morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-01
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Hawk's Roost
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Well, I am actually back on the Trail again, and in many ways, it feels so familiar, that it's difficult to accept that it's been 32 months since I was last on the AT. While I was concerned before starting out that, being older than when I began hiking the AT (ok, ok, for those who need the specifics, when I started at Springer in 2004 I was 59 years old which makes me 67 now!) I might not be able do this anymore especially after the 2 1/2 year hiatus. But, if one day is any indication, I think I'm going to be able to hack it once I get my Trail Legs back.I had planned on going seven miles today but ended up going nine instead and they were not an "easy nine" either. The first five were all UP -- over a 3,000' elevation. I had lunch at the top of Snowbird Mountain, a "bald" of the type for which NC is famous. After lunch I napped for twenty minutes before being awakened by thunder as a small storm rolled up the valley below me, kindly skirting the peak I had worked so hard to achieve.The next two miles were downhill to Groundhog Shelter where I had originally planned to spend the night. It was only 3:00 o'clock when I arrived, so I had treated water, checked out the journal and chatted with a bunch of young hikers ("Bear Cub" and "Guide Wire" from Chicago, "Chief" from Orlando (great sleeve tattoos of Indian faces) and "Nic" from London (short for "Nicotine Sherpa" since he's always got an extra pack of smokes on him). I felt really good and decided to continue on for a couple of more miles to a tent site called "Hawk's Roost."As I was about to head out, another Long Distance Section Hiker came in. Amazingly, he, too, only has to get to Damascus to finish up his hike. His trail name is "Beatnik" and he's been hiking the AT for 26 years to get to this point.The next two "Bonus Miles" I put in we're all uphill again and I took them very slowly, stopping quite a bit. I transported water with me and am camping alone in the woods well off the Trail. It's lovely but there's only one tent site here which is a surprise because when they mark a "tenting" location on the maps, the sites can usually accommodate a number of hikers. Fortunately no one else has showed up and now that the sun has set. I don't expect any nocturnal visitors unless it's a bear (of course, "Miss Piggy", my pink, waterproof food bag is hanging from a limb a good 40 yards away... I'm confident that any self-respecting bear would take "Miss Piggy" over me, paws down.)All the routines of the hiking day have come back to me and while I'm slower with the execution (it is downright hot here in North Carolina to say the least!) I still know what to do first, then next, etc. I'm glad I put in a couple extra miles today because that¢s two fewer I'll have to do tomorrow and, if hiking is anything like skiing, it's usually day two when you feel it the most.But now, it's time to shut off my headlamp and let the memories of today's beauty, joy, gratitude and complete exhaustion take me to dreamland, under the canopy of tall oaks brightly lit by the soon-to-be full moon.
Date: 2012-05-02
From: Hawk's Roost

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: light rain

Eleven miles today which felt pretty good for Day 2? I still don't have my Trail legs back yet, but I used today as a Training Day (Pushing myself to "keep going" or to "up the pace¢). By the end of the day I was pushing myself to "just take one more miserable step." I was pooped and my legs felt like lead. The heat didn't help matters either although there was a nice breeze whenever the Trail was crossing or skirting a ridgeline. I'm glad I went those extra two miles yesterday because I'm not sure I would have had it in me to make it here if I had them to do today.Part of the issue (besides age, general conditioning, etc.) is definitely the heat. It is unseasonably hot here -- so much so that Beatnik has decided to call it quits tomorrow when he gets to Hot Springs. He'll finish up his final 200 miles "whenever it's not so #%&$X hot."While the heat is a factor, but if weren't the heat, it'd be something else... The cold or the rain or the drought or who knows what. One thing's for certain, though -- on the Trail it's always one thing or another.The high point of the day was crossing the summit of Max Patch Mountain, perhaps the most famous of the NC "balds." The morning was glorious and a breeze was blowing across the domed top. To the south I could see back to the Smokies and pick out Clingman's Dome and Mt. Cammerer where, eight years ago, I sat on the porch of a "secret shelter" (it's not in the books because it's too nice to let the hikers use, so the Park Rangers keep it to themselves!) and watched one of the most breathtaking sunrises with ¢Freebird¢ and ¢Stumpknocker.¢ I will never forget the view from that aerie 4,000' above the valleys below.I arrived at Max Patch with a Thru Hiker named, ¢Rocky,¢ whose home is in Granville, Ohio (Also the home of Denison University!) He and I leap-frogged one another for the rest of the day and he is here at the shelter along with ¢Gaz¢ (from the UK), ¢Beatnik,¢ ¢Yellow Jacket¢ (from Burlington), "Whiffle Chicken" (who is toting a whiffle ball and bat with him all the way from Berkeley), and a father and son from Indiana: Kaleb and Joshua. ¢Sketch¢ and ¢Nic¢ just pulled in, too.The shelter is a small, old one and it's packed with six of us which is a tight squeeze. I normally would be sleeping in my tent but there've been reports of rain coming in later tonight. ¢Miss Piggy¢ is flying high on the metal bear poles because of reported incidences with Overly Hiker-Friendly Bears who won't hesitate to invite themselves into the shelter if they think there's a treat to be found in someone's pack. Everybody else is hanging their food as well. Bears have great noses but very poor manners. For whatever reason, I didn't sleep well last night so as soon as its dark, the earplugs are going in and I'm going out regardless of whether there are storms or bears or whatever. 1,969 miles down and 206 to go!
Date: 2012-05-07
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: scattered clouds

