morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-06-29
From: Stealth site mile 1435.5

To: Home
Miles today: 1.1
Weather: few clouds

AT - 6/29. Day 59 Final Frontier The time has come for me to return to civilized life. I have reached my peak of inconveniences and this hike is not as fun as it was when we started. Sure, I look forward to discovering a hidden treasure each day; to share with you; but the daily grind and all that goes with it is wearing me down. The heat and humidity, biting and stinging insects, rain, water concerns, sweaty smelly clothes, sore knees, and more have me wanting to suspend this trip. We accomplished more than I thought possible - 585 trail miles. We met some of the most interesting people along the way. We discovered historic sites that you can¢t find by just driving around. I¢m pretty sure David and I are in better physical health than we were before we started. By most people¢s measurements, we had great success. David agreed that we would hike as far as we could and make changes to the plan as we went along. When I said I really wanted to go home, he agreed we would both leave the trail. This morning we decided to take a train to New York City and fly home. Just this morning we met a woman who we heard about on the trail from AZ. We met her at the laundromat, of all places. Everyone wanted to know if we knew her. She returned to the trail this year after attempting a thru hike a couple of years ago. She left to get both knees replaced. So far, her knees are doing great but she still has some issues with the tendons and ligaments. Trails are rough on the knees. She listened to our story and congratulated us on how far we came. She said if it wasn¢t fun anymore it was time to leave. We heard that from a lot of people who have returned as section hikers. Before we came home we had to retrieve a couple of packages we had sent to us. Plus, we needed to call the place we had our next food box sent. I was speaking to the woman who runs the place about the box, so she went to check if it was our box she received today. Then she handed the phone to someone else because she was having trouble hearing on the phone. When I said ¢My name is Rose¢, the other person asked if I was Desert Rose. The other person was our trail friend 22. She was staying at the place we sent our box. What are the chances of that? Trail family has a peculiar way of finding one another. I know we still have a lot of hiking to do. It will probably be closer to home. I look forward to coming home to family and friends. You all have been tremendous support and kept me in the game longer than you know. Thanks for following our story. ~ Desert Rose
Date: 2018-01-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This blog post was first published January 15th on www.thetrek.coLeaving Things BehindA job.Stress.A warm bed.A pet.A spouse.Material stuffEverybody who hits the trails for an extended period of time has to make the decision to leave certain things and people behind.  Leaving these things behind may be precisely the reason for hitting the trail, or maybe having to leave them behind is a struggle and a source of doubt, guilt or uncertainty.What I Am Leaving BehindI am no exception. There is one person who I struggle over leaving behind. He is Twin A, my firstborn, my 13-year-old charming and witty redhead whose stubbornness and quick temper are adequately suited to the color of his hair. His brother, Twin B, loves to hike and will be my companion on the AT this spring. Twin A is not a hiker.Having twins is a challenge, especially when they react together like oil and water (despite loving each other to death). Time apart may be just what they both need to aid their independence. For this reason, I am looking forward to finding out how they both mature and grow while they are apart. However, as a mother, leaving one child behind for five months is difficult. It causes me a small measure of guilt, and at times it makes me uncertain.  Not only is he going to be away from his mother, but I am taking his best friend and closest companion away from him too. The Whole PictureLong-distance hiking is a test of mental fortitude. If you only watch the bloggers and vloggers who show you the inspirational views, the blissful moments and the triumphant finish at the top of Katahdin, you¢ll miss out on half of the story.  When they reveal their aches and their pains, and you can see that their throbbing muscles and exhausted feet are wresting against their determination to endure, then you will have seen more of the truth. But it isn¢t until they divulge that inner tug of war, those people or things that are both pulling them from the trail and pushing them toward it, that you will see the complete picture and know how truly difficult it is to both reach Katahdin and return from it.Self-ReflectionDoes leaving a child behind increase my chances of thru-hike failure? Or worse, does it make me selfish and a bad mother? I suppose there will be a wide variety of opinions on those two questions. The best answer I can muster up is, ¢I sure hope not!¢ However, what I do know for certain is this: My boys watch their mother just as I watch them. As a family, we celebrate all of our individual and corporate successes and mourn all of our individual and corporate failures, together. I have a strong desire for my sons to see me succeed and to celebrate with me.  This is what will carry me to Katahdin.What About You?Are you headed out on a long hike this year? If so, what will be tugging at you from home, testing your mental resolve? What is going to help you overcome this internal struggle and get through the next 100 miles¢¦. and the next?
Date: 2018-03-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

