I want to be in a tent, curled in a sleeping bag, with my dog on a mountain ridge on the Appalachian Trail. I want to hear her quivering half-snore and feel her paws begin to twitch against my sleeping bag as she descends into a blissful, deep sleep. I want to fall asleep with my hand resting on her papery thin, slick-smooth ears.

Ruby and her human on the Appalachian Trail

I've come to expect these feelings to well up occasionally, particularly now, as winter begins to lose its bite and spring sets its delicate roots. It's called Springer Fever among those who have hiked the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail. Symptoms include melancholy, absent-mindedness, and an almost uncontrollable urge to return to Springer Mountain, Georgia, the southern terminus of the trail, and begin the trek all over again.

	Be Your Dog's Best Friend

I shared my six-month journey along the Appalachian Trail with my hiking partner and best friend, Ruby Tuesday. Ruby got her name from one of my favorite Rolling Stones songs, but on the trail, we both went by nicknames — she was"Order" and I, fittingly, was "Chaos." Her German shepherd-greyhound heritage made her the perfect companion: strong, long legs for hiking and a deep, wide chest for huffing and puffing over the hills, mountains and valleys that make up the AT. And her loyalty was unmatched. Many a pair of hiking humans have split up under the stress of making miles, yet Ruby, with her caramel-colored fur and ink-black eyes, remained steadfast. We never bickered.

Ruby takes a well-deserved break

The April after I had completed my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I came down with a nasty case of Springer Fever. Often I would recall the early days of the journey, back when Ruby and I struggled through the first 75 miles of trail in Georgia. Snow from a March blizzard lingered on the trail, making the path a slippery, wet obstacle course. We were tired and sore, both of us. We couldn't wait to get to our campsite each night and collapse in our tent. But still, we were on the Appalachian Trail and had more than five months of outdoor adventure lying in front of us like a red carpet leading to some special, magical place. Despite our discomfort, we really couldn't complain.

Be Your Dog's Best Friend Most dogs can carry their own gear. Select a pack that is properly sized to fit your dog, and let it get used to it on short day hikes before embarking on a long trek. Never allow your dog to carry more than a quarter of its body weight. Rest often. In general, take a break at least every two hours. Carry plenty of water. Dogs get dehydrated, too. Stash a crushable bowl in your dog's pack, and fill it at every break.

Move on to It's Still Spring

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Melissa DeVaughn hiked the Appalachian Trail with Ruby in 1993, and wrote a series of articles on the journey for the Roanoke Times in Virginia, where she worked as a reporter. She now lives and writes in Eagle River, Alaska, and is author of Alaska Off the Beaten Path (Globe Pequot).