morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-01-21
To: Training
Miles today: 0.0

My goal is to be in great shape so that I can hit it hard at the very beginning. I live in Michigan, and there are only three hills in the state. All of them are more than an hour away. I have been hiking for the last three weeks on flat ground five miles a day with a 25# pack. I will add some workouts on the stands at the football field in February to build up my legs for the hills.
Date: 2006-02-13
To: Food research
Miles today: 0.0

I ordered the full set of AT maps and from that derived mail drops to correspond to each set of maps. I came up with 17 sets of maps so I will have 16 mail drops. The mail drops will also be used to send food and other items from home. I also began to study food weights, calories, and nutritional value. This will be valuable for my wife. My goal is to keep food to under 2# per day and get at least 2500 calories without a lot of junk food.
Date: 2006-02-26
To: Farewell
Miles today: 0.0

My family wanted to throw me a last supper. I got to pick the menu. I enjoyed having all of them over for this dinner. We are a close family and I am going to miss all of them. The only one missing in the picture is my favorite daughter-in-laws, Marcia. My son Brian lives with us and will be a great help to my wife while I am gone. The little guy in the picture is my grandson, Elijah. Did I mention that he is the cutest guy in the world?
Date: 2006-03-01
To: Outbound
Miles today: 0.0

It is 2:30 in the morning. I am leaving behind the remote and have left my wife in charge of it. I hope that she does not get use to it while I am gone. I am also leaving my keys, razor, and cell phone. I will miss them. Tonight I will sleep at the Hawk Mountain shelter. For now I have a long day ahead of me. My son Garrett will drive me to the Detroit airport. I have mixed emotions. Excitement and apprehension. For now it is off to Kahtahdin.
Date: 2006-03-01
From: Michigan

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

From my home in Michigan at 1:30 am to Hawk Mountain Shelter. What a day. My son Garrett drove me to Detroit Airport where I caught a flight to Atlanta. From there I caught the metro train MARTA to the north side of Atlanta. From there Dave drove me to the Springer Mountain parking lot. We got there about 1:00 and Dave walked up the trail with me. At Springer mountain I met an interesting Appalachian Trail representative named Many Sleeps. He officially registered me as an AT thru hiker, which was an awesome moment. The traditional pictures were taken and I was off about 1:30. I also met Hit and his female partner Miss at the southern terminus. I would see them again at Neels gap. The walk to Hawk Mountain shelter was mostly downhill and I saw no one on the way. While I only logged 7.6 miles on the trail the two airports and the MARTA train miles probably exceeded that. I am at the shelter now with about 20 others. The shelter was full and there were many tents set up. The profile for tomorrow shows many severe ups and downs and my goal is 12 miles. Tomorrow comes some of the toughest that Georgia has to offer. For now my thoughts are to my family who have been great and to my employees who are running the show back home. With this great support I can not help but make it to Maine.
Date: 2006-03-02
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Stealth Camp near Dan's Gap
Miles today: 14.6

Some of the people I met today included Turtle D and Turtle M from New Hampshire. They are retired and walking to Maine. Stopped for lunch at Gooch Mountain shelter and had a great time with the gang, including Homebrew, Compass, Rick and others. It was just 12:30 and I had some legs left, but could not get anyone else to come with me so I went off on my own. Water was scarce according to the map so I loaded up with extra water and was off. Ups and downs are what Geogia is about. There are no leaves on the trees so it is pretty much brown, but the views are still spectacular. I arrived at Dan's Gap with very little light so I set up my tent and fixed super by headlamp. Tomorrow I go over Blood Mountain and on to Neel's Gap. I am looking forward to having a pizza. In the middle of the night a couple of army Rangers went by my tent on night operations. That was a thrill to me because I am a fan of the Rangers. My nephew was a Ranger and I know some of the training they go through to prepare for their job.
Date: 2006-03-03
From: Stealth Camp near Dan's Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: clear sky