After pushing myself for the past two days, today I really took it easy. As a matter of fact, this may have been the easiest day I've ever had in my six years of hiking the AT and possibly the shortest, too. Rather than continue to press on for extra miles as I have the past couple of days, I just took it easy, and I mean eeeasy! I left camp around 10:00 am and walked about as slowly as I could without standing still. Although the sun was out, the temperature was cool, the Trail was soft without any rocks or roots and once I reached the ridge, a cool breeze made the day perfect for a slow, pleasant walk in the woods. This was no "hike" of the usual sort. There was no sweat dripping down my forehead and running off the tip of my nose with each step I took. This was a stroll... A Thoreau-esque time to commune with nature!I took pictures of trees and plants that I found interesting and stood mesmerized by an unexpected waterfall cascading into a pool alongside the Trail. On a couple of occasions I stopped in the middle of the Trail and closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the woods and smelled its fragrance. I walked with a grateful heart and quiet feet.Along the way I stopped to chat with ¢Mountain Surfer¢ (did I mention he was an ex-Marine officer) and ¢Two Pairs¢ whom I had met yesterday while they were having an afternoon snack at Jerry Cabin Shelter. I also talked for a while with ¢Solex¢ and her finance, Oden, and then enjoyed a leisurely lunch with ¢Workout¢ (who was going by "Whistler" when I first met him on my first day of this section) and his friend from their preschool days, Don (no Trail name yet).The whole day of trail ambling put me into the Hogback Shelter around 3:00 where ¢Guide Wire¢ and ¢Bear Cub¢ were "zeroing" because ¢Bear Cub¢ was sick and had not been able to keep anything down for the past 24 hours (but she was beginning to show signs of recovering as the evening day phased into evening). ¢Solex¢ and Oden were there, too. Before nightfall a hiker named Mark from Zurich, Switzerland came in as did a family of four from Jacksonville, TN. Rather than sleep in the shelter as I have the past few evenings, I set up my tent and made dinner (including cheese quesadillas!) and am now ready to curl up and bring this easy, relaxing day on the AT to a close.
Date: 2012-05-17
From: Wilbur Dam

