Adventures as a family
Someday is today
Day 1 on the AZT
Mileage: 5 miles
Weather: snow, cold, storms
We woke up at 5am to a thunderstorm which then turned to snow. Looking at the weather, it was supposed to clear out in the next couple hours. So we had some breakfast and got ready. Our shuttle wasn’t picking us up until 10.
Our shuttle was on time! Our driver/guide, Heather, was fantastic and knew so much about the area. She taught us a lot. She made our 3+ hour drive go by very quickly. Highly recommended! Her picture is below (she gave us permission to post it)!
We arrived at the trail! Our journey began! Woohoo! About 10 minutes or .15 of a mile the rain started. It was light so we didn’t much mind. The wind was strong! We climbed 1,031 ft in 2.33 miles. The rain kept getting harder and the wind stronger. The temperatures were dropping and it started to snow on us. I was starting to freeze. The trail was muddy and rocky but pretty flat once we reached the top. Since it was getting pretty bad weather wise, we decided to stop and camp. We completed 5 miles. By this time I was soaked and froze! We set up the tent (my fingers were like frozen sausages)! Putting up a tent in bad weather is a backpackers nightmare. Keeping it all dry just doesn’t happen but we did our best and survived. It was only about 4:30pm and we were lying down for the evening. We didn’t bother cooking anything just needed to warm up. I couldn’t stop shaking. Family Mule and I snuggled up in our warm clothes, sleeping bag, and called it a night. Then all the sudden a cow comes right up to the tent and was freaking out we were there! Luckily we are accustomed to cows or that would have been a huge deal! We did finally get warm and settled down but the night was miserable! The wind and rain (even some hail) didn’t stop all night and most the morning. Body wise…it hurt but we survived!
Adventures as a family 
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What an exhilarating adventure full of unexpected challenges and triumphs! Despite the harsh weather conditions, your determination and spirit shine through. Stay resilient and keep embracing the journey ahead!
Thanks
Chris Cantrell
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