morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-02-09
To: Food Prep 1
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I tried out my new dehydrator. My first two recipes were sweet potato bark and black bean flakes. I also made vanilla rice as part of a future rice pudding recipe and I dehydrated a bunch of apples to add to breakfasts. The dehydrator has 6 trays and seemingly holds a lot of food but I realized today that this process is going to be slow going given how much food I want to prepare. I often have moments where I'm feeling in over my head with this whole ordeal. I'm questing if I really want to do this hike, which I'm hoping is mainly fear and anticipation talking instead of the rational voice in my head. It's easy to become overwhelmed with all the prep work I would like to do. I hold myself to ridiculous standards and try to squeeze all of my ambitions into a time frame that's slightly too small for my desires. However, there's just enough time that I'm going to go for it. Food is so sacred and personal. I don't think I can make it through the Appalachian Trail if I'm eating gas station food along the way. I've been struggling to get access to a bulk food store. Finally decided to order my food at wholesale price from a bulk food website. I've found some great deals, assuming shipping is reasonable as well. I am feeling progress, but I am definitely having doubts about whether my pace is fast enough. Time is moving quickly and it doesn't help that I have a full time ski patrol life consuming my mind as well.
Date: 2017-02-12
To: treat your feet
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Shout out to Tim from Basin Sports for crafting me another awesome pair of custom inserts. My first pair's been in my ski boots all season and they've been a total game changer. Happy to support my feet so they can hopefully support me in return! Apparently Tim loved these inserts so much he made himself a pair today; come spring, we'll both be rocking these soul-filled soles.
Date: 2017-02-17
To: Food Prep 2
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm making a lot of progress with food prep. Whipped up a scrumptious ratatouille with Sabina and I'm looking forward to feasting on it in a few months and being reminded of the love that was cooked into it :-) I've been collecting materials; purchasing items and dehydrating everything in sight so today I finally started to compile meals. Also recently received my order of individualized condiment packets and today I ordered 200 lbs of wholesale nuts, dried fruits and grains. I'm simply eyeballing portions and figure I'll have wiggle room with the snacks I'm bringing and food I buy in town. I think I'm really going to appreciate having these tasty meals preprepared given my standards when it comes to food and my limited diet (being a lactose intolerant vegetarian). Here are some links I've used for recipes and tips. Super helpful for vegans that like to cook. http://www.backpackingchef.com https://outdoorherbivore.com/about/ http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/hiking-food https://www.ifsbulk.comShameless plug: I'd love help and/or company throughout all this food prep so if you're reading and live nearby, you should come over and enjoy the food fest! I'll even pick up your favorite beer!
Date: 2017-02-23
To: Food Prep 3
Miles today: 0.0

I'm working a lot of overtime hours right now which is making it tricky to keep up momentum with AT prep. I've been able to internalize a positive mindset most of the time though. Allison Zug-ster came over last night and cooked a curry dish and chili with me. It was awesome to have help and company, very appreciative to have supportive people in my life.Strong. Experienced. CapableShe chants to herself as if toReinstill a rationale that the brainHas involuntarily wandered away from.You are my sunshine, she hears.You will achieve greatness and find everything you want to, she reads.As you roam the surface of this deteriorating earthYou will find pockets of lightTake a spoonful andshare the drops that overflowCarry your mind to a place where your soul sings,absorb the energies that surround you,but only the ones you want to make room forLet the vibrations resonate as youObserve your surroundings andStimulate all five sensesNotice what the eye is not trained to seeBecause that is what will make you happy
Date: 2017-02-23
To: Food Prep 4
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Received my bulk food order full of nuts, dried fruits and snack mix ingredients. Felt like Christmas opening all the boxes. I'm quickly acquiring all of my materials so I can soon crank through meals. It was awesome to have Kate Berger's assistance making a curry spiced snack mix. Also packaged the curry and chili dishes bringing me to 31 dinners, 26 breakfasts and 17 lunches. For reference, I vacuum sealed my first meal one week ago. I'm content with my pace so far especially given my predication that productivity with increase when more ingredients arrive and with the help of my parents who are visiting next week.
Date: 2017-02-27
To: Food Prep 5
Miles today: 0.0

