morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-09-03
From: Abol Bridge

To: Mount Kathadin Summit
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

Roub and I woke at 5:30 am after a warm night. We started packing up to leave. Penguin was going over to the store to meet her husband that was getting dropped off to walk to Baxter with her. Roub and I hit the trail head and I quickly moved on ahead. I made the 9.5 miles to Baxter State Park in about 3 hours. The trail there was not as flat as I was led to believe but I still made good time. As I reached the dirt road leading up to Kathadin Stream Campground, I was looking for my wife when I heard MAU and Hot Sauce yell out my name about the time I saw my wife. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. MAU,Hot Sauce, and Jacoby all waited to summit until Roub and I got there. My wife ran up and we had an emotional greeting. Shortly there after Roub arrived with his wife and decided he would wait to summit. I drank a couple of cokes and ate some food they had brought and then me, my wife, MAU, Hot Sauce, and Jacoby all started our hike toward the summit. The trail up to Katahdin Stream Falls is not bad but then it gets more rocky and steeper. Eventually you get to climbing over large rocks with some rebar climbs before finally reaching the Tableland. There it is flat about a mile before making the last climb to a ridge where you come over a rise and see the sign. I heard my name called out along with my wife's for making the difficult climb up. I did get emotional when i saw the sign but as I got closer I was excited to be there. We took our summit pictures with the group and I took one with my wife at the sign as well as my solo picture. It was a clear as it ever gets on the summit. You could see forever. We only stayed a short time before we made the long climb back down the mountain. It has been a wonderful adventure. Someone once told me your life starts living when your comfort zone ends and I definitely was out of mine on some of this trip. Thank you for following along and offering encouragement and prayers. I will post some gear reviews and other thoughts about the trip has I have some time to process it all. It has definitely had an impact on my life. - Living the Dream
Date: 2015-10-24
From: Post Hike 1 Gear Review

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This post is what I carried and wore for clothes and shoes while on the trail.Shoes - I wore Brooks Cascadia 9 Trail Runners for the entire trip. I used 4 pairs. They held up well and I could get 500 to 600 miles out of a pair. The new 10 and 11 series don't hold up as well from what I have been told. The main thing is to get a pair of shoes that fit your foot type well. You can't go wrong if you stay with a major shoe company. I used Darn Tuff socks and they were great. I swapped out two pairs for replacements along the way. They have a lifetime guarantee Early on when there was snow on the ground , I wore a pair of NRS Hydroskin socks from REI over my Darn Tuff socks. They don't keep your feet dry but they did keep my feet really warm.Clothes - I carried the following the whole way.Patagonia - rain coat, capaline 3 top and bottom, Nano Puff JacketREI Sarah Zip off pantsUnder Armor t shirt (2)Nike shortsFleece cap and light weight glovesEarly on in the cold weather I also carried a Columbia Fleece jacket and a heavier Under Armor pull over. I also had Kathoola micro spikes that I needed in Georgia. I got rid of all of this in Gatlinburg Tn. Later in the trip in Vermont I bought a lightweight long sleeve top that I kept in the outside of my pack to slip on when I stopped to rest or eat lunch. Sometimes I started off hiking in it if it was cool in the morning.I used the AWOL guide book and I really liked it. It's really all you need. I didn't carry any maps, but in the White Mountains it would of been nice to have a map because of all the different trails. I never got lost but I did get off trail 3 times for a short distance .Food - I bought food as I went. I never had any problems buying food but you can't be picky if you decide to go this route. The nice thing is you don't have to worry about making a town when the post office will be open. Most of the hikers I knew that started off with mail drops abandoned it after the first month. Mostly because they were tired of eating what they had or they were sending food too often. I do think you probably eat better by sending drops but I liked not having to be on a schedule. I bought food at the local grocery stores, Dollar General. Family Dollar, and Wal Mart. I tried to go into town once a week.I usually carried 5 to 6 days of food at a time. With a fully loaded pack it weighed between 26 and 33 pounds depending on how much water I carried. I normally carried 1.5 liters at a time. This was the typical weight for most hikers I was around.Some people will never have the time to do a thru hike. I hiked with a lot of section hikers along the way and they were all having a good time. The main thing is to get out and hike whether it is for a day hike or a week long trip. If your out there your "Living the Dream".
Date: 2015-03-23
To: Atlanta airport
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I have just created this Trail Journal and am trying to figure out how it all works! I am two weeks from departure.   My gear is scattered on tables in my basement. It is approximately the same gear I took on Superior Hiking Trail in Sept, 2014. Weight is about 40 pounds, including six days food and one quart water. Weight is 27 pounds less food and water.   That is more weight than I want to carry. I have a relatively heavy Kelty backpack, 5.5 pounds. It is 72 liters.   I hope to get my gear into a new 58 liter GoLite backpack. Question is can I fit my gear into that backpack, or is there still gear I should go without.   That is my goal over the next few days.
Date: 2015-03-25
To: Atlanta Airport
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

