morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-08-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today I made reservations at Amicalola Falls Lodge and started this journal, it doesn't get any more official than this for me. Start date for my 1st section hike of the AT begins April 5th, 2010. Why section hike? Well, my spouse is not happy with the thought of me leaving for 4 to 6 months. The compromise is 2 section hikes a year, roughly a month at a time. One at the beginning of the year and one toward the end of the year. I get to enjoy a happy spouse and the Appalachian Trail, which makes for a joyful situation.Actually the more I get use to the idea of section hiking the better I like it. It takes the pressure off to do the big miles and make it to Maine before the close of Baxter State Park. My wonderful spouse, Karen, must have had my best welfare in mind when she proposed section hiking instead of thru hiking. Thank you Karen, I know it had nothing to do with who was going to get up at 6am and feed the dogs.I am reading everything I can get my hands on about preparation, trail journals, trail experiences and gear reviews. Having a blast doing all the research. I think Karen is a Springer Fever widow. Good thing she understands passion, as she was a avid cyclist and bike racer. Can I just say, if you have no interest in the sport of cycling it is excruciating painful to sit through the dinner conversation of several of Karen's cycling buddies. Karen is beginning to understand my pain, as all I talk about is hiking stories, hiking gear, and hiking prep. It is good to walk in the shoes of another, especially if those shoes belong to your spouse. Speaking of walking, did I tell you I was going to start the Appalachian Trail in April?
Date: 2009-08-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Working on adding my gear list to this site. Still experimenting with shake-down hikes to see what makes the list. Will add to the list as equipment makes the cut. All my old gear is over 10 years old and I am having too much fun researching and finding new gear. I am excited about how everything has gone lightweight. Thank goodness my birthday and Christmas is coming up, or I would go broke updating everything. No more fifty pound packs, hooray! The most "radical" new option is my hammock. No more sleeping on the wet, cold and bumpy ground. My body and attitude work so much better with a good nights sleep. I researched this subject ad nauseum, ask my spouse. Thanks to everyone at www.hammockforums.net for putting up with all my questions. Thanks to Ed Speer and Karen for hosting the summer Hot Springs North Carolina Hang. Everyone at the hang was great about letting me crawl in and stretch out in their hammocks. Helped make the decision about the hammock that would work for me. Check them out, hangers are very friendly people.
Date: 2009-08-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

We went hiking in the Red River Gorge (RRG) on Sunday. It was a perfect day in the commonwealth of Kentucky. The weather couldn't have been better, sunny, low 70's, and very little humidity. If you have ever lived in the South, you understand the sweet sound of "very little humidity".    The RRG hike was a shakedown run for a trip we are taking in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Everyone was to carry what they were planning to take on the trip. Ten of us are going up Mt. LeConte in September and part of the group was on this hike. The majority of these women have backpacked on trips lasting two weeks or less. This trip is just three days and we are cheating, we are staying at the lodge on the top of Mt. LeConte. It was the only way I could convince ten of my closest friends to hike with me. I shamelessly bribed them with the promise of warm beds and a bottomless glass of wine courtesy of the Mt. LeConte Lodge.      The purpose of the Sunday hike was to convince some of the newbies that they really didn't need 3 pairs of shirts, 3 pairs of pants, pj's, numerous books, hygiene products and full length towels stuffed in their daypacks. After the 4.6 mile round trip to Double Arch, I believe we had convinced them they could go lighter.
Date: 2009-08-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

