morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-01-14
To: How Hiking the A.T. is not like Rafting in Alaska
Miles today: 0.0

A hiker tip on how to salvage ¢the most important item in the Alaska survival kit¢:Relatively speaking, when you¢re rafting in Alaska, gear weight is not an issue. If you want a folding table so you have a place to prepare lunch, or a set of camp stools to keep yourself off the ground ¢ no problem: just fold ¢em up, chunk ¢em on the pile, and strap ¢em down. However, hiking the A.T. is a different breed of cat. Weight adds up quickly when you¢re talking about a backpack, and if an item doesn¢t have at least two uses, maybe you better leave it home.Which brings us to the humble deck of cards. As previously detailed, given Alaska¢s fickle weather which can unexpectedly ground even the most intrepid bush pilot, and leave you stranded in the wilderness, a deck of cards is the most important, most indispensible single item you can carry. But for the A.T. thru hiker, the deck of cards moves from the ¢can¢t do without¢ to the ¢luxury¢ category. (I guess I can come up with a couple of other trail uses for playing cards, but after you¢ve used up several of them, keeping track of what¢s left during a game would be more trouble than it¢s worth¢¦)Anyway, looking at our total gear list, an ounce and a half was all we could spare if we wanted to include a deck of cards. X thought she had solved the problem when discovered a pack of Little Critters Mini-Playing Cards. Indeed, it looked like the answer, until we put the deck on the scale and found it weighted 1.55 ounces. We were 0.05 ounces over our limit! We considered leaving the package at home to save weight, but quickly decided the loose cards would be unmanageable. However, the small tab with the hole for the display rack was easily removed. We studied how many card games would require the jokers, and decided both jokers needed to stay; but the two included cards with the interpretive messages on young animals were deemed non-essential. As you can see here, I am pleased to report this successful exercise enabled us to trim off 0.05 ounces, and get the weight for the deck down to the required 1.5 oz. limit.Although X is now talking about trading the cards for an ounce and a half of make-up. With less than three months to go, the trail preparation continues¢¦ -N
Date: 2012-01-15
To: A Short Parable
Miles today: 0.0

A Short Parable Explaining Why Take Six Months Off to Thru-hike the Appalachian Trail:A man comes to the information desk at Grand Canyon National Park. The young Park Ranger asks ¢May I help you, sir?¢ The man says ¢I¢m here for the first time, and only have an hour and a half. What¢s the first thing I should do?¢ The young Ranger replies ¢Well, sir, I don¢t know about you; but if I was at the Grand Canyon for the first time, and I only had an hour and a half, the first thing I¢d do would be sit down and cry¢¦¢
Date: 2012-01-16
To: Six Degrees of Separation: John Wesley Powell
Miles today: 0.0

Six Degrees of Separation: Part 1Of the many versions of the story Benton MacKaye told of how his notion of an Appalachian Trail first came to be, my favorite is it occurred in 1891 in Washington DC while listening to the bearded Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell recount to an enthralled audience his historic 1869 trip down the Colorado River.In preparation for our A.T. hike, in appreciation of Powell¢s second-hand contribution to the trail, in the late summer of 2011 we made our way past the home of Robert E. Lee to Section 1 of the Arlington National Cemetery to pay our respects. Major Powell - a legendary man who faced down war, wilderness, and politicians throughout the course of his long and adventurous life. -N
Date: 2012-01-17
To: The 5:15 a.m. Routine
Miles today: 0.0

Observing a One Month AnniversaryLast April I woke up one morning and said to myself, ¢exactly one year until the hike starts, time to get in shape and can¢t miss another day of exercise.¢ But I did.Then Memorial Day weekend, I said ¢summer season is here ¢ workout every day until Springer.¢ But I didn¢t.Then July rolled around and on my birthday I said ¢OK, you¢ve turned 64, it¢s now or never.¢ But it wasn¢t.In September came our final 100-mile shakedown hike, and huffing and puffing and wheezing at the end, I said to myself, ¢this is a good start and there¢s still time to get in shape.¢ But then here came the end of Daylight Saving Time, and I not only didn¢t, I gained ten pounds!Finally, on December 17th, the 108th anniversary of the Wright Brothers¢ first airplane flight, I walked out of the house at 5:15 a.m., and said ¢no matter what the weather, no matter what the location, no matter what the mental attitude; every morning it¢s at least three and a half miles, and in at least 14-minute pace.¢ Since then I¢ve seen cold and I¢ve seen humid, I¢ve had full moon and fog, but I haven¢t had as many rainy mornings as I would have expected. And, one month later: so far, so good¢¦-N
Date: 2012-01-18
To: Marathon Efforts and Records
Miles today: 0.0

