Sherpa Mike Preppin for Some AT Trekkin

As the winter wears on, I wonder if I should have set an earlier start date. I will head up the Approach Trail to Springer on March 30. I sectioned to North Carolina on March 7, 2014. Learned a valuable lesson. Don’t take advice from people who haven’t through hiked. Local outfitter in Massachusetts said, bring a 40-degree bag. That’s plenty warm. Don’t make that mistake. It snowed and I froze my butt off.  Better prepared now. 🙂   I have a place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  You may have heard how scary that is for thru-hikers.  I’ve been up and down those peaks hundreds of times.  They are to be respected, but not feared.  They will slow you down.  They will slow everyone down, but they are breathtaking on a clear day.  Every year, I trail angel.  I often pick up hikers after they come off Moosilauke (pronounced Moose Hillock, not Moosilaockee) at Route 112.  Here’s the exchange:  “You NOBO?”  “Yep.”  What was the hardest part so far.  SIGH, look over shoulder. “THAT WAS.”  Here’s what Moosilauke looks like in the winter.