Day 1 started fairly early
with a quick mile and a half to the official start of the AT. Rhiannon hiked
out with me to take pictures and send me off. We met a Trail Guardian who was
signing people in for the start and helping with general info. He gave me a
matchbook, which he asked I carry all the way. Apparently there might be some
surprise in exchange at the end. We'll see. 
The view from the top was unobstructed and beautiful, as you
can see. I set out ready to get the show on the road. With this much prep and
build-up, I just wanted to get started. Day 1 was as beautiful as Day 0,
something I was sure would come back to bite me. Rhiannon had quite the hike
back to the car herself.
Most of the day was uneventful, getting familiar with my trail guide and putting in some miles. The terrain reminded me of a mix between North Carolina and Tennessee. I made good time and got into the shelter for the night quite early. I would estimate over 40 people at the shelter, which was obviously way over capacity. Tents and hammocks were everywhere, so I set mine up as well. I hung out at the shelter for a while getting to know everyone. I met one person who is actually from Bellevue as well, and he is taking a semester off from Tennessee Tech. It was fun to watch everyone figuring out how to work new gear and generally get in the swing of things.
I attempted to cook using the wood fire capabilities of my stove but couldn't get it lit, so I cheated a bit and used solid fuel to get the wood going. Had a good dinner and talked with everyone some more. The shelter had a loft, and it wasn't long before the marijuana appeared and the migration up the steps began. I called it a night. About 4 AM the rain began to pelt my tent.
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