morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-02-04
To: so soon yet so far away
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Six years ago my wife and I went to Amicalola Falls to go day hiking. I remember seeing hikers with big packs hanging out near the falls. By then I had read a couple of AT thru-hike books and knew that these hikers were getting ready to start their thru-hikes. I remember watching them with envy thinking to myself "how cool would it be to be them right now". Back then I dreamed of thru-hiking the AT one day but if I was to be honest I would of had to tell you it would probably never happen. In 30 days I will be in Amicalola Falls getting ready to start my thru-hike. It seems unreal to even type that sentence out but that dream 6 years ago will be a reality March 4. I stated in a early journal entry that I was considering starting off in March at Dicks Creek Gap where I left off in January. I appreciate every one who gave me some input on my consideration. After talking with a couple of past thru-hikers(who never told me what to do but instead gave me their perspective) I decided to start from the beginning. Thanks Subman and Bamboops. I also stated that I was not going to hike the approach trail. That has changed. On March 3rd my wife and I are going to stay at the Amicalola Lodge and I will begin my thru-hike the next day on the approach trail. This is to big of a deal to me not to get the best of the experience. I want to be that thru-hiker hopeful that I envied that day 6 years ago. I want to start at Amicalola Falls. I want to see that first white blaze on top of Springer and pass every white blaze from there on out. I originally was going to leave on March 20th but changed my date because of my wife's pregnancy. Unfortunately us having a child is not meant to be for now. I guess in a way it is for the best even though it saddens us. Even though my wife is a strong, independent person and was ok with me leaving I had reservations about it. Also when I would tell people about the pregnancy and my hike I would get sideways looks from them. I even got a snide, passive aggressive comment in my guest book. I should have listened to that voice in my head that said "If you share this they will judge you" but like I have written before everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I know I am. Did I mention- only 3 more weeks of work left!
Date: 2016-02-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I'm done with work and now all I am doing is waiting around. Most of my prep is done except for the final stuff that I have to do right before I leave. Last night I thought to myself I should just head out early so I discussed this with my wife. My wife decided to book a room at the lodge for next week and keep the one for March 3rd. I have until Monday to decide(cancel reservations)if I want to leave next week on the 25th or wait until March 4. The Weather Channel is showing a good weather window for next week for the first 3 days and than rain for the next 6 days after. That really doesn't mean much considering the forecast changes practically every day. Anyway, I have a few days to make up my mind.P.S. Hey Pamela, Artemisia, and Vincent! Thanks for following my journal!
Date: 2016-02-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I have decided to start on February 26th. It looks like a good window and has not changed much(forecast) in a week. Right now it is forecasting snowfall on the day I arrive at Amicalola Falls. I would love for there to be snow on the trail on my start date. I also love the idea of hiking in Virginia during the height of spring. I have hiked in Georgia and North Carolina during all the seasons. For some reason I have always enjoyed the winter the best. I think mostly because of the views through the trees and the solitude. So for those reasons and lots more I am happy to be leaving at the near end of winter. This hike of mine would not be possible without the love and support of my beautiful wife Christina. Ever since the day I met her my life has improved dramatically. She has been such a important instrument during this last year of preparation. While I am out on the trail she will be taking care of drop packages, some reservations, helping me with updates on my journal, and handling all the responsibilities back home. For these and lots of other reasons my thru-hike would not be possible without her help. I probably will never be able to thank her enough for all she does. She is the greatest person I have ever known and I will miss her dearly. I will do a update on the 25th at the Falls and once out on the trail update everyday or so. I am so stoked about this adventure and am ready to begin.
Date: 2016-02-25
To: Amicalola Falls
Miles today: 0.0

We arrived at Amicalola Falls lodge around noon and our room wasn't ready yet. Check in was at 4:00 but we thought we would see if we could get in early. No luck. We decided to hike the approach trail up to the lodge to kill time. The falls were beautiful and there was hardly anyone out. It had snowed earlier and there was snow on the ground and when we got into our room the porch was covered in snow. The room is really nice and the view is incredible! We ate at the diner in the lodge and the food was delicious. This seems like a dream to me. It is finally here. I start on the approach trail in the morning. I am going to try to hike to the pavilion and old cemetery and camp around there. That would be about 14 miles. If not there than I will settle on the Long Creek Falls area. I can't wait to start but also want to savor every moment of my last night with my wife for a little while.
Date: 2016-02-28
From: Springer Mountain