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: broken clouds

Started hiking around 9:30 this morning. It's a beautiful day with a light breeze blowing along the ridge line. I arrived at the Vandeventer at 1:30, where I ate 1 12 hour leisurely lunch as I sat on the rocks behind savoring my Spam and cheese wrap, as well as, a PB&J w/ Honey and GORP wrap (both were D-Lish!)Today is an easy, lazy day. I didn¢t see many people on the Trail today. I assume because most of the hikers are trying to get to Damascus for ¢Trail Days.¢ One such hiker, ¢Falls,¢ just blew through here, took a peek at the view, said "Happy Trails" and was off again -- looking to do 20 miles today he said in passing.In my mellow frame of mind, I'll be happy with 11 memorable miles on the AT. At the end of today, I'll be down to 26 miles left... One step at a time.It¢s now 9:30 pm (Can't believe I still have a cell phone signal!) The early afternoon continued to be a delightful walk in the woods -- right up to the last hour of Trail time. That¢s when all hell broke loose in the form of thunder, lightning, pouring rain and hail! By the time I got to the shelter I was (you guessed it!) soaked with water sloshing in my shoes. I quickly put on my dry clothes and hung a line across the inside of the shelter to hang up all my wet stuff.Courtney (who I knew from a group dinner in Erwin and also at Mountain Harbor when she was hiking with Dave -- "Da-Ha- Wei" who has hitched a ride up to Damascus so as to not miss any of the goings-on) arrived minutes before me (while I was fetching water). Three other hikers came and went while she and I ate two of my Backpacker Pantry dinners -- chili tamale pie for an appetizer and southwestern salmon and pasta, both of which were pretty good. After dinner as the rain abated we drank tea and talked -- a very nice evening. It's now dark and while I'm doing my journal she's on the phone with her significant other who is really a non-hiker. Muffled booms of thunder still echo in the distance but, for now, the rain has stopped. The temperature has dropped from the upper 70¢s this afternoon to the low 40¢s which should be great for sleeping.This is my next to the last night on the Trail. I had hoped to be able to spend it in my tent but instead I'll be under cover in the Iron Mountain Shelter with Courtney and at least a half a dozen shelter mice.Only 26 miles to go... Incredible! Bumpo
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Damascus, VA

To: New York
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning, Jack (feeling better but still a bit wobbly from his bout with the 24-hour bug) and I said our goodbyes to Kim, Tim, Bill and Miss Kitty and drove to Charlotte, NC together to catch our respective flights to Philadelphia for Jack and NYC for me.My Long Distance Section Hiking of the Appalachian Trail is now over. It's hard to believe. It feels good to be among the elite few who can say that they've walked from Georgia to Maine.Many people have asked me, "So, what's next now that you've hiked the Appalachian Trail, become a Certified Ski Instructor and written a book? What are you going to do now?"The only answer I can give them at this time is "I'm going home to Colorado, re-engage in my work at Crenshaw full-time and wait and see what calls to me. I don't know what it'll be, but I do know that there will be something. That's just the way life has always been -- there's always something else to do, to explore, to try on for size simply because it's there and, at some meaningful level, has stirred something within me beyond a casual intellectual interest. Until then, I'll just wait and see."If you have any thoughts or suggestions, drop me a note -- I'm always open for suggestions!nat.stoddard@crenshawassociates.comAnd, HAPPY TRAILS!
Date: 2012-05-21
From: New York

To: Colorado
Miles today: 0.0

BUMPO'S AT HIKE SUMMARYI began hiking the Trail on March 25, 2004. I was 59 years old. I am now 67. My total hike was 2,178.6 miles in length. It took a total of 180 days for me to cover the ground from Georgia to Maine passing through 14 different States. On average, I spent one out of every four nights while I was hiking (44) in a Hotel/B&B/Hostel so I could clean-up and resupply. Of the remaining 136 nights, two-thirds were spent in shelters (90) and one-third (46) in my tent. Over the course of my hike, I averaged 12.1 miles per day. There were seven days when I went further than 20 miles and about as many ¢ 6 days ¢ that were less than five miles in length. The furthest I hiked in one day was 23.7 miles. Had I undertaken a Thru Hike beginning on the day I began my Section Hike at Springer Mountain in Georgia, I would have reached the northern terminus, Mount Katahdin in Maine, on September 24th of that year, presuming I took no ¢Zero Days¢ along the way. Given that the elevation gain and loss on the AT is equivalent to hiking from sea level to the top of Mt. Everest and down 18 times, the likelihood of hiking straight through without taking some days off is improbable. Even so, my Section Hiking pace still would probably have been sufficient for me to complete the hike to Katahdin before it is closed on October 15th of each year. All-in-all, it has taken me 7 hiking seasons over the course of 9 years to complete the Trail, which entailed 17 separate forays (Sections). The longest Section I hiked was 28 days in length: from August 10 ¢ Sept 9, 2004 beginning at Bear Mountain State Park, NY and encompassing CT, MA, and VT, before ending in Hanover, NH. This Section was 344 miles in length. My second longest Section was in August, 2007. It was 25 days in duration, covering 188 miles through the White Mountains of NH and into Southern Maine. When I began the Trail, my goal was to ¢hike 100 yards on the AT and then only as far beyond that as continued to make sense to me.¢ That goal has been achieved. And, if the Appalachian Trail were any longer, I¢d still be walking¢¦
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Demascus, VA

