The Adventures of Rambo and Squeak: The Great Debates Series, Part 1

Rambo and I used to debate over the important things: Thundercats versus Little House on the Prairie.  They both came on TV at 4:00, and this was the only time slot of the day when our Mom didn't have a program she was watching because she was making dinner.  Rambo, being older and much bigger, would always win the battle, but I still fought it every day.

Fast forward 35 years.

Neither of us watch TV.  But, the banter has never died.  It's how we roll.

In the backpacking community, debates happen all the time.  To Bear Bag or Not; that is the question.  Trail runners versus boots?  Tent or hammock?  Brain, no brain?  Trekking pole versus sticks?  NOBO versus SOBO?  Is a Flip Flop a legitimate thru hike?  Aqua blazing ~  Yes or No? Every blaze or yellow blazing? Approach trail in Springer?  Can you give yourself your own trail name?

I've been crowd sourcing ideas forever, and I definitely ask questions with the aim of learning something.  There are some debates that I am still not sure about because I don't know enough.  It's why I ask in the forums ~ because learning is something we always have to work at, and someone might give you information that you just don't know yet.

So, this post is less about what Rambo and I agree upon (or disagree upon), and more about what I've resolved and what I am still sorting out.  Because I backpack more miles than he does, some of these issues are not really pertinent to him yet.

There are so many things to dish about, and this post will be book length before it's done, so it seems most prudent to split it up.  Each section will address a few resolved issues and a few outlying questions based on the same theme.  The hope is to come back and read through these issues later to see what's been sorted and what remains.

Resolved Issues (Part 1)

Thru Hike versus Section Hike

I have an amazing job that I love.  I am also the only bread winner in our house.  I have two children, and I live in the most expensive state in the Union.  Since I technically work for the state, I can not live in a bordering state (my home state) where it is cheaper, and I know people.

Until I retire, thru hiking is not an option.  Technically, I can take unpaid leave for up to 6 months.  But, my children won't eat, they won't have health insurance, and they will be homeless.  This is not an option. 

Rambo, too, is the only bread winner in his house, and he has no interest in thru hiking now or later. He is happy to get away overnight.  While I like those quick and dirty trips, I also like longer trips because day 4 is such an incredible reward.

Unresolved Issues (Part 1)

Hike Selection

I generally hike wherever and whenever I can, and try to get out 3X a week.  Two short hikes after work, and 1 long hike or overnight on the weekends.  That said, my heart belongs to the Appalachian Trail.  It just does.  I can't really explain it that well, but it's where my heart lives.

As a college student, we used the AT as our lab for Ecology and Geology classes. I took those classes because, as an English major, who wants a "hard" science?  Little did I know that those classes, even more than six years of undergraduate and graduate English classes, would have the greatest impact on me moving forward.

As a counselor for a sleep away Girl Scout camp for two summers in college and graduate school, I led hikes of 9-11 and 12-16 year olds on the AT for either week or two week treks.  I used what I learned in college, and cobbled together other information from books since the internet wasn't really a thing yet.  We survived, and all I wanted to do was get back out there.

I live about 2 hours away from the nearest access point in New Jersey or PA, but I am up there (NJ) or over there (PA) every other weekend.  Lately, I've been doing trail magic because the water in PA/NJ has been hard to get.  I plop myself onto a log on the trail with a pack full of water jugs and just refill bladders and bottles until I am out.  I pack out trash for the hikers, and hand out Jerky and M&Ms.  I also volunteer for various clubs and groups that maintain the trail, and I do hikes specifically to clean up trash because people think their wrappers and garbage will just disappear once they walk away. 

The resolved part is where my heart lies, but the unresolved part is planning section hikes that I can do on my scheduled vacations.  I get a lot of vacation time.  This past year, we drove to Tuscon, drove up through AZ, hiked the Grand Canyon, and drove back to Jersey.  Previously in the year, we drove to FL to Disney.  These were epic road trips.  But, for the first time in my career, I used all of my vacation time (about a month), but the longest clip I can take at a time is two weeks. 

The Question

I need advice for what 10-12 day sections I can do on the AT.  I will need to drive to the trail head.  Springer is about 14 hours without stops.  Baxter State Park is about 9 hours without stops.  Both of those extremes are within driving distance.

Which sections are the "must see" on the AT? Where do I start and finish?