morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-01-19
To: So Many Loose Ends
Miles today: 0.0

Mail drops: Post offices vs. hostels or motels? Relying on mail drops vs. frequent resupply along trail? So many opinions in what I¢ve read so far. A balance must be struck. Think I¢ll minimize zero-days and settle for overnight town visits, assuming the old bones can stand the pace. Hope to do 15-20 mi/day, averaging 100 mi/wk. counting near-o or zero days. I manage about 2 mph, somewhere between a sprint and a funeral procession.Gear: Cold weather at the start vs. summer time. I ordered up a Nomad 2-4-2 last September and haven¢t heard a peep in the way of confirmation. Will it arrive by late March? If not, will use my SD Ultralight Clip Flashlight at least until Damascus. After that, will try out a Hennessey Asymm hammock. Feels OK hung in the basement!Will the old clothing work or should I start out with the latest? Plenty of ratty fleece and polypro stuff, more trail-bum than fashion statement, but will it be good enough for the early April chill, or the long marches in wind and rain? Got Frogg-Toggs for the wet, but they feel awfully flimsy.Info-glut: The sheer volume of trail lore and information, between books, trail journals and forums here, on Whiteblaze, and some ultralite forums is staggering. Am trying to sort it all out.Ray Jardine¢s book "The Ultimate Backpacker" has great tips on cutting weight and developing the right attitude toward adversity, but goes to unreachable extremes (by me anyway). Bryson¢s tale "A Walk In The Woods" is warm and humorous. Not a how-to account but really illustrates how to get along with any characters one meets on the trail, and there will be plenty out there! His choice of trail partner is a strong argument for going solo!I¢m getting plenty of inspiration on reading "The Journals of Lewis and Clark". Those boys were tough! Marches of 25+ miles daily, sometimes weakened by dysentery (the runs), "tumors" (boils), or ague (malaria or yellow fever gotten from swarms of mosquitoes in the river-bottoms), wearing heavy crude clothing and lugging heavy crude gear including muskets....whew! Imagine what they had for footwear. Not counting wading miles waist deep in freezing water while towing heavy bateaux upstream in fierce torrents. One of the party was awoken by a wolf chewing on his hand! But their daily entries had a lot in common with ours: a routine account of what they ate (i.e. game killed), how far they went, who became sick or injured, and always the weather.Booked a flight from Portland ME to Atlanta on April 3 and a shuttle ride arranged thru Hiker Hostel. At least I¢ve got that part nailed down! I¢ll kiss the plaque at Springer April 4.The biggest preparation: leaving the home scene. Some ruminations on that later.
Date: 2004-02-02
To: Northward Ho
Miles today: 0.0

Here¢s a sketch of the AT as it winds 2200 miles north through 13 states. It¢s taken froma postcard the Appalachian Trail Club offers. Hikers gain and lose over 100,000 feet of elevation along the way.Any exhausted hiker would call these ¢PUD¢s¢, or ¢pointless ups and downs.¢ But the view from any peak along theway, in good weather, is priceless and humbling. But along with good weather comes the ¢bad.¢ Rain nourishesnature and our thirsty civilization, but also turns the trail into a slippery, treacherous mud-run, and a major test ofresolve for the hiker. Many fetch up lame, physically or emotionally, or are called off the trail by pressingcircumstances. Of the roughly 2000 who start out each spring, only 300-400 complete the journey. Most start northwardsbetween February and mid-April and often face winter conditions in the heights of Georgiaand North Carolina. These are the NOBO¢s. A much smaller contingent starts southward from Katahdin in lateMay. This is the earliest you can count on climbing the mountain . These ¢SOBO¢¢s face the soggy springtime Mainewoods and the full fury of Maine mosquitos and blackflies. After living in Maine for 30 years I still dread the deepwoods in May and early June.The two groups begin meeting in late June or July somewhere around Connecticutor Massachusetts. There¢s no rivalry or ¢attitude¢ problems between these two groups. Either way, it¢s a tough ride.
Date: 2004-03-13
To: Weighty Matters
Miles today: 0.0

