morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-27
To: Back Yard
Miles today: 0.0

So it's been a while. I went to Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico on a cruise at the end of January. It was my first cruise, and I learned that white people are crazy! I would like to go back to Guatemala and stay for a while. So after eating all the food and gaining weight and not exercising, my right knee began to hurt and feel "floaty". So I took it easy on it. It continued to pop more and get worse. So about 3 weeks ago I decided to just work out like I normally did and see what happens. I went for a mountain bike ride, it felt good. So I rode a few more times, and it felt much stronger. I did a few more hikes ( one from Chestoa in erwin, to Indian Grave gap)and it was feeling back to normal. Phew! So what I learned is that I was worried about my knee and was almost mad at it for hurting, because it could screw up my trip, So if I put negative in, then I get negative out. So I inserted positive into the preceding statement.    I day hiked this past saturday with my dad and friends Donnie and Patty from Highway 91 to Watauga dam rd. It follows along Watauga lake. It was my longest hike in one day (15.8). I felt really good. I packed my bigger pack with 50 pounds of stuff to train with. Oh yeah, I got a new pack on the way. Much smaller. We hiked it in about 5.5 hours. I saw Fruitfly and No Joke. They're in Damascus now. No Joke was bummed because he lost his camera around the store at the bottom of Roan MTN. I stopped at that store today, but no camera.    So speaking of training. On Sunday I rented a "Sod Cutter" and ripped up my backyard. I didn't like the grass and after I replant it, it will make it easier on my wife to mow with a reel mower. 8 truckloads of sod I hauled off. About 9000 pounds. I'm sore in all the right places. That'll get me ready for those long days. I'm trying to do something active everyday to protect myself from injury on the trail.   Next trip: April 6th Out & back on the Art Loeb trail in the Shining rock Wilderness. 66 miles, I'll have a few nights to try out my penny stove that I made from 2 Heineken beer cans.
Date: 2007-04-23
To: Art Loeb Trail
Miles today: 0.0

Started today on the Art Loeb Trail in Pisgah National Forest in NC. 30.1 miles then a 3 mile round trip up cold mountain. Looking to do 63 miles by Friday. Got me a new pack last week. An Osprey Aether 60. I have tried about 7 others. Few past the Living room test. With 6 pounds of water and 10 pounds of food it weighs 38 pounds. I can be happy with that, knowing that I have a few ways to lighten up. I started and 10:30 at Davidson river campground after an hour drive from Johnson City. Started at about 2800 ft. Up and Up and Up. Not too bothered by it. 1st break 8.7 mi in at butter gap shelter. I figured I couldn¢t make it the 14.4 to the next water so I filled up my 2.5 liter msr 1 quart Gatorade bottle and my 1 liter nalagene/ UV water purifier bottle. While I was there a met a 70 something man and his toy poodle hiking around. He was shirtless and in Jogging pants. No water or food. Something about his New balance trail hikers made him seem prepared. We made small talk. He told me, ¢Ya know, I wish I didn¢t have things so hard when I was your age so I could¢ve hiked around. Yep, Ya know people who don¢t have it hard aren¢t too thankful. Make sure you give thanks to God.¢ I assured him I was thankful, he nodded at that, and hiked on.   Picked up my pack, Oh boy it was heavy. One thing about the Art Loeb is that it is not afraid to go right up the spine of a mountain and then right back down. After a few of those and all of the water and food I was tired. Got to the base of a 800 foot .8 mile climb and figured after that it was another 1000 foot climb up pilot mtn. I set up my tent because of the bugs, it was about 5:30 , I had hiked 12.5. After laying there for about an hour I realized I had bonked. The familiar headache from bicycle racing was back. I ate a parboiled rice dinner cold, and slept from then until morning on and off. I woke up and took some Ibuprofen sometime in the night.
Date: 2007-04-24
To: Art Loeb Trail
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up this morning feeling good. Started out climbing. Steep ,Switch back climbing. Glad I had not attempted it last night. Pack feels great by the way My Shorts chaffed me yesterday, so I busted out the MTN hardware hiking ¢kilt¢. Let¢s not make it more than it is. This is America and it is a skirt. . Had whole grain oat meal for breakfast. None of that instant crap that stays with me for about 100 feet. Stopped and filled up my msr bladder at deep gap shelter. Then it was an 1800 foot climb up to Black Balsam Knob. The highest point on the trip. 6214 Ft. Just across the Blue Ridge Parkway. Steep, steep up from the BRP. Majestic views all around from Black Balsam. Had lunch. Dozed off for a second, and woke up with a sudden chill. Maybe wind had blown up my crawl. Hiked over to Tenant MTN, another 6000 ft +. I really liked this area, I am to think that if we had an ¢above tree line¢ area, this would be it. Very eroded high traffic trails from dayhikers. Entered shining rock wilderness, the trail is no longer blazed. Decided to call it a day at 3:30 and 13 miles, just before Shining Rock. Camped at another water source. Filled up 4 qts of my 6 qt platypus bag. Really liked it , served all of my cooking, cleaning, and hygiene and water for the next day needs. Thanks DAD! I¢ve been treating my water with an aquastar UV nalagene bottle device. Treats a liter at a time in 80 sec. Thanks MOM!
Date: 2007-04-25
To: Art Loeb Trail
Miles today: 0.0

