Bio- Carol is the writer, hiker, trip planner, and speaker. Jim is the electronic geek, photographer, treasure hunter, and hiker. In photos, he captures the beauty and details along the trail for Carol to bring to life on paper. Together they crafted The Appalachian Trail Day Hikers’ Guide: Downhill to Fine Wine and Accommodations, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, published February 2018.

Carol and Jim have hiked more than nine hundred miles of the Appalachian Trail. Their slackpacking adventure began in 2007. They hike several sections of the trail yearly so they can savor the mystique of the A.T., research segments for their next book, and explore the hidden treasures of Appalachian communities. When asked, “How long do you think it will take you to finish the Appalachian Trail?” Jim laughs and says, “Our son hiked the trail in a hundred and twelve days. Carol thinks we can hike it in a hundred and twelve years.” Their goal is to enjoy each hike, one day at a time, and to explore the small towns along the way, but not necessarily to complete the entire Appalachian Trail from end to end.

Carol and Jim love exploring the outdoors and traveling to new places. They grew up hiking in the piney woods of Northwest Florida, boating and skin diving in the Gulf and inland waterways. When they married and moved to Cape Canaveral, they explored the Atlantic for sunken Spanish galleons and hidden treasures. Carol became a private pilot and explored the airways from California to New York in the Power Puff Derby, the Bahamas on vacations, and small Georgia towns as a public health nurse educator. They love the challenge of exploring new places and finding natural wonders in nature and discovering the art, music, and culture of small towns in the Appalachian Mountains. Every day hiking trip along the Appalachian Trail is an adventure to be shared with their readers.

Guest Links- Book on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Appalachian-Trail-Hikers-Guide-Accommodations/dp/0999664107

Connect with Anna, aka Mud Butt, at [email protected] You can find the Trail Dames at: Our website: https://www.traildames.com The Summit: https://www.traildamessummit.com The Trail Dames Foundation: https://www.tdcharitablefoundation.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traildames/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/traildames/ Hiking Radio Network: https://hikingradionetwork.com/ Hiking Radio Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hikingradionetwork/

Music provided for this Podcast by The Burns Sisters "Dance Upon This Earth" https://www.theburnssisters.com