At the risk of being seen (or read) as confrontational, as I read all of the recent thread, all I could see were fellow pilgrims saying is what you see (when you get there) is what you get. Any amount of reading and talking with others may be helpful. But will probably be mostly unhelpful when your feet hit the road - the situation will have changed.
As a tramper (hiker) of old I learnt very quickly to adapt to changing circumstances (weather, rivers rising or falling, snow fall not forecast, and track unwalkable, etc, etc)
So, how to understand the image (real or confected) of not long ago showing the traffic jam near the top of Everest, after all the planning and hard work beforehand of those just joining the queue.
I am sure trampers on the Appalachian Trail will have similar experiences, especially near resupply locations.
Many posts I read on this forum are someone's opinion, however determined. Understanding that, I apply my own feet on the ground understanding of the world we talk about.
If my understanding is really at variance with that of another contributor, I may take one (or more) possible actions. The most common action I take is to mentally note the variance and who wrote it: and move on.
For example, this week I read a contributor write a particular guide was rubbish (or words to that effect). This is a guide I treasure because of the "big picture" it gave. But no matter what I think, I will not convince the contributor because our perspectives (the way we look at things) are differently focused.
Another example: recently a contributor wrote how much they treasured their puffer jacket and listed what else they wore/carried. I was bemused. I added a counterpoint by listing my apparel and how I used it to the same effect (no mention by me of puffer jackets or their earlier cousins, polyester fleece) .
Even though my post was quite late in the sequence I was gratified by the "likers" as they were contributors whose contributions I have generally come to respect (some of whom I understand have tramped the Appalachian).
So,
@docdiamond, as always, be like the millers of old and sort the wheat from the chaff (my doodlings included).
And Kia kaha, kia māia, kia mana'wa'nui (take care, be strong, confident and patient)