morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-04-10
From: Neels Gap, GA

To: Neels Gap, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Ah, my first zero day. I know it seems like hiking zero miles would leave plenty of time to relax, but it never seems to work out that way. My to do list included: talking to Kelli about my next few mail drops; sending an email to family and friends about how to reach me on the trail (which I meant to send before I left); figuring out why I can't send long text messages to email addresses from my phone; drying out gear; eliminating any unnecessary gear; planing my food for the next section; checking in with my parents; eating copious amounts of town food; doing laundry; taking a nap; etc. And that is how my day went, although I never did get that nap. My biggest accomplishment for the day was figuring out my cell phone issue. Right before leaving for the trail I decided to upgrade my phone to the LG enV (Verizon), which has a full qwerty keyboard. Stumpknocker, another thru hiker this year with a trailjournal, had been using it to update his journals from the trail and since I had already decided to carry my cell phone on the trail, that sounded like an easier way to update my journal than waiting until I got to town to type them up. However, I mistakenly thought Stumpknocker was sending text messages to the email address of his transcriber, but it turns out he was sending emails from his phone; Verizon limits the character length of text messages to email addresses to 160, which is about three sentences. So, I added VCAST (data service to be able to send emails) to my phone and I should be able to get my journal entries to Kelli faster. Plus, I will be able to receive my email (which includes guestbook entries) on the trail and hearing from people can really brighten my day! (Hint, hint!) I haven't tried the data service on the trail yet, but I have had enough of a signal every night to send text messages. I haven't tried calling anyone (other than Bonnie on Blood Mountain) while I'm on the trail because I feel like that would disrupt my hike, plus I'm trying to be respectful of hikers that don't want to see a cell phone on the trail. If I'm only using it to type at night in my tent they won't even know I have it. Back to the trail tomorrow!
Date: 2008-04-11
From: Neels Gap, GA

To: Low Gap Shelter, GA
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: broken clouds

As I write this, it is starting to rain! Looks like tonight will be a true test of the seam sealing on my tent. Got a late start on the trail this morning (11 AM) because I couldn't get my butt in gear. Bonnie had to pick up Sam, the teenager with downs syndrome that she watches part time, so we got him on the way to the trailhead. Sam kept telling Bonnie today that he likes me, which I'm sure had something to do with my giving him the goofy teeth I won at Neels Gap. On the way Bonnie explained to him what I'm doing in terms he could understand: 'Sam, she's walking from your house to your vacation house in Florida - but seven times." His response? "She's CRAZY!" When I got to Neels I didn't see any hikers I knew, but I figured most of them had hiked out this morning. Even with my late start I was still planning on hiking 10 miles to the second shelter (the first is a whopping 1.2 mi off the trail - no way!) and I figured I would see some people I knew there. I wasn't in a very good mood this morning. I was tired, stiff, sore, and stressed out about making the miles before the nasty storm that is predicted for this evening hits. One of the guys (I think he was an employee) in the outfitters sensed this, I guess, because he told me to smile and said it wasn't that bad. Dear readers, I hope you never say this to people. I absolutely hate it when people tell me to smile! I often look a bit grumpy even when I'm not (just my natural expression!) and even when I am in a bad mood, it really isn't a helpful thing to say. I'm sure he meant well. Eventually I will come up with an excellent reply for when someone says that. The hike today was not fun, to say the least. I never felt like I was in the groove and I was contstantly worried about the weather. My left contact was cloudy all day, then an evil gnat got stuck in that eye at dinner. My left knee and achilles ached and I managed to pee on myself at one point (don't ask). Things that were good today: Being done hiking finally; catching up with Jason, Mr. J, and Free Wil; having the rain wait to start until I was completely settled in camp; my rehydrated lasagna dinner; black pepper & salt potato chips; snickers; getting a hug from Bonnie (although it was a goodbye hug); laughing at Sam's antics; not peeing on myself the last time I peed; and remembering to get "Remember M.E." stickers at Neels Gap. I think I miss feeling like I have a place (if that makes any sense). Tomorrow is a new day.
Date: 2008-04-12
From: Low Gap Shelter, GA