OK, I need to get the number of posts to 3 before it will show up.So these are previous backpacking trips I've recently done. I have learned something about backpacking in each of them, by observing other more experienced backpackers.Oct 2014 Sioux Hustler Trail, BWCAW, 30 miles/3 days, with Jan P and Henry TSept 2014 Thru hike of Superior Hiking Trail, 260 miles in 19 days. With Dave B throughout and Brian H first 3 days. June, 2014 West 15 miles of Kekakabic trail, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), with Jan P, Henry T and Dave B. 2 days. Trip was cut short by a day because it was over 90 degrees, and we hated the heat.Sept, 2013 Pow Wow Trail "survey" trip, BWCAW, Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC), 30 miles/3 days with Dave B, Brian H, Martin K and a couple others.   Trail was in awful shape, two years after the Pagami Creek fire.   This trail was a struggle to complete for all of us, and I claim we were the last people to do it.   The Pow Wow trail is considered impassible now. May, 2013 Snowbank Lake Trail "survey", BWCAW, BWAC, with Jan P and Brian H. Sept, 2012 Kick the Keck, BWCAW, BWAC, 30 miles/3 days trail clearing, with 1/2 dozen people from BWAC. May, 2012 Brule Lake trail, BWCAW, BWAC, 25 miles/3 days, with 1/2 dozen people from BWAC.2008 ? 25 miles/3 days Bryce Canyon National Park with my family.2007 Boy Scouts of America/Philmont 50 miles over 10 days. With my son, brother-in-law, 2 nephews and three others.
Date: 2015-04-03
To: Atlanta Airport
Miles today: 0.0

I did these gear purchases, all in the last six days, all but one at REI. Saturday March 28$129 REI: Saturday Purchased JetBoil "Mini-mo" isobutane-propane cooking system (includes stove, windsceen and pot). ...This is similar to the Jetboil "Sol" cooking system I already own and used on the Superior Hiking Trail, but the "Mini-mo" version can simmer, and allow me to actually cook, versus just boil water. Wednesday April Fools day-$129 REI: Returned JetBoil "mini-mo" isobutane-propane cooking system purchased 4 days prior.$220 REI: Purchased Osprey Exos 58 backpack, to replace my much heavier Kelty backpack.$30 Amazon: Purchased alcohol stove and windscreen (They ARE inexpensive) $60 REI: Purchased titanium pot, to be used with alcohol stove$9 REI: Purchased alcohol fuelI made most of these changes based on the "Minnesota Rovers" presentation on Tuesday March 31 at Augsberg College by Wally Miars, a person who hiked the entire AT in 2006 and 2007. He wrote the book "Alone Together" 253 pages Published 2013   I'm half done with the book. His base weight was 15 pounds in mid-summer, he said, when all cold weather gear was sent home. Mine will be considerably more. Yesterday Thursday April 2$129 REI: Re-purchased the VERY SAME JetBoil "mini-mo" isobutane-propane cooking system I returned on Wed. Today Friday April 3-$220 REI: Returned Osprey Exos 58 backpack. I tried it last night and hated it.   I will stick with my admittedly much heavier Kelty backpack.-$60 REI: Returned titanium pot. Don't need it since I won't use the alcohol stove-$9 REI: Returned the alcohol fuelSo that's $577 in purchases and $418 in returns. Net $159 differenceThat includes a double purchase and a single return of the very same stove.None of the items were used in the woods.   All were in perfect condition, with all tags and packaging. Still, I'm glad for REI's return policy.   But they must think I'm nuts by now, especially the stove. So the only things I really kept were the JetBoil "mini-mo stove, which I will use, and a $30 alcohol stove, which will stay at home until I am persuaded to use it. I am DONE swapping gear, prior to my departure.   I will stick with almost the same gear I successfully used on the Superior Hiking Trail, even if some if it is on the heavier side, certainly not ultra-lightweight. Time will tell if this is the right choice.   But I can make changes on the trail.   One very successful outfitting store is right on the trail (literally, the trail goes though it), 32 miles from the start. They make a lot of money doing gear swaps.   We will see if I get through the store without changing my gear.But you can see that I have carefully considered the gear I will take, even though it isn't the lightest out there. Time to hit the AT trail and see how well it works.   REI will have to get by without my business for awhile.   They are probably happy to be done with me.
Date: 2015-04-16
From: Hiawasse, Georgia

