morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-09-30
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Millinocket Hotel
Miles today: 10.0

Hobo's brother-in-law, Bill, met us in the parking lot at 6:30. He was a true Trail Angel. He came with McDonalds burgers, snacks and drinks. The three of us took off at 7:00 and I really enjoyed chatting with Bill and scrambling over the rocks. The weather cooperated; cool fog in the morning which burned off by the afternoon. We even saw a rainbow. When we approached the top, there were about 6 thru hikers already there. They hooted, clapped and hollered for us. It was really touching. Hobo and I summitted at 11:50....I guess that was really important info because about 30+ people were betting on my finish day and time! Congrats to Matt Gelber(Sue Doherty Gelber's husband), he won the pool. Now, it's time to go home! Hobo, Bill and I are spending the night in Millinocket. It's a 5 hour drive to Portland. We'll take off tomorrow morning and then I'll fly home on Friday. Thank you to Carol Doherty and her late husband, Tom. Carol used her miles and purchased my ticket home to Florida.....I really believe that I'm so lucky! I'm lucky that I was able to succeed and I'm so lucky that a lot of people love me. Thanks so much for following along and caring! I'll miss writing to you and I'll miss sharing my pictures. Wow...Georgia to Maine, Class of 2014, it feels good!
Date: 2014-03-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We're going to try a bounce box to start with with minimal on demand mail drops also, we'll see how that works for us. We have reservations at the Hiker Hostel and a planned start date of 04/08/2014 still, three weeks and counting, it's the culmination of a dream that we've both had for many years.
Date: 2014-03-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It's 6:30 am and I just made coffee, what a convenience it is to turn the tap and have fresh clean water in an instant. We've backpacked enough to realize how important water is on the Trail and how hard it is to come by at times. One section hike a few years ago from Moreland Gap to Damascus was nearly bone dry, and if not for the kindness of the local outfitter who placed fresh water at the road crossings we would have had real trouble continuing.    Twenty days and counting!
Date: 2014-03-24
From: Hiker Hostel

To: Georgia
Miles today: 0.0

We're wrapping up everything here at our house and the anticipation is really building. There are lists of things to do and to remember all over the place and thank goodness I've got her to do the planning, I'm one of those who might forget his pack or sleeping gear otherwise, her attention to detail is just what we need on such a monumental undertaking. Sure, we've backpacked before, we've even been out for a couple of weeks at a time, but this is different, a completely different way of life for six months is no small challenge and our ages this might be our only real shot so let's get it right.
Date: 2014-03-25
From: Georgia

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Some of our most memorable trips have been backpacking loops in the GSMNP where we've been fortunate enough to sleep near Gregory Bald and eat our supper in fire towers while enjoying the coldest sweetest water you can imagine. We've seen black bears and wild boars and yes, even rattlesnakes, but like Bill Bryson lamented in his book "A Walk in the Woods" I've yet to see a giant salamander also known a as a Hellbender, maybe I'll get lucky on our thru, who knows!
Date: 2014-04-07
From: Atlanta

To: The approach trail to Springer Moimtan
Miles today: 0.0

The rain came down in buckets all night and the hikers starting this morning left in a downpour, we're grateful for another night indoors, the hike up the approach trail tomorrow will be on my 63rd birthday, can't think of a nicer way to celebrate it or a nicer hiking partner to spend it with.
Date: 2014-04-16
From: Georgia

To: Maine
Miles today: 50.0
Weather: moderate rain

Two days of cold rain and sleet followed by a subfreezing night made an easy decision to take a zero in Hiawasse, our first Trail town. Hot showers and a pizza delivered to the room was pure Heaven! We're waiting for our laundry to finish at the moment and I've never looked at the laundromat as such a cool place to hang out! Back on Trail in the morning with sunny days ahead.
Date: 2014-04-19
From: Maine

To: Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

The Trail is guarded by an army of "Trail Angels" dedicated to giving back to something they hold very near and dear. Whether providing shuttles and rides to resupply to leaving cold drinks in coolers at road crossings to full blown cookout feeds like the one we stumbled into this day, it's something never to be expected or taken lightly! How do we ever properly thank or even hope to repay such kindness and sacrifice? Who knows, maybe by paying it forward some day! With any luck we should cross our first state line and enter NC in the next day or so, really looking forward to that!
Date: 2014-04-20
From: The approach trail to Springer Mountain