I was driving myself crazy with my high expectations of myself. I have already given up my life to working on ski patrol (holiday weeks consume my life) and then I get home and cook all night. I've felt like a prisoner of this project but only because I wasn't taking the time to tend to my other needs. So I took the last two days off from cooking. Spent a night hanging out with Kate Berger and then hosted a potluck/jam night the following evening (which was a huge success). It was important to take a pause and allow myself to have fun and relax with friends. Some things I've done since my last post:- sew velcro onto my umbrella handle so I can attach it to a pack strap and have free hands- received 12 packages of various pre-dehydrated vegetables to use in future meals- made 12 chai spice mix lunches- dehydrated Red Himalayan Rice- scored a second day off for this week and potentially convince a few more ski patrol friends to cook with me- replaced the patches on my rain pants with tear aid
Date: 2017-03-04
To: Food Prep 6
Miles today: 0.0

Finally feeling like I'm making decent progress. I started making meals just over 2 weeks ago and I'm at least half done with the project. I'll be cutting it close this season, trying to fit in everything I want to but I think I just might pull all this prep off and start my adventure feeling ready to do so. I recognize my to do list will always be long, but I am setting reasonable expectations of myself current self and prioritizing to decide what needs to be done in the next month. A month from today will be my first day hiking. That date is going to sneak up on me quickly, but alternatively, a lot can happen in a month. It's a 5th of my Killington season, so I'm excited to see what the next month brings.
Date: 2017-03-27
To: Prep Week, day 1
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday was my last day working at Killington for the season. What a wonderful winter it's been. I am very appreciative of all humans that have entered my life in the past sixth months. I've got one week until my flight to Georgia and I'll be splitting my time between Killington and Albany. Finished vacuum sealing the last of my dinners in the morning with the company of Gracie Wright! Final dinner count is 161 meals. Also spent the day getting ready for my farewell bash. Twas nice to have so many beautiful faces in one place at the same time to kick off my prep week. Seems I'll be sticking around Killington for at least a few more days (it always takes me a long time to leave a home) so I'll hopefully be seeing my coworkers more throughout the week but the party was a helpful milestone as I transition from one life to the next. We shaved my head. Most of my coworkers got to take a pass with the buzzers, quite the party attraction.
Date: 2017-03-28
To: Prep week, day 2
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I haven't been sleeping much, there are too many things on my to do list. But the end is in site. As soon as Monday rolls around, I'll be done with prep work whether I've done everything or not. This reminds me of the week between finishing my last college semester and the cross country road trip I did in April 2016. I'm pretty stoked about how everything is coming together. I know I will need time to truly dial it in and devise a system, but I'm getting myself pretty darn close right now and I think a near future version of myself is going to be very happy about all this work. Today I:-Cleaned my house-Finished vacuum sealing the breakfasts today (final count is 123)-Took some runs in perfect spring conditions with Moose and Natalie-Chose my first three mail drop locations-Made an anti-chafe cream with essential oils that repels bugs-Scored a free massage-Played with Luna
Date: 2017-04-03
To: Airport gate
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I've prepared for many trips before. I've spent many mornings at timberlock running around attempting to collect the exact items that we will need for our trips. I know these stresses well and now, I know it even better. These pretrip sentiments have lasted for the past two months as I have spent every free moment cooking meals, purchasing gear, testing systems, sewing and tending to old gear that needs some TLC. I'm? sitting at my gate at the Albany airport, waiting to fly to Atlanta and begin my journey back North and I'm very grateful to be leaving this portion of my adventure behind. I still have a couple items to purchase in Georgia tonight (sunscreen, a lighter etc...) and I have to figure out what addresses to give my mom for my first few re-rations but overall, I've got everything I need/want and my ducks in a line (at least as much as I can before leaving). I've gotten an average of 5 hours of sleep a night for the past many nights and I'm excited to return to a more sustainable sleeping schedule.
Date: 2017-04-04
From: Springer Mt

