kicked off the boots and set up camp at 6:10pm that evening, their most recent correspondence.