To: Rocky Mountain campsites, GA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The storm last night was a doozie! It got so windy that one of my tent stakes pulled out. Fortunately I remembered at that point that there is a way to use trekking poles with my tent (Henry Shires Tarptent Rainbow) to give it more stability. Once I added one of my poles, everything was all right. A little bit of water did come through the mesh at the bottom of my tent, I think because my pack was pulling down the bathtub floor. Again, that was easily remedied. In the morning the guys asked me if I heard the coyotes; they said it sounded like they were fighting. Nope, I slept right through that! I did wake up at one point and swore I heard purring near my tent. I had to pee, so I laid awake for a while until my bladder couldn't take it anymore. Didn't see anything when I got out of my tent and I can't imagine what could have made that noise - maybe I was dreaming? Well, the hiking was easier today (especially this morning), but I'm still not feeling very good. My leg muscles feel like they are misfiring; I know what they should be doing, they just aren't doing it. I saw a bear today! There was a line of stopped hikers along the trail this morning and when I walked up to them they pointed out a bear. The poor thing was quite a ways from us (in the photo I took it's just a little dot in a tree), but it was clearly terrified of people. The bear looked like a juvenile and it stayed balled up in a tree the entire time I stopped. The hikers that had gotten there just before me said it peeked over its shoulder at them a few times as if to say, "You're still here? Please go away! You're so scary!" I hiked with Mr. J, Free Wil, and Jason today and we took a long break at Unicoi Gap (where there is a major road), hoping for trail magic. No luck there, but we did get to see some local boys showing off on their crotch rockets. Out of Unicoi is a big climb, but we only did part of it this evening. I was ready to be done! I'm still feeling blue, so it was nice to check my email and get a good laugh from the guestbook entry from Gina. I feel like my body is telling me to slow down a bit, but I'm afraid of not having people to hike with. I'm a massive introvert, but I like to have company at camp at least, and I don't make friends all that easily. I know enough to listen to my body, though, so expect some future entries detailing my wide eyed, up all night terror when I have to camp alone!
Date: 2008-04-13
From: Rocky Mountain campsites, GA

To: Deep Creek Shelter, GA
Miles today: 12.5

Last night was cold and windy! I could hear the wind roaring up the mountainside; I think the sound of it approaching actually woke me up a few times! Yep, today was not the greatest day ever. I won't go into all the details, but I will say this: I do not like boys very much right now. They have the ability to pee wherever they please. It is really hard to find a suitable pee place in the woods in Georgia - I didn't have nearly as many problems in the desert on the PCT! Yes, there are privies at most of the shelters, but you aren't supposed to pee in them (although how people can poo without peeing is beyond me). And getting out of a warm sleeping bag in a warm tent to pull your warm pants down in the middle of the night...it's inconvenient to say the least. I did promise a bit less whining and complaining than my last journal and despite appearances, I did save most of it for my personal (paper) journal! I hiked with Jason, Free Wil, and Mr. J again today. They suggested a few more trail names for me: Oz (because of my purple striped long underwear bottoms, or "tights" as Jason called them) and Scandals (a merging of the words sandals and scandal because so many people have commented on my choice of footwear). Nothing is sticking so far (and, yes, I do believe the trail name "Teflon" is already taken!) We saw Peach and Fuzz this morning, slacking the 16+ miles from Unicoi Gap to Dicks Creek Gap. They have been staying at the Cloud 9 hostel and said there are a lot of people there. Peach and Fuzz did say the temp tonight is supposed to dip pretty low, so we decided to go 12.5 miles to the last shelter before Dicks Creek Gap. My left achilles really bothered me today and before I mentioned it to the guys they were talking about achilles injuries at a break. Gulp! I need to make sure I don't push too hard! It is a little swollen, I think because my calf muscles are so tight and that is straining the tendon. A lot of the uphills and downhills on the AT are really steep (Wait, what? The AT is steep?!) and my calf muscles are working overtime! After a long day of alternating temperatures (cold, then hot, then cold, then hot...) and numerous aches and pains, we made it to the shelter. The Deep Creek shelter is .3 miles down the side of the mountain and it seems less windy down here. Nonetheless, I decided to spend my first night in the shelter in the hopes that it will be a bit warmer - and certainly easier to pack up in the morning for the 3.5 miles out to Dicks Creek. We wondered if we would be alone in the shelter (we seem to be in a lull between hikers), but Creeper was here and several others pulled in later, including a super ultra lite guy whose name I don't remember. He had done a 26 mile day, his base weight was 4 lbs (!), but he only had shorts as a bottom layer. Somehow he didn't realize Georgia can get very cold, even this time of year. He went to bed early and I kept looking over to make sure he wasn't shivering, but he seemed OK. It's early yet (7ish) and Creeper has built a fire, but I think I'm ready for bed.
Date: 2008-04-14
From: Deep Creek Shelter, GA

