morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-10-18
From: Abol Bridge

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

From 10 to 2:30 to the Birches. Just an incredible day. Packed out a box of hot C with some creamers. And a pack of Oreos! Hope to share.  Built a campfire.  Ate dinner. Wore crocs from 2:40 on. Best day ever. Just phenomenal. The perfect finish to a 2000 mile hike, and the wilderness to here. And now 5280 feet up. Tonite there are two other hikers. That¢s it. Ive never met them till yesterday at McDonalds but had been following them since Monson. ¢Cheese¢ and ¢Turbo Turtle¢ have signed the shelter registers every night. Both from Cola SC!!! This trail is crazy. Or is the Lord showing me how much he can control. Odds? Used 13% battery today. That¢s it. That never happens either.
Date: 2017-10-19
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Mt Katahdin
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: clear sky

I know it¢s only 5 12 miles but you have to really plan this day. Katahdin is no joke. And no joke getting down. Fell hard on the Abol Trail coming down. My worst fall of the entire hike. It was scary. It could have been worse. Two inches over was my spine. Hard to believe but there is no other section of the trail that you really need to camp out the nite before. Prepare for it. You do to summit Kathadin. You have to be able to get down. Barely used my trekking poles all day. Longest stretch of the entire trail that my trekking poles were used so little. It was steep and bouldering. Turbo and Cheese finished also. Start time 8:15 finished at 5:15 and we took the shorter trail down. Almost had a ride out w some other hiker ¢Seven Dwarves¢ in the back of his truck. From Abol Bridge to Millinocket. Seriously?!?! (maybe 45 minutes?) That was his idea. He was helping us?? He ended up being an asshole anyway. Last minute, got a ride with two others. Wonderful people. Chris and Stacey. Day hikers making the Katahdin climb today. Really misjudged their sweetness. They ended up being actually even sweeter and caring as the evening progressed. And i really respect and adore them so much now. Good people. Trail Angels.¢Happiness is not pleasure.  Happiness is victory¢    .....ZZ
Date: 2017-03-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

This will be my first time hiking The Appalachian Trail as a thru hiker, well any Trail actually. I've never hiked more than 5.25 miles in one day, and that was on level terrain. I am hoping I can do this! I am taking my son's dog, Tundra, with me. I am nervous, excited, and somewhat over whelmed by the magnitude of the preparations. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about equipment, the Trail, and autobiographies of previous thru hikers. I have most of my equipment bought but question several choices I've made. I have packed and repacked my backpack a dozen or more times. My pack weighs 37ish pounds. I would like to get it to 30 before I head out. So I'll be unpacking and repacking a few more times before I'm through.
Date: 2017-03-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

My last shipment of dehydrated food came yesterday so I spent the day filling my 12 supply boxes. These are boxes two of my daughters (Rachel and Janet) will ship to me about every other week. Each box holds food for 6 days, toiletries, and seasonal clothes as needed. I plan to visit a town once a week to sleep in a hostel or hotel (if a dog friendly place can be found), shower, do laundary, buy food, and charge my phone and portable chargers. Well that's the plan any way. We'll see how that turns out.
Date: 2017-03-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

