morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-01
From: AT Approach Trail

To: Springer Mntn and beyond
Miles today: 0.0

Blast Off!!!!!It¢s 12:43 pm and Pat and I are still about an hour away from Amicalola Falls SP. We enjoyed a leisurely morning of sleeping in, enjoying one another¢s company, and eating a nice big breakfast at IHOP. Ah, chairs¢¦cushioned seats¢¦indoor plumbing¢¦climate control. Yes, I do believe that Tessa and I are in for a bit of culture shock for a little while. I will not be doing the approach trail, as I¢d originally planned. I had intended to do it until Pat decided to accompany me to the southern terminus of the trail, but he has neither the time, inclination, or (at least for the time being), ability to hike the approach trail, which I understand is a rather challenging trail. It¢s steep, and he has a hurt knee right now. Besides, it¢s nearly 9 miles long. If he were to hike it with me, he¢d have to turn around and hike that same challenging trail back down before nightfall on a bum knee, and that¢s just not going to happen. So we¢ll drive up closer to the trail¢s terminus, to an access spot just a couple of easy miles away. We¢ll do that together, then say goodbye atop Springer Mountain. I have a lump in my throat thinking about it.I don¢t expect to put in many miles today. I hope to do maybe eight, but we¢ll see. My pack is so dreadfully heavy, but I just don¢t know where to trim the fat just yet. I¢ll see what I don¢t use after a week¢s time, and it¢ll be mailed home. In the meantime, I¢m going to look like a total trail doofus until I learn to don and doff my cumbersome pack gracefully and navigate uneven terrain with a whole new center of balance. I guess I¢ll provide comedic relief to the more experienced hikers. Maybe they¢ll take pity on me and offer to carry my stuff¢¦ya think?Pat is driving while I make this final bog entry for a few days. The Georgia countryside is just breathtaking, and I can¢t wait to hit the trail! The redbud and dogwood trees are in full bloom, the sky is a beautiful clear blue, the temperature is mild, and I am psyched. I¢m not sure how I¢ll feel tomorrow, but today is a fabulous day to take a walk in the woods.
Date: 2011-04-02
From: Stover Creek

To: Horse Gap
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: few clouds

Okay, so it's not exactly Zilker Park The day dawned absolutely beautiful, but chilly. I didn¢t sleep well again, although I¢m not complaining¢¦just stating fact. I feel pretty okay, but I just wish I could sleep. I think I¢m just too wired about the start of this trip, and my brain just won¢t quit.The night was filled with all sorts of little sounds, which I took mostly to be the explorations of small nocturnal creatures on their nightly rounds. There was startling moment when a little bat took a dive for my tent. I recognized it as a bat because I could see its outline against the silvery dome of my tent. I¢m sure my exclamation, ¢What the hell was that?¢ must¢ve scared off more than one little critter.Depending on how I feel, I intend to try to do a little ¢floor work¢ each day before I begin walking. Today I planked for 3 minutes, did 10 push-ups (girl-style) and 25 sit ups. Nothing much, but I intend to keep improving on this.LATER:I am so tired that I am just too tired to tell you just how tired I am. Believe me, I am tired. I reached a point where I suddenly decided, ¢I really can¢t hike another step.¢ Fortunately I was in a gap, and so I began to pitch my tent. The wind came up and I realized I was in a bit of a wind tunnel, so I wearily grabbed my stuff and looked for a better campsite. When I found it I gratefully set up camp and collapsed almost immediately. Again I didn¢t cook, because I was just too damned tired. I¢ve lived on GORP (trail mix; technically, Good Old Raisins and Peanuts), these past days, but that¢s okay because I happen to really like it. Good thing. More details when I¢m not so damned tired.
Date: 2011-04-05
From: WoodÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hole Shelter