Being the first trail blog to ever mention Queen Victoria and allude to JPD on the same day!Walking the entire A.T. is like doing 83.3 marathons back to back. The standard marathon distance is 26.21875 miles. One might be inclined to suppose this unusual length in the English measuring system is the result of a whole number in its metric equivalent, but this would not be the case, as the marathon distance is 42.195km.Today¢s marathon race dates to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The initial race was 25 miles long, the distance from Marathon to Athens, Greece. With the approach of the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, the course distance was modified to accommodate a start near Queen Victoria¢s statue at Windsor Castle (26 miles from the Olympic venue), and a finish inside the Olympic stadium in view of Queen Alexandra and the Royal Box (an additional 385 yards).Although the marathon distance was finally standardized at that distance in 1921, the year Benton MacKaye first wrote about his trail plan, the A.T. today shows no sign of settling on one such set distance anytime soon. Which got me thinking about all the brouhaha in 2011 over Appalachian Trail speed records and the slippery slope of maintaining speed records in general.For if someone was to claim a speed record for hiking the entire Appalachian Trail in 2011 in - say - 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes or so, and now in 2012 the official distance for the trail has been raised to 2184.2, their record, like the entire slate of records at that distance, has now been wiped completely clean. Any record holder from last year was almost 16,000 feet short in their effort, compared to the current standard. Who knows how long a 2011 record holder might have needed to complete that missing distance. Why they may have required a twelve hour nap before they could even begin to attempt it! So, with the new distance, there will be a new record this year, even if the count of days numbers in the fifties. As for that type of competition this year, I think I¢ll sit it out. In 1979 I read an article in a medical journal that said you lose 10% of your I.Q. every time you run a marathon. At that point I stopped racing, as I had run nine, and figured I didn¢t have any more room to spare¢¦This contingent from the North Carolina Track Club (with N pictured in white cap) finished 19th, 28th, 37th, 9th, and 34th at the A.A.U. national championship marathon held at the Yonkers Raceway in June 1974: -N
Date: 2012-01-19
To: Practicing the ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂGoing to Town to Re-SupplyÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
Miles today: 0.0

Some people say it is impossible to duplicate Trail conditions at home while you¢re preparing for your hike. They say the only way to get ready to hike the A.T. is to get out on the A.T. and do it.We say you can simulate all aspects of the trail before you leave for Springer Mountain. All it takes is a little creativity.Take for example, the task of going to town to re-supply, a task you will need to perform every four days or so, unless you want to carry a very, very heavy pack. We had been following a circular route on our daily predawn walks. Then we measured the shortest distance to Donald¢s Donuts on the other side of town, and discovered Donald¢s is right at the half way point of a straight line out and back route from our house at our normal walking distance.So now when we want to practice ¢Going to Town to Re-Supply,¢ we pretend that our house is a trail/ road crossing, head on over to Donald¢s (which simulates a trail town place to re-supply) and load up on two (or more) donuts and a cup of coffee. Why it¢s just like being in Hot Springs or Damascus, and restocking!Only by the time we get back home (that is, our pretend current trail/ road crossing site) we find we have already eaten our entire simulated re-supply, and we are so hungry we are ready to head back and do it again. Donald¢s does make a good donut¢¦-X
Date: 2012-01-20
To: Walking in Memphis
Miles today: 0.0

