morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-24
From: Woody Gap

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

Had a great breakfast at the Hiker Hostel and got a ride to Woody Gap. I left the hostel with 32 ounces of Crystal Light with ice in my water bottle. Thirteen miles yesterday gave me the start of a good blister so I'm planning on doing about 11 miles today. Tried to jury rig my shoes /orthotics and used Vaseline to prevent this blister from getting worse (unfortunately this didn't work). Had a few huge climbs today and I can't believe how tired I am climbing up these mountains. In Phoenix I had no trouble at all climbing the mountains. My pack was lighter (about 23 pounds) so you wouldn't think that would matter. I told a friend of mine from work that I quit running and stopped climbing the stairs because I was aerobically fit and I wasn't concerned about that. Becky if you're reading this I was wrong.   Everyone says when you start the AT don't do more than 10 miles a day for at least two weeks and then eventually you'll get your trail legs. That's good advice that I'm following. In reality I just can do any more. About halfway into my hike today I climbed Blood Mountain which is the tallest mountain in Georgia. It's 4,400 feet and was a gradual up hill climb so it wasn't horrible but it was tough. I ran out of water and 3 young men helped me out and gave me some of theirs. The view was great too bad it was cloudy. I took a few pictures and sat with three hikers while they smoked a joint (I said no when it was passed to me).You would think the climb down would be easy - but it never is. Climbing down is tougher on your knees. The climb down was very rocky and hard to navigate. The trail was not marked very well and I missed a turn and continued down for about 1/2 mile. I couldn't believe how steep it was and thought I was glad I didn't have to climb up that way. Finally I realized this couldn't be the AT so I turned around and climbed back to the last white blaze I saw. It was a brutal climbed, about 60 degrees up solid rock. A white blaze is a paint mark on a tree or rock (6 inches by 2 inches) that marks the trail. White blazes are supposed to be every few hundred feet but at times you don't see one for a quarter mile or so. Seeing a white blaze after not seeing one for 15 minutes can be very exciting because you don't have to back track and walk any further than you have too. Is this what my life has come too - looking for white paint on a tree?About half way down Blood Mountain it started to rain making the rocks very slippery. My hiking poles have saved me from serious falls about 10 times in three days. I reached Neel Gap soaked but happy they had a store. The shelter was full, so Mark my new friend from Atlanta and I rented a cottage for $30.00 a piece. It was a great place - they even did my laundry. That's important because you want to look your best on the AT.   Trivia: it's called Blood Mountain because of a battle between the Creeks and the Cherokees. The mountain ran red with blood. Dean
Date: 2013-04-25
From: Neel Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