To: Hawk mountain campsite
Miles today: 7.4

made it through day one. Had a lovely send off from Porter and Sarah! They were extremely gracious hosts and helped me pull myself together last minute (with gear purchases and such). Porter and I hiked south bound for a mile together to get to the top of Springer Mt and then I went back to the parking lot, grabbed my pack and was on my way. It's crazy how warm it is here. It was 80 and super sunny all day, good thing I had my umbrella to provide some shade!The day went by pretty quickly. Didn't get my pack on my back until 2:30 but I still made it the last 6.4 miles to hawk mt campsite by 5:15. I've started to meet people but it's slow going. Still need more time to adjust to this new life but overall I'm feeling fairly comfortable here. Soaked my pasta and ratatouille for about an hour and it reconsistuted well. I love all of the food so far, super thankful for all the time I put into preparing. I'm also stoked that I didn't bring a stove, I'd be too lazy to use it and my food's great without. I could also easily score pasta water from another thruhiker if I really want hot water, I've already seen some people draining their pasta and wasting the water. I like that I can do what I want and have as much alone time or social time as I want. Definitely feels like I've been on the trail for more then 7 hours.
Date: 2017-04-05
From: Hawk mountain campsite

To: Gooch mountain shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: clear sky

I didn't sleep very well last night but I'm sure that'll change soon. It started to rain as I was finishing packing my pack. New weather, still equally (if not more) happy to have an umbrella. Stopped at the shelter near by to get out of the rain and finish my sweet potato breakfast porridge. A notible quote from another hiker, "so... what's your diet, besides healthy...?" It poured all day but I stayed pretty dry. It was warm enough that I didn't need any layers other than my dress (at least that was my opinion). Stumbled upon a cave halfway through the day, it was a wonderful surprise as I came around a corner of the trail. Stopped for an hour, took my shoes off, snacked and drank some chocolate coconut milk. I've been moving at a great pace. I was passing other thruhikers all day, never got passed by anyone else (except for my hour cave break). People kept commenting on how fast I was moving as we leap frogged. I guess I'm in better shape then I thought after my winter season. I also feel more prepared then a lot of the hikers around me. My pack is lighter then anyone I've talked to yet. I have everything I want and nothing more. Quite content with my gear choices. Made it to the next shelter by 1:30 and ended my day early. My body's tired after my 8.4 mile day, my feet are sore and I was ready to get dry. I'm looking forward to getting in better shape and being able to crank out milage. I'm a bit surprised by how crowded it is here. There are so many thruhikers, it's a bit overwhelming. It's supposed to snow soon and most people are complaining. I kinda hope it snows. I want an excuse to wear all my layers and also, snow is much less saturating than rain.
Date: 2017-04-06
From: Gooch mountain shelter

To: Lance Creek campsites
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: light rain

Had another rough night's sleep. There was a lightning storm hovering near my site from 9-11pm and that kept me up. The water was draining directly underneath the bed of my tent (I could see the bubbles and feel the water flowing) but my home held up well against the storm. I attempted to dry my damp clothes in my sleeping bag with my body warmth while I was sleeping at night but it turned out I didn't have enough body warmth to spare. I was quite cold. This made for a lazy morning, didn't leave camp till 11! It was tough to find the motivation to get out of my sleeping bag but I hit the trail and pushed through my days mileage in 4.5 hours. Whenever I start a new chapter, it's typically the 3rd day when I'm the most physically drained. Today was no different. My feet have been killing me and my shins hurt as a result of walking strangely to avoid making my blisters worse. I'm excited to buy wider hiking boots in town tomorrow. The rest of my body could have handled more miles but my feet need more time to adjust. Had a good view of Georgia today since it finally cleared up a bit.It's still surreal that I'm here right now and impossible to wrap my head around how big of an undertaking this is. Feels like I've been out here for quite a long time but I haven't even dipped my toes in yet. I've been bumping into the same people repeatedly throughout the last few days which I've enjoyed. We're a traveling community, generally migrating in the same direction. Contrarily, this life also feels like a survival game show on reality TV. "So, think you're going to make it?""it'll start to thin out soon"
Date: 2017-04-07
From: Lance Creek campsites