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 110.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I am at milepost 110, at the Franklin, NC Budget Inn.It has been wet. Not constant rain, but constant fog, and a lot of drizzle. That has gone on from Monday to today, Thursday.   So the trails are muddy.   My boots have kept my feet reasonably dry, but damp.   I had to come to Franklin to get my #1 of #2 food drop, but my buddy Brad also decided to get out of the rain for a night. So we walked 7 miles this morning, but will while away the rest of the day in town, eating and a few beers. I have given myself the trail name "Good Enough".   It's what I always tell people when they ask me how I'm doing.   Nobody is ever perfect, so I say "Good Enough". I have no pictures to add.   My smartphone has been stowed, off, the past 4-5 days, in it's weatherproof case.   I've seen nothing but fog.   So no pictures were possible.   Sprint service has been very poor while on the trail. Two other tidbits.   If I put any of this in my first blog post, I'm sorry. I'm doing this as fast as I can. 1) Contrary to the AT speaker I heard 2 weeks ago, 90% of hikers have an Iso-butane stove, similar to what I have.   So don't believe everything everybody tells you. 2) The "Green Tunnel" has not yet started.   The trees have no leaves, or almost no leaves.   I had some great views the first few days, but nothing the past four, since all I've seen is fog. OK, I need to go get my food drop.   I am doing well, or "Good Enough"But at this point, I am a non-whopping 5% done. I have 95% of the trail ahead of me.   So I have a long way to go. In 50 miles or so we traverse the Great Smokey Mountains, where Diane, Mary & Jim & I were last October.   200 miles past that is Virginia, for almost 500 miles.   They say the "Virginia Blues" set in.   We'll see.
Date: 2015-04-17
From: Franklin, NC

To: Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

Brad/No Worries and I are at milepost 165, at Fontana Dam, NC. This is day 13 since our start.   Things are Good Enough for me.   We have had rain for the past 8 days. But that does not mean it rains all day. It doesn't.   Yesterday was probably the most rain on the trail. It began raining at about 8AM, and rained most of the time until 3PM.   By the time I got to camp it stopped, so I could setup and cook without rain. Trails are very muddy.   My boots & socks reached maximum water capacity yesterday, making it actually easier to walk, in that I simple walked forward, not caring where I stepped. My feet couldn't get any wetter. Today we are at a very nice Resort in Fontana Dam.   Plush.   I got all my stuff dried out.   But not washed, because it will likely become muddy in a few hours tomorrow.   Tomorrow we begin a five day transit through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.   I took just a few pictures. I may or may not post them now. Here are two trail stories. #1 On about the 2nd or 3rd day, I went to get water.   I get water 2-3 times per day, from whatever mountain stream is available. This water source had a plastic pipe coming from the ground.   Just as I got to the pipe, about a 2 foot snake slithered out of the pipe.   Then it slithered 2 feet from the end of the pipe, and stopped.   I had to get water from very close to the end of the pipe. So, for the next 1-2 minutes, I carefully eyed the snake, and he did the same to me.   The snake was just enjoying the sunshine, and saw no reason to move just for me.   I don't know shakes all that well, but I knew it was not a rattlesnake or likely to bite me. And it didn't.   I got my water and moved on, no worse for the wear. #2 About 2 days ago I hiked to the shelter/campsite, arriving there at about 5PM.   Brad was there, but it was raining, and I didn't want to just setup my tent. Its tough in the rain. So I continued hiking until 7:30PM (kind of late), but found a level tent site beside a dirt road, with nobody else there. So far so good.   But at 6:30AM I was awoken by a pickup truck (I thought) outside my tent. I heard voices for a minute of two, then they departed.   However, this repeated 3-4 more times in the next 1/2 hour. So I got up, needed to anyways.   It became apparent that this mostly deserted dirt road was being used for a 220 mile foot race by a series of 1/2 dozen to a dozen racers, over a 30 hour period.   One group even offered me coffee.   Strange the things I run into. Trail Magic/Trail AngelsFor about the 4th time I got to experience "trail magic".   Two were much appreciated.   In the pouring rain at about 4PM, a trailer was setup and I got to eat three hot dogs.   The next day a car driver put out pop, apples, bananas and snickers candy bars, also while it was raining.   So even in otherwise crappy times, I have experienced good things. OK enough for this post.   Hey, I am 7.5% done now.   Wohoo!
Date: 2015-04-27
From: Fontana Dam, NC