Last night I purchased a frozen pizza and cooked it in our cabin. The oven cooked a little fast (in other words I burnt it) but it was great. Got up and packed up and started to head to the AT. I walked back into the cabin for one final check to make sure I had everything and found the lens of my glasses on the floor near the oven. This was a lucky break because I can't see anything without my glasses. I stopped at the outfitter and he repaired them. The day before I left a clerk at an eye glasses place refused to even try to tighten them saying the frames were too brittle. Started my hike about 9:30 which is later than I prefer. As usual when you leave a road or town you have to climb back up the mountain. Early in the day this isn't too bad but these climbs are kicking my tail - like I said before I'm not as fit as I thought I was. About an hour into the day I notices I hadn't seen a white blaze in a while so I started to get worried I was off the AT. I walked another 10 minutes and then turned around and started back up the hill. After about 15 minutes I ran into another hiker (Scott from North Carolina) and we decided to keep going down the hill). Thank God we were on the right path). Scott and I hiked together the rest do the day and hiked 11.7 miles (plus my extra .5 or so - I hope you're keeping track of all this) from Neel Gap to Low Gap Shelter. We arrived about 4:00 or so and the shelter was full. As I approached the picnic area I tripped and the weight of my pack threw me to the ground and I landed right on my arm. A few scraps and a bruised ego in front of 8 other hikers. My first tenting night on the AT. I put up my tent and waterproofed it two day before coming to Georgia so I was pretty confident. It was a horrible night. Everything that could go wrong did. Let me list the top few:   My tent looked like a third grader set it up (good thing my daughter in law Jenny bought me extra tent stakes) I had my sandals on tripped and stepped on a tent stake - good thing I didn't get a puncture wound, I put up the door on the wrong side and had to sleep with my head going down hill, when we waterproofed the tent it said to treat the bottom of the tent to prevent slippage - I thought I'm not going to slip so I didn't do it. They didn't mean me, my sleeping pad slipped to one side all night because I was on a slight hill. Had to wake up twice to go to the bathroom and I knocked the tent down each time. Met a nice guy with the trail name of rerun. He was given this name because he left a shelter and became lost. He spent 2 days and nights in the Georgia mountains before he found his way back to the AT.   That's why I selected the trail name retina before someone gave me one like: can't figure out how to set up a tent, he who trips and falls or blind like a bat. Anyway I slept about 3 hours. It's suppose to rain Saturday, Sunday and Monday. That should make the trip even more enjoyable. Dean
Date: 2013-04-26
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 5 - I think. Got up early and started to break camp. Forced myself to drink 32 ounces of water and ate some oatmeal. That's one of my problems I have to eat and drink more. I can't eat: I don't feel like trail food. I feel like a hamburger or hotdog. I used to love Cliff Bars now I can't stand to look at them and all I can think of is they are too heavy to carry around in my pack all day. (My wife Judy is mailing me some more in 2 days, so I gave another hiker the 8 Cliff Bars I had in my pack). We stayed at Low Gap last night. Gaps in the mountains are beautiful but you have to climb out and the name Low Gap implies to me it will be a long climb up. Rain is in the forecast for the next three day so I want to get to Hiawassee, Georgia my first trail town as soon as possible. My plan is to try and make it to Tray Mountain Shelter today which is 15.4 miles. That's probably like walking from the Federal Courthouse in downtown Milwaukee to Waukesha or a little further. If I was walking around West Allis I could cover that distance in about 4 hours, but through the Appalachian Mountains I'm lucky to do 2 miles an hour. Started about 8:30 and the first part of my day went very good. I usually stop and take a break about every 1 1/2 to 2 hours and try to eat something if I can. I'll take my socks off and air out my feet. I put Vaseline on any hot spots. I also put on a new pair (dry pair) of socks and hang the other socks on my pack to dry out. By two o'clock I had logged in almost 10 miles. I knew two huge mountains were coming up and I needed energy, so I found the pack of peanut butter and crackers Kurt's girlfriend Andrea had given me. This really helped and did the trick for a while. It took me 4hours to finish the last 5 miles. I was exhausted when I arrived in camp after 6:00. The shelter was full but they were nice enough to move over. I ate a Mountain House lasagna meal and it was great.   Eight of us slept in a shelter about 8 feet by 16. You have about 2 1/2 feet of space to lay down. Thank God they did because it started raining about midnight and continued all night. Nothing more enjoyable than going to the bathroom in the rain, except packing up in the rain and hiking on.
Date: 2013-04-27
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap / Blueberry Patch Hostel
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It's raining pretty hard and I don't feel very motivated. Rain is in the forecast for the next few days, so I'm going to gut it out and hike 11 miles to Dicks Creek Gap. From there I will hitch a ride to the Blueberry Hostel. I promised my daughter Teresa I wouldn't hitchhike because of all the serial killers out there, but its tough to walk another 11miles into town. I think it's my obligation to take advantage of southern hospitality. As I was hiking along I was thinking about many things and then it dawned on me that it was my birthday. Thought about past birthdays and wished for a big piece of ice cream cake. I was also thinking how lucky I am: great family (who actually care about me), good friends, good job and this may sound stupid but most of all I was thinking how lucky I was to not have any injuries so far on the AT. These mountains are not very forgiving and I've met dozens of people who are injured and have taken two or three zero days in the first few days of their hike. One woman had shoe problems and walked 7 miles barefoot. A zero day is a rest day when you don't log any miles on the AT. I'm going to wait the rain out and zero tomorrow. About three hours into my day I slipped on some mud and fell on top of my hiking pole. I heard a crack and thought for sure I broke my pole but it was fine. My ribs hurt like hell and I think crack was either my ribs or a stick. Anyway I said a few four letter words and limped into Deep Gap Shelter to get out of the rain. I was running on empty so I made some Ramon Noodles. This tasted like a gourmet dinner. I may have to start cooking lunch on the trail from now on. I still had 3.6 miles to do and I tried to walk very carefully. It was down hill and I fell 2 (maybe it was 3) more times. I jammed my poles in the ground with each step for support and felt pain in my ribs with every step I took. A day off tomorrow sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Spent the night at the Blueberry Hostel. This is a operated by a husband and wife who do this as part of a Christian ministry. They were great people: did my laundry, dropped us in town so we could eat at Dairy Queen and also to pick up supplies and made us a huge breakfast.   Tomorrow, Greg a fellow hiker from the Philippines and I will share a room at the Budget Inn. DeanPS   I hope I'm not offending anyone with some of the stupid things I say from time to time. I just have a different sense of humor. I do apologize in advance for any stupid comments.
Date: 2013-04-28
From: Dicks Creek Gap / Blueberry Patch Hostel