To: Maine
Miles today: 30.0
Weather: clear sky

The Trail traverses 14 states along its 2100+ mile route and we've completed one of those. It may not seem like much to the reader but it's a huge milestone for us both physically and mentally and our level of confidence is increasing along with our leg strength. We camped that night in a gorgeous little valley next to a cold gurgling spring where we toasted each other with sparkling NC mountain water.
Date: 2014-04-29
From: The approach trail to Springer Moimtan

To: Great Smoky Mountains
Miles today: 41.0
Weather: light rain

It's unrealistic to think that we will never have to hike in the rain and we've already had some experience but high winds and severe lightning are another matter. After a wild and windy night that completely soaked us we hiked down to the gap and got a ride to town. Robinsville NC. Has everything a long distance hiker can ask for, a motel, a grocery and a Subway all within a stones throw of one another, it's Heaven! We'll be back out there tomorrow heading for our next big milestone, GSM National Park, a place we've visited and loved for many years and probably the biggest inspiration for what we're attempting right now.
Date: 2014-05-06
From: The approach trail to Springer Moimtan

To: Maine
Miles today: 92.0

The climb into the park at GSMNP requires you to ascend a big steep mountain called Shuckstack and we're glad to have that one done. The climb to Clingmans Dome is nearly as difficult but the views were spectacular! From the ridge just before topping out we could see Fontana Dam some 30 miles away as the air was Crystal clear, very rare here. We ate lunch earlier that day on one of the many Balds in the park and soaked up the warm sunshine. Water is scarce this high up and we're forced to carry several liters from the few sources we find and it really adds to the pack weight. On the other hand the water we do find is cold clear and delicious, we can't drink enough of it. Tonight we'll be drinking sweet tea with our steaks and salads and sleeping in a real bed.
Date: 2014-05-15
From: The approach trail to Springer Moimtan

To: Maine
Miles today: 72.0

The descent trail from the Smokies at Davenport Gap was nearly as daunting as the climb in at Shuckstack and as much as we love the park we're glad to be done with them. This was the first season for the new fees for the thru-hiker permit and the rules are quite perplexing requiring us to camp at shelter locations only making for some long days and crowded conditions. We're three days out of the park in the hiker friendly town of Hot Springs where we've been welcomed with good food and dry lodgings. There's a real outfitter and a convenient Post Office with several good places to eat and we've tried them all. A lot of our friends are here and breakfast turned into a two hour round table discussion as we all shared experiences and stories, what a great time it was! Tomorrow we climb back into the mountains as we head for our next resupply stop in Irwin Tennesee but not before passing our 300 mile mark. Thanks to all our readers who have taken the time to leave comments about our adventure, your support means a lot to us!    Elray and Luckycharm
Date: 2014-09-14
From: Springer Mountain

To: Erwin Tn
Miles today: 0.0

Our hike was abruptly interrupted just short of 300 miles north of Hot Springs in the middle of May and we've spent a long and busy Summer back home sorely missing the Trail. Without getting into specifics a series of events both on and off the trail influenced our decision to suspend the walk, it was a very sad day. We seem to have the issues taken care of for the time being and have decided to return to our stopping point to continue north and hike as long as the weather permits. Our dream of a thru hike will not be realized but our determination to hike the AT has not been shaken and we'll return next season as well to continue hiking. Thanks to all of you that have been kind enough to comment on our entries and hope you'll continue to follow our progress, your comments and encouragements really mean a lot! Our first planned hike day is Sept. 16, Elray and Luckycharm
Date: 2014-09-19
From: Erwin Tn

To: Hurricane Gap
Miles today: 12.0

When we left the Trail in May all the water sources were running strong and we gave very little thought to finding clean water, not so in late September, just about all the listed water stops are dry and we're forced to carry twice the water we normally would and it's really slowing us down. It's not uncommon to to hike down from the Trail a full 10 minutes to find water and then there's that hike back up, not fun. We were completely dry and dehydrated when we stumbled into the Hemlock Hollow hostel and we were lucky to find them, I'm not sure how much further we could have gone. As much as we have our heart set on continuing we may have to rethink our plan once more. Nice to hear from some of our friends, thank you for the posts.
Date: 2014-09-27
From: Erwin Tn