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: few clouds

The Day After the Storm April 5, 2011:START: Woods Hole ShelterFINISH: Neel's GapSTEPS: 15,596MILES: 3.7 (sounds pitiful, but those are 3.7 AT miles; I also hiked a good way off of the AT to get to and from the shelter, but those miles don't "count"; besides, the previous night was rather rough.)Almost all of my stuff is wet. Thankfully not terribly so, but wet enough. My outer clothing, however, is sodden, so I can¢t wear my shirt or pants. I¢ll be hiking to the next stop, Neel¢s Gap, in my long underwear, but who cares?! It looks like leggings. I¢m the last to break camp and leave. It was a helluva night but Tessa and I made it through, and I¢m ready for a bit of a break. When I get to Neel¢s Gap I intend to eat, dry out my gear, do laundry, and just chill out. I don¢t know where I¢ll stay; that will work itself out. I just want to move on to the next phase.LATER¢¦Made it to Neel¢s Gap and saw a note on the door addresses to ¢Bubbles¢. I knew right away that it was meant for me, even though I have no intention of going by that name. Still, it served its purpose: my new trail friends had saved me a bed in a cabin, and as soon as I saw the note I headed to the promised respite.My roommates were Smiling Bob and Cadence. I loved spending time with them while I could. Great guys, delightful company. Boys, I wish you well on the trail. I¢ll probably never see you again because you¢ll have long since left me in the dust, but I¢m glad our paths crossed. Best of luck!!!I spread my gear all around the cabin to dry out, and enjoyed the first shower in days. Amazing how big the little things become when you¢ve done without. I chatted with my trail friends about their experiences for a while, and then decided to turn in. The last couple of days had been quite full, and I was pretty tired. I was looking forward to a good night¢s sleep. I made a plan to call Pat first thing in the morning.
Date: 2011-04-06
From: Neel's Gap

To: Cleveland, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Zero Dayin Cleveland, GA April 6, 2011:A zero day (a day in which I log zero trail miles). I have been the privileged guest of two fabulous trail angels, Bruce and Darlene. Bruce read some of my posts on White Blazes, then looked up my website and began following me. When I asked on White Blazes where a nice place to stay might be found near Unicoi Gap, he sent me a private message indicating that he and Darlene would like to welcome me to their home. He picked me up at Neel¢s Gap (he recognized me immediately, because of Tessa), then waited patiently while I went into the outfitter¢s store there and had my traditional ¢hiker¢s shakedown,¢ in which one of the store¢s knowledgeable staffers analyzes a hiker¢s gear and makes suggestions as to what should stay and what should go. My deck of cards was the first thing to get tossed. I wasn¢t surprised. Now that I¢m out here, I can see that the opportunities to play cards will be few and far between. I might miss them a little on rainy days, but it¢s not worth the weight and bulk. I will be sending home my Vibram shoes. (Pat, make a note: the crocs were the better choice after all and should be mailed to me in the next food drop.) I¢m sending home my gaiters, reluctantly¢¦I still think those could be useful. I¢m sending home my sink (yes, I had a sink in my backpack!), lightweight thermal underwear, and extra socks. My down vest is going home and, believe it or not, my water filter. In my quest to shed as much weight as possible from my pack, I¢m willing to use water treatment drops and just deal with the taste. I might change my mind on this, because this particular sacrifice doesn¢t feel good to me. (Pat, all of these things should be stored in Hiker Central for easy access in case I decide I want you to send them back to me.) I¢ve shed several pounds of weight by following the hiking guru¢s instructions. For the most part, he was pretty impressed with my gear and didn¢t make recommendations to switch anything out; he just suggested that I ditch some of it. So, I¢ll take his recommendations and see if I miss any of these items.Anyway, my host Bruce waited patiently as I went through my shakedown, then we climbed into his truck and headed to the nearby town of Cleveland GA. The post office there had a food drop for me, and my bounce box, so we picked those items up. I played phone tag with my family physician for a while. I was hoping to have him call in a new prescription for me because I¢m still struggling with my cough.Bruce and Darlene prepared a wonderful meal for me, and I enjoyed their company immensely. They were very interested to hear of my experiences of the first days on the trail, and we passed a pleasant evening. These folks are so warm and generous, and it¢s a privilege to meet folks of their ilk.
Date: 2011-04-07
From: Cleveland, GA

