morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-11-03
To: Water
Miles today: 0.0

Water is one of the most important things of the trail. In the south and the north getting water is no problem. In lower elevations (PA, NJ, NY, CT) there are not many water sources.There are only a few springs in these states, sometimes the water in the brooks and rivers is brownish and doesn't look very good. There are some shelters with a hand water pump. NJ and NY do have a lot of delis next to the trail, thus it is possible to buy some water. There are also some spigots close to the trail which you can use. I remember Pochuck Mt Shelter where you can get water from a spigot at a vacant house (0.4 mi before the shelter). During the heat wave in 2013 there was lack of water in NJ and NY. Without trail magic (water) I would have had big problems there. In my view the worst water was in the Cumberland Valley in NJ. This part of about 17 mi is really flat, but there is a lot of farming and they use pesticides!The largest distance between two water sources was about 10 mi (as I remember). That wasn't good, but not too bad. You can handle that. I didn't purify my water on the trail. In my view that is not too risky. I was ill for three days (diarrhea) but I don't know whether this came from poor water. You have to be careful which water you want to drink and which not (if you have the choice). I used a cropped platypus water bottle to get me water from a spring or river without taking my pack off (just for drinking it). This saved me a lot of time.
Date: 2013-11-09
To: Starting Date
Miles today: 0.0

I started my journey on April 3. At that time the shelters were still crowded. Therefore I would say it is better to start later, about one or two weeks.I met other guys on the trail who said that they started on April 15 and then it wasn't busy anymore in the beginning.If you are in a good shape it is possible to finish at Katahdin before end of September, even if you start in the midst of April. I finished on September 21, in spite of being ill for about 8 days and doing a lot of zero and nero days. In the beginning there were a couple of days which were a little bit cold. Starting later you can avoid this. In the end (Maine) there was not a big problem with the cold, the temperature lowered to the mid thirties. It was warm at daytime. I was lucky to start in April because all the other guys starting earlier had to fight with ice and snow. One week before I left Germany you could see a lot of snow on the trail and the hikers were tenting in the shelters due to the cold.
Date: 2013-11-10
To: Stats
Miles today: 0.0

Number of days on trail:I needed in total 172 days from Georgia to Maine. During this time I was ill for 10 days and I had 17 zero days. Visiting Washington and my brother in NJ there were 5 extra zero days. Therefore I hiked 140 days. Number of neros:There were 4 hiking days with less than 5 miles and 10 hiking days between 5 and 10 miles. In total I hiked 95 miles in these 14 days. Number of full hiking days and average miles:140 - 14 = 126 full hiking days in relation to 2090 miles.That means 16.6 miles per day.Longest hike:27 miles from Hampton to a campground close to Double Spring Shelter on May 7.Number of miles hiked with one pair of shoes:723 miles with Moab Vent from Merrell (Kent,CT to Maine)Toughest part / day of the trail:Climbing up Wildcat Mountain (after the Whites) with about 1 mile / hour in the rain. In 7.5 hours I hiked only 9 miles that day (August 29). Where did I spent the nights:Tent:59 Hostel:39Shelter:37House:18Hotel:17Number of maildrops:2MonsonCaratunkNumber of pictures:I took about 2500 pictures.
Date: 2013-11-12
To: Towns and Hostels you shouldn't miss
Miles today: 0.0

Thats my view. I like towns when they are compact and you can find everything you need. But I didn't visit every town next to the trail!I mentioned hostels here when I liked them.Hiawassee Hot Springs (Elmer's Sunnybank Inn - Hostel)Mountain Harbour Bed and Breakfast (close to Roan Mountain)Damascus Woods Hole Hostel (close to Pearisburg)Pearisburg (Holy Family Hostel) Daleville Buena Vista (Blue Blaze Cafe)Waynesboro (Grace Lutheran Church Hostel)Front RoyalBears den Hostel (close to Roller Coaster)Harpers Ferry (Teahorse Hostel)Harpers Ferry Hostel (close to Harpers Ferry)Boiling SpringsPawlingKentSalisbury (Maria McCabe)DaltonManchester (Green Mountain House) HanoverGorhamAndoverRangeleyMonson (Lake Shore House Hostel or Shaw's)
Date: 2013-11-15
To: Safety on the trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Guns:Before i started my hike i was sometimes concerned about guns. I expected I would see guys with guns in the city or on the trail provoking dangerous situations. Luckily this never happened. I haven¢t seen a gun during the whole time. Weather:I never experienced hypothermia. There were some thunderstorms in the afternoon, but in my view this not a real problem in the woods. Poison Ivy:I never had problems with poison ivy. Ticks:They say you have to look twice a day for ticks. I did It one time per day. I found three ticks on my legs luckily early enough. I heard from one or two hikers who had Lyme disease. One evening I saw ticks crawling on my tent trying to get into. That was a little bit scary.When you arrive at Manchester (VT) hiking NOBO, there should be no more ticks on the trail. Snakes:I saw three rattle snakes and one copperhead. I never felt vulnerable but you still have to be careful. There was a situation when I nearly touched a rattle snake by mistake. Luckily the rattle snake was still cold and couldn¢t react. I believe that the snake would have warned me if it had been warmer. Bears:I saw three bears. There was no dangerous situation. Taking a fall: I took a fall for about 10 times. Luckily there was no bigger injury. About 100 times I was very close taking a fall. As they say the biggest danger is in your own flat. That's true. 4 weeks after coming back I took a fall down the stairs and one of my ribs was broken!
Date: 2013-11-19
To: Animals on the trail
Miles today: 0.0