So, I got Tundra, my dog (she'll be mine for awhile), all packed up today. She has an orange saddle pack that carries her food, treats, and collapsible dish. She weighs 58 lbs so I'm trying to keep her pack around 10-12 lbs. She has a coat for cold days and a sweat shirt for cold nights and if it's really cold she' can wear both, with the rest of us! Still waiting on her tennis shoe/boots to be delivered. I bought her some mitten/boots but they were huge. It's been interesting trying to size her paws as she's a tall dog but she has narrow paws. If I get the shoes to fit her width then the length is too short. Hoping this next pair fit! I also got her a really good quality blanket to sleep with and her coat will double as her ground cloth, as it's rain resistant on one side and fleecy or wooly on the other. I had thoughts of making her a sleeping bag but already feeling weighed down. Tundra also got a new leash and collar. Thursday, we went to the vet and got caught up on all her vaccinations, heart worm meds and flea and tick meds. They even trimmed her nails! So, Tundra is ready to hit the trail in style! She looks forward to the hike and meeting everyone out their! Don't worry though if your not a dog lover we understand and will use good trail etiquette!
Date: 2017-03-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Sunday Tundra and I hiked 3 miles at Patuxent Wild Life Research Center. It was cold, 47* but on the bright side I got to try out my new fleece hat and cowl neck warmer both bought at Mac Dill Air Force base in Tampa, Florida, both kept me toasty! Tundra tried out her coat too! On Monday, we hiked 5.25 miles at the same location. It was beautiful out, 70ish! There were many people out walking, running, photographing and just absorbing the rays! Funny how different one day can make. As we hiked, we saw 69 frogs, no joke! It was enteresting to try and avoid stepping on them as they were everywhere on this 1 mile stretch by Cash Lake. They were so cute too giving each other piggy back rides! Planned on hiking 7 miles on Tuesday but could barely walk when I got out of bed. Went to a podiatrist and he diagnosed my heel pain as "Plantar fasciitis". I leave on Saturday for Georgia so he most graciously shot me up with some cortisone, gave me (suggested I buy from him) a $45 insert for my boots and gave me information on exercises. All in all, it was a great day, which is code for: I'd rather been hiking instead. Since I was laid up all day I got my photos to upload, put in my Gear List, and added my Mail Drops to my journal. Getting closer everyday!
Date: 2017-04-02
From: Springer Mountain, parking lot on Forest Service R

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: clear sky

Drove down from where I live to Virginia on Friday to catch a ride with daughter, son in law, and their baby Joel. Left their house Saturday morning and drove all day. Made a few stops along the way for baby or for last minute supplies. Got to hotel at 1:30 in the morning. Slept in then went to Waffle House for breakfast. Then drove to Amicalola Falls State Park. Signed in, I am the 1490th person to start a through hike this year, from Springer Mt. Weighed backpack, it weighed in at 40 lbs., got another shake down to see what else I could leave out, I donated a few food items to the hikers box. Then we drove to the Springer Mountain parking lot off Forest Service road 42. It was a long trip ending with a 6.6 mile bumpy, windy, gravel road to start. I was relieved to get on the trail. Started around 1:30 and it took me 2 hours to go south .9 miles to Springer Mountain and back to the same parking lot. Then proceeded north to Stover Creek Shelter, which is 2.8 miles from Springer Mountain. Total 3.7 miles for first day, I was hoping to do more but with late start, not to mention I was exhausted (hiking up mountains is so much harder than I imagined). Got to shelter around 4:30, put up tent and cooked the heaviest thing in my pack (a MRE taco dinner), then promptly went to sleep!
Date: 2017-04-03
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Hawk Mountain Campsite
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: moderate rain

Woke up to rain. Waited hoping it would stop but at 9:00 I ditched that idea and started packing up wet tent. Signed the shelter journal then headed out around 10:30. It went from drizzle to torrential down pour many times throughout the day. At 3:30 I reached Hawk mountain campground and proceed to set up wet tent. Everything was soaked, clothes, tent, sleeping bag (only damp), then I noticed the ground was oozing water under my tent so the floor stayed wet all night. I inflated my sleeping pad and sat on it while I stripped out of wet clothes, it was cold but I washed up the best I could with baby wipes, then put on damp but clean under clothes. Then crawled into sleeping bag, grateful that I up graded it, because down will keep you warm even wet, and remembered that my big sister insisted that I buy an emergency blanket. Thanks sis, I wrapped it around my legs and torso. Took vitamins and Aleve pm, ate a Kind bar and promptly went to sleep by 4 in the afternoon, to the sound of rain. Slept on and off trying to keep Tundra covered, I put on her sweat shirt and covered her with her blanket but with floor wet it was hard keeping her warm (but she wasn't shivering).
Date: 2017-04-04
From: Hawk Mountain Campsite

