For all those thru hikers to be, many of who are chomping at the bit to be first out of the gate,I don't see much about snowshoe weightThis year many were greeted in the Smokies,even in mid April to over 3-4 feet of leftover snow which did melt in late April and then it snowed a little more.I did a couple of section hikes and heard the tales and saw ripped pants& bruised and cut shins.Some went around and were to "do the Smokies later".Being a longtime resident of this area you never know what to plan for in April&May,it could be a mild winter with warm temps when you start at Springer then all Hell breaks loose just after you send your cold weather gear home.The calendar may say spring and you're on top of old Smoky freezin' you a$$ off.I'm not saying this to poke fun at you ,I'm just trying to give you some useful info.I met several thrus who said that they were not prepared for artic conditions and this was one of the reasons they had to quit early..Be prepared find out what to expect before you leave home...Good luck to all...may see some of you next year