To: North
Miles today: 31.0

We left the Trail in mid May by paying for a shuttle to Newport Tn. where we were able to rent a car for the trip home, but the tug of the AT was still strong so we lingered for a few days. After retrieving a bounce box our travels took us back to Gatlinburg where we had just recently spent a fine couple of days feasting and riding the shuttles around town to re-supply. We're no strangers to that town having honeymooned there forty one years earlier and then making countless trips back to the area to backpack and spend several nights up at the Leconte Lodge, a wonderful old place to visit if you ever get the chance. Just before leaving the state for good we made one more visit to a favorite restaurant in Pigeon Forge, The Old Mill, whereupon leaving we encountered a sketch artist on the porch of the adjoining store next door. We talked for a bit before learning that he was the father of a former Thru Hiker we had met on our first time through, what a coincidence! The artists name is now lost to me as I didn't write it down but his son's name on the Trail was Windbreaker,'98. After hearing our story he made this sketch for us and refused to take any money instead calling it Trail magic. We will treasure it always!
Date: 2014-02-09
To: About the Appalachian Trail
Miles today: 0.0

The Appalachian Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpath in the world, measuring roughly 2,180 miles in length. The Trail goes through fourteen states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the Trail¢s northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine. Known as the ¢A.T.,¢ it has been estimated that 2-3 million people visit the Trail every year and about 1,800¢2,000 people attempt to ¢thru-hike¢ the Trail. People from across the globe are drawn to the A.T. for a variety of reasons: to reconnect with nature, to escape the stress of city life, to meet new people or deepen old friendships, or to experience a simpler life.
Date: 2014-02-10
To: fun facts
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Fun Facts ¢¢The Trail is roughly 2,180 miles long, passing through 14 states. ¢¢Thousands of volunteers contribute roughly 220,000 hours to the A.T. every year. ¢¢More than 250 three-sided shelters exist along the Trail. ¢¢Virginia is home to the most miles of the Trail (about 550), while West Virginia is home to the least (about 4). ¢¢Maryland and West Virginia are the easiest states to hike; New Hampshire and Maine are the hardest. ¢¢The total elevation gain of hiking the entire A.T. is equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest 16 times. ¢¢The A.T. is home to an impressive diversity of plants and animals. Some animals you may see include black bears, moose, porcupines, snakes, woodpeckers, and salamanders. Some plants you may encounter include jack-in-the-pulpit, skunk cabbage, and flame azalea.
Date: 2014-02-11
To: about the trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Thru-hiking the AT equates to "taking the stairs" of a 51,500 story building, or a building that is 100 miles high. Then of course, going back down. Due to the ancient eroded nature of the Appalachian Mountains, the peak elevation is not very high relative to other "newer" mountain ranges. However, the ratio of peaks to valleys, or gaps, is much greater making the total elevation gain/loss surprisingly staggering. Based on some approximations of total elevation gain and loss on the AT from Whiteblaze.net. 515,000 ft elevation gain.Hikers ¢¢About 2 to 3 million visitors walk a portion of the A.T. each year. ¢¢The A.T. has hundreds of access points and is within a few hours drive of millions of Americans, making it a popular destination for day-hikers. ¢¢¢Thru-hikers¢ walk the entire Trail in a continuous journey. ¢Section-hikers¢ piece the entire Trail together over years. ¢Flip-floppers¢ thru-hike the entire Trail in discontinuous sections to avoid crowds, extremes in weather, or start on easier terrain. ¢¢1 in 4 who attempt a thru-hike successfully completes the journey ¢¢Most thru-hikers walk north, starting in Georgia in spring and finishing in Maine in fall, taking an average of 6 months. ¢¢Foods high in calories and low in water weight, such as Snickers bars and Ramen Noodles, are popular with backpackers, who can burn up to 6,000 calories a day. ¢¢Hikers usually adopt ¢trail names¢ while hiking the Trail. They are often descriptive or humorous. Examples are ¢Eternal Optimist,¢ ¢Thunder Chicken,¢ and ¢Crumb-snatcher".
Date: 2014-02-23
To: Shoes
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I will be using Brooks Adrenaline ASR 10 GTX shoes on this hike. I estimate that I can get 450 miles out of each pair.I discoved Ginny Morris and her wonderful staff at Running Elements in Bellevue Washington. Ginny took the time to properly fit my foot to the correct shoe. If you are in the Northwest, and need shoes, go to Running Elements.(thanks again Dave and Helen for introducing me to Ginny, and providing my first pair of shoes!!!)
Date: 2014-02-24
To: AT History
Miles today: 0.0