In 2008 I talked some friends of mine into hiking up Mt. Leconte to the lodge for a couple of days in September of 2009. We would have about ten months to get in shape for the 6.6 miles and over 4000 vertical feet climb via the Trillium Gap Trail. Everyone got excited and began walking and hiking with a passion. We all used the trip as an excuse to lose weight, eat better and take better care of our middle aged bodies. Some us used the trip to buy lighter gear, actually, I believe most of us were responsible for adding significantly to the quarterly sales of Phillip Gall's Outfitter shop here in Lexington, Ky.   I had an ulterior motive, I had been dreaming about the AT ever since I retired in 2006. This LeConte trip was a way to segway into the big discussion with Karen and get in better shape. We both lost weight, I lost 35lbs and Karen lost 50lbs, and we are still losing. We hike in the Red River Gorge or the GSMNP every weekend. We walk during the week. We are trying to eat healthier and for the most part do pretty good.    To give you a little understanding of how different the food is for me let me give you a little history. I am a steak and potato girl, love those carbohydrates. My friends call me Wonder, after the white bread named Wonder bread. Before I met Karen I was dating a woman who was into healthy food. I was going to impress her by grilling out marinated vegetables. I went shopping, bought all this strange stuff and took it home to my fridge. That evening when I went to pull the veggies out of the fridge, SURPRISE ... my friends had snuck in and put yellow post-it notes on all the veggies. The post-its identified the vegetables by their name, i.e., squash, peppers, etc. My cover was blown. Fortunately the woman I was grilling for had a sense of humor and the evening was not lost.   This dream of the AT is getting closer and it has all ready improved our lives. Karen and I are healthier. We get to hike with our friends every weekend and enjoy their company. They are a great group of women, fun to talk and laugh with on the trails. Life is Good.
Date: 2009-09-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Ten merry women climbed Mt. Leconte in Tennessee on Sept. 8, 2009. The temps were high 70's at the base and high 40's at the summit. It was a glorious day, low humidity and beautiful blue skies. My sister Kimi and a friend ferried us to the Trillium Gap trailhead early in the morning. We unloaded with much laughter and clanking of trekking poles and posed for the obligatory photo at the trailhead. With much laughter and soaring spirits we were off like a herd of turtles.The trail is a moderate incline winding its way through forests of old growth hemlocks, stately gatekeepers to our adventure. Tales of black bear sightings kept some of our group peering intently into the woods. Heads would snap at sounds in the underbrush, but the legs kept moving and we reached Grotto Falls without a bear encounter. The falls are a little over a mile from the trail head. Roaring Fork creek pours from an overhanging rock ledge into a serene mountain pool, the trail goes behind the cascading waterfall and gives one a wonderful sense of adventure. In the spring and summer, this is the spot for Jack-in-the-Pulpits and Trillium which grows in the damp rock face around this mountain pool.Lots of photos and adjusting of equipment before we started upward over a rocky trail. The trail changes from wide hard packed dirt to a narrow rock and roots path pass the falls. I guess most visitors to the GSMNP don't venture past the falls. We had the place to ourselves and it was exhilarating. The excitement was high as we rounded a bend in the trail and came face to face with what would become our new fascination. A dark, large, smelly mass of llama poop. Yes, my friends, about fifteen feet long and covering the entire width of the trail. No one wanted to find out how deep it was in the middle. Apparently when a group of llamas stop for a break on the trail it must be a social obligation to poop in unison, and these were very social llamas. Llamas in the Smokies you ask? Mt. LeConte lodge is supplied by a llama train which makes two trips up the mountain a week ferrying supplies for the lodge. (www.Lecontelodge.com)The fascination with animal poop, or scat, was born. We continued up the mountain stopping at times to dissect fox, raccoon, owl, llama and the most fascinating of all, bear patties. The bear patties were closely monitored for hiker bear bells by everyone in our group. We did not see any steaming bear patties, so we were quite comfortable to stand and oh and ahh over the amount of colorful berries shining through the dark pile of bear scat.The summit was reached in about seven hours, I did mention herding turtles didn't I? The lodge is rustic,the food is good and the beds are lumpy. A good nights sleep was had by all.