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

Taking a zero day today and staying at the Budget Inn. It's a small little motel with about 20 rooms. In the 7 days I've been gone I've stayed in 2 hostels, a beautiful cabin, a hotel and spent 3 nights on the AT. I've shared rooms with people and paid about $25.00 a night to live like a human being and it's been good for my sanity. So I'm not exactly Grizzly Adams yet but I'll get better. I'm just about out of Georgia so let me give you a few lessons learned in my first 6 days on the AT. 1.   If you're hiking down the trail (or walking down the hallway at work) and notice someone about two feet off the trail taking a dump. I mean I was close enough to see you know what. STOP immediately and pretend to adjust your gear. When he's done walk quickly by. Don't stop and talk to him, just nod and smile. What ever you do don't shake his hand. As a point of interest you're supposed to do your business 200 feet off the trail. 2.   Some people have said the mountains in Georgia are tough and that after a few weeks you'll get used to this. I hope they are correct because at times I'm really struggling. 3. If someone offers you a joint, smile politely and say no thanks. It may sound stupid but I was glad he asked me - that means he thinks I'm ok. I think the last time I was offered a joint was in the Marine Corps. I'm sure glad I said no and left back then because they got busted by the MP's and were dishonorably discharged. I don't think I would have ever been hired as a cop if I didn't leave when I did. 4. Hike your own hike. Don't worry about how fast other people are going. You'll get there eventually if you stay on track with what you're going. 5. People have been great. 6. Met some very interesting people. I'm keeping track in my IPad. Some things I just can't print in my journal.   Dean
Date: 2013-04-29
From: Dicks Creek Gap / Blueberry Patch Hostel