1. Current scenario: My post-holiday weight: 180. Pack weight with food and water: 35. Feet say: 215??? Ouch!!!2. Ideal scenario: My college weight: 165. Pack weight: 25. Feet say: 190! Ahh, that's better!Problem: how to get from scenario 1 to 2. It's been really tough shedding weight. The home cookin' is just too good. I'll trust to some dwindling on the trail. Pack weight will drop by Virginia.The days are rushing by too fast. I'm spending hours looking at maps like the one above, and marking waypoints. The rest of the trail segments are in the photo section listed by section Still chewing over mailing food vs. scrounging it along the way. Hope to have things nailed down as far as Atkins, where I'll swap winter gear for summer-weight. Then maybe label boxes for must-send sites such as Harper's Ferry, Port Clinton, and Glenview NH where I'll swap summer for winter gear.It's clear it's too easy to obsess and over-plan this thing. Who knows what changes will happen on the trail---will I become some feral shelter-dweller, or conversely a Holiday Inn lounge lizard, drawn to the bright lights and comforts of town? Have to stay flexible. I'm taking 6-mile road walks with pack and poles twice weekly, with 4-mile walks other days. The boots are really comfortable. I can walk in the woods now on snowmobile trails. The snow cover is thinning but still packed enough to bear weight.Still waiting on the Nomad tent. Delivery was promised at the end of February. Frustrating! At least the SD Clip-lite is a solid roomy tent, maybe a pound or two heavier. Could be worse.Northern Eye Care staffMy office replacement Frederick Butler, MD is all set to come April 1. It's a relief to know my wonderful staff, shown above will stay busy and my patients looked after. Fred's an outdoorsman my age, from NC. He hopes to section hike the AT on weekends. Maybe we can hook up on the last leg.A local beekeeper offered to tend my hives this summer. Big relief! Just a few manipulations will keep them happy, and I'll roll back in town with the honey piled up ready to take off. Thanks Mac. Gloria and I talk about life apart. I feel it'll be tougher for her even though she has a busy day routine, at least until mid June when school lets out. Nights will be longer at home than on the trail though: I'll gorge, do a bit of journaling, then topple asleep after trashing myself on the trail all day. She'll have evenings alone, or with her elderly dad, which isn't much different. Of course friends will visit and some of the kids may be around after midsummer.Not much more to say. This is basically another attempt at uploading journals onto the site without needing a lot of subsequent rearrangement. Think I'll give it a rest until trail time. So close!
Date: 2004-03-30
To: Last Prep Entry...No, Really!
Miles today: 0.0

Miles to go before I sleep: Today¢s road walk was the last. I stayed comfortable all 6 miles. Reassuring! It¢s not the same as beingtrail-hardened, but it¢s a decent start. And the boots are comfortable. I always felt self-conscious, trampingalong ourroad with pack and poles as curious neighbors drive past. Glad to be done with that little parade.Promises to keep:I hereby resolve to 1) Be patient with any and all questions from curious onlookers along the way. That 8-year old may becomeSecretary of the Interior some day, or at very least another enthusiastic hiker. And your audience may offerFOOD! 2) Not to groan as I heave the pack off or on, or as I come to a stop, at least in company. Everyone else feelsthesame pain, so forget about sympathy. Likewise, no kvetching about the rain: it¢ll be falling on everybody elsewithinearshot. 3) Not to engage in heated political or religious debates. Nobody ever comes around to the other¢s point ofview, andeveryone just gets riled up. Besides, anyone on the trail this season is escaping what¢s shaping up to be annoisy, uglyelection race. Enjoy the peace. 4) Not to leave anywhere in a rush. That¢s when I forget and leave stuff behind. It¢s a tough way to lightentheload. 5) Any other suggestions?To Go or Not To Go: Two ArgumentsCon: Raw nerve endings at home. Gloria does NOT favor this undertaking. It¢s not as if thegovernment is sending me toIraq like it or not; it¢s my doing. I¢m grateful she¢ll provide all the support she is. There¢s alsodisapproval from alreadymore or less alienated offspring. They¢re gone from here, but look in on the home scene often. Pro: The adventure of a lifetime. What more can I say. Life is sweet, though not always. This is where HYOH applies to life, and it can bite hard. Smarter peoplewould stay home under these circumstances.Can¢t say I¢m proud of my decision but I need the walk while I¢m still able. And I'm not running away fromanything. I¢ll be walking homeward every step and it will be a joy to return to ¢the world¢. It takes 5,000,000 steps to complete this journey. Time to take a few.
Date: 2004-04-03
To: Leaving Home
Miles today: 0.0