Slept hot all night. Going to finish the Art Loeb today. Got out of camp after a bowl of Kashi crunch and instant soy milk at 8:30. Got to the "triangle" an area where 5 trails come together. The Art Loeb appears to continue straight up another eroded high traffic trail. Notice I said appears, and that from yesterday the trails are not blazed. I hiked up to Shining Rock and then headed toward the North, then down and down. The trail kept heading a little too much to the East. I figured that it would start direct north anytime. I walked down about 1.5 hours and knew I had gone wrong. So it was back 1.5 hours to the camp spot where I had begun. Picked up more water and realized if I would have paid more attention to my map, I would have seen that the Art Loeb went west of Shining rock. Lesson Learned. Continued across a knife edge ridge and then up Cold mountain 6030 feet. More huge mountain views. Filled up my platypus bag on the way down Cold. It was about 4:30 when I came down of Cold and I didn¢t feel like hiking down 3.5 to 2400 feet to the end of the Art Loeb and then back. With my mistake of 6 miles I hiked around 12 miles today.
Date: 2007-04-26
To: Art Loeb Trail
Miles today: 0.0

Looks like rain today. Hiked the 3.5 miles down to the BoyScout Camp to the end of the Art Loeb. I considered not doing it, and hiking it later.   I have learned from Five-Leafed Clover SOBO¢06 to skip nothing, because it sucks going back. On the way back up it started raining. It felt good, so I saw no reason to breakout the rain gear. Had lunch at the tues night camp spot. Got more water. I started shivering, so I put on my rain jacket and started walking. Started to get more windy. By the time I was coming back across the balds, the wind was blowing 70-80 mph. It was pushing me wherever. One time I would bet you it gusted near 100 and blew my pack cover off. Luckily it got caught in the scrub. Clouds had set in, I was careful to try to remember the trail. There were many tourist trails across the balds. Hiked down to a spruce pine forest and set up camp. It rained all night and every time the wind hit the trees a blast a water fell on the tent. I tried stuffing toilet paper in my ears, no relief. I fell asleep soundly some time in the night. Hiked around 16 mi.
Date: 2007-04-27
To: Art Loeb Trail
Miles today: 0.0

So it¢s around 17.5 back to the start today. That would make the longest hike in a day for me. I can¢t see hiking 14 just to hike 3 tomorrow. Let¢s do it! Just hiking back trying to remember all of the climbs. That was annoying, I knew I couldn¢t remember everything I had hiked thru but my wandering mind kept trying. It was cold starting out but as the elevation dropped and the day wore on it got hot. Stopped the first and only time at butter gap 8 miles in. Finished off my lunch rations. Continued on for 9 miles. Felt a blister start on my heel with 1 mile to go. It was due to wet boots from the day before. I figured there was no reason to break it all out with just 1 mile. I was very tired. The balls of my feet really hurt. Got to my truck, backed up, and went down to the river and dipped my head in, washed off my arms.   Started to drive off, then thought. ¢Screw this, this is not my style¢ I backed up, walked back down to the river got down to my underwear held my nose and laid flat on my back. ¢Now that¢s it!¢ I thought to myself.I drove into Asheville ,went to the Mellow Mushroom and got a pitcher of Draft rootbeer, yes Draft, and a pizza. The trip was great, it taught me about my equipment and my hiking preparedness. I do not like my alcohol penny stove. Past boiling water, it uses too much fuel to simmer too. I am happy with all that happened and feel good about completing this 69 mile trip. So next up, telling my job on Mon april 30th , that I am leaving them to go hike
Date: 2007-05-03
To: Jobby Job
Miles today: 0.0