Walking in Memphis(Walking in Memphis) I was walking with my feet, ten feet off of BealeWalking in Memphis(Walking in Memphis) But do I really feelthe way I feel¢¦-Marc CohnBusiness brought us to Memphis last night, so our early morning exercise today would be at the extreme western edge of Tennessee. In just a matter of months we hope to be walking Tennessee's extreme eastern border on the AT, and that will be the highest ground on the whole hike, but for today we're close to the state's lowest point where the Mighty Mississippi River flows south past Tennessee's southwest corner, to reach the river's namesake state. I was expecting a pretty flat course down on Riverside Blvd., but as I ran along the river walk beside the luxury homes and condominiums at the edge of the Memphis Bluffs, I found a group of college students walking down the stairs, then running back up the steep grassy bank, only to do it all over again. Imagine, hill work in the dark in the Mississippi Delta. Who'd a thunk it? If I could do this every day, I think I'd be shape for the Georgia mountains by April...Being away from home this morning will also give us chance to send an entry back to Base Camp for uploading to the web, a first in our hike preparation. Wish us luck, but I guess if you're reading this, it already worked! Looking north on the Riverwalk: Hill work on the Memphis Bluff: The memorial sculpture in Tom Lee Park, depicting a 1925 river rescue, is eerie in the predawn light:-N
Date: 2012-01-21
To: Six Degrees of Separation: John Wesley Powell
Miles today: 0.0

Six Degrees of Separation: Part 2Major John Wesley Powell was the first man to go single-handed through the Grand Canyon by boat. Although he travelled with nine other men on this first expedition, he was able to accomplish this feat because he had lost his other hand on the edge of Wicker Field at the 1862 Battle of Shiloh.With family in tow, I made my first trip to Shiloh¢s Wicker Field in the summer of 1988. The monument to Battery F, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery, is flanked by two cannon at the edge of the woods on the far side of the field. The inscription reads:¢Commanded by Capt. J. W. POWELL, Wounded. Reached this position about 10:00 a.m., April 6, 1862, and until 4 p.m. was in action on this line. Casualties in battle were 1 officer and 5 men wounded; 3 men missing; total, 9.¢ Powell was wounded when he raised his right arm to give a signal and was struck in the wrist by a minie ball. Despite several subsequent operations, Powell lost most of his arm, and lived with pain the rest of his life. He returned to the Army and fought at Vicksburg, Atlanta, and Nashville. Little did I know barely two years later, we'd be coming back to live near the site of Powell's wounding:-X
Date: 2012-01-22
To: The last (?) trip to REI
Miles today: 0.0

When you live three hours from the nearest REI, any visit is a big event. Yesterday, a trip to Nashville to visit our #2 son gave us the chance for one more stop at this A T prep Mecca.As our gear list is so close to being final that adding anything most likely means just more weight, and not being better prepared, REI can be a dangerous place. For the most part, we resisted the temptation of the unnecessary, and came out with only a light weight pair of gaiters for me, a 2 liter dry sack for N, and a few packages of freeze dried food to stick away in the Base Camp pantry until needed...This morning we had the opportunity to get out on the Stones River Greenway and do a six mile speed walk before daybreak. Very foggy, but very nice.-X
Date: 2012-01-23
To: An AT highpoint 
Miles today: 0.0

We were soaked and filthy, desperately needing a launderette, clean, dry clothes, a square meal, and a Ripley¢s Believe It or Not Museum. It was time to go to Gatlinburg¢¦-Bill BrysonA business trip to Gatlinburg last August gave us all the excuse we needed to plan a final practice hike on the A.T. We got to town in the late afternoon and as my meeting didn¢t begin until the next morning, we decided to head up to Clingmans Dome to see the sunset. We stopped by ¢Old Dad¢s General Store and Deli¢ (1127 Parkway ¢ apparently newly renovated and renamed) where they prepared us a nice picnic lunch. However, road construction really slowed our drive up to Newfound Gap, and when we made the turn up to Clingmans Dome, we found ourselves in the clouds and no sunlight to be seen. A couple of ¢bear watch¢ traffic jams further delayed us, and it was past sunset when we finally got to the parking lot. We took a detour to briefly stand on the Trail, and then made our way through the thick fog to the "toothpaste from tube" shaped tower. Totally socked in at the top, we did not dally, and wound up taking our now picnic supper bag back to the hotel.-N
Date: 2012-01-24
To: ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂThe Top of Old SmokyÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
Miles today: 0.0

During the drive home from our early Fall shakedown hike, there was some discussion as to whether X had previously summited the ¢Highest Peak in Tennessee.¢A check of some really old family albums when we got back confirmed X has now made two ascents of the famed Clingman¢s Dome.If we are successful in returning here on foot in 2012, we will be on the AT section that holds the longest continuous height to confront thru hikers ¢ 34 miles above 5,000 feet. That¢s another reason to make a late start to our hike, as every 1,000 gain in elevation translates into three degrees cooler temperatures¢¦X with her youngest on the current 45-foot circular Clingmans Dome observation deck, which replaced the original CCC tower in 1960: -N
Date: 2012-01-25
To: Art in the Interior
Miles today: 0.0