Gloria and I left home at 6 AM and got to Portland Jetport in good time. As we had a snack after check in I noticed my hands were shaking and I started feeling some major jitters. Guess that was inevitable after so much effort and obstacles, but it startled me at its suddenness.Our farewells had been said earlier so parting wasn't too rough. The real tears were being shed nearby by what appeared to be a family sending their kid back to Iraq.I was met in Atlanta by a shuttle which took me and another hiker, John Goldsworthy, to The Hiker Hostel up in the hills toward the Trail in the little historic town of Dahlonega.All along the way we saw trees in purple and white bloom in warm sunshine. Goodbye Maine sleet and drizzle, hello springtime.The hostel is in its first season and run by a friendly young couple, Josh and Leigh. They through-hiked together in 2000. Their place is a fine brand new log home which sits on a wooded hilltop with views to the east and west. Watched a bit of NCAA basketball finals then turned in. There's another thruhiker with us too: EZ-Does It, a retired business owner from North Jersey who's on his fourth thruhike! He has plenty of suggestions for lightening pack weight. .Where I'll be headed over the next several weeksTomorrow I start walking home. G'nite!
Date: 2004-04-04
From: Amicolola Visitor Center

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

11.3 mi. in 7 hrs.Woke up at dawn to a big Georgia breakfast of grits, sausage, biscuits and gravy. Another hiker, "Old Man", shuttled us to the Amicolola Visitor Center where we signed the register and chatted with the caretaker. He said this wasn't quite as busy a year as the ones before, especially 2000.I was distressed at my total pack weight of 38 pounds. MUST cut down. John's pack weighed 28. The record for the season so far is 98!An easy 8 miles, mostly up, to Springer Mountain, which is the start of the A.T. The woods were bare, the trees whipping in fierce gusts of wind from the front that blew in last night. A few tiny purple violets, white bloodroot, and yellow flowers popping up. The path glittered with mica flecks, and chunks of white quartz lay around like leftover snowballs. No wildlife; the woods seemed quite empty.At the arch at Amicolola Visitor CenterSpringer peak is a rock outcropping with a narrow view hemmed in by woods, and a brass plaque identifying it as the southern terminus of the AT. A few other hikers and plenty of day-hiking families with their kids crowded the area.After signing in at Springer, we descended through tunnels of green rhodendron forest to Stover Creek.There I made a sumptuous meal of macs and cheese with tuna at the shelter table, in the company of other section hikers Amy (english teacher from Charleston SC), and Eric and his son Josh from Bethlehem, PA.Apptroach Trail to Springer Mtn.Darkness and chill came early, so it's into the bag and lights out. No blisters, no pain! Life is sweet!But I'm not into the routine yet and I sure miss the home scene. Life is sweet?Always some complaint, right? As it is said:A journey of a thousand milesBegins with a single "Oy!"From "Zen Judaism" (Woody Allen? Mel Brooks?) G'night and "oy!" Plaque at Springer Mtn, GA
Date: 2004-04-05
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

