Backpacker Magazine just announced their Reader's Choice picks for the best hikes of 2011. Since I am most familiar with the Southeastern U.S. - I'll focus on the top picks in this area: 1. Ramsey Cascades, Great Smokies, TN - I've hiked countless miles in the Smokies and did a 30+ mile trip starting at Elkmont and ending at Laurel Creek Road, but the Ramesey Cascades have somehow escaped me. Guess it's time to check this one out. You can follow this link for maps of the Great Smoky … [Read more...]
Episode 3: Ease In To Backpacking
August 10, 2011 By 2 Comments
In Episode 3, Steve (aka White Lightening) talks about how he migrated from camping in his youth, to hiking with kids in his 30's, and eventually wilderness backpacking as he reached his 40's. In this podcast, Steve talks about how he eased in to the sport with an initial trip to the Len Foote Hike Inn near Amicalola Falls State Park in North Georgia. From there, he explored the backcountry campsites along the Foothills Trail at Lake Jocassee, and eventually migrated to his first solo … [Read more...]
Did Earl Shaffer Take A Shortcut On The First Documented Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike?
August 1, 2011 By 1 Comment
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 … [Read more...]
Protected: Big Johnny – Now That’s A Piece Of Meat
July 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
This content is password-protected. To view it, please enter the password below. Password: … [Read more...]
Episode 2: The Foothills Trail (Gorges Section)
June 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
In Episode 2, John (aka The Kidd) talks about the Gorges Section of the Foothills Trail in western North Carolina and northwestern South Carolina. In this phone interview, The Kidd talks about our 2001 Foothills Trail hike (and the 10th anniversary of the trip) which took us through a 45 mile section of the 76 mile trail over the course of three days in the Spring of 2001. The Foothills Trail traverses the the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of … [Read more...]
Bears On The Appalachain Trail (At Blood Mountain)
April 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Appalachian Trail made the news across the media channels in Atlanta last week when the U.S. Forest Service closed a section of the trail from Jarrard Gap to Neels Gap near Dahlonega, GA. Persistent bear activity caused the trail closure in a section of trail that is heavily used by both day hikers and overnight backpackers around Blood Mountain. My first thought was of the 2011 thru-hikers that had just started out and who were now making their way from Georgia … [Read more...]
Episode 1: The John Muir Trail
April 10, 2011 By 4 Comments
In Episode 1 (the inaugural episode) of the N2Backpacking podcast series, I speak with Glenn and Susan about their adventures on the John Muir Trail (JMT) in 2006. The Helmet and Doughgirl talk about their preparations, planning, logistics, gear and favorite stops on the John Muir Trail which traverses a portion of the High Sierra in Northern California. The John Muir Trail follows the Sierra Nevada mountain range for 210 miles … [Read more...]