AM temp 32 deg with violent winds.Woke up feeling pretty cocky about walking almost 15 miles and decided that I would blow right past Neel's gap and put in some serious miles. Not to be! As I walked today I could hear sporadic gunfire as the Army Rangers played war games. Throughout the day I thought about the sacrifice that they and their families make and I was proud to be an American. I have talked to some of the hikers who seen them with their 100 pound packs hiking through the woods. We should all be grateful for men like these who work to keep us safe.I worked my way up to Blood mountain. The climb was exhausting and I began to rethink my decision to go on past Neel's gap. The trip down sealed that decision. The terrain was brutal and by the time I reached Neel's gap there was no way that I was going to go on. I checked into the hostel, settled in and began to meet some of the gang there. I met many, including Bluebell, who is a woman about my age whose husband is at home supporting her while she chases this crazy dream. I saw some awful blisters and was glad I took some time to train so that my feet were tough enough. That night there were about 15 in the hostel, so there was quite the symphony of snoring and farting. When I get to the next town I am going to buy some ear plugs. Right now there are so many on the trail that I have not figured out who is going to be traveling at the same speed that I am. That will come. Some have trail names and some do not. I would have a hand in naming one of them. Oh, by the way it is rather ordinary for hikers to loose their appetite for the first couple of weeks, and when it comes back it comes back with a vengence. Some of the hikers have gotten trail magic. That is when friendly locals come out to root on the hikers with food and drink. As of yet I have gotten no trail magic, but Rick told me about grilled cheese and orange juice. Since then I have not gotten grilled cheese out of my head. In all, the people around the trail support the hikers in many ways, some of which I will get into on other days. I met a grandfather on Blood Mountain who had taken his grandson up the mountain on a hiking excursion. I told that young man that he was lucky to have a Grandpa that would take him hiking at 63. I think he was quite excited to be up there with Grandpa.I was able to order pizza from Dominos, a medium sausage, which I wolfed down. But after that I was not hungry. Oh well, my appetite will come back.
Date: 2006-03-04
From: Neels Gap

To: Stealth camp N of Cold spring gap
Miles today: 14.0

As I left Neels gap I passed Bluebell and others and met up with Rick, Cedar MO, and scout, who were hiking together. They knew me from the night before at the hostel. We all seemed to hike at about the same speed and began to get to know each other. Rick is still searching for his trail name, and he is from Massechusets, Cedar Mo is from Cal/Ten, and Scout is from Washington through North Carolina. That day we met Mickey One Sock who pointed out the mountain the 101st train on in the book "Band of Brothers". It was a beautiful day to hike. The early part of the day had some tough ups and downs and they do not seem to believe in switchback trails in Georgia. Switchback trails are when the trail goes up a steep mountain by going back and forth up the side of the mountain. We met trail maintainers today. They are local volunteers who maintain and improve the trail. Great job guys! Not enought is said about them.We ate lunch along a highway and there we met Stumpknocker, who is a legend on the appalacian trail. I have actually read some of his journals, and it was a pleasure to meet him in person. We passed two shelters, which are located along the trail about every 6-8 miles. These shelters are three sided with a roof. We walked on past low gap shelter and camped near water at the top of a hill at about 4000 feet.To my kids who got me trek poles for Christmas I say it is the best gift ever. They add miles to the day. Tonight we tentatively named Rick "Yatzee". He carries a minature game of Yatzee with him, but it was too cold to even think about playing. We all headed for our tents at about 7:30 for what would turn out to be a rather eventful night.
Date: 2006-03-05
From: Stealth camp N of Cold spring gap

To: Tray mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

am temp 28 degEarly morning visit at the stealth camp from a bear. I was awoke to some banging and sniffing from what I thought was Cedar Mo. I wandered what he was doing banging around at that time of night. About that time I decided it was time to drain my bladder so I went out of camp. I did not know till morning that both Cedar and Scout identified the sound as that of a bear. This morning we finalized the name for Rick as Yatzee after sleeping on it. About the time we broke camp Jolly Green Giant and Superman showed up on the trail and the six of us decided to hike together. Superman is from Grand Rapids, MI and Jolly is from Atlanta. After some discussion we decided a modest goal for the day was Tray Mountain. When we arrived Unicoi gap a family of three was set up with trail magic. We call these people trail angels. A nice 5 year old girl named Merideth ["trail name "miracle baby"]was my first trail angel. She was a very sweet young girl and offered me food and drink. Thank you to Merideth and her parents. While we were there Cedar hitched a ride into town to go to the evening service at the Baptist Church. The Georgia trail and the NC trail are some of the most rugged with steep ups and downs and high elevations. The six of us are in the Tray Mountain shelter [Cedar caught up with us]. The elevation is 4600 feet, the highest camp so far. I am staying in the shelter so we can take off early tomorrow for the famed blueberry patch, where I will have my first mail drop waiting for me. I and scout had to stop today to doctor blisters. I have one blister on my left heal and will have to baby it for the next few days. I did not think I would get any blisters because I do a lot of walking, but the brutal terain is hard on even the toughest feet. Walking with Cedar, Yatzee, Jolly and Superman is great, but I do not know how long scout and I can keep up with 20 year olds. We also been seeing a lot of Thomas, who seems to be at the same shelter every night. By the end of the day Thomas was named snowshoe [he carries a pair of snowshoes] and renamed Tank.
Date: 2006-03-06
From: Tray mountain Shelter