To: Tesnatee Gap
Miles today: 5.5

Slackpacking April 7, 2011:START: Neel's GapFINISH: Tesnatee GapSTEPS: 21,597MILES: 5.5A nice, easy day today. Bruce drove me to Neel¢s Gap, where I last exited the AT, and I hiked from there to Tesnatee Gap. Today is what is called a ¢Nero Day,¢ a day of very low mileage. Still, I put a few miles under these feet and enjoyed a really low-key day. The highlight of my day was meeting a delightful trio of fine gentlemen: a father, Chris, and his two young sons: Reid (age 9), and Ross (age 10). They were fantastic company, and as soon as I am able to post photos, I¢ll be adding theirs to this entry. Fellas, your company on the trail was a delight to both Tessa and to me.As Bruce and Darlene continue to host me, I was able to leave a lot of my gear at their house and travel with a much lighter load. They will be hosting me one more night, so I¢ll get to ¢slackpack¢ again tomorrow. (Maybe I should put a glossary of trail terms on this website, huh?)The day ended with a delicious meal prepared by Darlene: homemade burgers and fries. YUM!!!! I turned in early and got the first good night¢s rest I¢ve had since I left home.By the way, my doctor did call in a new medication for me, Azithromycin. I sure hope it helps. This cough is tough to deal with.
Date: 2011-04-08
From: Tesnatee Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 14.7

More Slackpacking April 8, 2011: START: Tesnatee GapFINISH: Unicoi GapSTEPS: 44,563MILES: 14.7My last day of being hosted by Bruce and Darlene. They have been so very kind, and have treated me like a member of their family come to visit. They have gone out of their way to take me to the post office, drugstore and grocery store. They have taken me to and from the trail repeatedly. They have prepared me delicious meals and basically have shown me incredible generosity. Bruce and Darlene, I am more grateful than I can express. You¢ve made these days so wonderful!Thanks to Bruce and Darlene¢s kindness, I get to slackpack one more day. I get to hike carrying far less gear than on previous days. Today won¢t be a Nero, however; today will be my longest day yet: 14.7 miles to Unicoi Gap. I need to get going!
Date: 2011-04-09
From: Unicoi Gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Onward and Upward April 9, 2011: START: Unicoi GapFINISH:STEPS:MILES:The first phase of my trip is over, and other than the storm, I feel that I have been given the unique ability to ease myself into this new lifestyle. For the most part, the weather has been kind, and although the terrain is much more than I¢d anticipated, I feel up to it. I¢ll just be as slow as all get-out for a while, but strength and fitness will come soon enough, and I¢ll be able to make some more significant miles. I can already feel myself growing stronger, and my pants are becoming baggy. I¢m going to need a belt soon.For this next stretch, I am going to attempt to do an average of 10 miles per day for the next 6 days. My next town stop will be in Bryson City, NC. Pat, make a note: this is where you¢ll be sending my next drop.Here¢s the plan:April 9, 2011: Unicoi Gap to around Tray Mountain Shelter: 5.6 milesApril 10, 2011: Tray Mountain Shelter to Dick¢s Creek Gap/Hiawassee GA: 11 milesApril 11, 2011: Hiawassee GA to Muskrat Creek Shelter: 11.8 milesApril 12, 2011: Muskrat Creek Shelter to Carter Gap Shelter: 12.5 milesApril 13, 2011: Carter Gap Shelter to Rock Gap Shelter: 12.1 milesApril 14, 2011: Rock Gap Shelter to Siler Bald Shelter: 7.5 milesApril 15, 2011: Siler Bald Shelter to Cold Springs Shelter: 12.1 milesApril 16, 2011: Cold Springs Shelter to Bryson City, NC: 11.5 milesMail Drop: Bryson City NC, 28713Ivi, this represents 84.1 miles in 8 days with no break, and these are mountain miles. Is this tough enough? I¢ll try really hard not to enjoy myself, I promise.Today on the agenda: finish coordinating plans for the upcoming stretch, package bounce box to be mailed to Bryson City; package box of stuff to be sent home; talk to Pat about blogs and communications.By the way, folks¢¦I guess you¢ve seen that my SPOT device doesn¢t always work. I went about 4 hours yesterday, maybe even more, during which time my SPOT didn¢t send a signal. I¢m not sure why, but unfortunately it looks like there¢ll be times when I might disappear from radar. Pat is going to call the folks at SPOT to see what¢s up, but I suspect that this will be something we¢ll just have to deal with.With my long upcoming stretch I fear that I¢ll run out of juice on my electronics before I¢m able to recharge again. I¢ll just do my best; you¢ll likely not hear from me for awhile and then there¢ll be a number of entries at once, just like in these past several days. But you¢ll still be able to follow my SPOT when it¢s working properly.By the way, the cough is MUCH better. Thank you, Dr. Hahn! And Tim (aka Dr. Wellik), I am brushing and flossing my teeth every day and using my night guard. I have one of the sunniest smiles on the trail! I am being a very good dental patient.
Date: 2011-04-10
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: broken clouds

