morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-09-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 1250.0

just an update on cherchill, he completed on the 12th i beleve and is now on his way to montrale,im proud to have walked half way with him,as for me ive had a month in spain getting my leg better , it took longer than i thought it would to heal, so i now know i was right to come home. im looking to give it another go in 3 to 4 years time , once iv saved some money up, anny one who is thinking about it should do it, to be that close to wildlife, and to meet such lovely people, is just a joy.
Date: 2009-12-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Welcome to my trail journal. The plan is to start at Springer Mountain, GA (not doing the approach trail: been there, done that) on March 27th and head towards Mount Katahdin in Maine, a trip of 2178.3 miles according to my guidebook. Depending on weather/injuries, it should take me between 5-6 months. I'm gonna try real hard to keep a good journal of my travels, but I know how it feels to hike 20 miles with a 25 lb backback in 90 degree heat/humidity with swarming gnats and mosquitos and not feel like journaling at the end of the day. There will be a 3-5 day lag time with journal entries because I will only be able to post entries when I'm in town and have access to the internets. I will also post pictures whenever I have access to a high-speed connection. I've already done the trail from Springer to the Smokies in sections so I feel like I'm going to visit an old friend. I've also done a couple of other sections in VA and TN. I've had all my gear for years so there's not alot of stuff I have to buy or test out. The only plan I have right now is to resupply at Mountain Crossings, which is an outfitter store where the trail crosses US 19. From Springer, it is 30.7 miles so it should take me 3 days to get there.I'm pretty much thrilled to have the opportunity to do this. In fact, I feel like a kid again. I've worked alot of hours and denied myself many "things" over the last 5 years to get to the point where I could just take a 6-month vacation. I've loved talking with all my friends and family about this and everyone's enthusiasm just charges me up that much more. I hope to see some of you out there for a few days. There are several sections that have easy access on and off the trail and you don't even have to rough-it if you don't want to.
Date: 2010-01-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A couple of weeks ago I told my boss what I was planning on doing. I had been dreading that for a few months and had been putting it off. I was really nervous for some reason and don't remember a thing I said to her but I think she got my main point. So that was pretty much the point of no return and made this thing a reality instead of a fantasy. I feel a bit of buyers remorse as I realize I'm leaving a fantastic job and a lot of great people at a tough time economically, but I know this wasn't a decision just made on the spur-of-the-moment.
Date: 2010-03-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today was my last day of work! It still hasn't sunk in yet that I'm leaving in a week. The only chores I have left to do are my taxes, the census, and renewing my CPR certification. On the census, it asks you where you will reside after April 1st. I guess technically I'll be homeless?I want to thank a couple of former thruhikers who, whether they realize it or not, have helped me prepare for this hike. The first thruhiker I ever met was Second Wind(1999). I met him when I first started section hiking and he really got me interested in the idea of thruhiking. Not long after I met Second Wind, I met Redwolf(2005). He taught me alot about the "nuts and bolts" of thruhiking and through him I began to realize how a thruhike could be possible. He's talking about doing a section with me so I'm really looking forward to that.This last week I have alot planned with friends and family then my dad will be driving me to the FS42 parking lot on the 27th to start my hike. My next entry will be from Neel Gap probably on the 31st. Can't wait to get started.
Date: 2010-03-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I'm sitting at my parent's house watching Duke handle Purdue(my bracket is toast by the way) and also have been watching the weather obsessively. Looks like it will rain the first night and that next morning then it's nice weather for several days. I hope to get to Hawk Mtn shelter early enough to get a spot, but I'm not holding my breath because I know alot of people will be starting tommorow. If I don't make it in time for a spot I can just tent, but then I'll be packing up in the morning in the rain and carrying a wet tent all day. I should make it to Neel Gap on Tuesday where there is a hostel and will probably stay if there's room. I'm leaving Saturday morning at 5am, stopping at Amicalola Falls to sign-in, then going to Springer Mtn via the Forest Service road. I want to be at the parking lot before 10am. The first mile you actually walk south to get the summit of Springer then you have to back-track to the parking lot.I'm planning on low mileage (7-10 miles per day) until I get out of Georgia. The trail in GA is tough for somebody who isn't in trail shape, then it gets a "little-bit" easier once you get past the first couple of hills in North Carolina.That's it for now, I'll update ya'll when I get to Neel Gap.
Date: 2010-03-27
From: Springer Mt

To: Hawk Mt Shelter
Miles today: 7.8

I'm sitting in Hawk Mt shelter right now with probably 15 others. Here's a few names I remember: Anthony, All Right and Half Left, Wild Poodle, Heine-can, Sam, and Cohoda.It was a little chilly but a perfect day for hiking. I started at USFS 42 at 10:15, left my pack with my parents at the parking lot and hiked up to Springer. At the top, I checked in with Many Sleeps who is the caretaker then hiked back down to the parking lot to say goodbye to my parents. The hiking was pretty easy on level, well maintained trail and I made it to Hawk Mt shelter at 4:30. Since there was supposed to be rain sometime tonight I opted to sleep in the shelter to avoid dealing with packing up a wet tent in the morning. There was a guy at Stover Creek Shelter who said he had been there since November. He had some heartburn so I hooked him up with some Rolaids. About 5 minutes later a former thru-hiker named Bloody Nose came by and gave me an Icehouse. Later on at the shelter, Half Left had two Giga Power fuel bottles erupt on him then his sleeping pad deflated in the night so he's got a case bad luck.
Date: 2010-03-28
From: Hawk Mt Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: moderate rain