To: Dick's Creek, GA (Hiawassee)
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: light rain

Last night was COLD! Even after adding my rain pants as an extra bottom layer, my hips were just never quite warm enough. I don't think it helped that I was awoken several times by snoring and once by coyotes yipping. Getting up and going out into the cold was just horrible. Being that cold saps my will to live, much less hike. Hopefully this will be the last of the nasty weather! The hiking was rough this morning. The guys took off and I just...hobbled. And then came the snow flurries. At least the snow wasn't sticking! My legs eventually warmed up some, but I still kept having to stop to play the gloves on, gloves off, gloves on, gloves off game. Just couldn't find the happy medium. And it certainly didn't help that there were ascents in my descent! I do believe that if you are a mile from a trailhead and going down there should be no ups! When I reached the trailhead the guys were pulling away in the Cloud 9 shuttle, but the driver stopped and asked if I wanted a ride, saying I could just hang out at the hostel. I think I've mentioned that it was cold, so I of course said yes to that offer. The hostel was really nice, but packed; there had to have been at least 20 hikers there! Oh, and remember the guy at Neels Gap that told me to smile? His name is Crutch; he's one of the hostel's founders and had been helping out for the past few weeks, but is scheduled to start hiking again in the next few days. I don't think he remembered me and I must not have had my usual scowl on my face because he didn't tell me to smile again! In all seriousness, he seems like a really nice guy...who occasionally says useless things. Bonnie was out of town for the first part of the day, but one of her friends, Phyllis, kindly picked me up at the hostel and shuttled me to Bonnie's house. The rest of the day went like this: shower, rest, read, eat, rest, nap, rest, check email, eat dinner at the wonderful Asian restaurant in Hiawassee (green curry - yum!), read, eat, rest, sleep.
Date: 2008-04-15
From: Dick's Creek, GA (Hiawassee)

To: Dick's Creek, GA (Hiawassee)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Ah, another zero day. I like zero days! I typed up my journal entries for Kelli today. I have been able to connect to my email every day on the trail, but I'm still getting into the rhythm of things and haven't been typing up entries each night. It's easier to type them on a full size keyboard and I might as well do that while I can! My left achilles is still sore, so I've also been working on getting that better today. My wonderful friend Tonya (Bonnie's daughter and a certified massage therapist) recommended soaking my achilles in Epsom salt, using a rolling pin on my calves (to loosen those muscles), and gentle stretching. I also looked online and found some recommendations from a former thru hiker to use on the trail: warming up slowly in the morning by walking around without my backpack, taking it slow on the trail until my legs are fully warmed up, and massaging the tendon and calf muscles at night. My tendon isn't really that sore or swollen, but I want to be sure it doesn't get worse! I am nervous about not having enough time to finish my thru hike, even though I know that is ridiculous. Every former thru I talk to says to take it slow at the beginning and listen to your body, so that is what I am doing. But, it is hard to do when it seems like everyone else is flying past you! I also feel like I needed today to mentally recharge. The first section (Approach Trail to Neels Gap) was awesome; I felt great, the hiking came easy, and I ended up ahead of schedule. This last section (Neels Gap to Dicks Creek) was quite the opposite; I didn't feel good and the hiking was rough (although I don't believe it was actually any harder). I'm hoping for a nice happy medium for the next section!
Date: 2008-04-16
From: Dick's Creek, GA (Hiawassee)