This blog post was first published March 19th on www.thetrek.coBubbles of 2018 thru-hiker hopefuls have begun their long pilgrimage north. Some have already fallen to the wayside, while others press on through cold and wet wintry conditions. Meanwhile, Cole and I are watching with excitement and anxious anticipation, waiting for our departure date to arrive. We have not been idle. Most of our gear from last year¢s hiking season has been revised and upgraded to lighter alternatives. We have been listening and learning as much as we can from seasoned long-distance hikers. Most importantly, we have been hiking.Thru-Hikers in TrainingThe mercury has risen (slightly), giving us a much-needed motivational boost to get out there and tackle some local trails. Added to this is a nervous restlessness growing inside of me that will only be dissipated through movement. So we hike. Four days per week, starting at 7.5 miles and zero pack weight, we have slowly increased our distance to 12.5 miles and our pack weight to 20 pounds. This still falls eight pounds short of what we expect our final pack weight to be.Hiking our local trails in southern Ontario.There are no mountains to climb in southern Ontario, but we do live on an escarpment with numerous stair access points. So we¢ve been hauling our backpacks up and down 1,500 stairs on each outing.Hauling our packs up and down steps, 1,500 at a time.The Difference Between UsThese steps and miles have opened my eyes to a few things. First, Cole hikes a lot faster this year than he did last year. The four inches that he has grown could be to blame. Or perhaps with age I have gotten slower. Regardless of the why and how, there is now a huge gap between his speed and mine. When we hike locally, we usually end up splitting up. However, on the AT he might need to learn patience and throttle his Ferrari engine back to my putt-putt pace. He is only 13 after all, and too young to be hiking the backcountry without his mom close at hand. So say I, his mom. (Or maybe this mom needs to let up a bit and give him some space! Ugh! Parenting!) One of our local trails, the Bruce Trail, is marked with white blazes. The Trail Will Complete Our TrainingWith each outing we are toughening up and getting stronger. Despite this, when we hit the mountains in Georgia I am certain it will feel like we have not done any training at all. Our plan is to start slowly and let the trail complete the conditioning we have started. It¢s a good plan. I like to plan. But has it been enough? Uh-oh. Here comes that nervous restlessness welling up again. I guess I¢d better get back to the trails. We¢ll see you in Georgia very soon.
Date: 2018-03-25
From: Springer mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: moderate rain

