3 Leaving in early April, I thought the weather would be perfect. It would be cool enough for comfort as I climbed the steep hills and mountains but warm enough to miss the last bad weather of winter. Well, I was wrong about that! During the first week I had to walk through snow and freezing rain as I made my way into the Smoky Mountains Luckily, I was prepared. I had brought special clothing designed to keep me dry and warm. Unlike thick wool or cotton, these fabrics were thin and dried quickly. 4 It was also nice to know that I was not trudging through these nasty conditions alone. Most people who want to hike the whole trail start in Georgia in the early spring just like I did. During the first couple of weeks, I met people from around the country. Some were even from other parts of the world. 5 Using a nickname is a tradition for hikers on the trail. For instance, Crunchy and Spiffer were a couple of hikers I met from Vermont. found out that I didn't have a trail name, he and Spiffer helped me come up with one. They asked me many questions. They wanted to know where I was from and what I did for a living. We chose the name Schoolie because I'm a schoolteacher. 6 Sometimes the crowds would frustrate me. When it was time to unroll my pack at night and get some rest, the shelters were crowded. This made it hard for me to