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 31.7
Weather: clear sky

This entry covers 3 days and miles don't include the approach trail. I started the approach trail on February 26th. Within the 2nd mile I found my first hiking partner Shrink. We hiked up to Springer Mt. and when we got to the top the trees were covered in snow. The sun was coming out so all the snow was falling to the ground. We hiked on to Stover Creek shelter where we would camp for the night. When we got to the shelter there were at least 20 people there and most of them were thru hikers. No one was sleeping in the shelter (guess why.)The next morning two people called it quits. They both said they were not cut out to be long distance hikers and it was only the 2nd day. We packed up and planned to hike to Gooch Mountain shelter. When we arrived at Cooper Gap (I think) Trail magic was waiting! Courtesy and his wife and children were there with hot dogs, chips, fresh and hot coffee! Thanks so much Courtesy and Becky! When we got to the shelter it was full so we hiked on to Gooch Gap and camped. The night was full of laughter and excitement.We woke up today and hiked the notorious Woody Gap to Neel Gap section. Be warned, it's tough! I lost the people I was hiking with and ended up splitting a cabin with two thru hikers that I had not met before. We are in a warm cabin with TV and heat and none of us really know each other. From my experience so far on the trail, that will all change in a half hour!
Date: 2016-03-01
From: Neel Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: clear sky

So after a comfortable night in the cabin I hiked out of Neel Gap with my two new hiking partners J Fry and Micky. On my way out I met Will and Roadrunner. They are flying through the trail so I may not see them again. I'm a little bit faster than my new friends so I pull ahead and start leap frogging two marathon runners who are thru-hiking. We start to talk and eat lunch on Cowrock Mountain and I decide I am up for a challenge so I hike to Low Gap shelter with the two marathon runners. These guys were fast and they really pushed me. It was fun but I knew I did not want to keep that fast of a pace. J Fry and Micky pull into the gap and talk me into hiking farther. We wanted to get as close to Unicoi Gap as possible for there was a storm coming tonight and we wanted to hitch into Hiawassee. We ended up camping in this awesome camp spot that was opened up to the sky. We had a fire and the stars were shining brightly. I decided to pull my sleeping pad out and listen to some music and star gaze. I saw six shooting stars with in an hour. To everyone about to do a thru-hike - every thing they say about it is true. It is truly an amazing experience and this was only day four. When we got into Unicoi there was trail magic waiting! The lady who was doing the magic decided to drive us to the Holiday Inn in Hiawassee. We are relaxing in a comfortable room and about to go soak in the Jacuzzi. Tonight we are going to eat at a buffet. Life is good.
Date: 2016-03-03
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: broken clouds

Day6: We did not get on the trail until noon. Our checkout from the Holiday Inn Express (great place) was at 11:00 so we took full advantage of the late morning. We had to go to the Dollar General to resupply because we were too busy yesterday evening soaking in the Jacuzzi (I know I've really been roughing it). On the way out of Hiawassee we met a group of thru hikers and asked if we could share their shuttle. It cost us 8 dollars but it was late and who knows how long it would of taken us to hitch out. We got dropped off at Unicoi Gap, and our first big climb started right away. We climbed up Rock Mountain and down it and back up, then further up to the old cheese(cake-yum)factory site. Then up one more time to the base of Trey Mt...A lot of ups to only one down. Oh yea and when you get to Trey mountain you go back up for a long time, but that's what hiking's about though, right? When I got to Trey Mountain shelter I met a bunch of cool younger thru hikers. I'm 43 which is young to a lot of people, but old to others, in this case I was probably their parents age. Lucky for me I'm somewhat immature and have a childish sense of humor so I get along well most younger people. Later, I met this girl, Emily, who was wearing a yellow and dark blue hat. She hikes fast so she looked like a bumble bee floating up the mountain. I mentioned that to her, and I think she likes the name so maybe it will be her trail name. It's fun being a part of people's trail name origin stories, I didn't know how much I would enjoy this part of the adventure. We all ended up camping At Steeltrap gap because it was getting late and because it sounded cool. I did not see any steel traps (probably just as well) but I did not look that hard. We had a fire and retired to our tents around 9:30. It was another fine day on the trail. Day7: We got up the next morning at 6:30 and were on the trail by 7. We had 9 miles to hike and it was supposed to sleet around 2 pm. All of us decided to hike fast to the Top of Georgia Hostel to get out of the cold wet weather. There were 2-3 inches of snow on the ground and more on the way so it was a good idea to duck in the hostel tonight. There are a lot of thru hikers here tonight and the atmosphere is really nice. I went into town and ate two half pound burgers, a large fry, a large onion ring, and a bunch of cokes at Hardee's. I plan to hike out early to get to Muskrat Creek shelter. There will be snow on the trail and the sun will be shining. Awesome! I will be leaving Georgia tomorrow and I have to say she was good to me. I will miss her but I will be back.
Date: 2016-03-05
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Rock Gap
Miles today: 36.4
Weather: few clouds