I woke up very early in the morning in the hotel. I was excited and nervous. Once the fam jam was up and fed,we headed for the parking lot on Springer. The road was very narrow ,full of deep potholes , and in many places there was a steep drop off on one side of the road. At one point we had to pass a vehicle coming in the opposite direction and I was certain we were going over the edge. Of course, we didn¢t and we made it up to Springer just fine. We left our backpacks in the van and hiked 1 mile south to the start of the Appalachian Trail. We completely forgot to sign the trail book. Then we returned to the van. My husband hiked the one mile there and back with us, but Cole¢s twin brother Evan, who dislikes hiking, waited for us to return. Once back at the van, we loaded our gear onto our backs and said some teary goodbyes. Then Cole and I were off on our adventure! It was a cool day and we spent most of it in the fog. The trail was beautiful and shrouded in fog it became mysterious too. There were a few ups and downs but nothing strenuous. With our layers on we were comfortably warm. Our spirits were very high. We thought we would have to dig our first cat hole just a couple of miles in, but just happened upon the privy at Stover Creek just in time. It was only noon but someone was already hunkered down at the shelter there for the day. When  we arrived at Hawk Mountain Shelter there was still room on the bottom floor. Since freezing rain was in the forecast we decided to stay in the shelter instead of the tent. It was a good opportunity to meet other hikers. A bottle of whisky made an appearance, but we declined. Now that is a heavy luxury item!Cole said that he had a great day. I did too. No aches pains or blisters. Yet.
Date: 2018-03-26
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night we stayed in the shelter at Hawk Mountain. Rain was predicted in the forecast so we thought the shelter was a better alternative to the tent. It was bitterly cold and windy. Wide gaps in the shelter floor allowed access to the wind and I spent the night with a breeze coming up from under me. Even though I knew my sleep system was warm enough, I had a chill that just would not go away. Cole was toasty warm in his 10° quilt and Tyvek sleeve. He wasn¢t even using his liner. To the touch my skin was warm but I just Couldn¢t stop shivering. After a while I got out of bed and went for a walk to the privy. By the time I return to bed I had warmed up. The wind howled all night and drowned out any sounds of snoring from my fellow shelter mates. Much to my relief there were no mice sightings, nor even the sounds of scurring little feet. I didn¢t get very much sleep. Cole says I was snoring so I must have had at least a little sleep. In the morning the wind continued to howl. We cooked oatmeal with raisins and made hot chocolate for breakfast. We layered ourselves up and got moving sometime around 9. We were constantly removing layers and putting them back on throughout the day. It was sunny and bright and our spirits were high. We had a huge climb up Sasafrass mountain. When we came back down the mountain, there was trail magic waiting for us in the form of cold soda. What a wonderful energy boost! On and off throughout the day we passed by and chatted with some of the fellows we had shared the shelter with. In the early afternoon we arrived at Gooch mountain shelter and set up the tent. It is a tiny two man and we are a bit crouded.  We cooked potatoes with bacon for dinner and had a lot of laughs with some of the other hikers. Apparently there is a fellow out on the trail with over 100 pounds of gear and a wheeled cart. There were a lot of jokes going around over that. Cole was laughing so hard that he spit up his hot chocolate.
Date: 2018-03-27
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 8.2

I was warm and toasty in the tent last night. Our tent is small and although we slept well, trying to maneuver around each other in the morning as we packed up was not pretty. It took us so long to get ready that I am embarrassed to say. It was a bit warmer for hiking but multiple layers were still required. We had some gorgeous views up on preacher rock. Cole hikes so much faster than I do and his confidence is building. I let him hike ahead for half an hour then he has to wait up for me. At one pretty spot when I arrived he had the footprint all spread out for us to have a picnic lunch. If it had been warmer I may have napped. There are so many hikers on the trail. When we reached Lance creek it was packed. As we were trying to figure out what to do, a hiker came over and said that he knew of a spot that nobody had spied yet. I was so grateful that I hugged him. I have a pain on the outside of my right foot that I have never had before. I was so tired too and feeling dehydrated. One litre of water is what I have been drinking a day. I need to drink more. There is no privy at Lance creek and no leaves on the trees, so doing your business means walking back up the trail away from camp to find privacy. Ugh! Not what my feet wanted to do. After dinner Cole hung around a group of hikers chatting by the campfire. I napped. The ground below our tent is on a slope so I spent most of the night rolling into Cole¢s space. Still, I am happy we got a spot and didn¢t have to move on. It was another toasty night under the covers. I am happy for our warm gear.
Date: 2018-03-29
From: Bull Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I did not get a lot of sleep last night. I was warm and comfortable, but just not able to sleep. One of the hikers at the campsite told us there was a bear in the area. I kept wondering if we had hung the food well. It was all still swinging from the tree in the morning though. I picked up extra oatmeal at Neels Gap to add to our Resupply. Two packets each has not been enough to satisfy. This morning we had three packets each. Cole still wanted more. We also split a fat cinnamon bun. Keeping this growing young man¢s belly full might prove to be difficult. As we headed out to tackle the trail we were greeted with more wet mist and drizzle. There were many viewpoints marked in the guidebook but each time we reached one our only view was thick white clouds. Around lunch time we stopped at one such view point to eat. However, before we pulled out the chow we decided that the spot was too windy and cold for picnicking. As we geared back up clouds suddenly parted revealing a majestic view of the mountains. We gaped in awe and gave thanks for the precious gift of creation¢s beauty. Eventually we moved on to find a place to eat. When we were about four miles from camp, I told Cole he could go on ahead straight to Low Gap without stopping to wait for me. I was so tired that those four miles seemed to be a hundred and they took me forever. He made it to camp an hour before I did and he set up the tent. However, he set it up about ten feet from a roaring fire. He was none too impressed with me when I insisted that it had to be moved. In the evening we had a heavy downpour. I was just crawling into the tent when it hit. I quickly tried to get the fly zipped up but the zipper got caught. I held the fly flap together trying to keep the rain out while Cole worked on the zipper trying to get it unstuck. We ended up yanking from the ground the peg holding that part of the fly. This just made matters worse. Eventually we got the zipper up and the peg very poorly put back into the ground. Our fly was no longer taunt. Nobody wanted to go out and fix it. We were wet and some of our gear was too. We crawled into our beds, closed our eyes and prayed for a dryish night.
Date: 2018-03-30
From: Low Gap