In 1921, Benton MacKaye had an idea and a vision to build the Appalachian Trail. With the help of many volunteers that idea became a reality and by 1937, the Appalachian Trail was completed. Over the years the trail was encroached by civilization until 1968 when congress designated the Appalachian Trail as the nation's first National Scenic Trail.In 1948, Earl Shaffer of York, Pennsylvania, brought a great deal of attention to the project by completing the first documented thru-hike. Later Shaffer also completed the first north-to-south thru-hike, making him the first to do so in each direction. In 1998 Mr. Shaffer, nearly 80 years old, again hiked the entirety of the trail, making him the oldest person ever to complete a thru-hikeThe white blazed Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is about 2180 miles long winding through 14 states from Springer Mountain in Georgia to it's famous northern terminus at Katahdin in Baxter State Park in Maine. The AT is a privately managed unit of the National Park System and crosses six other units of the NPS including Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks.   The AT travels through eight National Forests as well as numerous state parks, local parks and forests. According to the ATC there are over 160,000 painted white blazes that mark the trail. The lowest elevation along the trail is 124 feet near the Trailside Museum and Zoo at Bear Mountain, New York. The highest elevation is 6625 feet at Clingman's Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Date: 2014-03-03
To: What will I miss the most?
Miles today: 0.0

What will I miss the most? This is the question I get alot from people.Of the "things" I will miss....it will be my coffee. My coffee comes from Poverty Bay Coffee in Auburn Washington. It is a small batch micro-roaster, that is sustainable, shade grown, direct trade coffee.This is the same coffee we use at Fairwood Community United Methodist Church.As I hike everyday....especially on Sundays, I will think of all of the Fairwood people enjoying our coffee.
Date: 2014-03-06
To: Last Work Day
Miles today: 0.0

Today was my last day driving for Premier Coaches Northwest. I want to thank John and Cindy for allowing me to sit in the front of the coach for the past 18 months.What I learned:Within the city limits of Seattle, there are 600,000 people. Of that, there are 49,000 school age children. This is the lowest percentage of children of any city in the United States. However, with the highest percentage of any city in the United States, Seattle has the most dogs, with over 100,000.I enjoyed myself alot working at Premier Coaches, and John and Cindy are great to work for.P.S. Cindy---you and I know who really runs the company, but lets not tell John!
Date: 2014-03-14
To: Booster Buttons
Miles today: 0.0

Adorable wife created Booster Buttons for friends and family to wear while I am on the hike. The buttons are cute and so is she. Sunday our church is "blessing" my feet and serving pizza and brownies at a lunch to send me off on the hike. It is good to have a great "crew" at home cheering me on.
Date: 2014-03-16
To: 4 Days to the AT
Miles today: 0.0

Today was my last Sunday at church for a while. The congregation gave me a great send off including a blessing and a pizza party. Pizza is one of the things I will miss the most on the trail. Our fabulous choir director wrote and recorded a jingle asking the question "where on the trail is Tom Magee". It was great suprise...thank you Rae. When I told the pastor - who is also my wife - that I would miss her sermons she reminded me I can catch them on the church's website. Yeah, right! Oh, I mean, yes dear.
Date: 2014-03-17
To: Blessing for a Hike
Miles today: 0.0