To: New York City
Miles today: 0.0

BUMPO'S AT HIKE SUMMARYI began hiking the Trail on March 25, 2004. I was 59 years old. I am now 67. My total hike was 2,178.6 miles in length. It took a total of 180 days for me to cover the ground from Georgia to Maine passing through 14 different States. On average, I spent one out of every four nights while I was hiking (44) in a Hotel/B&B/Hostel so I could clean-up and resupply. Of the remaining 136 nights, two-thirds were spent in shelters (90) and one-third (46) in my tent. Over the course of my hike, I averaged 12.1 miles per day. There were seven days when I went further than 20 miles and about as many ¢ 6 days ¢ that were less than five miles in length. The furthest I hiked in one day was 23.7 miles. Had I undertaken a Thru Hike beginning on the day I began my Section Hike at Springer Mountain in Georgia, I would have reached the northern terminus, Mount Katahdin in Maine, on September 24th of that year, presuming I took no ¢Zero Days¢ along the way. Given that the elevation gain and loss on the AT is equivalent to hiking from sea level to the top of Mt. Everest and down 18 times, the likelihood of hiking straight through without taking some days off is improbable. Even so, my Section Hiking pace still would probably have been sufficient for me to complete the hike to Katahdin before it is closed on October 15th of each year. All-in-all, it has taken me 7 hiking seasons over the course of 9 years to complete the Trail, which entailed 17 separate forays (Sections). The longest Section I hiked was 28 days in length: from August 10 ¢ Sept 9, 2004 beginning at Bear Mountain State Park, NY and encompassing CT, MA, and VT, before ending in Hanover, NH. This Section was 344 miles in length. My second longest Section was in August, 2007. It was 25 days in duration, covering 188 miles through the White Mountains of NH and into Southern Maine. When I began the Trail, my goal was to ¢hike 100 yards on the AT and then only as far beyond that as continued to make sense to me.¢ That goal has been achieved. And, if the Appalachian Trail were any longer, I¢d still be walking¢¦
Date: 2013-10-13
To: AT - Georgia Section Hike 
Miles today: 0.0