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel
Miles today: 10.6

am temp 33 deg.Slept in the shelter for the first time. I have got to get some ear plugs! I do not want to say who was the worst at snoring because I do not want to embarrass Superman. Broke camp early and beat it for a spot at the Blueberry Patch. We left scout who was meeting her cousin today and going home with her. As of yet I have not said much about the mountains. The fact is they are beautifull even with no leaves. But today I could not tell you much because you could not see more then 50 feet in the mist and rain. With the help of some down-hill terrain and the thought of town food the pace was quickened and we reached Dick Creek Gap about 11:30. From there we hitched a ride to the Blueberry Patch.The owners of the Blueberry Patch are Gary and Linny Poteat. They are Christians who see the hostel as a mission of love for the hikers. Gary hiked the trail with his son and knows the toll that it takes. They offer their place on a donation basis. Linny met us and offered to do our wash. For that alone she deserves a special place in heaven, because our clothes stunk of 6 days of trail and sweat. Their ministry is to show the love of Christ through a "cold cup of water". I shall never forget them. While we were waiting for our wash, Swiss showed up [she lives nearby] with her Prius Hybrid and offered a ride into town. So we put on our rain gear [that is all we had to wear] and went to town for an AYCE [All you can eat] restaraunt. I have not been sleeping good at all so I went to a drug store and bought a sleep aid and some ear plugs. Today was a sad day. On monday I usually watch my grandson Elijah, who calls me PaPa. He is 16 months old and has stolen grandpa's heart. I really missed watching him. I did manage to call and talk to my wife and both of my daughters, which gave me a lift.
Date: 2006-03-07
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

Had a great breakfast at the blueberry patch. Sausage, eggs, pancakes, OJ, and love. Gary led a beautiful prayer that was very refreshing for me. After breakfast he drove us out to the trailhead and said a warm good-by. We took off for Muskrat Creek Shelter, some 12 miles away. I got behind on the young legs, but scout caught up. We traveled through more rugged terrain in Georgia and came to the NC line, took the traditional picture and scooted on. But what a welcome we received by NC. The first two mountains in NC were the worst so far. What a greeting. Still we pushed on and got to Muskrat Creek and found that the gang had moved on. We pushed on in the hope to keep up with them. We joined them at Standing Indian Shelter. There we met for the first time Blueberry and Abandon. Also D Rock and Caian Steve were there. There was also 4 girls from Illinois Wesleyan who were very nice. All together there were 16 in camp. The nearly 17 mile hike and 3000 foot gain took its' toll and I am tired. We are camped at 4600 feet again. Seems to be pattern. Soon we will be camping at even higher elevations. We also walked pass some snow today left from a couple of days ago. I hope that is not a portend of things to come! But today we did manage to check off one state. Now only 13 to go. Wow.
Date: 2006-03-08
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

am temp 26 degLeft camp at 8:00. The superfriends foursome left earlier. When they left I had the feeling we were never going to see them again. From camp I made my way alone to the top of Standing Indian Mountain, the first time we were above 5000 ft. The Appalacian Trail has 350 peaks above 5000 so we have met another milestone. Most of the trail was rather mild today until Albert Mountain. Wow. The weather was beautiful again. Soon I passed Tank and then I started to develop a pain in my legs on the downhills. I have been fighting the pain all day. Scout went on ahead of me and Tank and I passed each other all day. Tonight I am in the shelter with Tank and Scout. The shelter register had messages from the guys that they were going on into Franklin from camp. They are gaining speed and feeding off of each other. I think the next time we will see them will be at trail days next year. We are camped at 4900 feet and it is cold. Tommorrow Tank and I plan to go into Franklin and spend the night. The trail is pretty mild tommorow and it is only 10 miles, but I need an easy day and some rest. I may have to zero in Franklin to give my legs a rest. It's 7:30, hiker midnight, and I am tired.
Date: 2006-03-09
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Franklin (Winding Stair Gap)
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

The nice thing about shelters is you do not have to set up a tent. It gets you out on the trail quicker so you can generate heat on cold mornings. Oatmeal and powdered milk for breakfast. Tank, scout, and myself broke camp at 8:30 and began the mostly downhill journey to Franklin. The plan is to go into Franklin and stay the night. I was going to get a hotel and scouts cousin was picking her up to stay all night with her. Tank would end up spliting a room with me at the Budget Inn. The predominately downhill terrain was killing my certain muscles in my legs and I was actually wishing for some uphill. Blueberry and Abandon were somewhere ahead. We knew this because we stopped at Rock Gap shelter for a break and read the register. After a small lunch and some entertainment from the register comments we continued on. Soon after we discovered trail magic. Crutch was there with sandwich material, pop and fresh fruit. I opted for the fresh fruit, something that is not easy to carry on the trail because of weight. An apple and bannana hit the spot. Trail food is usually dried this or that and gets old. I find myself craving salads, fruit, and other food that is prepared, not to mention pizza. Crutch also made a cell phone call for us to arrainge a shuttle into Franklin four miles down the trail. Sure enough when we got to Winding Stair Gap the ride was there within minuites. Once in town we had a quick shower. Thru hikers are famous for the smell of the trail. After that Scout joined Tank and I for and AYCE restaurant. It was great to sit and eat town food with clean hands. We sat and talked for a while' then I headed to the hotel to work on my journal on the internet. It was great to stay somewhere that you did not have to sleep in the sleeping bag. At the hostels you usually have to sleep in your bag. So I streached out and listened to the thunderstorms outside with a great deal of satisfaction.
Date: 2006-03-10
From: Franklin (Winding Stair Gap)