It¢s 6:30 am and still pitch black. I woke up half an hour ago and couldn¢t sleep anymore, and I¢m itching to break camp and head out. Unfortunately, I can¢t. I decided to camp near others last night, the only time other than the storm that I have done so, and now I¢m afraid my rustlings will wake the neighbors. And unfortunately this night, I have a LOT of neighbors. For whatever reason, this looks like a tent city. There must be at least eight tents nearby, and the shelter is full with a troop of boy scouts. Much to my surprise, I have discovered that I actually like to camp alone, away from shelters and other folks. There are lots of good, practical reasons to stealth camp alone:1. It¢s far quieter2. I can make my own decisions about how I¢ll camp, and not have to concern myself with others¢ preferences. For instance, the bear bag issue, which I¢ll address later.3. I can rummage around in my stuff without worrying that my rummaging might make noises that will disturb others.4. I can chat aloud with Tessa to my heart¢s content.5. I can bang away on my computer keyboard without worrying that I¢ll disturb others.6. I can wear my headlamp late into the night to blog or read without worrying that I¢ll disturb others.7. I can sneak away into the great outdoors to answer nature¢s call far more stealthily when alone than when surrounded by other tents.8. I can wake up early, as I have today, and pack my gear and go when I am ready.So I¢ve learned that, for my style of backpacking, I¢m better alone. Who would have though it? I mean, I love to chat with people and make new friends. At home when I¢m alone in a room I keep the television or radio turned on just so they¢ll be voices to keep me company. But out here I am discovering that my experience is richer if I do my own thing for the most part, and just greet others and pass the time with them an hour here, a couple of hours there, but mostly keep my own pace and my own space. Go figure.The sun is finally beginning to rise so I¢ll close this entry for now. Tomorrow¢s topic: bears, string and trail names.
Date: 2011-04-11
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Weird day¢¦long day. Got up early, as usual, and seemed to get going more quickly. Maybe it means I¢m figuring out a more efficient routine in breaking camp. I hope so. It seems to take me way too long to do all of my ¢housekeeping¢ in the mornings. I tried really hard to push it today, especially since yesterday I didn¢t make it to Hiawassee, as I¢d hoped. The terrain was just more challenging than I planned for and I got tired too soon. I think my goals this week might be on the optimistic side, but I¢m going to push as hard as I can. I think I almost made up for lost time today, but I can¢t be entirely sure where I am. I¢m hoping that I¢m somewhere between Blue Ridge Gap and the GA/NC state lines. I believe I may even have crossed that state line, which is exciting. If not, I¢ll cross it early tomorrow, and in either case it¢s a small milestone. So that¢s a positive for today.A negative, and it¢s a biggie, is that someone has taken my hiking poles, and those are a tool that sure makes a difference out here. I believe that someone is a well-meaning person who thought someone had left them at the Dick¢s Creek Gap AT sign and hiked on without them. That¢s the impression I got from someone who talked to the person who took them. I understood his plan to be to take the poles further up the trail and look for whoever left them. Well, that person was ME, and I hadn¢t left yet! I was eating lunch and left them by the sign.
Date: 2011-04-12
From: Campsite around mile 74

To: Muskrat Creek Shelte
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: moderate rain