Day 8: After our stay at top of Georgia we were ready to get out of there, some things were good, but they closed the rec/common areas around 7pm which meant for a long evening crammed into a bunkhouse. Simply staying open a little later would provide much improvement. We get dropped off at Dick's Creek Gap in the bitter cold, and we all decide to hike to Bly gap and meet there. As I make my way to Bly Gap I run into Mud Puppy. He is also a trail runner so our paces match each other. We see snow everywhere along the trail as we are hiking. Lots of shoe skiing being done on the downs. We reach the GA/NC border and queue in line for photos. We get to Bly gap, and by 5 there are at least 15 tents up. We have a fire, and sit and talk until 9 when we all go to our tents for the night. Day 9 I wake up from another cold and restless night's sleep. I need to get a liner for my bag. I guess this Florida boy has thin blood. We hang out late in the morning until 9:45 before we decide to get moving. I hike out with Mud Puppy and we decide to join and become Team Quick Puppy because Mud Sand sounds too weird. He becomes my third hiking partner so far! We hike once again in snow. The surroundings are gorgeous and tranquil. We hike up and over Standing Indian Mountain and into Beech Gap where we tent with 4 other thru hikers. I have been leap frogging this couple from Switzerland. Their names are Bowler and Pinky Toe and I like them immediately. We all decide to team up and hike together. We make plans to hike 15 1/2 miles the next day so we can get close to Winding Stair Gap to get into Franklin early. We have a fire that night but it starts to sleet so we all go into our tents for the night. DAY 10 we hike out of Beech Gap as 4. Team Quick Puppy and Team Switzerland has united. We are working on a name but nothing as the right ring to it. We hike a long 15.4 to Rock Gap where we decide to camp. It has a big yellow sign that says No Camping but we are thru hikers and we don't believe in big yellow signs that say anything :-) We will have an easy 4 mile hike to Winding Stair Gap tomorrow where we will take the 9am shuttle to Candy Land.
Date: 2016-03-07
From: Rock Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap / Franklin
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up at 6:00 am to another bitter cold morning. We hiked the 4 miles to Winding Stair Gap to catch our 9am shuttle to the Budget Inn. It took a full hour of hiking before I had feeling in my fingers. These cold mornings have been brutal. When we got into town we went straight for the Kountry Kitchen and ate enough food for a football team. After brunch we go back to our rooms to do chores. Even in town you never get to fully relax. We all go to eat dinner and I get fried oysters. So good! After dinner we all go to the Lazy Hiker and relax by the fire and talk and laugh. We plan on taking a Nero tomorrow and hike 4.7 to the top of Siler Bald and camp.
Date: 2016-03-09
From: Winding Stair Gap / Franklin