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

I got a great nights sleep in the dumpy little hotel I was staying in. But on the other side of the coin it was like the Taj Mahal when you compare it to spending the day hiking and sleeping in the rain. My ribs are still sore but it's not raining so I'm going back to the AT. I hope the trail dries quickly. My pack will be heavier with my food re-supply. My goal is to try and get into North Carolina but the climb is supposed to be a challenge. Actually I just thought of a new goal - try and not fall down on my ribs today. We took the shuttle from the hotel back to Dicks Creek Gap where I left the AT on Saturday afternoon. The old van didn't seem like it was going to make it back to the trail. It was jammed with 12 hikers who all wanted to hike 11.8 miles to Muskrat Creek Shelter. This shelter only holds 6 people so this means I may to tent this evening if I can make it that far. As usual the climb out of the gap was difficult. My ribs were killing me, I should have taken another zero day. The pack was really pushing on my ribs and I couldn't breath so I had to loosen it up on my left side. Because the pack was not completely on my back this caused significant back pain.I crossed into North Carolina and took a picture of the tree that marked the border between Georgia and NC. Also took a picture of an old crooked tree which is the most photographed tree on the AT.   The bottom line is this was a horrible day. If I was a Navy Seal I would have rung the bell. I may have to gut out the next 30 miles and get into Franklin, NC and see a doctor.
Date: 2013-04-30
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

After a rotten nights sleep I had trouble getting up because my ribs and back hurt so much. I couldn't gut out another day like yesterday so I took an Aleve. I hate taking pills to control pain but that's the way it goes. Now I only have 135 Aleve jammed into that little bottle (just in case).The Aleve worked my ribs stopped hurting so much and I was able to function. After a few hours of hiking we came to a parking lot. A trail angel left cold soda for the hikers. I gulped down a cold Mountain Dew which really did the trick. A trail angel is a person who does things for the hikers (cooks hot dogs, hamburgers, provides cold soda etc). This random act of kindness was the best thing that has happened to me in at least a week. Everyone of us should do RAK's whenever we can. With a Mountain Dew in my gut I plowed right up the next hill. I stopped and ate lunch and hurried to make it to the next shelter, so I didn't have to set up my tent. Stopped about 3:00 pm at Carter Gap Shelter after hiking 12.5 miles in about 7 hours. Tomorrow I will pass the 100 mile mark.
Date: 2013-05-01
From: Carter Gap Shelter

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

Hiking day 9.   I've hiked about 30 miles in North Carolina and have noticed there are white blazes on the trees about every 100 yards or so. This is great because you always know your on the AT. The mountains are higher and the trail in NC is more difficult to navigate. There are rocks, tree roots and streams you have to cross. At times you're really close to a cliff and have to be very careful especially if you're tired. I went to bed last night and my ribs were bothering me. I didn't take an Aleve because I wanted to see if the pain would been gone in the morning. This was a mistake because the pain become worse and actually prevented me from sleeping. I laid awake most of the night perhaps sleeping an hour or two. The shelters are nice because you don't have to set up your tent. The downsides are: they are crowded and full of mice. Last night, I listened to the mice scurrying back and forth most of the night. One hiker woke everyone up about 3:00 because a mouse was on his face. I was up at 6:00 am and started to pack up. I took an Aleve and started my day at 7:45.   The early part of my day was good and the scenic views were unbelievable. I always liked to drive though the mountains because it was beautiful. But driving is nothing compared to being in the mountains and hiking through.   There are other mountains for as far as you can see. That's the greatest thing about this trip. A few hours into my day my ribs started hurting again. I couldn't even have the strap of my pack near my body and this created other aches and pains. Other hikers say the solution is simply taking all kinds of pain medication. I'm going to get off the trail in Franklin, NC and go to a clinic. About 11:00 am we climbed Albert Mountain, which was straight up. At times you used your hands as much as your feet. The challenge was the 30 pound pack on your back. A few times I almost lost my balance and tumbled backwards. The view from the top was spectacular. I took several pictures and will get them in the Trail Journal in a few days. I hiked 12.1 miles in pain and stayed at Rock Gap Shelter. Only two other hikers were there. Dan is a retired Army veteran who has hiked the AT previously. He has provided me with great advice over the last several days. Greg is the other hiker, he and I will be sharing a hotel room in Franklin.   Elevation during the day changed from 4,520 up to 5,250 at Albert Mountain and down to 3,738 at the shelter.
Date: 2013-05-02
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8