Terrible weather forced us to halt our hike early. Tessa and I crossed the border from Georgia into North Carolina, and our welcome into North Carolina was a major butt-kicking: sleet, rain, and horrible winds. Tessa and I were drenched and miserable. I¢d wanted so badly to put some better miles under my feet, but there was just no way. When the winds and rain came up, Tessa and I were high up on some bluffs with no place to get out of the weather. I was miserable and I had several layers of clothing on. Poor Tessa just had her backpack, and she was trembling so badly that I knew we couldn¢t go much further. We¢d been hiking with some really nice fellows, and they moved on but Tessa and I stopped as soon as we reached Muskrat Shelter. I shared a mug of cocoa with Kong (I sure enjoyed hiking with you, man¢¦happy trails now and forever), then set up my sleeping bag on the shelter floor and Tessa moved right in. (She came out ONCE, to relieve herself, but otherwise stayed in my sleeping bag for 18 hours.) It was so damned cold that I, too, retreated to my sleeping bad and emerged only to eat and relieve myself. I wanted to blog, or even write, but the temperature was so frigid that I didn¢t even want to take my arms out of my sleeping bag. It¢s the longest I¢ve ever sat and done absolutely nothing in my entire life. I was far from alone, too. Fourteen of us crowded into that shelter, and other hikers came hoping to bed down, too. It was a miserable night, and I would later learn that about 40 thru-hikers decided to end their adventure after the experience. I¢m sorry to see that their treks have come to an end, but mine will go on. I knew there would be difficult days, but that¢s just part of it. If it were sunshine and lollipops every day it wouldn¢t be much of an adventure.In the shelter with me were Dude, Swing Low, Pigeon Pot Pie, Meatloaf, Quiet, Lt. Dan, Jeff and Body Snatcher. (Don¢t you love the names?!) We had fun conversation as we huddled together against the cold. It was an unforgettable night, and one I don¢t want to repeat in this lifetime, despite the delightful company. BUT if ever I have to seek shelter against a storm again, I can¢t imagine more companionable bedfellows.
Date: 2011-04-13
From: Muskrat Creek Shelte

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a gorgeous day, and much needed after the day we had yesterday. Tessa and I pushed hard (yes, the miles don¢t sound like much, but believe me, they are!), and I am pleased about today¢s performance. We decided to end the day at a shelter, a rarity for me as up to now I¢d only camped in or near a shelter when bad weather struck. There were only three of us, so it made for a pretty comfortable sleep, and it was kind of nice not to pitch my tent. Still, I¢m not so sure I like bunking down with others anymore. I kind of like my personal space in my own tent.
Date: 2011-04-14
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Another good mileage day, and I FINALLY caught up to my poles! It took me three days, but I have them. A hiker named Henry took the poles, thinking that they belonged to his friend. His intent was to catch up to the friend and return what he assumed were his friend's forgotten poles. Meanwhile, I KNEW that someone up ahead had my poles and I couldn't catch up to him. So, I told every hiker I encountered to pass the word up the trail that the poles belonged to me, and that Mr. Good Samaritain should leave the poles at the nearest shelter. I checked each shelter as I passed it, and finally, in a corner of one of the shelters (I can't remember which one but it will show up in my photographs), were my poles with a note attached, signed "Henry." Yay! You can't imagine how important a tool is a pair of hiking poles on terrain such as this. Glad to have them back!The day was beyond gorgeous, I made some good miles, and I got my poles back. All in all, a very good day!
Date: 2011-04-15
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: overcast clouds

A nero day (a day with nearly zero miles) due to my desire for a town stop. I am going to wash some clothes, wash me, resupply my pack, have a beer and just chill out.LATER: I walked to a thrift store to buy a dress to wear while I washed my clothes. Most hikers don their rain gear to do their wash, but unfortunately, my rain skirt is see-through, so I don¢t have that option. Since my entire wardrobe on the trail consists of what I am wearing, I need to find something else to wear while I wash my clothes. In my bounce box I have a change of clothes to wear to do my wash, but my bounce box is on its way to Bryson City. So, here in Franklin, I had to get a little creative. I bought a dreadfully frumpy dress, circa 1970¢s or 80¢s, for $3.00. I put it on, then put all of my dirty trail clothes into a trash bag and walked a couple of miles to a laundromat. And let me tell you, I was looking damned good! A frumpy, outdated dress 2 sizes too big, paired with my hiking boots and a trash bag full of dirty clothes. I¢ve reached new heights in the world of fashion. Pat, you wouldn¢t have been able to keep your hands to yourself, I was looking so hot. Real hiker trash! I did get some funny sideways glances, but they just made me giggle. The folks have no idea the life I left behind to undertake this adventure. Out here I¢m just another dirty, smelly hiker.