There Is Magic On The Appalachian Trail

Spring is a special time on the Appalachian Trail.   Every year, 2000+ people show up at Springer Mountain (the official start of the A.T. in Georgia) to head north.  In 1994, I was one of those people - and ever since I pause for a moment to think about the next group to head North.     This year, I had a friend making the annual pilgrimage and drove across town to meet Scott "Zip" Willits on 3/16/12.  We met up at his sister's house in metro-Atlanta, and it was a … [Read more...]

Did Earl Shaffer Take A Shortcut On The First Documented Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike?

It is customary in the world of Appalachian Trail thru-hiking to pick a trail name, and in 1994 after reading Wingfoot's Thru-Hiker's Handbook - I came to realize that it was better to choose a trail name rather than have someone pick one for me. So after completing Earl Shaffer's Walking With Spring, I decided to take the trail name "BirdShooter" which was the brand name of the hiking boots that carried Earl Shaffer 2000+ miles up the East Coast and in to history as the first hiker to … [Read more...]