morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-09
To: What a pretty day
Miles today: 0.0

So today was the first truly pretty pretty day here in central illinois. All the several feet of snow is almost melting, the sun is shining, it's in the low 50's.... so I had to get outside! Me and my dog took a nice long run and hike through a local forest preserve and had a ball. We got really really muddy which was excellent. (I should be bathing her right now but I decided to stall and give her a bone to munch on for awhile instead! ) Anyways, it felt so great to get outside for a long morning. You know, this was that first "springy" day where the birds were chirping, the air smells like the pine needles that have been buried all winter.... oh, I'm just so happy. It makes me crave this summer. The whole time I was outside I was pretty much daydreaming about all the pretty days on the AT that are to come (while selectiving ignoring the cold and rainy ones!) I'd still be outside except unfortunately I have to go to work soon. Luckily, I have the entire day to myself tomorrow so while I'm folding clothes at the GAP I'll be daydreaming about which park to go to tomorrow. I'm thinking about going on a little drive and heading a couple hours south where it will be even warmer and less snowier. More good news, I'm in the process of breaking in my new trail runners/light hikers for the AT and so far so good, no blisters, no water in the shoes.... all is well. Okay, time to wash this mud off and put on some khakis. -mons
Date: 2007-03-11
To: I should be stuyding but....
Miles today: 0.0

It's 1 in the morning and I have a stinking physics test tomorrow so I decided to pop some corn and type a new journal entry instead... time for a break! Once again I'm so happy about the turning of the seasons. Yesterday I drove 1.5 hours south to Lake Shelbyville and hiked for 5 hours with my dog and then proceeded to have a picnic on the beach. It was so sunny outside, I actually got some color on my face and wore a t-shirt all day! It was also nice because the terrain there was kind of hilly in some spots so it was more exciting then most of the land around here. It's really really hard to find a hill where I live, central Illinois consists of flatness and cornfields. I do, however, really enjoy strolling (it's a stroll, can't fall under the category of "hike") through the prarie preserves around here in the springtime when all the prairie flowers are in full bloom. During this time of year though they're just dead and ugly and it just gets a bit boring hiking in 1 mile loops. So that's why I have to drive so far to find a 50 foot hill! It was really neat because I saw a big ol' healthy wolf in the woods yesterday. I have an English Pointer and she was pointing like crazy! There were also lots of cardinals and blue jays which are such a striking contrast to the brown forest, so prettyI just have to get through one more week of classes and then it's spring break time..woohoo! I'm heading down to Georgia and up some of the coast of South Carolina with my dad. We're checking out Congaree National Park which I'm really excited about, I had no idea there was a National Park in SC until a week ago. Anyways, I can't wait to check it out, my dad's deathly terrified of snakes and there's snakes and he's scared but he better not chicken out... oh yea, and we're having dinner with Wrong Turn on the 19th... One More Week-mons
Date: 2007-03-25
To: Georgia Trip
Miles today: 0.0