Washington's Department of the Interior Building was one of the first constructed during FDR's "New Deal." As an interesting aspect of this project, 1% of the total budget was reserved to include public art. Today almost four dozen murals are spread throughout the building, designed to educate and inspire both employees and the visiting public.Taking a tour of Main Interior this week to explore this art, I passed a painting in one hallway which included two idealic hikers out birdwatching. What joy! What happiness! Why, the work seemed to capture the true spirit of a perfect hike...I ask you, gentle reader, to bookmark this entry, and then whenever during the course of our hike we are too cold, too wet, too tired, or too hungry to write anything positive about the day, we will be able to insert the phrase "PlzGo2JAN25," and you will be able to refer back to this photo to see what a better frame of mind we will be in as soon as the sun reappears...-N
Date: 2012-01-26
To: Art in the Interior (Part 2)
Miles today: 0.0

In describing my participation in N's thru hike, early on I often said "I'm just along for the ride." When returning from a day of sightseeing at the Smithsonian museums, I looked over his pictures taken at the Department of the Interior office building, and decided this picture certainly describes that feeling: I think we are indeed in store for quite a wildride. Hold on to your hat!-X
Date: 2012-01-27
To: In Memoriam - A.L.M.
Miles today: 0.0

A famous landmark on the A.T. is the monument at the site of the plane crash that took the life of Audie L. Murphy, America's most decorated hero from World War II. In preparation for our thru hike, we thought it most appropriate while in the nation's capital, to drive to Arlington National Cemetery to visit his grave.On June 7, 1971, Murphy was buried with full military honors in Section 46, headstone number 46-366-11, located across Memorial Drive from the Amphitheater. To accommodate the large number of people who visit to pay their respects, a special flagstone walkway leads to the site, Arlington¢s second most-visited grave site, after that of President John F. Kennedy.The headstones of Medal of Honor recipients buried at Arlington National Cemetery are normally decorated in gold leaf. Murphy previously requested that his stone remain plain and inconspicuous, like that of an ordinary soldier. The abbreviations on his stone stand for DSC - Distinguished Service Cross; SS - Silver Star; LM - Legion of Merit; BSM - Bronze Star Medal; PH - Purple Heart; and OLC - Oak Leaf Cluster. An Oak Leaf Cluster signifies a subsequent award of the same decoration.Around 11:08 a.m. on May 28, 1971, Audie Murphy was killed when the private plane in which he was a passenger crashed into Brush Mountain, near Catawba, Virginia, 20 miles west of Roanoke, in conditions of rain and fog with zero visibility. The pilot and four other passengers were also killed. This monument was erected in 1974 near the crash site, 682.6 mile north of Springer Mountain (37.364554N 80.225748W at 3,100' elevation). A close friend, Captain Carl Swickerath (whose own burial site is now directly in front of Murphy's in Arlington National Cemetery), represented the Murphy family at the dedication.-N
Date: 2012-01-28
To: Six Degrees of Separation: John Wesley Powell
Miles today: 0.0

Six Degrees of Separation:Part 3For three years in the late 1980s, we had the treat of living on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, so were frequent visitors to the memorial, just off the West Rim Drive, erected by Congress to the memory of John Wesley Powell. Climbing the monument¢s stone steps to the viewing platform provides a sweeping panorama of the canyon below.Here our new Base Camp Manager is pictured on her first visit to the Powell Memorial in July 2005. A world traveler in her own right, in addition to hiking the Canyon, Ashley has journeyed to Africa and South America, kayaked in Glacier Bay, and rafted ANWR¢s Kongakut River. Agreeing to handle this journal for us while we¢re on the trail (not to mention the daunting task of handling all the other base camp responsibilities!) is quite an undertaking, we predict more of one than she realizes, and we really appreciate her volunteering for this duty. We are only as strong as our support team¢¦ Two different views taken about 90 years apart: Maud Powell, Major Powell¢s niece, looking east at the Memorial in 1918; and our BCM, looking west from the Memorial, shortly after the turn of another century.): -N
Date: 2012-01-30
To: A jumping off place
Miles today: 0.0