In October 2013, I took off a week and traveled to Georgia to get a small taste of what it would be like walking the AT. It is easy to be an ¢arm-chair¢ hiker when looking at the hiking maps. I feel it is important to get out on the trail for the real experience. I am very fortunate to have family living in northeast Georgia and they helped me with logistics getting on and off the trail (i.e., they were kind enough to transport me to and from the trail). We took the forest service road up the northeast side of Springer Mt. where I embarked. I packed enough food for 7 days along with a tent, sleeping bag, UV water purifier and all of the other necessities. The pack weight was about 35 lbs, the maximum weight I would want to carry. The weather was perfect; cold at night but cool, clear and crisp during the days. The great weather brought out many section hikers. I met with about 20 or so section hikers on the trail. In addition to the section hikers, I also had the privilege to meet some of the southbound thru-hikers. I cannot recall everyone¢s trail name but there was Mercury, Danko, Molasses, Mac & Cheese, etc. I talked to eight thru-hikers in total during my section hike. They were all excited since they were only a few days from reaching their objective (i.e., Springer Mt.). Each thru-hiker knew who was ahead and behind them on the trail. I aspire to be like them in 2014, but trekking in the northbound direction!I also learned more about what I need for a long distance trek and most importantly what I do not need. When you are walking 5-8 hours daily, the less you carry the better¢¦ I also came to the realization that my hiking shoes were just not right for my feet. I kept thinking that I could work through the soreness, similar to when I was in the Army with new combat boots, but this was not the case. The hiking shoes were too narrow and too stiff for my feet. I finally changed out the hiking shoes to wider trail runners and now no more black and blue toenails and calluses. However, the AT trek, other hikes and training in the hiking shoes took its toll on my feet and I managed to get plantar fasciitis ? No fun. I am working through the issues though and should be ready for the thru-hike this March.Overall the train up on the AT was an awesome experience. I did 85 miles in 5 days up into North Carolina, departing at Deep Gap. I recognize this is an over-the-top pace to start out with if I hope to make the entire trail. I will need to slow down, relax and enjoy the trail or I run the risk of a crash & burn due to injury (simply overworking this old tired body).
Date: 2014-02-25
To: Perdernalas Falls Hike
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I took another trip to Pedernales Falls State Park for my last train up hike before the big AT. Pedernales is about as hilly as it gets for 3.5 hour drive out of Houston. The best you can do in Houston for a hill is a highway overpass! I spent 3 days walking about all of the hiking and horse trails throughout park. It is beautiful country! Some photos are attached.This hike gave me a chance to check out my feet, shoes and my equipment. My feet were a bit sore (humped a bit more weight than I usually pack), but stretching in the evening and morning helped. Now, it is time to finish up the food preparations for the AT journey!
Date: 2014-03-16
To: Food Prep
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Well my food for the first leg of the journey is ready to be shipped out (see photo). The first leg is to Daleville, VA. Hence the boxes of food shown in the photo are intended to get me 700 miles or so (less any hot chow and snacks available along the way). I am all set to fly out to Atlanta on Thursday with my pack and food for two weeks. The rest of the food parcels will be sent ahead to mail drops along the trail. I am so fortunate that my aunt and her husband (Bonny & Fred) live in Blue Ridge, GA (a short drive from Springer Mt.). they are willing to help me with logistics for the start of my journey. If all goes as planned, I hope to be on the trail either Saturday or Sunday this week. Cheers
Date: 2014-03-22
From: Springer Mountain, GA - Southern Terminus

To: Gooch Mt. Shelter, GA
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Started my trek today from Springer Mountain. The photo is taken on Springer at the trail terminus (plate and the first white blaze). In the photo I am sporting my Long Island Lobsterman's Association hat which I wear in memory of my father who passed away 2 weeks ago. I also have my Texas walking stick (an ace hardware special) and it works great. The weather was perfect for hiking, cool in the morning and warmed up to mid-60s by mid day. There are lots of folks on the trail, including thru hikers, family vacationers, spring breakers and lots of Boy Scouts. Actually today I went further than planned to avoid some of the scouts. The scouts are a great organization but sharing a small camping area with 25 or more 11-12 year old scouts did not sound like a peaceful slumber to me. I made it to Gooch Mountain shelter which is close to 16 miles from Springer. I stayed here back in October when I did a section hike. Actually the walk seemed to go faster this time around. This is not because I am walking any faster but because I knew what to expect. My feet "barked" at me some during hike but not too badly and at the days end I soaked them in a cold stream. Overall a good day on the trail.
Date: 2014-03-23
From: Gooch Mt. Shelter, GA

To: Lance Creek, GA
Miles today: 8.5

The second day was a short one, hiking only about 8 miles or so to Lance Creek. We started the hike in a cold rain. About two mile down the trail I came to an opening and there was a large open tent off the trail. There were a number of people milling around and I thought it might be a hiking group or a Boy Scout group. I passed the tent and was a little ways up the trail when a young girl comes running up to me with a bag full of apples and asked if I would like one. I said, "Absolutely!" I found out later from some other hikers that if I stopped at the tent I could of had a hot breakfast. It was a local church group giving the thru-hikers some "trail magic". A few miles later similar acts of kindness were give to three of us thru-hikers. We had stopped for a break at Woody Gap. A couple who had thru-hiked in 2011 (trail names Conan and Backwards) asked if we were thru-hikers and gave us all candy bars. It was awesome. They said their hike changed their lives and it was one of their best experiences. These acts of kindness from those you do not know lifts you up and makes the AT so much more than simply toughing it out in the woods. Thanks to all those folks that come out in the rain and cold to look after for us and support us on our journey. It is greatly appreciated. Similar to the night before there were lots of thru-hikers at the Lance Creek campsite. This location was popular because any camping conducted in the next 6 miles are required to have steel bear canisters for their food. No one carries these so everyone is staged here for the night to hike through this section in the morning.