To: Dick's Creek, GA (Hiawassee)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

My lower legs and feet were swollen yesterday (sausage toes!) which is something I had experienced on the PCT, so I knew it wasn't a big deal. This morning when I woke up they were no longer swollen and the swelling around my achilles was also down. But, the tendon was bothering me more, probably because it didn't have the generalized swelling to brace it. What to do, what to do. At Bonnie's suggestion, I loaded up my pack and went for a walk down her steep road to see how I felt. Yep, ouch. Another day then. But, on the walk I did see five deer and Charlie (aka Little Bit) the friendly neighborhood one eyed dog! My achilles gets another day of rest, but come hell or high water I will be back on the trail again tomorrow. I am planning on taking it even slower (max of ten miles a day) and listening to my body, but I can't stay in town forever! Today I was lazy. There was eating, there was reading, there was napping, there was more eating, and that was about it! Bonnie and I drove to Winding Stair Gap (near Franklin) tonight to check out the next place she will pick me up. Wonderful views, good conversation. Bonnie is an amazing woman and it has been such a treat to stay with her! "Make impossible your favorite word. Invite the challenge." --Jillian Michaels
Date: 2008-04-17
From: Dick's Creek, GA (Hiawassee)

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: scattered clouds

So much for going slow! In my defense, I felt GOOD. I got to Bly Gap - the first camping area after the GA/NC border and where I had planned on staying - at 2:30 PM. I felt great and there was no one there and it was early and even the section hiker was going on...so I did, too. The hiking today, especially this morning, was wonderful. I ambled, I wandered, I stopped whenever I wanted to, I took a long break at the first shelter - and I still got to Bly Gap at 2-freaking-30! But, wow, the climb out of Georgia was insane. Yep, North Carolina snickered and said "Welcome to our state, hikers!" and the trail went straight up. Straight up. Just wait until you see the pictures. They don't even do it justice. But, it was nice to get the climb out of the way tonight. Hopefully the rest of NC will be nicer! And, I was more elated than I thought I would be when I crossed into North Carolina. Finishing a state - even if it was only 80ish miles - was very satisfying. I also met other hikers wearing Chacos today! Chaco and Toe Socks are a couple from Texas and they are also rocking the sandals. They are here at the shelter along with Highway (sweet older guy from Florida), Slurpee (young guy from Texas who doesn't have a Texas accent), and a guy whose name I won't even try to spell (he thru hiked in '04, lives in New Zealand, and does at least a section of the trail every year). Guy Whose Name I Can't Spell or Pronounce also hung his food in the shelter - and he isn't even sleeping in the shelter! There are no bear cables at this shelter, so the rest of us did a proper bear hang in a tree. We asked him about it and he said there wouldn't be a problem in this area and if there had been a problem it would be mentioned in the shelter register. He was quickly informed that the shelter register is full and has been for a while! Well, Slurpee is sleeping right under Guy Whose Name I Can't Spell or Pronounce's food bag, so we figure he'll let us know if there is a bear!
Date: 2008-04-18
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC

To: Carter Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

This evening I was treated to my second gnat in the eye experience of the trip. Yuck! But, today was a good day. Sure, I was sore and tired, but look at the mileage! OK, OK; it was a relatively easy day terrain wise. Still. Tomorrow I'm planning another 12 miles, then it's just 4 or so to where Bonnie picks me up again! And the hiking tomorrow looks to be pretty mellow, too. Did I mention I'm feeling good?! The group at the shelter last night was great and the people I leap frogged with today (Chaco and Toe Socks, Start Slow and Taper Off - from PCT '04! - and the two weekender couples with the six (!) dogs) were all awesome. I did stub the fuck out of my left pinky toe and its neighbor today! My toes seem to be OK, but - OW! - it hurt. I was in a really leafy section and I still should have seen the root, but I was looking elsewhere and pondering how we call the trail markers on the AT white blazes and what you wear to be seen by hunters is called blaze orange. The things I think about! The forest in North Carolina is different; greener, taller, quieter somehow. And I walked through tons of rhododendron tunnels today which were lovely - less sun! I know the AT gets its nickname (The Long Green Tunnel) from them, but I'm not sure I will ever get sick of them. I also saw the biggest water source to date today; a creek replete with a sketchy log crossing a la the PCT. Ah, memories. Tomorrow I will cross the 100 mile mark! That will give me over 1,000 miles on long distance trails alone!
Date: 2008-04-20
From: Rock Gap Shelter, NC

