Here is a video slideshow of my 1994 Thru-Hike on the Appalachian Trail. I mixed the video two years later in Charlotte, NC using an old VHS camera and a mic/mixing system from the Video Editor. The technology is archaic by today’s standards but it captured the moment at the time.

The slideshow clocks in at nearly 40 minutes which is likely too long for most, and my kids tell me I sound a bit sad in the early narration. But be patient – things pick up as we close in on Katahdin.  If nothing else, it’s a look back at the A.T. in the early 90′s – before modern technology caught up with the Trail and when few hikers were equipped to record the moment – other than with a 35mm camera.

I hope to make a shorter, more upbeat, and a more modern version of this video at some point … but here it is in the original 90′s format. I hope you enjoy it. If you want to see a day-by-day log of the hike, then click this link.

I miss my dog – not that I don’t have a new one, but I can’t forget my old one.  It was 18 months ago, when Rebel sat outside the door watching me pack for a hike to The Perch in North Georgia.  He died within ten days of that trip, and I vividly recall (and photographed) him sitting by my shop door – barking as if to join me.  Arthritis kept him from the trail in his later years, but he never gave up hope that I might take him along.

I have a new dog now, and he too has taken to the trail – as all dogs do.  Boone made the hike to the Perch last fall much as Rebel did five years earlier.  He had a great time, and I enjoyed having Boone with me.  But Rebel is never far from my mind.  He’s still with me in spirit.  He still hikes with me every trip.  Gone – but not forgotten as they say.

We all must move on at some point, and I decided the time had come.  So on what would have been Rebel’s 14^th birthday, my wife, kids and I scattered his ashes on a grave site that we set-up in the backyard.  Beneath it were buried some of his possesions: a personalized water dish (made by my wife in pottery class), his tennis balls, a blue bottle of old arthritis medicine, his toothbrush, an old stuffed toy, etc.  I put them there one year after he died in November 2011. Boone and the kids stood nearby, but my wife and I were the only ones to fully appreciate the moment.

It has always been our plan to scatter Rebel’s ashes on the trail.  So, I saved some for the second anniversary of his death.  I have a photo of Rebel taken on the trail in November 2002 where he appears to descend from the sky.  That is the spot for his final resting place. This November my wife and I will scatter his remaining ashes for the last time – and I will finally let him go.  Farewell my friend.

Here’s some photos from the Whitley Gap Shelter on the evening of  March 23, 2012.  There were lots of thru-hikers in the house – and the weather cleared in time for a great sunset.  Best wishes Class of 2012!

BirdShooter

A stormy start to the day.  It rained all morning and in to the afternoon.  The forecast was for it to continue in to the night – but fortunately that didn’t pan out.

Zip and WalkAndEats at the Whitley Gap Shelter.  Zip is joined by his two dogs Skye and Mojo.  So I guess there really is Mojo on the trail (as I wrote in a previous article). 

KC (aka 30 Pack) watching the sun set over Cow Rock Mountain and the Appalachian Trail.  He hiked this ridge line only hours earlier.  

30 Pack after the sunset – looking southwest.  The storm clouds that lingered from the morning/afternoon made for some great photos this evening. 

2012 thru-hikers gathered around an evening campfire.  Despite the rain today, the wood went up easily and burned well in to the night.  

Atlas leads some jams around the campfire.  He earned the trail name for carrying both a guitar and a ukulele.   

Sunrise at Whitley Gap Shelter which sits 1.2 miles off the Appalachian Trail near Hogpen Gap.

Bear bags on bear cables at Whitley Gap Shelter.  Bears have been active south of here on the A.T. around Blood Mountain – but no issues last night.

2012 thru-hikers at Whitley Gap Shelter.  Only 2000 miles to go to Maine!

Scott “Zip” Willits continues the march northward the next morning.  You can follow his blog by clicking here.

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 that makes you

want to skip work.  We had some beers, worked on reducing his pack weight,

then talked of the adventures to come.  The Mojo was strong, so I met him

five days later at Whitley Gap Shelter in North Georgia.

There is magic on the trail and it is hard to explain.  If you are lucky

enough to experience it, then you know what I am saying.  Yet some things

are more easily understood through photos and video …  so I’ll let them

do the talking.  Best wishes 2012 thru-hikers!

BirdShooter

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 events:  

March16-18: “Spring on Springer” AT Trail Fest in Dahlonega, Ga.  (www.Dahlonegatrailfest.org) 

March 30-31:  Franklin’s April Fools Trail Days in Franklin, N.C. (www.aprilfoolstraildays.com)

April 6-7: NOC’s A.T. Founder’s Bridge Festival in Wesser, NC (www.noc.com/noccom/festivals-a-events/noc-founders-bridge-festival/)

April 21: Trailfest, Hot Springs, N.C. (www.hsclc.org/newsevents/trailfest.html)

May 18-20: Trail Days, Damascus, Va. (www.traildays.us/)

Any event that brings awareness and generates support within the community for the A.T. is a good thing, and with the 2012 thru-hiker season underway some backpackers will certainly partake.  

When I hiked in the mid-90′s, Trail Days in Damascus was the “go-to” event.  Thru-hikers and enthusiasts hitched from North and South along the A.T. to get there – and many traveled significant distances for the festival.  Yet two well known backpacker blogs – Whiteblaze.net and Trailspace.com – have recently debated the longevity of Trail Days.  

Has Trail Days lost it’s dominace as the premiere event on the A.T.?  The hiking community will decide with their feet (and/or thumbs) this Spring – and they’ll have plenty of festivals from which to choose.  

Many dog owners make the mistake of putting a dog backpack on their dog for the very first time only minutes before a hike, loading it up with stuff, and then expecting the dog to be happy and comfortable. The more you practice with either dog back, the happier your dog will probably be on the hike. So practice makes ideal.

The essential factor to remember when using dog backpack for the first time is that your dog will most likely not want to wear it. This is natural. So, some patience is required here. Give your dog at least a couple of days of practice initial. Check these out:

On the first day, put the pack on your dog with out the tightening the straps too much. They ought to be tight enough that your pet cannot get it off, but not as tight as it would need to be if had to bear weight. It will certainly help to praise your dog for wearing it. Plenty of loving attention assists. Leave it on for a couple of hours and then take it off.

Repeat it at the second day, but put the little dog backpack on a little tighter this time. Keep the straps loose enough for three fingers to slide under the straps effortlessly. Nevertheless, you need to have the ability to pull down on the pockets just a little without the backpack sliding around too much.

The third day should be a repeat of the second day, except this time, the dog backpack will have some weight in it. Try a couple of half filled water bottles or some kibble (in a zip-lock bag).

The fourth day should be the same as the third day, but this day will probably be a full weight day. The dog backpack should be left on for about an hour this time. This would be to get your pet accustomed to the weight.

Now your best friend ought to be prepared for a hike with a full pack. If you believe that a fifth day is essential, really feel totally free to leave the full pack on longer on that day.

Retno Kuswantoro has been writing articles online for nearly 3 years now. Check out the interesting article about Benefits to Have a Dog Backpack. Visit http://mydogbackpack.com for getting more info and tips.

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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 definitely took thru-hiking to an entirely new level? Curious to get your thoughts on this….