This time of year plenty of hikers along the Appalachian Trail are making their way through Western North Carolina. They are vital for the economies of towns that sit along the trail – like Franklin, which was the first designated Appalachian Trail Community. There are expected to be over 3,000 thru-hikers this year. Those are hikers who plan to cover all of the almost 22-hundred mile trail that goes through 14 states. Going south to north means an early spring start is necessary to beat the