I’m Hiking the Pinhoti!!

When Sparks called me in September, I was wallowing on a couch in my parents’ basement nursing my left ankle and missing the Appalachian Trail something fierce. Hearing her voice was a salve; she’s been a ray of sunshine to me ever since we met in the Smokies.

The night we met, the number of women at the shelter outnumbered the men — a rare and delightful occurrence on the Appalachian Trail. We proceeded to leapfrog for a few weeks in March last year until we started hiking together regularly near the end of April. Together, Sparks and I traversed hundreds and hundreds of miles of the trail together until we parted ways in Duncannon, Pennsylvania.

Sparks on Skyline in Shenandoah ☀️

Sparks taught me so much about hiking mindfully and creating moments to look forward to, even on the rainy days. So when she asked me to hike the Pinhoti with her during that September phone call, there was no hesitation in my mind.

I first learned of the 351-mile long Pinhoti Trail last year when I met some hikers attempting “‘Bama to Baxter.” They described to me how they started their trek in Alabama to hike the Pinhoti, then connected to the Benton MacKaye trail, which led them to Springer Mountain — the southern terminus of the AT.

I’m beyond excited to hike into Georgia on foot and experience this section of the southern Appalachian range. Even more exciting: Sparks and I will be joined by Cinderella and Outlaw for sections of trail. And I’m hoping my friend MJ will get to tag along for a day or two as well!

A very excited, post-TSA Smartwater selfie 🤓

Gear Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I’m making a few changes to my pack for this hike. Most notably, I’m testing out a friend’s (much lighter) trekking pole tent and quilt. And, on top of my new “hiker uniform,” I’m also bringing an extra pair of socks. But I’m leaving behind the camp shoes this time.

Last year, I wore an Outdoor Research Echo t-shirt on super hot days, and felt it was the only item of clothing I brought that had even a chance of drying overnight in those wet, humid mountains. So this year, I decided to invest in the OR Echo Hoodie for added sun protection. I’m also testing out OR’s Swift Lite Shorts that a coworker swears dry super fast. After a couple test runs (I’m training for a marathon), I can confirm that they do indeed dry quickly once I’ve stopped sweating. 🙃

Lastly, we will be stopping for resupplies a bit more often than I was at the end of the AT last year, so I’m hoping to keep the food bag relatively light this time around.

Anyway, for those of you who are interested, see my gear list below. I’m at the airport typing on my phone, so let’s hope it’s mostly up-to-date! 😬