12.2 mi. in 8 hrs.A long, cold and windy night in my drafty tarp, with little fingers of cold trying to sneak in through all the fleece I had on, and my 20 degree bag. It read 34 degrees by morning. Up late at 7:30 and out by 8:45. Must develop a routine; experienced hikers can be up, fed, and off in 30-40 minutes. The walk out took me along a busy creek through huge old growth hemlock. The sun slanted in giving a warm light. The trail was broad, no roots or rocks, covered with hemlock needles. Just like a scene from Maine, except for the rhododendron bushes everywhere.I walked solo for the day but frequently met up with hikers from the day before as well as many new ones.The party ended when we hit several steep hills after lunch, particularly Hawk Mountain (saw one hawk soaring by). By Sassafras Mountain the sun pounded down and our water went fast. Lots of gunfire and some heavy explosions in the woods way below us, and helicopters flying back and forth. A medic unit parked at one of the road crossings said a Ranger Training Battalion was holding exercises.Gooch Mtn. Shelter is roomy and new, but the place is crowded and all the tent sites taken by a boy scout troop. We're using the shelter because there's still space on the upper story. Time to thin out the horde of hikers on the trail. Everyone says, "Great idea, just don't let it be me!"Nightly ritual: hanging bear bagsMacs & cheese again. Somehow the magic is lost the second time around. But I finished, and I'm full. One big hefty shelter-mate just announced he snores. Great. As "W" says, "Bring it on!"A good day on the trail ended with relaxed conversation around a mighty campfire. Turned in late,around 9 (also known as "hiker midnight." 'Nite!
Date: 2004-04-06
From: Gooch Mtn. Shelter

To: Walasi-Yi Center at Neels Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

16 miles in 9.5 hoursA big day. Up before dawn and was second out of the shelter at 7:45. The trail wound along ridgelines or hillsides of tall bare trees, giving a view of the forest floor all around, yet very little wildlife. Nuts and hulls lay all around. Great chow for bears, and who knows how many other critters. Of course, the bears have found tastier fare in hiker's backpacks. A girl staying at Hawk Mt. shelter last night woke to a bear dragging her back pack awayfrom alongside her. You can guess what trail name the others gave her after that: Bear Bait! Most shelters have steel cables to hoist food bags for the night.The sun beat down and the temps rose. Fine views off Big Cedar Mountain. I was planning to stay at Woods Hole Shelter, but the hour was early and the legs willing, so I scampered up Blood Mountain. The shelter here was a stone building with no doors or windows and stone floors. Wonderful 360 degree views, roads, settlements and farms to the east, and rolling hills and forest lands to the west.On Blood Mtn.Was tempted to stay the night to watch the full moon rise as the sun went down, and the repeat performance in reverse next morning. But didn't fancy sleeping in that crude shelter, so went the remaining miles down to Neels Gap. The Walasi-Yi center there has a good outfitter store and hostel.First item of business: a hot shower! Then came a hot meal. Then laundry, a welcome call home, and then to bed after meeting fellow hikers there. Many have trailjounals sites, or follow themHow amazing to have no blisters, sprains or pain. except where the pack chafes. I hope to have the experts at the store/outfitters look into that tomorrow. Sunburn's a real problem, too, until the woods leaf out. G'nite!
Date: 2004-04-07
From: Walasi-Yi Center at Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

11 miles in 7 hoursA restless night. I was dehydrated and tired from yesterday's long haul and my stomach growled for food during the night.Breakfast (double instant oatmeal) at sunup, then I visited the store to send home three pounds of unneeded stuff, and get three day's worth of food. Hiked out by 10 AM and promptly met Bull Gap, then little rises leading up to Cowrock Mountain. Lots of open ledges with great views all over. The descents into gaps where roads passed were steep and rough on thighs going up, and knees going down.At one of the gaps I met a local family out for a spring visit to the woods. They were full of questions, and obviously didn't know about the Trail. The kids' eyes grew wide when they learned I and many others were walking all the way to Maine. It was fun handing out reverse "trail magic." Usually it's the other way around, with them handing out goodies to us hikers. Haven't encountered any yet.Got in to Low Gap Shelter with some other congenial hikers I'd met earlier, and a local family out for a short overnight or two, with a teenaged son and two daughters.Bloodroot blossomsWe all had a nice early evening meal hour (me: dehydrated beef stew for four, followed by sardines in tomato-basil sauce) with a campfire going nearby. In the sack by dark. Chance of rain tomorrow. Hope to do even more miles now that I've drained the blister on my pinky toe. Life is good! G'nite!
Date: 2004-04-08
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 15.0