To: Cheese Factory Site
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

In the morning the tent was soaking wet. Our quilts were just a bit damp in a few places. It was really a really gross feeling changing into damp clothes and packing up a wet tent. Everyone in camp was dealing with the same thing and somehow we were all doing it with smiles. We took a long time to get going, lingering around the fire and trying to get rid of the damp sensation. When we got moving it was cool and windy, but every so often the sun graced us with its presence. It was up a mountain, down to a Gap, up a mountain, down to a Gap all day long. The trail was very rocky in many places today. With the clear skys came many views of the mountain ranges and I rejoiced in every single one. On the way down the mountain to Unicoi Gap, a day hiker heading up the trail welcomed me to the area, but then added that he was sorry there was no trail magic waiting for me. I thought to myself, that is ok, I would rather have blessings than magic and today I have received many of those. I was very tired and sore when I arrived at The Cheese Factory. There was no factory and no cheese, but Cole was already there and some nice ladies were already mothering him and helping him to hang the tent in the trees to dry it out. A warm fire was blazing. I chatted with the ladies and we laughed at silly things, like our excitement over finding a privy on top of Blood Mountain and how your knees touch the door when you use it. We laughed and chatted about pee rags too!! Ah, girl talk is fun, even for old ladies like me.We had instant potatoes and a package of bacon pieces for dinner. I only meant to add half the bacon but....oops. Our food is almost gone again. I need to get larger portions next time. This backing business makes one hungry! It was a cold cold night. I was warm but had on everything except my hiking clothes. When I wear all of my clothes to bed, I have not much left to use as a pillow. I still am not sure I want the added weight of one though, no matter how little it weighs. I¢d rather carry more food. I slept well!
Date: 2018-03-31
From: Cheese Factory Site