It was another long night. I took an Aleve (should have taken a few) before crawling into my sleeping bag. It hurt to lay on my back, couldn't sleep on either side because of the pain and had trouble breathing. Now with all that in my favor I tried to get a few hours of sleep. We got up at 6:00 and started packing. For a quick breakfast I had a little container of peanut butter and a roll.   The problem was I had nothing to spread the peanut butter on the roll. The pressure was on because we had to walk 3.8 miles in less than two hours to catch a ride into town. I thought quickly, the way I saw it I had three choices how to get the peanut butter on the roll (actually four but I don't want to mention that one): 1. Find a clean stick   2. A nice sturdy leaf 3. Use your dirty finger.   The finger was the least offensive option and to be sanitary I licked it clean first.Went to the privy (shitter by a shelter) which was almost full. Life lesson number one - toilet paper is a valuable commodity, use it wisely and sparingly. You never know when you're going to need a sheet. Ok enough talk about the finer points of hiking. I couldn't put my pack on my back and even had trouble getting it on the picnic bench. When I finally strapped it to my back It hurt but actually felt lighter. That had to be God feeling sorry for an idiot. As usual the hike was up hill and it was raining. I don't think I mentioned it but I broke one of my expensive hiking poles as soon as I crossed the border and that has made hiking the last 40 miles even harder. The poles provide balance and take weight off your joints. I hiked the 3.8 miles to Winding Stair Gap and made it just before 9:00 am. We waited in the rain for about an hour. When we got to the hotel, I discovered a hospital a few blocks away.   I walked to the Emergency Room happy that I have good health insurance. You should always find the positive points in your life - everyone has them if you stop and think about it. I'm still walking and it only hurts when I laugh, breath and carry a pack. How bad could this possibly be?PS. I just downloaded a bunch of pictures. My daughter Teresa will post them in a day or two.
Date: 2013-05-03
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Based upon the ending to the last entry you probably guessed that I have some broken ribs. The doctor was a nice young woman who hikes and runs the AT with her husband. She gave me several strong pain medications and the nurse told me the AT was done for at least a month or longer.I was going to go to the hospital in Hiawassee, Georgia on Sunday, but I was hoping they would get better. In the last few days, I hiked over 40 miles and it took a big toll on me. I was exhausted after 5 or 6 miles, but yet I dragged my dumb ass on to make my mileage goal for the day. I knew something wasn't right and just hoped for the best. This probably wasn't the best decision I've ever made.   In fact it was dangerous. With only one hiking pole and the pack hanging a little looser on my left side, it shifted several times and I came close to falling down some deep ravines and even backward down Albert Mountain (the doctor just climbed Albert Mountain and couldn't believe I did it in my condition). This is really disgusting because I had no blisters, no foot pain, no knee pain and was getting used to the weight of my pack. One slip and your out of the game. I guess that's all it takes.   I told a few hikers at the hotel and when they found out I walked the last 40 miles with broken ribs they changed my trail name from Retina to the Beast. I think I'll stick with Retina or maybe I'll go with Snake like I initially thought I would.In an effort to save my hike I had one last idea. I asked the doctor if I could still hike the AT, do 5 or 6 miles a day and recover in the process. She kinda laughed and I realized what a stupid question I just asked.   So do you stay in the big metropolis of Franklin, North Carolina or go home and recover in front of your 65 inch tv and watch your sons cut the grass and pick up the dog shit. Too bad it's not winter they could also shovel the snow. I got a ride to Asheville, slept or rather sat in the airport all night and arrived in Milwaukee at 8:00 am. I'm not even sure what day it is. I've been gone about 12 days but it seems a lot longer. I'll have one more entry to close out my journal with some final thoughts. I'm just a little too upset right now and may say some real stupid things (not that I haven't in the last 10 posts).Anyway thanks for following my brief adventure on the AT. I appreciate all of your well wishes and support. Again I apologize if I said anything stupid. I have a different sense of humor.