[at-l] New to list- a few suggestions

[AT-L Guest Post <milt@backcountry.net>]

* Message posted to AT-L from the National Scenic Trails Website
* by our guest Coosa Donaldson <coosa@alltel.net>.
* Please use <mailto:coosa@alltel.net> to reply to the sender.

Am just now subscribing to this list -- right before going on a 10 day vacation -- no one said I wasn't a blonde!

For the 2000 Thru-Hikers:  I live 15 minutes from Neel Gap (and Tesnatee/Hog Pen) in No Ga.  I work in Blairsville, contact me if I can assist.  If you see a Trail Angel in a yellow construction hard hat (with a coon-tail) that is I.

Suggestion #1: forget the Approach Trail unless you a) feel a certain affection for PUDs and MUDs with no easily accessible water or b) want to stay at the new Hike-Inn.  
Suggestion #2: It's a shorter drive on the FS road to Springer Mountain via FS 42 from the western side (you can get directions at http://georgiatrails/com/cgibin/maps.cgi?springer).  
Suggeston #3: Don't trust the weather in the "sunny south" of Georgia to be consistent, ever!  Remember that it can be 60 degrees on a late February day in the mountains and three days later we can have a wind-chill of minus 9 degrees and ice where we normally have water.  Or we can have a week of 30 degrees and rain followed by a week of 65 degrees and clear skies.  Do not mail your winter gear home (or ahead) at the first maildrop on any warm day in North Georgia!
Suggestion #4:  If you hike here in North Georgia and are not asked "if yew wont a rod" by anyone -- don't be offended.  (it's a joke, you'll get it if you read Bryson's book.  I read it, I didn't like his attempts at humor and thought they were cruel rather than funny.  He is not a Lewis Grizzard, a Pat McMannus, or even a Jeff Foxworthy!  He also did NOT 'hike the Appalachian Trail' -- he hiked ON the AT, and that is all.)

Trail Angel Auntie Coosa



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