I saw a lot of animals on the trail.3 Bears3 Moose3 Rattle snakes1 Copperhead1 CottonmouthLots of black snakesLots of garden snakes3 turtleslots of deers2 turkeysSome vulturesSome hawks1 raccoon2 grouseshummingbirds2 loonsI didn't see skunks & porcupines.You can't avoid to see squirrels and chipmunks. There were a lot of birds in the woods, but I don't have the knowledge to recognize them.But there are still a lot of days where you will not see any animal in the woods. I remember some days in MA when the woods were totally silent. Even squirrels and chipmunks were missing.
Date: 2013-12-08
To: Gear
Miles today: 0.0

Shoes:Boots are in my view not necessary. Hiking shoes are adequate. I saw hikers in Vibram Five Finger Shoes and in Sandals...The only stretch where boots are maybe useful is the rocky section in PA (last 70 miles) and the first 30 miles in NJ. Mostly I used Moab Vent shoes from Merrell, because thats the only shoe I could get in size 15. With the last pair of shoes I could hike 720 miles.Rain coat:I hiked with a poncho. In my view a poncho has some advantages against normal rain coat. Especially during down pouring rain all day long. And my poncho covered also my back pack. In future I will take an extra backpack cover with me. Because there were some situations after the rain when the woods were still wet when I was forced to put my poncho on to cover the backpack. Air mattress:The neo air is incredible comfortable and lightweight. I never had a leak or other problem with this mattress. But you need a long time to inflate it and to get the air out. Sleeping Bag:For spring and autumn I carried a 3 season 20F sleeping bag with me.For summer I used a 40F sleeping bag. Tent:I was content with my tent. The Lightheart Solong6 was spacy enough for me (6' 6") and my backpack. After 5 month on the trail there was a leakage close to one of the vents. I could repair it with glue.Backpack:The Osprey Backpack Exos 58 is wonderful! It is lightweight and I had no problems with it. Sure after 6 month on the trail there are some sign of wear.But I still have it and probably I will use it again for a short trip. Down Vest:I sent it home. My Arc'teryx Delta LT Fleecejacket was sufficient as a isolation layer. Windbreaker:I sent it home. It was not necessary.Stove:I liked my Primus Eta Express stove. After one month the stove lighter didn't work any longer, I used instead a normal lighter. I dumped the windbreak. It was not necessary because it was a) no problem getting a new gas canister on the trail and b) I had problems to stow the stove, the canister and the windbreak together.Steripen:I carried the steripen for about 3 month with me without using it. In NJ I tried to use it but then it didn't run even after changing battery. I don't know why.Cellphone:Never use AT&T on the trail. With Verizon you have much more service.
Date: 2014-01-25
To: Gimmick
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Bad news: take a closer view at the picture. Good news: My feet are fine now (more than 3 months after the trail).I started running again. It's my aim to run my second marathon in September in my hometown (M14nster). After finishing the marathon hopefullyI am again the man in the middle.
Date: 2014-01-26
To: Overnight stay stats
Miles today: 0.0