So I got a taste of the AT last week. I traveled down to Amicalola Falls State Park (only about an 18 hr drive!) and hiked the ascent trail up and down Springer Mountain. Oh boy, when I got to the top all I wanted to do was keep on hiking (although I had a few granola bars and a JanSport backpack so that would not have been wise*). It was sooo pretty and warm and now's the time when most people are starting out their thru-hike so I got to talk to a few folks just beginning their long journey... so lucky! I had lunch with S Rizzo on Springer, I wish him the best of luck I also met up with my future hiking buddy, Wrong Turn, for dinner and let me just say, he's pretty much one of the coolest dudes ever (which is excellent) so now I'm totally looking forward to this hike. It makes it so much better knowing that we'll get along just fine. Oh yea, and my dad also approves which is pretty important! It's going to be so nice hiking with someone who has lots of experience on the trail, Wrong Turn was just full of stories and pointers about the hike... very helpful. He also dehydrated 22 jars of prego and lots of veggies for me which is very nice. I'll be buying him a few meals in town to repay his generosity Other then that I had an awesome adventurous spring break. My dad and I toured Savannah and Charleston and made our way to Hilton Head Island. I got up really early one morning a jogged along the beach as the sun rose over the ocean. It was so beautiful, there was also a train of 6 pelicans that flew by... seeing a pelican was one of the objectives of my trip so that ruled!***Foot Note: I definately saw a coyote while hiking in Illinois, totally not a wolf, my bad! There's definately noooo wolves in Illinois I'll see one someday!!***We also headed over to Congaree National Park in central South Caroline which was everything I hoped it would be. My dad's scared of snakes so he avoided the non-boardwalk trails but I went off on my own for awhile (& totally ran into a water mocassin just off the trail, so it's good he didn't come!) It was gorgeous, an ecosystem I've never seen before, there were massive cypress trees growing out of the swamp and huge loblolly pines. The park actually has the tallest deciduous (sp?) canopy in the world. Pretty cool, huh? The other great thing about this trip was the visitor's center at Amicalola S.P. because there were lots of great AT resources there that I would never find anywhere in Illinois. I have some new reading material to crack open, I can't wait!Less that 50 days.....
Date: 2007-04-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So last weekend was the ultimate prep weekend. My plane ticket from Chicago to Atlanta is all bought finaalllly. I'm arriving at 10:15 in the morning on May 9 and Wrong Turn and I will be hiking by early afternoon. 16 more days!! I also made the big trip to Sam's Club and bought a lot of generic bulk food. Man, am I going to get sick of my meals by the end of the hike. I tried to keep some variety but it's not much... lots of granola and clif bars, loooots of snickers and paydays and it's either a freeze dried lipton meal or pasta for dinner every night. I could've been more creative when it comes to supper but it just wasn't in me, I actually don't mind the lipton meals that much so hopefully it's not torture.Oh yea, oatmeal and I finally have developed a tolerant relationship, but it was not easy, I'll tell ya that! I'm actually kind of starting to enjoy the gooey stuff.I also made a trip to my local outfitter and got all the last minute gear items that I needed...which, might I add, still amounted to quite a bit of money. My tax refund check is definately spent! It's awesome because my pack is officially loaded up with everything, I took my pack for it's first official stroll with my actual gear (not a 25 lb. bag of dog food!) in it this afternoon. I don't have too much time to spare due to crunch time at school but my dog and I went on a 5 mile hike through a local prarie. It wasn't that bad, it's gonna be different hiking up and down mountains, for sure!... but I'm pretty positive that I can handle this. All the massive hours of jogging and stairmasters and spinning classes are paying off I did get some odd looks from folks who were walking the same area today, it's just not normal for someone to be walking around with a 20 lb. pack on around these joints... especially in a small self contained forest preserve!That's about all of an update for now. I'm mailing out my first mail-drop tomorrow, it's real now.
Date: 2007-05-08
To: Last Day in Illinois
Miles today: 0.0

YEA! I leave tomorrow morning and cannot wait for it to come... I just have one more final that starts in 12 minutes, my apartment's cleaned out and car is full of junk. After this polish test all I've gotta do is pick up my dog and drive home to Chicago. Tonight I'm having a get together with some friends, who I will miss dearly during the summer, so it's time for final good-byes. Geez, I'm so ready but I still have this nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something... Just last minute jitters! Wish me luck!
Date: 2007-05-16
From: N.O.C.