To: Coopers Gap
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: clear sky

Woke up at 4am. Forced myself to put on wet clothes and started packing things up, thinking it would be daylight soon. At 5am decided to eat tuna on crackers because the day before I only ate a protein bar and a Kind bar. I have no appetite yet. Then laid down on sleeping pad to rest for a minute while waiting for daylight but started hearing things that go bump in the night and realized I just sounded the dinner bell for any animal within smelling distance. Prayed for Gods protection again and because it is eerie in the woods alone asked God to send me a companion that hiked at my speed of 1/2-1 mile per hour! Sat back up and started journaling in my half drenched journal. I will probably throw it away and just print my blog out when I go home. Anyway daylight finally made an appearance at about 7am, so I unzipped my tent and starting packing everything away. It still takes me almost an hour for this chore. Was on the trail by 7:50 with a much heavier pack! I was into the first mountain and it was hard, when I happened upon an elderly woman who had been resting on some gigantic rocks. We started conversing back and forth when I asked her her trail name. She said "Knobby" and I couldn't believe it because I had been following her blog and we had emailed each other because we were starting a few days apart. I went a day late, she a day early and voila we met. I said, "Knobby it's me Journey" I asked about her hiking companion she came with and she said she hikes 15 miles a day and she told her to go on with out her. When I mentioned praying that morning that God would send me Companion, she answered that she had just prayed the same thing while resting and there I was! God is good! We hiked all day long together and it's been great, or as great as it can be when your using muscles that you haven't used in forever. We went up three mountains and they were tough. Worst part though was running out of water just after lunch. It wasn't until 5pm when we got to Cooper's Gap that we were rescued. There was a big Army water tank and while getting our fill, Ron Brown, an AT transporter drove up and told us that another big storm was headed our way, tomorrow. We asked if he could take us into Dahlonega he said he could take us to Woody Gap where we would have a better chance of a ride into town. We jumped in and as we rode he called ahead and got us a second ride. He also told us which hotel would take a dog and we called ahead and got a reservation. So we are taking a zero day tomorrow (a zero day is when you hike zero miles). We ate McDonalds because it was the nearest to our hotel, showered, and tomorrow we will hit the laundromat, store, bank, etc...
Date: 2017-04-05
From: Coopers Gap

To: Dahlonega
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

My first, but certainly not last, zero day was spent doing maintenance on several things. First we unpacked our backpacks and hung tents, sleeping bags, etc. up to dry. Then, Knobby and I went to the laundry mat and was greeted warmly by Brad the owner who is a very pleasant and helpful person. We got food at Moe's and ate it in the laundry facility, while waiting for clothes to dry. Came back and uploaded pictures to my blog. Still trying to put more on but the site can be temperamental at times so moved onto blogging. Watching the weather channel and convinced that we should stay here until Friday. Made my blog as an icon on my phone which saves me from typing the web address every time I want to access it. For those of you who are following me you can down load the blog as an icon too. Just pull up my blog and click the square at the bottom of the page or hold it down, then click "add to home screen". Good luck! I wasn't the one who did it, Knobby did, so hope it works.
Date: 2017-04-06
From: Dahlonega>Cooper Gap

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: light rain

Well we woke up this morning and Knobby suggested we try our luck back on the trail. I agreed and she called and got Dixie to come and pick us up at the Motel Inn. The ride back was hysterical as Dixie shared many stories with us on the 40 minute drive back to Copper's Gap. We got a late start (got on the trail around 11:20) but we Made the best of it. We felt great our packs were lighter and our bodies rested. The weather threw a lot at us. We had rain, sleet, sun, wind, but we dressed for it. We reached Gooch Mountain Shelter at around 3:00 and ate our lunch. I had tuna salad on a tortilla shell. After refilling our water bottles we pushed on to Gooch Gap. Got here around 5:00 and set up our tents and cooked dinner (I used my pocket rocket for the first time). We hung bear bags, then crawled in our sleeping bags. It's supposed to be a cold night and very windy, around 34*, I think. Will be asleep at 8:00 and hope to be warm. All in all a very good day!
Date: 2017-04-07
From: Gooch Gap

To: Dockery Lake Trail
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: broken clouds