To: Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 26.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I awake at 8:00 am in a bed at the budget inn in Franklin. I instantly feel the effects of all the food I ate the day before. I have a major food hang over and I don't want to go anywhere. I debate whether I should take a zero or not and decide on the latter. We get shuttled in to Winding Stair Gap and hike to the top of Siler Bald and hang out for over an hour admiring the 360 view. We then hike down to the Wayah Gap picnic area and camp for the night. There are about 12 of us there tonight. At around 9:00 I discover my Kindle is not working. I think the frigid nights ruined it. I decide to just go to sleep. As I lie down my air pad blows 2 seams and it bubbles out making it useless to sleep on. I get out of my tent and push a bunch of leaves under my tent for padding, and sleep well considering. The night was wonderful despite mishaps. The weather was mild and everyone got a great nights rest. It is a lot easier to sleep in a refrigerator than a freezer!The next day, I decided to hike ahead of the group to get to the NOC to purchase a new pad. The only problem with this is that the NOC is 21.7 miles away. I put it in high gear and fly up the trail. I go through 2 trail magic setups not having time to stop. I get to Wesser Bald and have to climb to the observation deck and check out the view. I'm willing to miss trail magic but not the views. I hike all day and by 5:45 I get to the Rufus Morgan Shelter. It is still a mile to the NOC but I knew the outfitter was closed already. After hiking 20.7 miles of tough terrain I was tired. I decided to make a huge leaf pile and plop my tent down on it. I ate then I went up to the shelter and hung out with a group of young thru hikers that I had seen on and off. The weather was mild again and the leaf bed was not that bad. I slept like a baby.
Date: 2016-03-19
From: NOC

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 70.0
Weather: light rain

Day 23 I am in Gatlinburg doing a zero day. The Smokies so far have been amazing. The weather has been great and the views breathtaking. I have been hiking with a group of 9 since leaving Fontana. I never thought I would be in such a big group but it has been fun. We don't all hike together throughout the day, we usually hike in pairs or solo and meet up at views and at camp each evening. I have met so many wonderful people along the trail. I still have not seen the thru-hiker horde yet. Instead I have been in the middle of the spring break section hiker horde. They stick out like healthy thumbs in the midst of the thru-hikers. I plan on hiking out on Sunday and there is a chance of snow. As has been mentioned by many previous hikers, Gatlinburg has been a shock to the system, so I'm fine with moving on and taking a chance with the snowy weather. I'm looking forward to the rest of the Smokies and making my way to Hot Springs next weekend.
Date: 2016-03-22
From: Gatlinburg / Newfound Gap

To: 2 miles past Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 37.7

Sunday 03/20/16 (Day 24) We left Gatlinburg and headed back to Newfound Gap. As we drove to higher elevations frozen fog began to appear. When we got to the top it was like a winter wonderland. I kissed my wife goodbye and hiked up 10.3 milestone Pecks Corner shelter. Halfway through the hike it began sleeting and visibility was about 10 feet. There were no views on Charlies Bunion for it was in a cloud. The shelter that night was full to the brim and the temp was dropping fast. We woke up the next day to 4-6 inches of fresh powder on the trail. The temperature dropped to 9 degrees that night and the morning was bitter cold. Monday 03/21/16 (Day 25) A few hikers zeroed in the shelter because the snow was so thick. Most of us opted to go for it and hike 12.6 miles to Cosby knob shelter. We all agreed it was the hardest 12 miles so far. I felt like I was hiking up and down massive sand dunes. The only thing that was keeping me warm was constant motion. When we came to views it was like a alpine winter wonderland on the top and green down below. The incredible views were the only thing keeping my spirits up. We finally got to the shelter and ate then jumped into our sleeping bags. Tuesday 03/22/16 (Day 26) We woke up the next morning early and hiked out. We hiked through Davenport gap and were out of the Smokies. The Smokies were the best hiking so far but the rules and regulations get suffocating after a while. We stopped in at Standing Bear hostel and resupplied and relaxed. I really liked Standing Bear Hostel and the vibe was good. I highly recommend stopping in or staying the night. I would have stayed but it was still early so we hiked up 2 miles to a camp spot were we are staying for the night. We are happy tonight and not freezing. We are hanging around a camp fire laughing about the last few days. Life is good
Date: 2016-03-27
From: 2 miles past Standing Bear Hostel