To: View Entry
Miles today: 133.0

Okay, so I made it to the library in Bryson City, NC but unfortunately they close in exactly 10 minutes so this is going to have to be short and sweet!This is awesome, our motto of the trip is "this does not suck"...especially when we're going up hills So for so good, we're a day ahead of schedule, tonight we're staying at the N.O.C. at about mile 133. We were planning on hiking a few miles further north to a campsite (to break up the killer climb tomorrow) but it's a rainin' outside and the comfort of a bunk bed just sounded a bit nicer. The trail so far has definately been tough and my feet are really beat up but the beauty and the adventure of it has been worth it... oh man, silly spot to stop this entry but the librarians kicking us out!!Hopefully I'll update soon but it might be a week and pictures will be coming as soon as I have a little more time.Time to try to hitch back to the NOC in the rain... this does not suck!
Date: 2007-05-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Here I am finished with the Smokies and enjoying a nice stay at the Standing Bear Hostel. Originally, we were going to hike a few more miles to a camp site but the company here was just too nice (& somehow we're 2 days ahead of schedule instead of 1!) This place is great, it's a little farm stand with a hot shower, the internet (slow but it still works..), and even frozen pizzas... man, was mine delicious. We're hanging out with great company, quite a few folks are out here including Squirrel and Sailfish (which we've finally caught up to!)The Smokies were absolutely gorgeous and the hiking wasn't too rough. It was a hike going up into them from Fontana Dam and back down out to Davenport Gap, but once we got over 4000 feet we never really went below that. Lots of fun high up ridges with amaaazing views. My favorite spot, by far, was Rocky Top, TN. The view there was awesome, not a cloud in the sky and there was a father and son hanging out on top totally tanked. They had ICE COLD Budweisers so Wrong Turn and I enjoyed a couple of beers and a good long coversation on Rocky Top. Consequently, I've had the "Rocky Top, TN" song stucky in my head for days... I'm pretty sure that's going to be one of my favorite memories from the trail. We also saw quite a few black bears, they were all over... one even growled at us, I'm not gonna lie, I was a little bit scared. They ran off once we made some noise though. Let's see, what else? Too much! Another great spot was Chalie's Bunyun. It was only .1 miles off the trail and we had a delicious lunch there. It's a beautiful chunky rock outcrop off of the mountain. We stayed in a shelter the first and third night but on the second we decided to hitch our way into Gatlinburg. A nice retired couple took us into town and we rode in the back of a pick-up back to the gap (the driver was wearing a kilt and Harley Jacket... lots of characters out here, it's awesome!) We had a grand ol' time getting beer and pizza at the Great Smokey Mtn. Brewery. Then we walked the strip a bit and played a few games of pool (I won 2 out of 3!) and got root beer floats which were horrible!...I have fond memories of them as a child but never again.Now we're just hanging out around the fire. I'm about to go pitch a tent next to the bunkhouse b/c it's just been too long since me and my tent have bonded (I'm not a huge fan of the mandatory shelter thing in the Smokies). We ran into Squirrel again today, she unexpectedly made it out here which was awesome. Man, she did a 30+ mile day today which is amazing, I don't think I'm quite there yet! We'll be in Hot Springs, NC in a couple of days where we'll be staying at a vegetarian hostel, cool, huh? I here they have great food and a "creative music room"... man, this journey's kinda silly!
Date: 2007-07-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Anyways, we get to Mike's place and had a great time that night. Barbarossa made a delicious pasta dish and we had some great Magic Hat beer. The next day we started hiking south and it was raining and kinda miserable and we didn't quite finish the park (we had to be back to Front Royal by 4:00 for our ride). Hysterically enough, the same couple picked us up and drove us to town, by this point the woman had to get a picture with usBy this time Mike had been convincing Barbarossa and I of the benefits of flip-flopping... better weather, don't have to rush, less bugs, hiking PA when the water sources aren't dried up, etc, etc. And Barbarossa happened to have a friend whose family lives in Bar Harbor who was driving up to Maine on that Friday. It was one of those impulsive gut decisions but we decided to head up to Maine, all the pieces kinda landed in our laps. Oh yea, and I have a few buddies at Acadia National Park from working there last year so good times were to be had and a ride up to Baxter State Park.We got back to our ride and Pat drove us out to Baltimore where Barbarossa's friend, Karen, lives and was driving out of the next day. We had some good times in the bars in the city and headed out the next morning for a 13 hour drive. Lots of singing, car games, & rainbows (there was a beeeautiful one just outside of Portland along the highway) later we arrived in Bar Harbor, ME at Karen's parents lovely home where we got to stay in extremely comfortable beds. They were such a nice and welcoming family, it was a great break staying there a couple nights. On Saturday, Karen, Barbarossa, & I got in a great day hike, swimming in freeeezing cold water, Rosali's pizza, dragonkite (fladamaus) flying, etc, it was wonderful! It's so weird to be back at Acadia after working there last season, everything is so familiar and it's such a beautiful place, this is pretty awesome. That night we met up with a couple of my old ranger buddies, Deke & Justin, at Lompoc's and Little Anthony's. Barbarossa & I are now crashing at there place until Tuesday when Deke's bringing us up to Baxter SP & hopefully hiking up with us. Whhooossh, so there it is, Maine's gorgeous and I caaaan't wait to begin hiking south!
Date: 2007-04-02
From: South River, New Jersey

