A ranger at Great Smoky Mountains set me straight about my 'fast and light' miles

Piper Kim · 2026-10-17T06:20:02.883421+00:00

I was bragging at the trailhead in Townsend about knocking out 22 miles a day on the AT, and this older ranger just smiled and asked where I planned to sleep on a ridge with no water. He pulled out his own map and pointed to two springs that had gone dry by August, then told me his rule: plan the route around water, not miles. Now I pack way less but stop way more, so how do you all figure out water sources before a long section?

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A ranger at Great Smoky Mountains set me straight about my 'fast and light' miles | Backpacking Routes - Thought Shares