The Most Influential Backpackers Of All Time

March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Has it ever been debated on who are the most influential hikers of all time (Top 5)? With the creation of the A.T. Museum, I know there was discussion about the most influential Appalachian Trail backpackers of all time (ie. Earl Shaffer), but what about in general? I'd argue that Earl Shaffer makes that cut for pioneering the first "official" thru-hike, but what about someone like "Flyin' Brian" Robinson who became the first hiker to conquer hiking's Triple Crown in a calendar year? He … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Backpacking Articles, Backpacking Discussions

There Is Magic On The Appalachian Trail

March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

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 beautiful spring day - the kind … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appalachian Trail, Backpacking Articles, Backpacking With Your Dog, Long Distance Backpacking, Videos Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Spring Festivals On The Appalachian Trail – 2012

March 22, 2012 By 1 Comment

A while back, I subscribed to the ATC Southern Regional Office Newsletter to keep up on activities along the Appalachian Trail in the South. In the March 2012 issue, it said ... With spring lurking around the corner, it's an exciting time of year! We hope you'll join us for some of the many activities that ATC and our partners are involved with this month. The activities have been timed with the northbound migration of the 2012 thru-hiker pack, and there is no shortage of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appalachian Trail, Backpacking Articles, Long Distance Backpacking

Smokies Backcountry: Pay To Camp?

February 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Should the Great Smoky Mountain National Park charge backpackers for camping overnight in the park? According to an article published yesterday by National Parks Traveler, the answer is a resounding NO:   John Quillen, a Tennessean from Knoxville who fought to have the public comments on the fee proposal made public, says that by his calculation the comments were "almost 20 to 1 against the fee." Part of the concern was that the proposed fees, which range from a low of $4 per person … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appalachian Trail, Backpacking Articles, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, National Parks

GPS units v’s Smartphone apps

February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I have used both stand-alone GPS units and Smartphone apps on the trail and have yet to resolve which is better. For short day hikes - the Smartphone apps win hands down for convenience and their instant access to trail databases from companies like the North Face. But in the backcountry? I tend to agree with this assessment by Backpacker Magazine gear editor, Kristin Hostetter: In a nutshell, here are the pros of using a smartphone with a navigation app: great for local hikes, daily activity … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Backpacking Articles, Backpacking Discussions, Backpacking Tips, Gear, Maps

Winter – Once Again – At The Grand Canyon

February 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Mrs. and I just returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon, and if you haven't seen it - the winter is a great time to go.  There are fewer people, there's no summer 100+ heat, and it's fairly easy to book a room at the last minute - even on a weekend. I made my first trip to the Canyon in 1996 during a three month cross-country roadtrip that put 17,000 miles on my car and had us touch all four corners of the Lower 48.  We arrived on the North Rim in mid-summer with 104 degree heat and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Backpacking Articles, Backpacking Trails, National Parks

Great Smoky Mountain National Park – And The Machoists Got Pelted

January 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Since the early 90's, some old Appalachian Trail thru-hikers that I know have maintained the tradition of an annual winter hike. As I detailed in "40 at 40", the trip is never easy and is typically booked within a few weeks of the MLK holiday. After a four year absence, I made a guest appearance during their three-day ramble of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park this year. It was mid-way through their hike when we met up at the Mt. Collins Shelter after the machoists had gotten pelted by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appalachian Trail, Backpacking Articles, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Winter Backpacking

How To Start A Fire With A Bag Of Doritos….

January 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In Scouts we were taught to start a fire with two matches, with batteries, steel wool, cotton/vaseline, and by rubbing two sticks together.  But this is one thing that didn't make the Scout Handbook:  … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Backpacking Articles, Backpacking Tips, Humor, Videos

Great Smoky Mountain National Park – 40 at 40

January 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Five to ten years ago when I was younger and in better shape, I joined a group of former thru-hikers for a multi-day and often strenuous winter backpacking trip. The hike was appropriately dubbed the MLK trip since it usually occurred on or around the three-day Martin Luther King weekend. The "M.O." of the MLK trip was (and continues to be) a 30-38 mile mega-hike, preferrably in snow, and always spanning four days. Typically we left town after work, fought traffic to some Mexican … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Backpacking Articles, Backpacking Trails, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Winter Backpacking

You want the A.T. experience? Then get distracted.

January 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

National Parks Traveler recently published an article titled Hiking The Appalachian National Scenic Trail: It Takes More Heart than Heel". and it was stated that ... the key to success for young people is to keep the distractions down. The more you stay on the trail, the better. If you go into town too much, you're spending money, maybe on alcohol, and you're not hiking. Well - you definitely spend money in town, and some thru-hikers definitely throw back a beer or two while there (this one … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appalachian Trail, Backpacking Articles, Backpacking Trails, How To Hike & Backpack
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