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This is the first journal entry for Spock, whom I will be making entries for. Spock is my 54 year old brother from Pensacola, Florida who will be attempting his first thru hike, beginning next Tuesday. This past weekend, Spock was in Baltimore, visiting his brother (me). When I join Spock on the trail in June, I will be going by the name, Bones. That's not so much because of the doctor in the original Star Trek, as that when I'm on the trail for more than two days, I am reduced to looking like a skeleton. Anyway, I'll intially be acting as Chief Engineer, Scott, sending Spock his mail drops and staying in contact with him, hopefully on a daily basis. This Wed, Spock, his mother, Carrie and Reba will be going into New York to see the play, Mary Poppins. Next Monday, he'll be flying down to Atlanta and beginning his adventure. Hopefully, before that happens, Spock will post an entry or two into this journal for all his supportive friends and fans out there. One question I have for him is, why he picked that trail name. It must date back to his Navy days. Spock retired from the navy several years back. Since then, he's bicycled across the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and sailed his boat up the intercoastal waterway to the Erie Canal, then back down via the great lakes and rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. So the Appalachian Trail seems the next natural thing, the next leg of his triathlon, you might say.
Date: 2007-04-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 8.7

Havn't heard from Spock, who is still up in New Jersey. Will catch up tomorrow and see what's going on. The weather here in Baltimore this Friday is brisk, but very comfortable for hiking. This morning I took a ride to the Catoctin Mountains near Thurmont and enjoyed a 9 mile hike on a circuit route going and returning to the Visitor Center. It was really nice being back out in the woods. Lots of rewarding views along the way. My legs are tired out. Next Friday I'm taking a 21 mile hike on the Heritage Trail in Pennsylvania. It runs from York to the Maryland line at New Freedom. I've done alot of marathon training on the trail south of there, in Maryland, but not on the Heritage, so I'm looking forward to it. My old hiking partner, Marty, will be accompanying me. After that I'll be making two overnighters on the AT to try out my new pack. It's a Kelty interior frame with a built in hydration bag. My old pack was an exterior frame and quite a bit heavier, as well as bulky. I should be right around 30 pounds, even with a full load of food and water. When I went out on my first hike, in 1999, I had well over forty pounds and hauled that weight all the way across Pennsylvania. That's how you learn the importance of getting pack weight down. I mean, yeah, hiking is work, but if it's not also fun, what's the point of being out there? Thirty pounds is a "fun" weight. Well, it's time for a well-deserved nap. Bones out.
Date: 2007-04-09
From: South River, N.J.

To: Gainesville, GA
Miles today: 0.0

Hi everyone. This is Spock's brother, Bones. I just made an entry for today and accidentally deleted it. This journal takes a little getting used to. Anyway, Spock flew out of Newark, New Jersey this morning, bidding farewell to his mom and dad, who will be cat sitting for him the next six months. The flight down went without a hitch. When Spock arrived in Atlanta, he discovered that he did not have his list of contacts for a ride to Amicalola Falls. Instead, he hopped on a bus and went to Gainesville, which is a tiny town about 25 miles from the park. He's staying at a Motel 6, which will seem luxurious to him in about two weeks. He said he is very excited about beginning his adventure tomorrow. Hopefully the weather for his first day will be in his favor. In the morning, he's arranged a ride at 8am to the Park. After registering as a thru-hiker, he will weigh his pack to see what his departure weight is. Then he'll set out on the 8.3 mile approach trail to Springer Mountain. I asked him to call me when he reaches the beginning. Spock is a photographer of some repute, and has a digital camera with him. Hopefully, some of his photos will find there way onto this journal. Now lets see if I can post this successfully.
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Gainesville, GA