Date: 2009-12-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It's December! All the hustle and bustle of the holidays is a runaway train in my life. Family is especially first and foremost in my mind. I've been thinking of my Dad a lot. He passed away two years ago in his sleep. I keep running a conversation we had in his last days through my head. The mental video runs in my minds eye and his facial expression haunts me as much as his words. His face formed into the lines of deep regret and frustration as he spoke to me. The words he sent my way continue to echo in my soul. He openly wondered why he had spent his energy on his profession which had left him no emotional comfort in his retirement. In the past, he had rebuffed his children's attempts to communicate with him many times. The reason for his life and his calling, he thought, was his work. Personal sacrifice was justified. All his energy went into helping others, while his family disappeared in his wake. He told me he was beginning to understand his time with his family was the true reality of a life well spent. The time to listen, a light touch upon a child's shoulder, the little gestures of love that could have bound his family to him. I wish I could have eased that look of longing from my father's face for a past he couldn't change.    My dad helped many people and saved many lives. The cost to him was just beginning to appear before him in bewildered understanding as death came his way. His wife and he had lived apart for over ten years. His children called him on the phone to discuss politics and the weather. My dad wrestled with his regrets off and on in his final days. I hope he came to peace with his choices. My father's last facial expression was one of joyous surprise. I like to think he found the peace he was seeking in that moment.   And, what you may ask, does all this have to do with a hiking journal? It is partly the holidays and mostly my weariness with the question I see in people's eyes when I tell them I am planning on hiking the AT. The true answer, for me, is "regret". I do not want to have the regret of not living fully. Simple phrase, "not living fully". It takes commitment to live fully. As anyone who has come through the other side of a near death experience knows, you can experience life fully for short periods. It is hard to maintain that level of focus over the rest of your lifetime.   The ability to focus on the words of a loved one, the feel of a child's hand in yours, the smell of the pine needles after a rain, the joy of dry socks, it all takes focus to recognize and seek out the small wonders in our lives. I have many small wonders in my life. Those moments bring me great joy and I am grateful. The walk of a lifetime is the opportunity to seek out even more small wonders.   Happy and peaceful holiday to all, hope to see you through the light of wonder, Robin
Date: 2010-02-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, we made it through the holidays. It has been the snowiest and coldest winter in Kentucky in a very long time. Great gear testing weather. Speaking of gear, I can't say enough good things about my AARN pack. This was my last purchase and I researched it ad nauseuam. I borrowed, bought, stole (just kidding) every kind of pack that I thought would fit my frame. The AARN has proven to be the right one for me. The design of the pack allows me to stand and walk upright. I am no longer bent over like the hunchback of Notre Dame. My balance with the load I am carrying has improved to the point I don't wobble and fall down. The greatest thing for me is the ability to carry everything I need for the day in front of me. I have my stove, food, snacks, water, gloves, hat, first aid kit and my tarp all within easy reach. It all fits in the two balance pockets attached to the hip belt and shoulder harness. ALL the weight of the pack and balance pack stands on the hip belt. There is no weight on your shoulders. Basically, the shoulder harness just connects the pack to the front balance pockets. The hip belt is a the most comfortable and the most adjustable belt I have ever come across. You can dial in this pack to a custom fit on your body. The shoulder and hipbelt move freely with the body while the pack remains stable on my back. It's amazing how the pack feels like part of my body instead of dead weight. Did I mention how comfortable it was? If all this amazing technology is not enough, you can detach the balance pockets and use them as a day pack, slack packing on the AT anyone? The only thing I had to get used to was the overall look of the pack. It is well designed, wonderfully crafted, but, it does not look like a conventional pack. With every new invention the user is bound to look a little unusual, remember how funny cell phone users looked with that earpiece jutting out of the side of their heads. I admit I look funny. I have affectionately nicknamed this pack "Dolly Parton". When you see me on the trail you will understand completely. But, this pack is a great conversation starter and makes it easy to meet people. I have talked to a lot of people while hiking with this pack and they have been funny, wonderful conversations. Can't wait to see you on the trail!
Date: 2010-04-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Woo Hoo! It's almost here. Last thoughts. Thing I bought which surprised me - a watch. I'm retired, I swore I would never wear one again. Lesson: Never say never.Most wonderful piece of gear. Easy, my hammock. Comfy as a cloud. Love it.Research spots I used the most. Trailjournals (duh), Hammock Forums and Whiteblaze. Thanks to everyone for their insight and help.Thanks to Hot Wheels, Stomp & Shuffle, and Thankfull for their valuable time and great stories.Best thing. New friends, shout out to my hiking partner Janet and her partner Mead. The hiking fun with the Amazons, you gals are too much fun.Greatest thing in my life. The love and support of my family. My heart belongs to each one of you. Thank you for your words of encouragement and affection. You are priceless.
Date: 2010-04-05
From: springer mountain