To: Hot Springs, North Carolina
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hello from the Hot Springs North Carolina Public LibraryBrad/"No Worries" and I are doing our first true "Zero" day, tomorrow April 28.Prior to this point, we have done three "Nero" days, at Hiawassee, GA. Franklin, NC and Fontana Dam, NC but we hiked a few miles those days, and resumed the next day.   I have arrived in Hot Springs North Carolina today Monday Apr 27, and we won't depart until Wed AM Apr 29. It will be 36+ hours with no distance hiked.   So I have time to do multiple posts, at the library, besides doing laundry.   I just took my first shower for the past week. Things are "Reasonably Well", or Good Enough. We are at milepost 275. Tomorrow is Tuesday, day 21 of my hike. (Started Wed April 8th)275/21 = 13 miles per day average.   That is a good figure, for this early in the trip. It might even be too fast? But I now don't want to hike in Maine in October, and if I keep on this pace I can avoid Maine in October. 275 is a good number of miles, but it is only 12.5% of the total AT distance of 2200 miles. So I will not start celebrating just yet. 275 miles also beats my Superior HIking Trail distance of 250 miles. So that's a psychological milestone. What is Good Enough? We could have had 21 days of sunshine, and temps between 50 and 70.   But that's not what we got. I could have forgotten a critical piece of gear such as tent poles, been injured, or eaten by a bear. None of that happend either.   So conditions are between very postive and very negative. I/we are still on the trail and mostly enjoying the trip, when it's not raining. That's Good Enough.   I estimate 50% of the starting hikers have quit.   Just a wild guess.   The crowds at the shelters are less.   But the shelters are still full.   See one of the posts below. I have been mulling over various posts, and have a bunch.   Here they all are listed, done at the Hot Springs Public Library Mon. April 27 and Tuesday Apr 28 (To be determined if I get them all posted...)2) Fearsome Great Smokey Mountains National Park3) Four things it takes to Thru-hike the AT and who does it.   A Long post. 4) Trail Music (Plus two of my musical stories)5) How to lose Weight Without Trying6) Shelter Injustice7) Why I am hiking the AT (A long post, might not get this one done)If any of you want to comment on these posts, post a reply on the blog. I get an e-mail of all responses. I think everybody else sees your responses.   Not sure about that. This is the first Blog I have ever done. I also will upload the pictures I have taken the last week or so.
Date: 2015-04-27
From: Hot Springs, North Carolina