It was a mighty cold night last night and looks like tonight will be more of the same. Walked in 40 mph wind most of the day. Occasionally it would warm up, so I would take off my backpack and take off my coat, then around the next turn "bam" the wind would return and I'd freeze until I stopped and took off my backpack and put coat back on. Crazy day for sure.We left Gooch Gap at 9:30 and planned to eat lunch at Woody Gap (3.5 miles away) but when we arrived there at 2:00 it was too windy. I was freezing. Couldn't think of anything except "we have to get out of here". We continued to walk on but it was getting hard because we needed calories. At almost the top of Ramrock we stopped and eat, right on the trail, on some big rocks. Then walked on until 5:00. When we came to a camp ground at Dockery Lake Trail and called it a day. Snug in my sleeping bag, just wish the wind would die down. Good night!
Date: 2017-04-08
From: Dockery Lake Trail

To: Jarrard Gap
Miles today: 2.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Beautiful day walking in God's creation. I spent the day taking photos of flowers. They spring up from the dead leaves in the forest, beauty amongst all the dead. It's amazing! I can only capture a fragment of the vastness. The flowers are popping up all throughout the woods! Simply a gorgeous world God has created!Knobby and I decided to hike only 2.7 miles today knowing that tomorrow will be a hard climb up Blood Mountain.
Date: 2017-04-09
From: Jarred

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: clear sky

I knew it would be hard and Blood Mountain did not disappoint! We started early around 8:30 and it took me until 12 noon to get to the summit, there I had lunch, took some pictures and rested, hoping Knobby would soon turn up. Then about 12:30 I headed down, having not seen Knobby yet. Got lost following three younger adults but we found our way back. The way down was 2 1/2 miles of treacherous and hard terrain. My knees and feet were hurting pretty bad when I finally got to Neels Gap. I bought a pizza and coke to celebrate making it through! I had a resupply box waiting for me at the Walasi-Yi Center. Knobby made it down shortly after I did, she stayed at the hostel, I camped behind the hostel. I was disappointed that they no longer offered campers showers due to the drought and their laundry was broken. Oh well, I washed up back at camp the best I could. That night 4 Christian men were having a camp fire and I joined them for a brief moment of sharing. Was in bed by 8:30.
Date: 2017-04-10
From: Neels Gap

To: Cow Rock Mountain
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today we left Neel's Gap around 9am. I had a newly stocked, heavy pack. We hiked up and down three medium sized mountains but they were almost as hard as Blood Mt. We stopped at a spring to get water and eat lunch around 1pm. While at the spring, I decided to do my laundry because my pack wasn't quite heavy enough yet, so I thought I'd add wet laundry to it! Knobby got a good rest. We then hiked to the top of Cow Rock Mountain and decided to set up camp. Watched a beautiful sunset. P.S. I did my laundry in a gallon size ziplock bag with 2 drops of soap and walked far away from the stream before draining my water. Did not rinse clothes as they were not soapy. Hung clothes over branches to dry but they were still damp when I packed them back up.
Date: 2017-04-11
From: Cowrock Mountain