Sorry there was a mistake with the numbers!! Now everything should be ok.How much money I spent staying overnight for 158 nights. I counted only the nights on the trail (not off the trail) including zero and nearo days.Of course tenting or staying in a shelter is for free, but some of the tent sites& shelters in Vermont & New Hampshire have fees (about 6$).A stay in a hostel costs about 20-25$. A hotel is about 40-80$. That means an average of 60$.A house is about 30 ¢ 70$. That means an average of 50$.I spent roughly about 2500$ (!!) in total for my 158 overnight stays.There are some possibilities to save money for hostels & hotels & houses.Work for stay will save you money for the hostel (I didn¢t do that).If you share your room in a hotel or house it will be much cheaper. I did it only a few times.You can find here some more informations about tenting and staying in a shelter:http://ryangrayson.blogspot.de/2013/02/q-with-2013-at-thru-hiker-victor_28.html
Date: 2013-03-03
To: Excited!
Miles today: 0.0

This is going to happen! Gear is in the pack and I swear I won't double check and repack more than two more times. Sixty days of food is stowed, hike plan is distributed to the family, bill payments are set to auto, and Rescue #1 is packed and ready to go. Now, if I could just calm these butterflies.
Date: 2013-03-03
To: The car is packed
Miles today: 0.0

My hiking partners, Jackonamountain, Turtlestone, and Crazy Legs are all set to go. We meet on Springer Mountain in 4 days! The car is packed and my husband, Rescue#1, has the trailer packed, his campsites in order and is as anxious to get on the road as I am.
Date: 2013-03-04
To: Corbin, Kentucky
Miles today: 0.0

Rescue#1 and I both up early and are ready to get on the road. Headed to Vogel State Park where Rescue#1 will be camping the first week. I'm headed to Springer Mountain on Thursday! (Finally)Printed my Great Smoky Mountains National Park permit. 6:00 p.m. We arrived at our campsite for the night in Corbin, Kentucky. Just got a call from Crazy Legs who is already at Amicalola Falls State Park. She spoke to a ranger who told her hikers camping between Jarrad Gap and Neel Gap are having major bear problems even using a bear canisters for food storage. She advised hiking through the area rather than stay at Woods Hole Shelter. Ok, we're flexible.
Date: 2013-03-06
To: Blowing snow!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Looking out the trailer window I see snow on the ground and blowing snow in the air. 40 mile an hour winds. Crazy legs and Jackonamountain are both headed up the hill today doing the approach trail to Springer. Turtlestone and I are waiting until tomorrow. We're taking Forest Road 42 to the trail then hiking back to Springer and starting our trek north. The temperature is supposed to warm up to 41°. Hopefully the forecast is correct.
Date: 2013-03-07
From: Amicalola State Park

To: Black Gap shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Finally, our hike has begun but with yet another change to our hike plan. An intended quick stop at the Amicalola Falls Visitor Center altered our starting point. A local shuttle driver reported ice and snow on USFS 42. On the side of caution, we decided to hike the approach trail starting on the lodge road so missed the 600 or so steps (darn). I'll catch those another day. I was really disappointed because I wanted to wish Dad happy birthday on Springer at the beginning of my AT adventure. Now, I'm glad we took the approach trail. We met some good people at the shelter and the hike was beautiful. Not to Springer yet but the anticipation builds. That will make getting there all the better.
Date: 2013-03-08
From: Black Gap shelter

To: Three Forks
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: snow

Good night at the shelter. Crazy Legs, Turtlestone and I squeezed our tents on a small area behind the shelter while Jack slept in the shelter. Seven other hikers and a dog joined us by dark. Met Whitesidewalls, One Knee, a nurse from Houston and Fifty (his pack weighed...you guessed it, 50#). As we were leaving camp we met the local ridge runner, Nachita who thru-hiked last year. A short 1.5 mile hike to Springer and the start of the AT. I was so excited. The best 1.5 miles I'll ever do. I finally placed my hand on the plaque as thousands have done before. Now the real hike begins! The .9 mile hike down Springer was steep and slippery in spots because of the packed snow and ice. Took a little break at the USFS 42 parking lot where we met James a farmer and Kiryin a sailor, both thru-hikers. Hiking today has been my kind of hiking, sunny and pretty much all downhill. We stopped for lunch break at Stover Creek shelter where we met thru-hikers Brent and Loon. We arrived at Three Forks footbridge about 3:30 in the afternoon and set up camp. Brent, Kiryin, James and Loon joined us for the night. James played his guitar and Kiryin her banjo. A good first day on the Appalachian trail.
Date: 2013-03-09
From: Three Forks

To: Horse Gap
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: moderate rain

Another good day on the Appalachian trail. Passing through some beautiful tunnels of Rhododendrum. I'd love to be here in a month or so when they're in flower. Stopped for lunch at Hawk Mountain shelter then continued on for a stealth camp at Horse Gap. Not a great campsite because we were too close to USFS 42 and finding a level tent site was difficult. Loon, James and Kiryin, and Trouble and her dog Milkey camped with us.
Date: 2013-03-10
From: Horse Gap