Our church is so supportive of this journey! Sunday there was a time of blessing with the prayer below. A lot of good wishes and good words came my way - along with pizza and brownies. Especially thankful to have long time friends Paula and Dave come down to visit - and happy Mom, Terry and Aunt Susi could join us too! My feet are ready to go! A Blessing Before the Hike (based on the words of John Muir)Hike the hills and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you,and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.Hike the trails with joy;with safety and care;open to God¢s presence and our support, every step of your way.May God bless the feet of those, who through their life bring good news. However far you travel may your feetbring you back to us again. Amen.
Date: 2014-03-19
To: One More Night before the Hike
Miles today: 0.0

It is a long journey to even get to the AT. I slept most of my two flights from Seattle. I think my legs have gotten longer as there was NO leg room.I got everything transferred from suitcase to pack. Feels really good on my back. With water and four days of food, it will be about 27 pounds.Took MARTA train to the mall area. Finally found a Starbucks! Ahhh! I might have coffee withdrawls. Had to wait for REI to open to buy stove fuel but it was not raining as it was today in Pacific Northwest.Josh picked up me and a hiker from Virginia - what a great shuttle service. We are spliting a pizza for dinner. Papa Johns delivers! The hostel holds 20 hikers in the main house and another 8 in the out buildings. It's a really nice place! I hope I can sleep tonight - I have waited a long time to start this hike and I am ready to go!
Date: 2014-03-20
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 8.1

I enjoyed a delicious hot French Toast breakfast with coffee to start the morning. Wondering when I will have another REAL breakfast. Ready to go I finally got on the road at 8:45 and then on the trail by 10:30.Springer Mt has been the southern terminus of the AT since 1958. We all get the traditional picture taken at the marker that starts the AT. Pack weight is 34 with food and waterAs we begin some hike faster, others slower and a small group forms. Many asked me if I would be hiking alone. Of course not ¢ part of the adventure is to meet other thru hikers. My group today includes Sarah, Julia, Ken, Matt from England and Tas from Australia. And I thought I was far from home. Got to camp around 3 pm having hiked 8.1 miles plus the 1.2 miles from the hostel to the trail head. First day ended as we set up camp and sat around chatting at the Hawk Mountain shelter.Not only has this wonderful day been the first day of spring it is my youngest daughter¢s 26 birthday. Happy birthday Jessica
Date: 2014-03-21
From: Hawk Mt. Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain
Miles today: 7.5

Last night in the shelter there was a mother and her three grown sons using it as their summer home. Thank goodness for the tent for they also had three barkey dogs. The dogs finally quieted down when at 1:30 a.m. an Army helicopter flew over really low....night practice. A little loss of sleep wasn¢t going to get me down. Went over Sassafras Mt that has a 800 ft elevation gain in 1 mile...wow! Then up and over Justus Mt.; down to the shelter after crossing three streams. I had earned the time of rest there at the stream.
Date: 2014-03-22
From: Gooch Mountain

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 8.7

Left camp at 8:45 as I was trying to get an earlier start. When we got to Gooch Gap and a church group was giving out apples. The trail makes you thankful for the simple things ¢ generous people and fresh fruit. Then the trail took us on to Woody Gap for some brownies, offered by a thru hiker from last year who knows what hikers like...life is good! Do you think hikers think a lot about food¢¦you betcha!Got to Lance Creek around 2....to find lots of people here. This is the last place to camp before Blood Mt....big climb tomorrow. There are surprises along the trail ¢ like when we found cell reception ¢ strong enough to call home and send pictures and journal updates.
Date: 2014-03-23
From: Lance Creek

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 7.4

With rain coming I am expecting to do some night hiking. I am an early riser so left camp at 5 a.m. using my headlamp. The trail and I climbed up Blood Mt. with its 1600 elevation gain. Very foggy and windy. Glad to have started early as the rain started about 8 a.m.Made it to Neel Gap by 10:30 a.m. - early enough to get one of the cabins.Will be sharing the cabin tonight with Jessie, my bunkmate from the first hostel and two kids from Toronto, Kevin and Brittany. The rest of our group got another cabin. It might sound crowded but with the prediction of the temperature plummeting it will be luxury. Besides that it is a plush place, complete with hot water, showers, laundry and flush toilets...life is very good. PS some of my pictures look sideways on phones and IPads. My "technical" assistant is working on it but until then turn your IPad sideways!