To: Neels gap
Miles today: 7.2

It was sunny all day today, what a wonderful change! I hiked in my Crocs and my feet were doing much better. I was able to enjoy my walking because I wasn't distracted by my painful feet. Hiked Blood mountain today, the largest mountain on the trail so far (at least in terms of time I personally spent ascending/descending). There was a dusting of snow on top. Ice chunks were falling from the tips of the trees and decorating the ground like sprinkles on a cake. I was low energy at the summit but put some music in and cruised down the mountain. It was a rocky and steep trail and I enjoyed picking lines through the rocks as if I was skiing or rafting. I'm used to living a crazy busy life where I've overcommitted myself but am too stubborn to compromise my ambitions and lesser my end goal. I've been nervous that committing to one thing (walking) for six months will feel limiting but I'm starting to understand the grandeur of this undertaking. While my day to day activities may be simple, this experience overall feels big, in an exciting way. I've got my whole life to build my tiny home and make projects out of trash etc.Had my first front country experience today since starting the trail. What a wonderful time I've had here at Neels gap! I've been meeting various hikers scattered throughout the past four days and today I saw all of them at Neels gap. I scored the last bed in the bunk room. A lot of hikers were pushing forward but I decided to treat myself. Trail magic hooked me up with laundry and a free beer. Also got to shower, wash my dishes and charge my phone. What luxuries! A friend hitched into town and picked up some fresh food for dinner (cucumbers and hummus, om nom). My mail drop was supposed to be waiting for me but it hasn't arrived yet which makes me nervous. Hopefully it will come tomorrow but I'm trusting that I'll find an alternative if it doesn't make it here. This is a test of my patience and I'm intentionally trying to stay fluid throughout this journey where so much is out of my hands.I finally feel like I'm making some friends. At this point, I've been migrating with a bubble for four days and faces are becoming more familiar. Several solo travelers have paired up and dubbed themselves "hiking buddies". I feel antisocial sometimes in comparison and the social pressures I'm sensing are rivaling those of my college days. I like hiking alone though, that's why I chose to hike the trail alone. There's still a sense of community regardless of if I choose a hiking partner to take on more responsibility for my well being.
Date: 2017-04-09
From: Bull gap

To: Poplar stamp gap
Miles today: 11.8

Today was a great day. Felt refresh after I had my best night sleep in a long time. I'm glad I took a zero day (or nero because I actually traveled one mile forward). I made great timing and hiked various sections chatting with other thruhikers. I somehow ended up far ahead of everyone even though I felt like I was moving slowly and they seemed to be keeping a decent pace. I'm definitely cutting it close on food for these few days. I'm worried I ate too much while I was hiking today. Got my trail name today. I'm officially Poppins. As in, Mary Poppins :-) began with the umbrella but I thinking it fits me in other ways as well. Had a lot of fun chatting with the people I met today. Great crew at the campsite. We built a fire and hung out for a few hours. Laughter was plentiful as the sunset and moon rose on opposite sides of the ridge line.
Date: 2017-04-11
From: Cheese factory site

