Mile 1

They arrived at the parking lot for the trailhead leading up to Springer Mountain. From here, it is a 2-mile hike South to the peak and back. It would be the only time she would hike south for the next six months. Honestly, It is more ceremony than anything else. She wanted to connect the steps between Springer and Katahdin. Let no blaze go untouched and all that. She knew that the weather wouldn’t be perfect along her journey; she just wasn’t quite expecting it to happen all at once. It was raining. No, that is an understatement. It was pouring. She deployed her armor against the elements: Rain pants, rain jacket, waterproof boots, and gloves. She was cocky. She was undeterred. She was horribly wrong.

Everything went askew within that first hour of hiking to the peak and back. Her raincoat was not keeping the rain at bay. It wet out almost immediately. Her trusty waterproof hiking boots of two years decided today would be the day that they would spring a leak. Jabberwalker offered her poncho as an additional preventative measure. However, the damage was done. Misfit felt the cold nipping at her skin the moment she stood still. She had to move. So she shared a rushed and panicked goodbye and started hiking. She didn’t know what else to do. Even on day one, there is no backtracking. Tears nipped at her eyes. She kept her head down, trying to ignore the rain as it hammered at her supposed layers of protection. It was no use. She was wet. She was wetter than words can describe. She was soaked so thoroughly that her bones felt damp. She. Was. Wet.

Arriving at Hawk Mountain Shelter, a shelter rated for 10 inhabitants, she was greeted by 30 other hikers (also wet), making the best effort to warm up in the small 3-walled hut. They sat there in silence for a while, unsure what to discuss other than the apparent discomfort. As their bodies warmed up from our collective body heat, so did their spirits. They joked. The rain stopped. Most took this as an opportunity to set up their tents for the night and make dinner. She changed into her dry night clothes. It was the only other clothing she had. Futility, she hung up her hiking uniform on a line hoping it would dry. Feeling ever so slightly better, the hikers dispersed from the shelter in a simple ballet of visiting the privy, filtering water, and finally dozing in their tents. Most were asleep before sundown; nearly all were still wet.