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.5
Weather: light rain

Received a phone call from Spock at 3:15pm today. He was standing on top of Springer Mountain looking at the first white blaze, one of thousands that will lead him to Maine. He left from the visitor center at Amicalola Falls at 9:30am and made the 8.8 mile trek to Springer. His first calculation error was his plan to pick up fuel at the visitor center, but they didn't have any. He did get a bottle of propane, but it is much too large. He'll use it until he can find something more suitable. His plan is to continue to the Stover Creek Shelter, which is two and a half miles from Springer, mostly downhill, as opposed to the approach trail hike, which is mostly uphill. His total mileage for the day is about eleven and a half, which is most impressive. He said the day was pleasant. I wonder how the night will be? Congratulations Spock, on your first day on the trail!
Date: 2007-04-11
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

Spock tricked me yesterday. After calling from Springer, he decided to stay put for the night. The ridgerunner on Springer (a volunteer who helps out hikers along the trail) told Spock that the Stover Creek Shelter was small and he'd be more comfortable at the one he was at, which is named (wanna guess?) Springer Mtn shelter. So actually, today Spock hiked 14.9 miles. He said it was rainy most of the way. His first night in a shelter was cold, in the thirties, and there was a heavy mist. At the Springer Mtn shelter he met Moondoggie, another hiker his age who also is keeping a trailjournal on this web site, and Coldilocks. The ridgerunner was nice enough to take the propane off Spock's hands and give him a little alcohol fuel. Wed. night at the Gooch Mountain shelter he stayed with about ten other hikers, among them, Sudoku, Backtrack, and Gypsy. He needed earplugs, as one anonymous hiker threatened to blow the roof off with his snoring.
Date: 2007-04-12
From: Gooch Mtn Shelter

To: Blood Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

I received a call from Spock from the top of Blood Mountain, at the end of his hiking day. He said that his food is good, though dreads resupplying, as he knows he won't have the selection that is in his mail drops. Unfortunately, Spock's first mail drop won't be for another 100 miles. He used one of his energy gels to help him get up a mountain, and it worked great. He hiked mostly in a T-shirt, so the weather was much milder. He's only 2 miles from Neels Gap, where he will either relax in a hostel, or continue ahead. He'll buy the proper fuel cannister he needs there and whatever food he wants to add. Tomorrow, we'll both be hiking, as I have my Heritage trail hike. The Blood Mtn shelter is made out of stone and has two rooms. It sits atop the highest peak on the AT in Georgia (4461 ft). Blood mountain is the most visited spot on the AT south of Clingman's Dome.
Date: 2007-04-13
From: Blood Mtn Shelter

To: Low Gap Shelter, GA
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Spock had a very cold night on top of Blood Mountain. There was only one other hiker, and she stayed in a tent outside the shelter. The next morning he hiked the 2 plus miles down to Neel's Gap, where the Walasi-Yi Center was. This was the first place since the Visitor Center where Spock could get some short-term supplies. He purchased some trail mix and enjoyed a Coke and a hot-dog. He then continued on to Low Gap Shelter. It was very crowded and he slept for the first time in his tent. He set the tent up on a slight slope, which was comfortable for his head, but the pad underneath him kept slipping down to the bottom of the tent. Spock was not very happy with the Walasi-Yi, as they forced hikers to buy in larger quantities than necessary, taking advantage of a hikers lack of choice.
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Low Gap Shelter, GA

To: Unicoi Gap (Helen, GA)
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Spock hiked to Unicoi Gap today. Hearing of the bad weather moving in, he decided to stop early and get into town. He got a ride on route 75 into the town of Helen, and settled in at an Econolodge, his first relative luxury since starting. The rain was supposed to last through the night, but be down to sprinkles on Sunday. He had a shuttle scheduled for 10:30.       By the way, Bones' hike on Friday went very well. I hiked 21 flat miles along a rail trail from York, PA to the Maryland line. The trail went through many little towns, like Seven Valleys, Hanover Junction, Glen Rock and Railroad. In Seven Valleys, Marty and I had lunch at a restaurant called Serenity-Station. The roast beef paninis I had lasted me the remainder of the hike. The day was windy, but we got some refreshing sunshine in the afternoon. I was tired but not too sore the following day. Looking forward to my next test hike, which will be on the AT with my new pack.