To: Hot Springs, North Carolina
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It was with some fear and trepidation that we began the ~70 mile transit of Great Smokey Mountains National Park (GSMNP).   My wife, sister Mary and brother in law Jim were there October 2014, at Newfound Gap. I knew than that I would be back, but this time walking from Georgia. GSMNP is so named not due to any "smoke" from fires, but from "smoke" from rain and fog. The highest point on the AT is at.... New Hampshire - no - Vermont - No - Maine - No, none other than GSMNP.   That is Clingmans Dome, elevation 6600 feet. So GSMNP is known to have 1) cold due to high elevation, 2) Wind due to high elevation and 3) Rain or worse (the "smoke").   If all three of those happen at the same time, that is perfect conditions for hypothermia.   Plus we had just been through 8 days of on-again off-again rain, so I wondered what would happen if we got rain at those high elevations.   Just before starting GSMNP, I decided to send home one of the long-sleeved shirts I brought.   Bad mistake. The weather we got in the GSMNP had usually only 2 of the 3 fearsome items.   We got cold, and wind, but very little rain.   We got through GSMNP in five days/four nights.   We did not resupply in Gatlinberg. Brad was a big help to me. I suffered through the cold on the first night. He saw my plight, and borrowed me a long-sleved shirt, plus his "baclava" hood.   We tented all four nights, two of them at close to 6000 feet, with wind, and cold, but no rain.   I got through those nights, but it was cold.   My water bottle froze shut, and water froze to ice in the mornings.   But daytime temps were mostly pleasant.   I got great pictures (because it was mostly clear), at a firetower, at Clingmans Dome (but I was freezing from the wind), and especially at "Charlies Bunyan", where it was pleasant with no wind. Brad keeps telling me to take more pictures of the hills/mountains, but I kid him that he will have 250 pictures of mountains, all nearly identical. The last day out of the GSMNP was especially pleasant weather, and we had about a six mile section of downhill, but I am glad to be done with the GSMNP.
Date: 2015-04-28
From: Hot Springs, North Carolina

To: Hot Springs, North Carolina
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

My body is holding up very well.   My knees are fine.   I continue to wear knee ¢stabilizers¢ on both knees, which would make me look like a really beat-up old guy, were they visible, but they are invisible under my long pants, thus far. I expect to wear the knee braces the entire walk. Seems to be good insurance.   Might just be a mental crutch, but what¢s wrong with that?I have minor blisters, almost none.   One on my big toe, 1 week ago, is fine now. I use moleskin and ¢Leukotape¢ to protect any blisters.   I have yet to take any of the Ibuprofin I brought, known on the trail as ¢vitamin I¢ My feet are rarely sore.   On one particularly rainy day my socks and boots became waterlogged, but my Asolo boots still performed well, and I suffered no foot trouble. I have not yet fallen, just slipped in the mud a couple times, no big deal, and to be expected.   I call that ¢mudsliding¢. It¢s almost fun, when going downhill.   Not so much fun while going uphill. I am a decent downhill skier, and use that skill in the mud.   So physically, I am doing very well, but with one big concern, weight.   I have been at 162 pounds +- 3 pounds most of my entire adult life.   I can eat what I want, but I don¢t pig out at McDonalds.   But 2 days ago I got a scare.   The hostel I was staying at had a scale. I weighed about 145 pounds.   That would be about 1 pound loss per day. At that weight loss rate, I would approach zero in Maine.   And the same thing happened on my Superior Hiking Trail hike.   I lost about 15 pounds in 18 days, and took several months to gain it back. Calories and carried weight is the culprit.   It¢s not rocket science.   I am consuming (say) 3000 calories a day, but burning 5000 calories a day doing 15 miles a day.   I was actually carrying too much food weight at the start of the trip.   Of course I had a spectacular bad start, with severe GI trouble 2 days before and 1 day during the start, and walking 9 miles and eating completely nothing.   My GI troubles were over by day two, but my appetite is still only mild. I do not have dreams of pizza and steaks. I¢m told my appetite will kick in by week three, which will be tomorrow.   When in town, I try to eat as much as I can, but I can¢t just eat for eating¢s sake. So it is a concern, but not a critical issue, at least not yet. My energy level remains high or ¢Good Enough¢.   And here is the PostScript. I weighed myself today at an accurate scale, and my weight was about 155 pounds.   Still a loss, but not the 145 it says it was 2 days ago.   Weight loss is almost always a problem for men thru-hikers, and I expect to return as skinny as a scarecrow and scare my wife and grandkids.   But as long as I have enough energy to climb the hills, I will be OK.