So I got my 3 bosses in one room to tell them about my trip. I had to wait about 30 min for everyone to arrive, that was nerve racking. The feelings I thought they may have had never came to light. Nothing but support from them. It¢s very nice not having to hide it anymore, and tell people. I have people whom I have never met asking about the walk. A few say they envy me, other say ¢if I where younger I would do it too¢. I feel very lucky to not have regret for anything in my life and that the chance is given to me. I am proud of myself for not succumbing to the ¢normal¢ life, because for me, this trip and the life that I am leading , is normal.
Date: 2007-06-18
To: Millinocket
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Well here I am at the Kathdin Cabins in Millinocket. I can walk out to the middle of the street and see Katahdin in the distance. I'll be hiking it in the morning. Drove up here from TN over the last 2 days. Good trip with my parents. Stopped by the beach near portland ME on the way up. Bugs are swarming around me now, not really biting though. Everything is a blur with packing, preparing,saying goodbye to my wife (that was extra hard), the drive, strange new land, etc. The "day" always comes and mine is here. Surreal. Moose! is what the owner of the cabin said. He hasn't seen one in 15 months, and has seen 20 in the last month. Many ideas of what it'll be like out there run through my head, I know it'll all be different than what I expect.
Date: 2007-06-19
From: Katahdin Stream Camp Ground

To: Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

1st trail entry today. I have to start out by saying that we all made it to the top of Katahdin. My mom , dad, and I. I am very proud of them. Beautiful Sunny day. I¢ve been told not to underestimate many mountains, I never found it true, but with Katahdin, this is definitely a mountain no to be underestimated. The trail goes over places that I wouldn¢t have thought imaginable. We took many breaks and took our time. I met a few other SOBO¢s on the way up, Josh, Stan, a couple of others who¢s name I didn¢t get. We stayed up on top about an hour taking it all in. We took many pictures of course, but mostly sat in silence. The we headed down, I would say that it was just has hard down as up. I swam in Katahdin stream down from the falls.   Cold Cold Cold. Melt water. Felt great and made my muscles feel better. My mom told me that this was the 2nd biggest sacrifice she has made for me. The only other beating it out¢¦¢¦.giving birth. I can¢t express how happy I am to have my parents hike with me. It¢s great! So I¢ll start heading south tomorrow.   My mind is great, my body is great. I am ready!
Date: 2007-06-21
From: Katahdin Stream Camp Ground

To: Hurd Brook Lean To
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: broken clouds

Day 2Today I hike for Mike Grindstaff. He is a good friend that died suddenly in august of 2004. Today is his birthday. First day of summer. It¢s hike naked day on the AT, not today with all these bugs. It was a long 16 mile drive to Baxter state park. My sore parents walked with me about .5 mile. It was a great goodbye. We all hugged as one and cried together. I left the road and went off into the wilderness as they watched. I said loudly ¢I love you¢ , and from both ¢I love you¢ came back. Then I walked, cried for a moment, then excitement took over. Flat and rolling terrain along the river. I broke my pole about 6 miles in. I tripped on it, fell on it. I could have fought it but I didn¢t want to injure myself. I can still use the pole, but just shorter. I hiked in 13.4 miles in 4.5 hours, so quickly because I couldn¢t stop due to the mosquitoes. I passed two other hikers Nick and Josh. Josh was aleady wearing his bug net. I got to the shelter (Hurd Brook) and Tony from Florida was there with his Chihuahua named Moo-Moo. He hitched all the way up here and started today. 2 guys from London showed up, section hiking the 100 mile. I feel great! I¢m a little overwhelmed by everything, I just have to remember it¢s DAY BY DAY.
Date: 2007-06-22
From: Hurd Brook Lean To