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: few clouds

After a quiet night we got up and left Horse Gap around 9:30. Started our day with a steep climb up Sassafras Mountain. There are what appear to be three small sink holes on the top. I'm curious if they are man made or natural. We arrived at Justus Creek just in time for a foot soaking. Crazy Legs and Turtlestone couldn't resist. I continued on crossing Blackwell Creek and arriving at Gooch Mountain Shelter. The others soon followed. I spent my first night sleeping in a shelter. Very sardine like but cozy. Full camp tonight with 12 in the shelter, 30 in camp all together. A good fire and fellowship but by 8:30 everyone hit the sack.
Date: 2013-03-11
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Woody Gap, GA 60
Miles today: 5.2

A good night in the shelter. As we were leaving Cody Coyote came in for a break. He said he started at Katahdin in August, just a day short of finishing his hike. A nice surprise was waiting a mile from the shelter. Sherpa was there with our first trail magic, juice and boiled eggs. Anything fresh is always welcome after a few days of dehydrated foods. The hike to Woody gap was wet because we were walking in clouds all day. No views and a slippery narrow trail meant keeping your eyes on your feet. A fall down the side of the mountain could ruin your day. Our wonderful husband's, Sherpa and Rescue#1 met us at Woody Gap and we rode to base camp at Vogel State Park for showers and resupply. Back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2013-03-12
From: Woody Gap, GA 60

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: moderate rain

Rescue #1 and Sherpa dropped us off at Woody Gap in cold high winds. We got to moving pretty fast up Big Cedar Mountain just to ward off hyperthermia. The winds causedHoarfrost from the treetop to hit our faces and bare hands as we hiked over Big Cedar, but what a view on the peak. Once we descended big cedar the trail was pretty easy to LanceCreek. Arrived at Lance Creek at 1 o'clockBecause of the camping restrictions between Jarrad Gap and Neel Gap a staging camp has formed at Lance Creek on an old abandoned road bed. We arrived early so found some good sites but hikers coming in late are having trouble finding sites and places to hang their bear bags. Enjoyed meeting so many new hikers. Very cold!
Date: 2013-03-13
From: Lance Creek

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 7.4

Temperature last night got down to 22° but I was cozy and warm in my tent. Hard to crawl out and get packed up. There ended up being about 30 tents pitched at Lance Creek but most hikers were up with the sun and headed to Blood Mountain at first light. We left camp at 9 AM and began our climb up Burnett Field Mountain towards Jarrard Gap. We had a 1500 foot elevation climb in 5 miles to reach Blood Mountain. Not as bad as I'd feared. Switchbacks and long gradual climbs helped to make the day easier. Reached Blood Mountain Shelter around 1 o'clock. The shelter was built in 1937 and is the oldest on the Appalachian trail. A beautiful building made of local stone. The trail down from Blood Mountain Shelter is 2 1/2 miles and very steep and rocky. Biscuit, a 2010 thru-hiker I met as I approached Blood Mountain, warned that the trail was not well marked about a half mile down from the shelter. Thanks Biscuit I think you saved me some steps. I was glad to see Neel Gap at the bottom.
Date: 2013-03-14
From: Neel Gap

To: Cowrock
Miles today: 5.0

The outfitters at Neel Gap, the only place on the whole AT where the trail runs through a building. Quite nippy again this morning. We're out for a stretch this time, won' t be back to camp for ten days. The ride to base camp in a few days with Rescue#1 may be with the windows open! The climb out of Neel Gap was tough for me. We intended to make a short day of it at 2.9 miles but ended up hiking 5, which still should have been easy. I just had an off day. We finally landed at Cowrock which was a beautiful spot. Saw a great sunset from my tent and a beautiful sunrise the next morning. Loon and Cross joined us for the night. No water on Cowrock but everyone had enough to get by.
Date: 2013-03-15
From: Cowrock

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

Left camp this morning at 9 AM. Fairly steep descent and some icy rocks but not bad. I like hiking while the muddy sections are frosty and not so slippery. Heard a pack of coyotes yipping in the distance between Cowrock and Tesnatee Gap and seeing a lot of scat on the trail. The climb up Wildcat Mountain kicked my butt! The rest of the day was good. Tent camped with our crew plus Double Dare, 1-2, Sandals, and Loon. Good water in camp. Rumors of a bear in camp about 1 AM. I guess lots of noise but I slept through it.
Date: 2013-03-17
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Cheese Factory campsites
Miles today: 6.1