To: Three Forks
Miles today: 4.3

Sad farewells at Amicalola Falls Lodge to our support team. Thank you Karen & Mead for all your love and support. The drop off delegation headed back to KY and we jumped in Wes's red Jeep Cherokee for the shuttle to Springer Mtn. Right decision on that one. I'm not sure we would have found it and the roads had ruts deep enough to swallow a Honda. Dropped off and headed the .9 miles south to the terminus. Nice walk, pretty views. We found the register in the rock and signed in again. We signed in officially yesterday at the visitor's center. Hiker numbers 560 & 561.Turned north and was surprised at the lack of greenery. Temps were in the 50 to 75 range. When we passed Stover Creek thinks looked a little greener. We stayed at Three Forks, it was too pretty to pass up. It was a site next to a beautiful mountain stream. Lots of shade and the sound of water all night long, heaven. Ended up with a group of about 7 hikers at this site.Hiker Rule #1 Don't use your Eno hammock as the weight to your Bear Bag Rope. We saw several interesting items stuck in trees. The hammock won the prize.
Date: 2010-04-06
From: Three Forks

To: Hawk Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: clear sky

Well you can tell we are new at this, took us 2 hours to break camp. The walk began in nice shade, the trail was a gradual incline up to the side trail to Long Creek Falls. This is a blue blaze that is worth it. The falls is .10 of a mile off the AT. The falls were gorgeous, we are official Blue Blazers today.The trail was kind, deep pine needles and lots of shade. The temp was great until we started climbing Hawk Mtn. Not much shade and temp's were in the 80's. Met a trail runner who was going to remove a hiker from the trail as the hiker was severely dehydrated.We stopped a little before Hawk Mtn. Shelter to cook lunch and find some shade. Think largest oak you can find and sit in the shade cast by it's trunk. While we were sitting a young lady from N.J. joined us. She was amazed by the heat. She had a pretty bad sunburn. I gave her some sunscreen, I'm afraid it might have been a little too late!After our break we headed to the shelter. We crawled into the shelter to find shade. It was 3pm and the next leg had no water for 6 miles. A good decision was made to spend the night.Hiker Tip #2 Don't eat pop-tarts when climbing a mountain in the heat. They turn to cement in your mouth.
Date: 2010-04-07
From: Hawk Mtn. Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE!! My daughter turns 26 today. I'm writing this entry while sitting next to Justus Creek. It's a beautiful mountain stream with a wonderful babbling sound. We are taking a siesta, as we had finished Sassafras Mtn., a one mile, 1000 ft elev. gain climb. First real incline on the AT. Also climbed Justus Mtn. before our break.It is beginning to heat up, so we will cook, wash up and take a nap for a couple of hours. We didn't sleep to well last night. The Army Rangers were practicing night maneuvers near the shelter. Lots of big booms through out the night. Just what a new hiker needs, scary sounds in the night, well, at least it wasn't a growl. Spending the night at Gooch Mtn. Shelter. Here with Bear and his gang of four. Bear carries a plastic "Conan the Barbarian" sword strapped to his pack. Very interesting and sweet guy. He got to the shelter first, dropped his pack and RAN BACK to get his girlfriend's pack. I think I luv him, lol..Hiker Tip #3 If you are the lead hiker, you will be the first to be mooned by other hikers taking a potty break to close to the trail. Temp's. 45 to 80.
Date: 2010-04-08
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: light rain