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

It was very cold outside when we woke up, but we did not feel the need to rush so we stayed in bed longer. The sun was shining and as the temperature creeped above freezing we unenthusiastically crawled from our covers. As with every other day on the AT, once we got ourselves hiking, we warmed right up.I had taken stock of our food supply and had given Cole options. Option one: eat two wraps for lunch and have no food the next day until the shuttle picks us up at 11:15 and takes us to Hiawassee, or option two: eat one wrap for lunch and one for breakfast the next day. He chose option two. I was hiking along worrying about it and feeling pretty bad that I hadn¢t brought enough food. I prayed about it too because that is just what I do when I worry. Soon I encountered a Boy Scout troop headed towards me on the trail. I moved to the side so that they could get by and one of the leaders said ¢Hey, there is trail magic in the Gap, but sorry, there are no bananas left.¢ Well, I high tailed it down to the Gap as fast as my slow legs could take me. I scarfed down a tangerine all the while eyeing the food laid out on the table and wondering how much would be polite to take. I pocketed a snickers bar and a pack of pop tarts thinking that in the very least I had breakfast for Cole in the morning. I didn¢t know that when he had passed by earlier he had also pocketed the exact same thing. I thanked the gentleman, chatted a bit, then thanked him again before moving on with a little more bounce in my step. Near the half way point to our destination, we sat to have lunch. Cole happily ate three wraps, his original one and the two that would have been our breakfast the next day had we not found trail magic. He was full and happy. We were able to FaceTime my husband Mark.It was sunny and cheery the rest of the day, but my feet and legs were getting pretty sore. I had sent Cole on ahead to Deep Gap Shelter. When I reached the blue blaze and Guthooks told me I had .4 of a mile to go, I was regretting sending Cole ahead. At that point I would have preferred to move down the trail a bit and set up the tent, rather than head down a blue blaze and backtrack in the morning. But, follow the blue blaze I did. It was not as cold as it had been the night before, but I did not sleep well. It is catching up with me.
Date: 2018-04-01
From: Deep Gap

To: DickÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Creek
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: overcast clouds

 We had to be to Dick¢s Creek by 11:15 to get the shuttle in to Hiawassee, so we set an alarm for 6am. Still, we didn¢t move our sorry butts until 6:30. I knew that Cole could fly to Dick¢s Creek in a flash, but with my sore feet I have been moving slower and slower. It would have only been 3.6 miles, but that blue blaze brought it to 4. This is called a ¢Nero¢. A ¢zero¢ is a day you rest instead of hike. A ¢Nero¢ aka ¢near zero¢ is a day that you don¢t hike very far.As I hiked along I reminisced about living a life with bad feet. When I was a little girl, I remember waking up in the middle of the night with pain in my feet and legs. I would go and get my running shoes that had my orthotics in them and I would put them on before crawling back into bed. I knew they were supposed to help with the pain, I just didn¢t know they didn¢t work that way. Now I know better, and I knew that what I needed was rest!!!I came across a small waterfall with a tiny bench in front of it. A bench!! Well, of course I had to sit! A wood engraved sign identified it as Cairn¢s Cascade. I could have stayed for a long time, but what is always on my mind is that Cole is waiting up ahead. I moved on. The Gap was only .4 of a mile ahead. We arrived around 9:40 expecting to be waiting until 11:15, but the 9:15 shuttle was still there. We hopped on and rode to the Budget Inn in Hiawassee. We scored some oatmeal and a mountain house meal from the hiker box ( where hikers put things they don¢t want so other hikers can use them) , then we chowed down on delicious subs next door. The lady making the subs said that she always loads the hikers up on extra veggies, and she sure did.With our bellies full, Cole retreated to the bathtub and I headed to Ingles. Our room had a fridge and microwave. Not only did I need food for our two night stay in Hiawassee, but I also needed to buy our Resupply for the trail. I quickly realized that I wouldn¢t be able to carry it all. I should have waited for Cole.I purchased enough for our stay, including heavy items like milk. As I headed back to the motel, a car pulled over and a lady leaned out. Are you headed to the Budget?Yes I am.Well jump on in!Apparently the look of me screamed ¢hiker!!!¢ and these ladies enjoy helping hikers.Once back at the Inn, I did our laundry and then had a nice long tub! I stink no more... but that won¢t last long!I had noticed a sign at Ingles that said donuts were 3 for $1 after six pm. It wasn¢t hard to convince Cole to head back there with me once I promised him donuts. We filled a little cart with food for 4.5 days on the trail. I doubled the dinner portions so hopefully this young man of mine will have a full belly.In the evening I wasted a lot of time trying to get videos uploaded to YouTube. I have been recording every day and my phone is filling up. I am not sure what I will do if I can¢t get them uploaded and cleared. I would hate to lose them.I look terrible. Days of little sleep has my face looking puffy and I have big bags under my eyes. Hopefully I can catch up on some z¢s.