Even though I lived nearby, just south of Chattanooga, for six years in the late 1970s, I never got to Springer Mountain until July 2010. That ¢nine mile approach trail¢ business always sounded so ominous and overwhelming, that for years and years, a possible visit to Springer never even made it on my radar. Seemed to me they should have put the start at the bottom of Amicalola Falls: Now that was easily accessible, and by itself worth the trip.Then after the turn of the century, I finally heard about Forest Service Road 42 crossing the Appalachian Trail about a mile from the start, and a visit to the beginning point prior to a thru hike not only made it on the radar, but landed squarely on my front burner. When I found myself in Dahlonega with a free afternoon, I stopped by the Hiker Hostel for directions and headed off towards the Army Rangers¢ Camp Frank D. Merrill, where I avoided the barricades, and drove up the hill.The non-spectacular nature of the view that awaited me was so disappointing that I firmly decided this wasn¢t the place I wanted to end a 2,000 mile hike. After that long a walk, I wanted (heck, I would deserve) a better summit than this. But after that day, the prospect of a thru hike south to north became very real, rather than just something to be talked about¢¦ Warner Hall (so they tell me) posed for original plaque on Springer Mountain in 1933, sculpted by Georgia Appalachian Trail Club member George H. Noble. -N
Date: 2012-01-31
To: My favorite story on the move from Mt. Oglethorpe
Miles today: 0.0

From 1937 to 1958, Georgia¢s Mount Oglethorpe served as the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. However, a proliferation of chicken houses on its lower slopes had an adverse impact on the wilderness experience, and forced a relocation of the trail end from the base of a large monument to James Oglethorpe (founder of Savannah and the Georgia colony in 1733) which sat atop the 3290¢ peak, to Springer Mountain, 20 miles northeast and still the current site. As facilities at Amicalola Falls State Park were developed, the decision was made to obliterate all trace of the original path from Oglethorpe into Amicalola, and this work was accomplished at considerable time and expense.And then about six months later, park officials received a letter from the leader of a Boy Scout troop: My boys recently hiked from Mount Oglethorpe to Springer Mountain. Even though we are very familiar with the trail, we had a very hard time finding our way, as the route was very overgrown and there was not a sign to be found anywhere along the path. It was one of the more difficult hikes we have attempted. However, not to worry: after finishing that day, the boys and I had a discussion, and decided to take on trail maintenance as a troop project. We have put in some long hours over the last three weekends, but we are pleased to report that work is now finished, and once again the trail from Oglethorpe to Springer is free from brush, completely raked, and easy to follow!As they say, Be Prepared¢¦
Date: 2012-02-01
To: In Search of the Original Southern Terminus
Miles today: 0.0

After researching the question of whether or not to do the Approach Trail as part of our upcoming A.T. thru hike, I decided to explore the possibility of starting 20 miles away at Mount Oglethorpe.Mount Oglethorpe is the southernmost peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Until 1930, the hill was called Grassy Knob, but was renamed Mount Oglethorpe in honor of General James Edward Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia. The elevation of Mount Oglethorpe is 3,288 feet, making it the highest point in Pickens County.Most would consider Oglethorpe to be a more dramatic mountain than Springer, but in the 1950s, the construction of a gravel logging road on the slopes of Oglethorpe and the development of a number of pungent chicken farms along the route, contributed to moving the A.T. terminus from its original spot on the former Grassy Knob to Springer Mountain. The summit of Mount Oglethorpe is currently on private property, and it is only accessible with permission from the owner. On my attempt to reach its top, I was encouraged to find open the first gate, with its sign advising the Oglethorpe Monument had been moved to Jasper. However, shortly after, I encountered a second gate with more recent, and certainly more ominous, Keep Out signs:That was enough of a hint for me, and I abandoned my quest¢¦-N
Date: 2012-02-02
To: The Whole Truth about the Oglethorpe Monument
Miles today: 0.0

As taken from A Small Photographic Album of Jasper, GeorgiaNicknamed "The First Mountain City," Jasper is located 50 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia. The Oglethorpe Monument is one of several local attractions annually drawing the interest of sightseers. Standing on an old Cherokee place of worship, according to Wikipedia, the nearby historic Woodbridge Inn (whose sign is barely visible on the right of the monument below) is famous for its menu options and lodging. The Remains of the Original Southern Terminus