To: Vista
Miles today: 10.5

I was super unmotivated today. I didn't leave the campsite until 10:30. I was taking my sweet time. Everyone had left and many had already passed from the campsite two miles back. The trail worked its magic though and as I was finishing packing my pack, two of my friends hiked by and insisted I join them. It was a good motivation to get started. Everyone seemed exhausted and low energy today. We've been hiking for a week now, it was 80 degrees and sunny and there was a lot of elevation changes. We were dragging. I was able to fall into a rhythm though and it was nice to be social periodically throughout the day. Had some fun singing tunes on the downs. I've been dreaming of margaritas all day and I've convinced everyone in my bubble to go to the Mexican restaurant in Hiawassee tomorrow for lunch. It's crazy it's only been a week out here. Feels like a lot longer. I'm definitly still moving in though. I started a list of projects I was to do this season. The longest (and most exciting list) are my brainstorms of food to make over a fire. I'm excited to bake things and roast veggies. I'm pretty stoked to go to town tomorrow. My last interaction with civilization was overwhelming but I know what to expect this time so hopefully that will help me navigate through all the luxuries that I want to take advantage of. I'm hesitant to expect my food drop to come tomorrow because I don't want to get my hopes up. I will be bummed if this one also doesn't arrive but I am going to a grocery store for the first time so that's at least a good thought to fall back on. I like the people I'm traveling with but they are still superficial relationships. I keep trying to remind myself of how new I am to this life. This week I've been traveling with several groups or pairs. We've named one group the power goon squad. I enjoy their company a lot and it's entertaining to watch them camp together because their definitely a power squad. It makes me a bit jealous that I'm not out here with a buddy. They can get away with living pretty luxuriously because they share items. I'm looking forward to having friends join me on the trail when I get further north!
Date: 2017-04-12
From: Vista

To: Top of Georgia
Miles today: 2.5

Unlike the previous day, I was the first to leave the campsite this morning. I was excited to get to town. Got to the Top of Georgia hostel by about 9:30 and it didn't take long for me to decide to spend the night there (though my original intentions were to head back to the trail to sleep). These hostels are perfectly catered to thruhikers, it's a bit comical. This one gave us scrubs to wear while they did our laundry so we could wash all of our items. They shuttled us into town as well and many hikers went to town in their scrubs. I had a blast finally drinking the margaritas that I'd been dreaming about for the past few hot hiking days. The restaurant was full of thruhikers, many of them there because I had planted the seed in their heads... I had a very productive nero day (not quite a zero day but near it). Finally received one of my mail drops!!!! Showered, did laundry, ate hot food and lots of fruits and veggies, borrowed a drill from the hostel so I could make holes in the cap of my jar for seed sprouting, cut my nails, printed my backpackers permit for the Smokies, went to my first grocery store since starting. I hate sleeping at hostels, I never sleep much, but I do love all the amenities so it's hard to pass up the opportunity.
Date: 2017-04-13
From: Top of Georgia

To: Muskrat Creek shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

I woke up fairly early this morning because I wanted to catch breakfast at the hostel and the shuttle to the trail head. One of the hostel workers was nice enough to let me use her Vitamix and I got to finish off the rest of my fruit in a smoothie. What a wonderful gift!!! I added some whole raspberries too it and brought it on the trail to be consumed throughout the day. I had somewhat rested legs today but was still tired especially since it was hot out and I didn't sleep well last night. Made it to North Carolina! That was an exciting moment. I already feel a difference in scenery. Steeper trails and generally higher elevations. The forest is much more alive then when I started. It's fun to check out the plants around me, though I wish I knew more about them. I also love that my campsite tonight is fairly wooded. There are large leaved plants between the sites so I can actually have a nook to myself. Until now, the woods have been thin enough that you can see what everyone around you is doing at all times. I'm becoming quite comfortable out here. I'm definitely getting more settled, I may even be almost done moving in. I can do all of the following things while hiking: snack, drink, brush my teeth, floss, put in sunscreen, change layers, check the map, take a picture, switch from my trekking poles to umbrella and back, etc... My pack is turning into a Mary Poppins bag, slowly but surely. This efficiency doesn't stop me from taking my hour long break each afternoon though.... I generally hike all morning, snacking and adjusting as I go and then once I sit down it takes me a while to get back up. But then I'll find the energy to crank out four more miles before settling at a camp for the night. I'm making friends and we're making plans for future town trips and shelters to stay at and such. I'm tired, but feel myself getting stronger. This is a good life overall and I'm not taking that for granted. I feel very lucky to have the resources to do a trip like this. I am also very excited to have my food back! Going to a grocery store and receiving my mail drop left me feeling in control of my diet again which has been a huge relief.