It was with a lump in my throat that I waved goodbye to Pieter and Sureta and walked off, alone, to start the long road to Maine. When I signed yhe initial register, I was thru-hiker number 1043 for the year. I was excited, but also real nervous and slightly overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it all.

The 8 mile approach trail went by quickly, and having set off around 11:30 I reached the official start of the AT around 15:00. From there it was a rainy afternoon walk to the first shelter I stayed in, which was already quite full when I arrived.

Day 2 had lovely sunny weather, although despite the glorious hiking I felt pretty homesick - really small and far from everything. An early camp, some reading and befriending one 'Buffalo Joe' cheered me up though.

Today (day 3), Joe and I took a morning walk to Neel Gap, where we're taking the rest of the day off for recovery. I'm generally feeling in good shape, but after two 16 mile days, and another 7 miles this morning, I can tell my body needs a bit of a rest. I expect to be averaging 20 miles plus within a week or two.

The route is great, with exquisite views. And I keep feeling like I'm walking through the set of Moonrise Kingdom.

Amicalola Falls, where the approach trail starts.

A typical view.

The start of the trail.

A glorious sunrise (and, of course, a selfie :-)

Buffalo Joe