Backpacking for the first time in Virginia’s wilderness

05 May Backpacking for the first time in Virginia’s wilderness

Posted at 17:18h in Travel Stories, Virginia by Caroline Rose 0 Comments

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It’s funny, I’ve spent loads of time with a heavy backpack over my shoulders and I’ve even been on a several month road-trip where I camped most of the time, but I had never backpacked. That is – I’d never hiked with a backpack full of camping gear and necessities to stay the night outdoors. I was always spoiled with a warm bed or a campsite accessible by car.

So when my friend invited me to go backpacking with her brother along the Appalachian trail, I couldn’t pass it up.

Like most new adventure experiences, it started with me procrastinating getting ready, Googling anything helpful like ‘the most efficient way to pack’, and ended with a few lessons and an overall incredible experience that I want to share here.

So let’s start from the beginning…packing.

As I said, I Googled that shit. I definitely didn’t have all the top-notch gear but wasn’t going to buy expensive stuff just for this trip when I’m in the process of getting rid of things to probably move abroad. Instead, I just used whatever I had access to: my brother’s hunting backpack, an old sleeping bag, a two-person tent from my road trip days, and some bulky clothes to keep me warm overnight.

With all this stuff though, I can definitely understand why getting lightweight, good quality gear is necessary if backpacking more frequently and for longer. But we were only going for one night – so I made it work.

Not gonna lie though – in the first mile uphill I may have regretted bringing a fleece blanket. But starting any trail is always the hardest part. This particular hike was only about 3 miles one way, all uphill with a 1,900 elevation gain.

Hiking with supportive people though is always a game-changer. We kept each other going, made plenty of stops, and were in no rush which was so nice because the trail was beautiful.

However, with an aching back and burning quads, I could not have been more excited to reach the top and hear, “Okay, this is it.” And wow – what a spot.

The campsite was a grassy clearing overlooking the lush valley below. It was a peaceful heaven.

Over the next 24 hours, we enjoyed delicious homemade foil dinners, melted smores, a panoramic view as we dangled our feet off the crest, catnaps from our swaying hammocks, a gleaming sunrise, and a homey breakfast of eggs, toast, and avocado.

All of this would be incredible on its own, but I found it even more rewarding knowing we had worked for it. Convenience is great, but when you put in time and energy to prepare great food and sweat for a good view, it’s that much more enjoyable.

I will definitely be backpacking again.