We started earlier than usual, packed up in a light rain. I took my tarp down last and packed up the hammock and backpack underneath the tarp. Worked well, stayed dry. Beautiful walk through the woods today. We saw lots of Warblers and heard a Barred Owl, one of the most common owls in the southern Appalachians. The walk was kind, thank you Trail Gods. We walked through the foggy cool mist all morning. The trail seemed not of this planet, very spiritual. Three sharp but relatively short climbs in the rain and mist. We climbed down into Woody Gap and the rain and wind picked up and the temp was dropping. We holed up in the bathroom at Woody Gap while we considered our options. Forecast was for rain, thunderstorms and temps in the 30's. We erred on the side of being safe. We called a shuttle and headed for Neel's Gap. Mountain Crossing hostel was full. We stayed at Blood Mtn. Cabins, which is a little way down from Mtn. Crossing. George took us in and gave us the Bear Cabin. All his cabins have an animal theme. It is rumored that all the stuffed animals in the cabins are road kill, stuffed by a professional taxidermist. Thankfully the two bears in our cabin didn't look too bad.Later, George came down and asked if we would take in another female hiker. Hikers were coming out of the woods in droves due to the severe weather. We of course said yes and he showed up with a very wet and cold Lisa, aka Oregon Sunshine. We stuck her in the hot shower until she defrosted. We had met Lisa on the trail earlier and had commented after she hiked past us we wished we had more time to talk to her, and Trail Karma, it came true. We were all very happy to be warm and dry for the night.Hiker Tip #4 Allow 45 minutes each night, when in GA, to find a horizontal limb to hang your bear bag ... hint, there are no such limbs in GA. Temp's 32 to 63
Date: 2010-04-09
From: Neel's Gap

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

We have decided to stay another day, I always wondered how hikers got sucked into the town vortex, now I understand. It is too comfy to leave. Spent time up at Mtn. Crossings, checking out food choices. Full Tilt picked up her hiker box. I didn't buy anything just yet, as Full Tilt gives me her extra food, yum. She spent weeks dehydrating lots of yummy, high nutrition food for her hike. Her hiker appetite hasn't kicked in yet. Thus, I am the beneficiary of what she thought her appetite might be, did I say yummy! I am going to miss this benefit when she gets hungry.The temps this morning were in the low 30's and the amazing strong winds placed it even lower. Brrrhhh. A hiker came in to Mtn. Crossing while I was on the computer. He had things stolen out of his pack, i.e. stove, sleeping bag and some clothing. Bummer. Not a fun way to start.Ms. Janet is hosting the hostel at Mtn. Crossing. She serves a hiker breakfast and dinner every day for donations. I scarfed up some wonderful biscuits and sausage gravy. Well worth a donation. She is very friendly and full of great trail information. She is also starting a shuttle service when she finishes her stint as the hostel host. You can call Mtn. Crossing for her phone number.I talked to many hikers at the breakfast. Batch is an 84 yr old youngster who hikes the AT every year. He and his wife thru-hiked about 12 yrs ago. He hopes to complete another thru-hike in his life time. He starts at Springer Mtn. every spring. So far, the longest he has made it is about 600 miles up the trail. Injuries are his nemesis. But, every spring, he faithfully begins anew on Springer Mtn. in April. Miss Janet says you can start your clock by him. He is a very sweet gentleman and a delight to talk with this morning.Well, laundry is done. Things are completely dried out. No excuse to stay in the morning. Early to bed for an early start in the morning. Thanks for all the encouragement I am reading in my guestbook. Jen, we can't wait till you join us, I think you made the right decision, you don't want to be on the trail with a schedule you have to follow.Hiker Tip #5 A bear will take your food bag within 10 minutes of hanging it. It happened to a hiker I met this morning. It was swiped atop Blood Mountain. Remember, at least 15 feet high and 10 feet from the trunk of the tree is the best place for your food bag. Temp's 30's to 70's