15 miles in 9 hoursAnother big mile day. Some hard near-vertical climbs and descents in and out of "gaps." The sorest challenge came at the end of the day: Tray Mountain.The only problem: running low on trail snacks, from poor planning at the trail store.I was rescued by two doses of trail magic, one at Unicoi Gap, the last at Tray Mtn. Gap. The trees were hung with bags of soda, fruit and candy just as my legs were beginning to wobble. No one around to thank.Most of the trails are gentle ups and downs, occasionally crossing streams or springs jumping out of the rocks.Critters seen: A big lemon-yellow butterfly with black striped markings along its wing edges.Critters heard: Grouse drumming. Barred owl hooting close to shelter last night. Opening my snack bag to find a hole nibbled in a granola bar, but not much missing. I finished what the little guy started.Love them little mousies,Mousies what I love to eat.Bite they tiny heads off,Nibble on they tiny feet.(Kliban Cat Song) Dinner with company at the shelter, including Pickwick, Raven, and Jan.M. I had a triple portion of dehydrated beef stew, and a double helping of Jello Instant Pudding. I barely felt full, such is effect of nine hours hiking up and down with a pack.(?), Andante, Pickwick, and Raven at Tray Mtn.Each night brings a new cast of characters, along with some hikers from nights previous. Everyone has a great trail or home story to tell. I'm trying to record some vignettes.Once again I'm stunned and grateful not to be lame in some way or other. I keep reminding myself it takes 5 million steps to get to Maine, and one misstep could end it.No Worries, Minus One, and their dog at Tray Mtn.It's 8:20 PM, it's almost dark, and the sleeping bag beckons. Tomorrow brings Hiawassee, with resupply and a stay at the Blueberry Patch Hostel.'Nite
Date: 2004-04-09
From: Tray Mtn. Shelter

To: Hiawassee, Blueberry Patch Hostel
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

10.6 Mi in 6 hrs.What a great night we had high on the ridge just off Tray mountain! A colorful sunset off one side, then up in time to catch a wonderful sunrise. We could see the lights of settlements shining below us during the night. Off by 7:30 AM up and down some pretty good slopes. The paths are generally well-trodden dirt, with gentle inclines compared to Maine's.More and more wildflowers pop up by the day. In places they give the impression of a snowy hillside. Some flowers develop even before their leaves are fully formed. They must have urgent business to do, before the trees leaf out and shade them over.Heard: small woodpeckers and a pileated.Seen: Tiny lavender-colored butterflies. When they landed, they closed their wings moth-style, showing a dull grey-brown color.Several warblers. Wish I knew their many varieties.Time out!Five of us are staying at tne Blueberry Patch Hostel, run by a friendly couple who thru-hiked some years back. We went into Hiawasee to resupply at a local ! supermarket, then to Daniel's restaurant for an "AYCE" buffet. How we gorged. Then an evening of calling home and conversation before turning in, clean and showered. Life is sweet.Cast of characters: Chill-out, F-Ox, Saffron, Loon, Kinnickinick."Doctor, I keep hearing things!" All sorts of tunes keep rattling through my head as I tramp along. Same goes for anyone I've mentioned this to. A sampling from today:Shortnin' Bread, Little Redwing (clean version), The Anvil Chorus, Midnight Special, several fiddle tunes from the bluegrass days, O God Our Help In Ages Past, The Procession from "Aida," the Ruthenian folk-tune theme in the last movement of a Haydn symphony, Somebody's Festive Overture, little repetitive patterns like something out of Philip Glass, and some Chuck Berry and Beach Boy tunes. Did someone say my tastes are dated??.Then muscle-memory fun, like recalling fingerings from my early piano days, or recent bass parts from orchestral stuff! But that activity usually gets eclipsed by fatigue, thirst or hunger, and doesn't resume until those problems get dealt with. Tomorrow we leave Georgia. One state down! Some big, nasty gaps and peaks await us. Next civized stop comes in 5 days: the Nantahala Outdoor Center.Hate to miss all the Easter activities, which remind me of home when the kids were young. Guess I'll celebrate it with the chipmunks and fellow hikers. Oh yeah, I took a bag of malted-milk easter eggs somebody had tossed in the hiker box at the Walasi-Yi center. G'nite.