Happy St. Patricks Day! Left Blue Mountain Shelter at 8:30 AM and finished climbing Blue Mountain then descended to Unicoi Gap. The trail was a little slippery and Turtlestone and I both took a fall but neither of us were hurt. Met Rescue#1 and Sherpa at Unicoi Gap for a change of clothes and resupply of food. Rescue#1 provided trail magic to other hikers and gave Chaos and Standing Tall a ride into Hiawassee. We continued on our way up Rocky Mountain. What beautiful views on the summit. Saw ridge runner, Razor, on his way down the mountain. He suggested setting up camp in a Mountain Laurel grove at Cheese Factory campsite. The descent down Rocky Mountain was steep and rocky, hence the name I guess, but found a wonderful surprise at the bottom. The Glenloch Baptist Church had trail magic at Indian Grave Gap.   Hotdogs, sodas, chips, and a table of handouts that hikers could use on the trail. I think the best part was sitting on a lawnchair instead of the ground. After a nice visit we climbed a mile up Tray Mountain to Cheese Factory campsite and set up camp for the night. Just a beautiful site and a nice spring very close by. What a great day. Trail magic twice and clean clothes!
Date: 2013-03-18
From: Cheese Factory campsites

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

Rain overnight and a dismal, foggy morning started our day and the weather got worse as the day went on. I ate a cold breadfast in my tent and packed up and started the climb up Tray Mountain in increasingly windy and rainy conditions. Footing was difficult, especially on the down side. We made a quick stop at Tray Mountain Shelter for a snack and Turtlestone waited for Jackonamountain to catch up. Crazy Legs skipped the shelter stop and continued the climb up Tray Mountain. The four of us were spaced along the trail from that point until we reached Sassafras Gap campsite, our intended stop for the night. The windchill and spitting snow convinced us that Deep Gap Shelter, 2.7 miles north would be wiser. Jackonamountain had not caught up so we put a sign in the middle of the trail telling him to continue to Deep Gap. We also asked a SOBO hiker to relay the message. Really glad to get to Deep Gap and to have space inside for the four of us. The shelter for 12 held 16 and a few hikers were under the shelter which was at least dry. Several tenters outside also. Thunderstorms and sleet during the night but we were warm and happy.
Date: 2013-03-19
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 3.6

Woke this morning to quiet winds and sunshine. Quite the contrast from yesterday. Hiked 3.6 miles to Dicks Creek Gap and got picked up by Rescue#1 and Sherpa. Headed to base camp and a warm bed for the night. The hike from the shelter was pretty easy with some nice views on Powell Mountain. I played leapfrog with Griz and Moose on the way down to Dicks Creek.
Date: 2013-03-21
From: Blue Ridge Gap Dirt Road

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 5.7

Today we did a flip-flop day. Rescue#1 and Sherpa Drove us up Hightower Road to within .7 of a mile of the AT.   We hiked the rest of the way UP to Blue Ridge Gap and hiked south. Very cold morning. My water bottles froze as I hiked not to mention my nose. We stopped by Plumorchard Shelter for a break. What a nice shelter. Talked to some folks who spent the night there and they said the temperature got down to 10°. We saw Duct Tape, Camel, Orion, & 1-2 as we hiked south. Good to be back on the trail. Good day!
Date: 2013-03-22
From: Deep Gap, USFS 71

To: Blue Ridge Gap, dirt road
Miles today: 10.1

Another flip flop day. Rescue#1 and Sherpa drove us about 6 miles up USFS 71 to Deep Gap on the AT. We started our SOBO hike at 9:15AM with little wind and no rain or snow but the temperature was 27. Warmer than yesterday because my water did not freeze as I hiked. At the start of our day we climbed 1.3 miles up a steep, rocky incline. My hiker legs are finally beginning to kick in on those climbs but I have a long way to go. We took a quick break at Muskrat Creek Shelter then descended to Sassafras Gap. Quite a climb out of the gap to Courthouse Bald (I missed the bald!) We passed Bly Gap and stopped for pictures at the N.C/Ga. State Line. I ate lunch straddled between Georgia and North Carolina. The rest of the hike to Blue Ridge Gap was mostly down hill. Love when that happens! Another good day. Ran into thru-hikers, 1-2, Orion, Can du and Why Not. This will probably be our last flip flop day. Tomorrow we take another Zero Day to move base camp for Rescue#1 and Sherpa closer to Franklin. Hope to get back on the NOBO trail Sunday but the weather may change that. We'll see.