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: clear sky

I got up at 6:00 to find a restaurant open for breakfast but could not find one that was close. I figured I was going to walk enough today so I did not press the issue. I went back and ate what I could of my food supply. At 8:30 we were off to the trail and were at the trail head. On the way to the trailhead Ron, the hotel owner, informed us that Stumpknocker had broken his arm on Sasafrass Mountain. He was going to do another thru hike this year. My guess is that we saw him just hours before it happened. Today is more uphill, as it usually is going out of town, but it was not an extremely steep incline so the morning seemed to go alright. Most hikers usually walk alone, as it is the best way to keep their own stride and not be sped up or slowed down by others. Today was no different. At about noon I came upon Bluebird and Abandon while they were eating lunch and joined them for a bit. They told me that Scout had made it to the trail and was behind me. They left and while I was finishing my lunch Scout came up, but she had already eaten lunch. We walked together toward Wayah Bald and soon we were at the observation tower. We took some pictures and were off. Later in the day water became an issue. I caught up to Scout and we discussed our common dilema. Neither had water and there was none on our maps until the shelter, almost 2 hours away. This usually does not happen, except that neither of us had found a spring where it was supposed to be and had moved on. So now we both decided to stay together and solve the problem. After about a half hour of walking we found a spring that would provide and we were relieved. Scout moved on out ahead of me and I lost sight of her. About a half hour later I noticed what looked like a pole barn in the middle of an opening. As I got closer I noticed that it was a tent and that it was flying a flag that said AT Angel. TRAIL MAGIC! What I found was Blueberry and Abandon munching on a pair of hot dogs and Scout sitting there without any. Apple was the trail angel. He is from Austin, TX and was here to help out the hikers. He plans to start his thru hike April 1. Soon Scout and I were devouring a hot dog, peanut butter cup and orange soda. What timing. I was hungry and dreading to have to fix supper at the shelter. We visited a while and moved on. About an hour later we were at the shelter, where I fixed a small supper of Ramen noodles and a protein shake. Good luck APPLE. D-rock and Caian Steve were at the shelter and Tank showed up later. In addition there were some weekend hikers there that we had a great visit with. All was well and I was in the sack at 7:00.
Date: 2006-03-11
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

D-Rock reported a bear hanging around the edge of camp last night and most heard the coyotes howling last night. I heard neither so I must have slept some last night. It started to rain while we were packing, but we have had such good weather that no one complained at all. But as we were about to leave the shelter it stopped. I have been eating mostly breakfast bars and powdered milk in the morning so I can get out of camp quickly because it is so cold. Today was no different. D-rock was the first one out of camp, followed by Tank. Well today was the day to pay the price for going uphill most of yesterday. Those muscles that have been hurting on the downhill were tortured today. There was 3000' more of decent than ascent today and much of it was steep. Fortunately it was going to be a short day because we were not going very far and the NOC has a hostel. I arrived at the NOC at about 2:00, practically in shock from the downhill. The first order was to get a shower. It had only been 2 days, but they were hot days and I reeked. Then it was do the laundry. After I had a shower and clean clothes it was off to the salad bar at the restaurant in the center. I then checked at the NOC and picked up a 2 day food drop along with a bag liner that I had ordered from REI. I have been concerned about cold weather in the smokys and did not think my sleeping bag was going to be warm enough so I ordered a liner for it. Now I was all set to relax for the day. Later that day I met Sticker, an older gentleman who was hiking the trail for the second time. I have been reflecting on the many thru hikers that I have met. Most seen focused and determined. And yet the statistics are that only 1 in 10 actually make it to Mnt Katahdin in a thru hike. I wondered where that left me and what my chances are. Many get injuries or ailments that derail them, some get discouraged and some get bored. Others have external forces that prevent their success. I went to sleep tonight thinking about the challenge ahead and reaffirmed my committment to see this through. Lights out, it is 7:30 after all.