To: Hiker's Paradise Hostel
Miles today: 70.0
Weather: few clouds

03/24/2016 (Day 28) - I made it into Hot Springs around one in the afternoon on Thursday. This was a major milestone for me. Up until now, I have focused on hiking to Hot Springs as my goal (taking the AT in small pieces to make it less overwhelming), and now I'm here! When I arrived I got a bunk at the Laughing Heart Hostel. Once I dropped my gear on my bunk it was off to go eat town food. I'm at the point now where town food takes priority over everything else. Even though I was sweaty, smelly, and had dirty clothes on, I had to go eat before showering. Hot Springs is a nice little town. It has a few restaurants and they all were good. Through no fault of the hostel, I slept terribly that night due to a drunk, snoring hiker in the bunkroom. I told myself from now on if at all possible I will get private rooms. The next day, Friday 03/25/2016 (Day 29), I moved into a private room at the hostel. We all went down to the river where Handles (a thru hiker) was cooking hamburgers and hotdogs for the hikers with his parents. We ate by the river and lounged around all day. That night I slept like a baby in my private room. Laughing Heart Hostel is my favorite hostel so far. The managers Tye and Solo are the best and they are so laid back. Saturday 03/26/2016 (Day 30) - I did not want to leave the hostel or the town and I seriously considered taking another zero but decided that would not be a good idea. Most of the hikers I had been hiking on and off with were still in Hot Springs when I left with Unicorn. Sunday 03/27/2016 (Day 31) - I have been hiking with Unicorn for a few days now so I may have a new hiking partner. (Mud puppy left the trail in Hot Springs to go back to work - He only had a month to hike). We camped at Deep Gap last night and we both slept well. We woke up this morning and hiked 24 miles to Hikers Paradise hostel. This is a new hostel and Unicorn & I have it all to ourselves. It is a cool place and the owner is super nice. We are resting in our bunks watching the NC / Notre Dame game. Life is good.
Date: 2016-03-28
From: Hiker's Paradise Hostel

To: Low Gap/Erwin, TN
Miles today: 27.4
Weather: light rain

I have to say my stay at Hikers Paradise Hostel was really nice. The hostel itself is a small place.Jerry the owner says "it is a work in progress"and in my opinion he is off to a great start. He has good food resupply, everything a hiker might need. Also he has frozen food(burgers, pizza,breakfast)and plenty of cold drinks(no alcohol)a thirsty hiker would want. The bunks were comfy and the pillows new and fluffy. I slept with blacky the cat(the hostel mascot) all night. It made me miss my cats a lot. Hey J Mac and Chili! Jerry is one of the coolest people i have met so far and his young son is hilarious. If you are into small,humble, feel at home hostels you should check it out.I hiked out the next morning with Unicorn. We were hiking good and steady but i was feeling worn down. The last couple of days i have not been feeling myself. We hiked about 13 miles to Low Gap to camp. We had a big fire because it was freezing and retired to our tents around 9 pm. i awoke in the middle of the night to Unicorn throwing up. This continued all night long and i felt so bad for him. In the morning all he was doing was dry heaving because there was nothing left to come out. I kept asking him if he was ok but there was nothing i could do for him and we were in the middle of the woods. In the morning i hiked back to Sams Gap with him. He needed to get help and going back was the quickest route. He told me to go on but there was no way i was going to leave him alone in his condition. Even though we have only known each other for a couple of weeks Unicorn has become a good friend of mine. It does not take long to form brother-like bonds with other hikers. When we got back to the gap i called Uncle Johnny and let him know what was going on. He got us a ride to Erwin so Unicorn can get help and rest in a motel room. It turns out he has norovirus. He is the fifth hiker that i know personally that has caught the virus. I dont know if i have it but it is extremely contagious and i have been hiking with Unicorn for the last few days.I am going to zero here for a day or two just in case because i do not want to be in the woods if it comes on. I have been stressed out about this decision because lately we have been crushing the miles to get ahead. To be honest i am tired of rushing and i am going back to taking my time. Everyone out here is so competitive and it has been rubbing off on me. I had a lot more fun when i was just cruising and it is time for me to get back to that state of mind again.