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: clear sky

This has been another very long, hard day. I love my friend, Knobby's quote that she obtained last year on the trail, "What part of hiking up mountains did you not understand?". I ask myself that many times a day. I guess I thought it would have an easy day in there somewhere but I have a feeling that's a negitory. We woke today at 7am to a pleasant day. Got on the trail by 8:30 and preceded down Cowrock Mountain. We hiked up and down several mountains, some with inclines at 60-70 degrees, it was intense. The descent was just as hairy. Brutal on the toes and knees. Stopped for water at Hogpen Gap. The picture is of me getting water!We stopped for lunch around 2pm. Then continued on until 5pm. We are at Low Gap Shelter tonight and there are maybe 30-40 people here. My pack is still to heavy. I have to make some adjustments in my shipments as I am unable to eat food fast enough, and carring it is hard. Thank you to all who have left messages. I don't have enough battery to answer you all, I hope you understand.
Date: 2017-04-12
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, the day started off fairly easy but I got a little bit of a late start because I wanted cocoa for breakfast and that meant I needed to get more water for the Trail and then decided to use the privy before heading out. So, got on the trail at 9am and the day started off beautifully! The trail meandered through the forest and around mountain sides, not to up and not to down but just right! I covered 4.3 miles by 12 noon and stopped for lunch. After lunch it all went down hill, or I should say up, and up Blue Mountain. The elevation wasn't even the challenging part. It was rock slide after rock slide. I lost count after 7. They were long stretches of rocks piled on top of rocks, some stretches as long as 100 feet or more. Anyway, it took the rest of the afternoon to go that 3 miles. Several times Tundra laid down and wouldn't go on. I'd give her water, let her rest and then forced her up knowing we'd be safer amongst other hikers.At one of the springs, I stopped and while filling my bottles I decided to let Tundra off her leash so she could get water farther down the way. She slowly goes and gets some water and then before I know it she was halfway down the mountain side. I called and called to deaf ears. Just then two young people came down the trail and I asked if they would call "Tundra" for me. They politely obliged and she came right back because she's all about meeting new people and getting a rub down! But I did have to wonder where she mustered up all that energy? Shortly after that it started to rain. It was just what I needed! It was refreshing and helped energize me for the last half mile. As I pass the water source for the shelter I refill yet again and then climb the last hill huffing and puffing. I started setting up my tent in the drizzle thinking I might be eating a cold dinner tonight but it soon stops and the sun came out and I made dinner (Chicken and Dumplings). I worried about Knobby as I hadn't seen her since lunch, then I get "Trail Mail", a person comes and lets me know she has stopped for the night back a ways. I say a prayer for her safety as I crawl in for the night.
Date: 2017-04-13
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 2.4
Weather: light rain

This was a repeat of yesterday's rock slides but on the descent. It was hard on the toes and knees. I thank the Lord my knees took turns hurting. I don't know what I'll do if the day comes when they both hurt at the same time. By the way, my plantar fasciitis hasn't been too much of an issue yet. My heel hurts mildly after 4 miles if there's a lot of down hills. Other than that it's my knees that have given me cause to worry. So it was a short but painful day today. Knobby came in to Blue Mt shelter area at around 8:30am and proceeded on while I yet again went south, back down the steep hill to fetch more water. I got on the trail at 9:00. We suffered as we raced down the mountain. We were trying to catch a shuttle that picks people up at 11:00am, at Unicoi Gap and takes them into Hiawassee, Ga. We had 2ish hours to get 2.4 miles. We both were in pain and at one point Knobby was hurting so bad that she laid down right on the trail side. We gave it our best try but we didn't make the shuttle. So when we reached the parking lot, Knobby in the lead, we collapsed in the grass, rested and then start trying to find a way into a city. We had no working phones as our batteries were dead but another hiker let me charge up my phone enough to make several calls. Called several Motel, hotels, Inn's, trying to find one that offered shuttle service, took dogs, and wasn't too pricey. Also called several shuttle service individuals to see who could help us, to no avail. Why is it we exhaust our own capacity before we pray? But as my battery life dwendled down to 1% again and I felt helpless I prayed out loud "Lord, you know we are too older women who are stuck out here in this Gap with no way to get to town and we ask you to provide a way so that we can get to a hotel so that Knobby can meet her husband and grandson tonight". I kid you not, as soon as I finished that prayer a young female hiker, who was resting her feet before continuing on, said "Hey maybe that guy over there in the rental car could give you guys a ride, he's just waiting on his sister". She proceeds to call him over and asks for us. We join the conversation explaining our need and our willingness to pay for his serves and he accepts. Praise the Lord! We were saved! As we drove to Helen, a little Alpine touristy town, he calls the hotel (that he stayed in the night before to recover from sickness) and makes sure they have rooms and took dogs. Wow! He did make it back, met his sister and they continued their hike.He drives us to Quality Inn! We get checked in, showered up, and on our way to and from the laundry mat, we are! Life is good and God is great! I'm resting up for a few days to let my knees heal. Also, made arrangements for Tundra to go home. The last two days have shown me that this is too hard on her. It's been hard on me too, a dog on the trail is like having a toddler to look after. Plus, I can't stay at most hotels or hostels or get rides. I'm going to miss my sweet Tundra! But it's best for both of us!