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On the subject of the Appalachian Trail, I was lucky enough to have a sorta granola, outdoors-y science teacher in middle school who felt exactly the same as you, OP. To remedy the situation, she got us fundraising at the start of the year (selling Chik-fil-a biscuits, I think it was), and by April, we had enough for the class to take a field trip to the base of the trail.
We hiked up to the Hike Inn, learned a bunch of neat stuff, stayed the night and hiked back down the next morning.
Now, I'd never hiked before (and I haven't since, boo), and I wasn't in the best shape. My teacher was quick to emphasize how easy our route along the Appalachian Trail was compared to other, more challenging hikes, but even so, I found it pretty grueling.
It was worth it, though. The Georgia mountains really are beautiful, and the night I slept at the Hike Inn was probably the best night's sleep I ever had.