To: Rainbow Sping Lean to
Miles today: 11.5

Day 3Today I hike for Karl Konrad. A good friend. Started today thinking that I may hike 19.2 skipping the next shelter at 11.5. I¢ve always said ¢Trust your gut¢, and my gut told me that hiking the longest day that I have ever hiked the second day out was foolish. I like my heavy leather hiking boots, good for the mud. I keep having thoughts of finishing in Georgia, those thoughts are interrupted by the thought of Georgia, now that¢s a dumb thing to be thinking of. Tony beat me out of the shelter this morning, we crossed a few times on the trail. I got to the lean-to at 11.5 and there is no way I could have made the 19.2. I have a small blister on my 3rd toe, left foot, I can¢t figure out why. I rolled in about 2 pm, so I had 2 dinners. I living a dream.
Date: 2007-06-23
From: Rainbow Sping Lean to

To: Potaywadjo Spring
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 4Today I hike for my Dad. He has given me the confidence to know that I can do anything I put my mind to. And today I want to hike 18.4 my 4th day out , so that¢s what I¢ll do. I need some quietness away from the constant conversation. I left out and quickly climbed Nesuntabunt Mt. beautiful views of the lake of the same name below. Very chilly this morning, and rain threatened all day. Got to Wadleigh shelter after 8 miles. Tony was there fishing, I had lunch. His dog was stone asleep. I don¢t think that Moo-Moo will make it. I followed the river for the next 4 miles through dried up bogs. If they would have been wet, it would have been much harder. I was very tired with only 2.5 to go. I took a few breaks, that helped a lot. I pulled into Potaywadjo Lean to and 3 fellers from Mississippi, who are section hiking, were ther.      I decided to set up my tent. It¢s now almost dark, I had time to set camp, eat, and
Date: 2007-06-24
From: Potaywadjo Spring

To: Cooper Brook
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 5Today I hike for my mom. She is always cheerful and happy.   A very hard worker. She has given me the ability to love no matter what. I slept a little later today. I hobbled out in the middle of the night like an old man to the bathroom. I played my harmonica for a while this morning. Uneventful hike today to cooper brook lean to. No sign of the group I was with. I have my food drop today. I mailed a package of food out to be left for me at Jo mary road.   I got to it and it was way too much food. I must have been hungry when I packed it. I left some extra food here at the shelter for the London boys. There is a swimming hole out in front of the shelter, so I took a bath. It felt great! I¢ve sprayed so much Deet on me that I feel dizzy when I add a new coat. I finally broke out the bugnet today. The ¢eye bomber¢ bugs were getting to me. I set up my tent in the shelter to stay from the bugs. My cold is no better, now a ruthless cough. The woods are starting to fell like home.
Date: 2007-06-25
From: Cooper Brook

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

Day6 Today I hike for Becky. She has taught me that if it is not worth fighting for, it is not worth doing. Today was am fight. First day of climbing. It was great to get out of the muggy,buggy bottom land. Started with a climb up to 2000ft. Then steep ups and downs after that. I was sweating like crazy and my heel developed a hot spot. So I put a blister patch on. I hiked to Logan Brook Lean to 11.5 miles in and felt I could go a little further. It was another 11 ft climb in only 1.4 mi up to White Cap mt. 3650ft. The pines reminded of the top of Unaka mtn or Roan Mt. The trail maintainers used huge rocks to create crude steps up the mountain, I wouldn¢t want that job. I sweat just as much on the descent as I do on the climb. I thought that it would just be straight down now to the campsite, but no it¢s some more climbing. I had to takw an immediate food break. I was running on E. I was alone all day. I still have my cold, it has pushed into my ear. Luckily I brought some antibiotics. I pulled off my blister patch and all the skin came with it. 1in X 2in right on my left heel. I¢ve never had a problem with blisters, but I didn¢t use the boots on that 70 mile trip. My spirits are great. Even though my feet are bad.
Date: 2007-06-26
From: Sidney Tappan Campsite

To: Chairback Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: few clouds

Day 7 12.1 miToday started out with low energy. I slept well last night. It rained as a started, I put my rain jacket on, that last about 5 min. I¢ll be sending that home. It just felt good to get rained on as I climbed. Saw a group of Northbounders fly by me today. Goodfellas, guthook, Fruitfly. I just had time to get in a ¢Hey¢, Covered my blister today in Moleskin, and Duct tape. I crossed my fisrt rover today, felt good on the feet. Washed away my blister patch though. I caught up to Grizzly, Pipes, and Stayin, all from NC. They started the day before me. Meeting them lifted my spirits tremendously. My bottom lip was no longer on the ground. I met a ridge runner today. He hikes the local trail to tell people of updates and do general checks. He told me the water was ¢stagnant¢ at the next shelter. When I got to it, I was completely out of water. I had to drink it. It was cold, I treated it, it was good. I should not have gone that low on water. I was sweating immensely, and was in a bad spot with no water. Pipes got his name because he plays bag pipes and brought a travel set with him. So I ended the night with listening to him play. It made me feel so good to be out here. So the end of the day was nothing like the beginning. I¢m torn. I want to stay with these guys, but I want to make the miles when I can get them.
Date: 2007-06-27
From: Chairback Gap

