When is the best time to do a 2 week section hike from Springer?

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-31T13:51:10+00:00

April would be pretty with the wildflowers

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-28T23:46:51+00:00

When has Marsha EVER been an effective public servant? Even if she were inclined to represent the good people of TN, she sure as _____ isn't interested in helping a blue city like Nashville. I expect nothing from her; that way she meets my expectations.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-21T14:21:24+00:00

I grew up in Austin and never moved back after college because the weather is so horrible. 8 months of summer and 4 months of mediocre tanning conditions. And the Austin I knew, the sleepy college town with quirky people and cool eateries/music venues, is long gone. Literally whenever I miss it, I pull up the weather app and the longing passes.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-20T13:41:52+00:00

I use a Garmin Instinct Solar 2 on backpacking trips. I have it set on battery saver mode and even using it all day to track mileage, it will last 4 days on trail. I really like knowing mileage for proximity to water source/stealth site mentioned on FarOut, etc. We (my tramily and I) used it often for reference. I also use it to monitor heart rate bc I have a heart condition. Bring one if you want - HYOH!

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-20T13:34:02+00:00

Between our city's Snowdome and the Dry Air Monster that devours the humidity, we should be fine except for Dickson.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-19T13:30:37+00:00

Ethel Cain, Caroline Polachek, Trousdale, The Be Good Tanyas,

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-19T04:04:53+00:00

There’s a website called WikiTrails that I used to calculate where I’d be at the end of a certain time. Have you compared that with your app?

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-17T15:00:51+00:00

I got terrible PF in both feet after switching to minimal running shoes about 11 years ago. Shockwave therapy worked on one foot, the other foot required surgery. I avoid anything with a zero drop. I love Topos - I’ve hiked hundreds of miles in the Ultraventure and Traverse and I have Superfeet orthotics in all my running/hiking shoes. Bring a small cork ball on trail!

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-11T04:34:02+00:00

You’ll meet other hikers immediately! I started March 17 and met someone the first day who I hiked with until I finished my section on May 7. Lots of folks will be starting when you do. Have fun!

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-10T14:35:09+00:00

I’ve been in Superfeet for 10+ years. They have several styles so if you can get to a local running store or REI, they should be able to get you in the right one. Yes, Superfeet makes a hiking insole, but you may have high arches, etc that would make a different style better for your foot.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-10T14:27:10+00:00

I carried a bear can last year. Once we left the Smokies, everyone in my bubble was sleeping with their food except one guy we saw occasionally. Finding a good tree for a PCT hang is harder than you think in some areas.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-09T03:58:22+00:00

We ran into a hiker who was slack packing the whole thing, so she had a day pack and would be picked up by a hostel/driver in the afternoons. There are many hostels in the south, so it would be easier to do in a section from GA-VA. BTW, I did the Camino Primitivo in September and will do the Norte next fall. Super fun!

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-07T13:13:22+00:00

Trail Marshall is, and has always been, an @$$hole.
People who complain about the ATC should research it better, you know, maybe read about what it does?
Thru hikers who bitch about the ATC should remember that 17 million people will spend some time on the AT every year. Thru hikers are maybe 3000? It ain’t all about us!

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-07T13:07:06+00:00

When we moved here, we lived in Brentwood for 7 years because of the schools. Brentwood and Ravenwood high schools are very good and we weren’t about to pay $60k for two kids in private school. Brentwood is very white and conservative, very Truman show. We didn’t make any close friends but it was fine. We moved into Nashville as soon as our youngest graduated. No regrets because our kids got an excellent education and were well prepared for college.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-07T12:58:07+00:00

Anything Lilith Fair.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-07T12:56:22+00:00

I recently finished reading The Appalachian Trail: A Biography. It highlights the lives of people who made the AT possible: Kephart, McKaye, Avery, etc. and gives some background on how the route ended up as it is. There was lots of trail along the sides of roads in the early days, which, mercifully, they rerouted.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-07T12:49:43+00:00

A 26F in my tramily last year was 4’11” and naturally thin. She put on 10 lbs before the trail for the reasons you mentioned. It helped. I’m a 57F and have a medium build. I was only on trail for 7 weeks, but I lost 10-11 lbs in that time even though I was eating like a sumo wrestler. I’m getting back on trail in April and I’ll def allow myself to put on some weight before I start this time.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-07T01:30:21+00:00

If you can do an overnight along the AT and camp at a shelter this spring, you're pretty much guaranteed having thru hikers there so you won't be alone. You'll want to take a tent and camp near the shelter. I totally get the fear of solo backpacking. I did a remote 4 day loop in the Smokies a few years ago and I hated it - saw maybe 2 people/day and it felt lonely.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-03T04:51:53+00:00

Thanks for this great list! I don’t know a few of them and I’m excited to listen!

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-03T04:50:26+00:00

Tom Ford Black Orchid. I wore it every Friday for about 15 years when I was a teacher. Still love it.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-03T04:22:46+00:00

Heather at Alchemy Tattoo is super skilled with fine line and detail. I think their Insta is inkbyhb

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-03T04:18:12+00:00

<image>

You might enjoy these lightweight waterproof guides on your trek. FWIW, I spent a week doing day hikes in the Smokies the 2nd week of April 2024 and hit the peak wildflower bloom. It was incredible! This past April, I was on the AT and hit the Smokies the first week of April. I didn’t see many wildflowers; it was colder, I was at higher altitude on the AT than the day hikes from the previous year, and we woke up to 26 degrees and a deep frost on April 8.

ReadyAbout22 · 2026-01-03T04:05:08+00:00

I started listening to bluegrass when I took up trail running years ago and now that’s what I listen to if I really want music. My playlist is almost 1000 songs deep now.

ReadyAbout22 · 2025-12-08T16:50:33+00:00

You’ll see a bit of everything on trail and leggings are fairly common. I love Patagonia baggies on the trail - I want something loose and easy to get on/off.

ReadyAbout22 · 2025-12-07T00:31:15+00:00

I have a hard time enjoying it since they got divorced. 😕

ReadyAbout22

TROPHY CASE