To: Winding Stair Gap, GA (e.i. Franklin, GA)
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: broken clouds

Note from Jenny on 6/2/08:Sorry my journal has gotten so out of date! I am indeed still on the trail and still going strong; it's just been difficult to find time to type up journal entries. My phone's data service has been pretty spotty and I often don't have the energy at the end of the day to type entries even if I do have the service. I have really appreciated the guestbook entries and emails and I promise to respond to everyone as soon as I can. I have handwritten journal entries for each day and they will all be posted eventually - bear with me! ________________________________________ Didn't sleep very well last night, but I got up early with Start Slow and Taper Off. Today we learned the difference between difficult and strenuous. A few days ago there was a sticker on an AT marker that said the next section was "more strenuous". The trail had been pretty mellow that day, so we joked - "More strenuous than what??!" - and the "more strenuous" trail ended up being an easy, gentle up to Standing Indian Mountain on an old road. I suppose you could maybe make the argument that it was more strenuous, but why? Today we saw a sticker at Wallace Gap that indicated the trail ahead was "more difficult". More difficult is way worse than more strenuous. They mean it with more difficult. Taper Off and I had already been a bit worried because one of the data points in our guidebook was "Log Steps". Not "log steps"; "Log Steps". We feared the capitalization! The Log Steps weren't that bad, but "more difficult" apparently involves steep ups. After a windy and chilly hike, I got to Winding Stair Gap around 9:15 AM. Sanford, a hiker from Florida who I had never meet before, arrived soon after, then Start Slow and Taper Off. Ron Haven, who owns a couple of the hotels in Franklin and shuttles hikers, pulled up in his big yellow school bus at 9:30 and into Franklin we went. My phone's battery had drained overnight, so my plan was to get a ride into Franklin, pick up my mail drop, charge my phone, and call Bonnie. Guess who was still at the Budget Inn? Yep, Mr. J, Free Wil, and Jason (now Silent Prayer). It was good to see them again! They are doing shorter days and will be taking time off at Fontana, so I will see them yet. Once Bonnie picked me up, we headed to the Subway in Hiawassee for lunch. Hilarity ensued. First, their tuna salad didn't appear to have any mayo in it. Then they didn't have provolone because they just don't carry it, ever. Then - and this made me laugh hysterically - they don't have real mayo! If you want mayo at the Subway in Hiawassee, you have to have lite mayo. I don't even eat "diet" foods at home, so being denied the calories (and flavor!) when I'm hiking and can actually use it was pretty amusing.
Date: 2008-10-10
To: I'm not lost, I just don't know where I'm going
Miles today: 0.0

Remember my whole promise of a complete journal? Ooops.Long story short: I got off the trail in June near Pearisburg, VA. Official (unconfirmed, but treated) diagnosis was Lyme disease. Unofficial diagnosis was burn out (oh, those VA blues).I miss the AT, but not as much as I missed the PCT. I will eventually post all of my journals (all the photos are up, but some are unlabeled). I'm back in central Ohio, trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. I still love hiking, but I haven't decided whether I will attempt another thru. I may "just" be a section hiker.In any case, it's unlikely I'll have a journal for future hikes. The first step of my hybrid method (writing in a personal, paper journal every day) worked out quite well; it was the second step (editing the entries into something that could be posted on here) that was a major fail. Besides, the best stories from my adventure can't be posted here.