To: Wilson Valley
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 8 16.4Today I hike for Joey Washburn. He has hiked just short of half of the AT. Just short of the PA state line to GA. Last night I slept terribly. It was too hot to be in a sleeping bag, and too buggy to be out of it. The day was long. Climbing here is nothing like climbing in TN. Straight up over boulders, roots, rocks, very treacherous and dangerous.   Then back down the same terrain. It has been very humid over the past few days. So humid that the rocks are condensating. Just as humid as coastal South Carolina, or Georgia. And 88-90 deg So I stayed wet all day. I had lunch at 7.3 mi. Then more climbing, 5 mountains in all. I continued on to Long Pond Stream where I got to swim in a water fall. It felt so good! I should have stayed the night there but continued on another 5 mi to Wilson Valley. There was another steep climb in between, and of course more sweating. I got here after about 12 hours of hiking. Too Long. I¢m alone here again. Tomorrow it¢s on to Monson!
Date: 2007-06-28
From: Wilson Valley

To: Monson
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

Day 9 10.4Today I hike for my Grandma, Joan Crowe. She has been gone for awhile now, but she among many things has instilled a strong work ethic in me. I¢m on to Monson, ME, my first trail town. Uneventful walk today, except for feeling long since I wanted to be in town so bad. I rained on me today, I just got wet and loved it. I got to the road and it was 3.5 miles to town. The Quigley¢s picked me up first thing. A super nice 70 something couple. They even turned around to pick me up. They took me straight to Shaw¢s, where I got a room and a hot bath. I went straight to the convenience store and got me one of those Hershey 600 calorie milkshake drinks, then turned right around to head to the Spring creek bbq where I got me a big ¢sammich¢. I heard Old Crowe Medicine Show playing on the stereo there. I didn¢t think I would hear that here. I sat around swapping stories. Then I went to call Becky from a pay phone. She couldn¢t believe I had made it already. I didn¢t realize how happy I was about being on this journey until I got to express it to her. I¢ve been alone most of the time and hiking this trip in my own head not conveying how I feel to others. So I can Say ¢I feel Great!¢.
Date: 2007-06-29
From: Monson

To: Monson
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 10 Zero DayWoke up to the smell of Bacon. Had a tremendous breakfast of 3 eggs, French toast, bacon, sausage, home fries, and OJ. Ate it all down. I can say that the last 100 or so miles has been a great journey that I really enjoyed. I hiked in a total of 8 days. I was thinking it would take 11. It was hard at times, but I am learning and growing. I am thankful that I trained. Many hikers are dropping out for knee problems. Today I am taking the day off and resting my body. My body is not too sore though. I¢m looking forward to the trail coming up. I had a great day zeroing at monsoon. The day lasted so long. I went to get some groceries. I went by the outfitter too. They fixed my poles for free. I went to the pickin¢ porch at the general store to check out some bluegrass. After that I went down to the pub and saw the London boys. They has made it though the 100 mile. I saw Tony too, he skipped 11 miles to get of the 100 mile. He didn¢t treat his water, it caught up with him. I finished off the night by talking to Becky. I sat outside relaxing, listeneing to the Avett Brothers. I couldn¢t stop from crying because I am in such a good place in my life, and I¢m living in the moment.
Date: 2007-06-30
From: Monson

To: Moxie Bald
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 11 Today I¢m hiking for My Grandpa Ross Jackson. I visited him right before I left. It was a very very good visit. He could write so many books on what he knows and remembers. So now it¢s me and Stayin¢ hiking together. Grizzly & Pipes went home. We hiked 9 miles by lunch, great pace. We pulled into Moxie Bald lean to, My legs were tired from the rocks. It was really good to hike with someone at pace. Me and Stayin¢ are going to share my tent as it is very crowded here. 7 hikers and a camp group of kids. I met a girl from Kingsport, TN named Redo. Her trip was cut short in CT in 2004. She¢s finishing it up.