Slept OK last night. Amazingly with all the people we had in there, nobody snored. Somebody's alarm did go off 5 times, they kept sleeping through it. It started raining at 4:00 so I'm glad I got a spot in the shelter last night because I really wasn't expecting to. It rained off and on all day so I didn't take any breaks. I got to Gooch Mt shelter around 2:00 and stayed in the shelter because the ground was still muddy from today's rain. I wanted to stay at Gooch Gap but since it was wet out, I opted not to. My shoulder is sore today, I think I'm carrying too much weight at the top of my pack so I'm going to do some rearranging tommorow and see how that goes. The shelter is full tonight because of the weather but there should be several nice days ahead.
Date: 2010-03-29
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: light rain

I'm at Woods Hole shelter with Rob and Crusty. Pretty easy day today all-in-all. Just a couple of steep climbs but they were short. I had planned on tenting at Lance Creek campsite but I got there too early so I pushed on. Walked in a cloud the last 4 miles which was very damp. I wanted to tent out since I've only stayed in shelters but again, it was just too wet. I was debating pushing on to Neel Gap but I met 3 day hikers a couple of miles from Woods Hole Shelter and they told me they had left a bunch of apples, oranges, chips, and candy at the shelter so that sealed the deal. The shelter is 0.4 miles off the trail but it is a flat ridge-walk to get there and it is in a gorgeous location. Thank you guys for the trail magic.
Date: 2010-03-30
From: Woods Hole Shelter

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

Short day today. It was crazy windy last night and got quite chilly. Stayed in my sleeping bag until 8:00 then packed up to head out. Today's big climb was Blood Mountain. Not too bad of a climb but it was raining ice when I got to the top. An ice pellet actually hit me right in the eye travelling at 15-20 mph. There is an old stone shelter at the top of the mountain that I checked out, but basically I didn't stay long because it was so cold. Going down the mountain was pretty rough going but it started to clear up and I had some views. By the time I got to the gap it had turned into a really nice day. I'm looking forward to a few of these in a row.So far I am having the time of my life. I always feel like I still have gas in the tank at the end of the day so I'm not overdoing it. I'm a little sore but nothing hurts. I'm staying at a hostel right on the trail tonight and plan on getting an early start in the morning. My next stop will be the Blueberry Patch Hostel in Hiawassee in 36.8 miles. I'm thinking another 4 days, but it depends on a lot of factors.
Date: 2010-03-31
From: Neel Gap

To: Low Gap Campsite
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: broken clouds

Had a great time last night at Neels Gap. Baltimore Jack cooked us an awesome dinner then we all watched Jeremiah Johnson. After the movie Jack served us ice cream and cookies then we all went to bed. There were 14 of us in the hostel that night. I met Frito(2nd thru-hike) and Sticker(6th thru hike) who are really cool and know a lot about the trail. In the morning Miss Janet made us all breakfast and then I headed out for the day. You couldn't ask for better hospitality than at Neel's Gap.I finally set up my tent today, there are 5 of us here near the shelter tonight. Got to the shelter around 4:30. It was hot today and the gnats are out. None of the trees have leaves so there isn't any shade either. There were a couple of tough climbs today and I think I got a pretty good sunburn.
Date: 2010-04-01
From: Low Gap Campsite

To: Campsite on Rocky Mountain
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was alot about walking over rocks then climbing out of Unicoi Gap during the hottest part of the day. I camped on top of Rocky Mountain tonight with a section hiker. From my campsite you could see Stone Mountain near Atlanta off in the distance. I walked with John earlier in the day but he left me behind when we started the uphills. Didn't see anybody else today, I'm wondering where everybody went that I've been hiking with the last few days.I'm still feeling good but the sun is draining my energy during the middle of the day. I'm still going to keep my miles low until I get to NC.
Date: 2010-04-02
From: Campsite on Rocky Mountain

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Got to Tray Mt shelter at 11:00 and stayed until 2:30 to avoid the heat of the day. Met Skippy and Last on the Bus at the shelter and we had a lot of fun talking to a big group of Boy Scouts. I had told myself that I wasn't climbing Kelly Knob today but getting to Dick's Creek Gap before 10:00 so I can get a shuttle into town tommorow takes precedence. Kelly Knob is a really tough climb. It's 1000 feet in a mile. At least I did it in the afternoon but it was still tough. I saw 20-30 pigs at Sassafras Gap where I got my water before climbing Kelly Knob. I took a few pictures then they ran off. Stayed at Deep Gap Shelter with 2 Matts, George, Skippy, and Rob. Looking forward to going in to town tomorrow. It's been real rough going since Neel's Gap.
Date: 2010-04-03
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: broken clouds

I'm in Franklin, NC. The plan was to go to Blueberry Patch Hostel in Hiawassee, GA but when I got to the gap Ron Haven pulled in. He runs a shuttle to Franklin and Hiawassee in a school bus and he offered to take us into Franklin, NC where there is a trail festival being held tonight. That's all the convincing that I needed. Me and Rob are splitting a room at the Sapphire Inn. I feel fantastic today. Not really sore at all, I've got a pretty good sunburn though. I've got all my chores done for the day such as laundry and resupply so we're just waiting around for everything to get started. I've taken alot of pictures but I just haven't found the time to upload any yet. I'll be back in Franklin in 3-4 days and will take a complete day off so maybe I'll get a chance then.
Date: 2010-04-04
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Slept good at the Sapphire Inn. Got up at 8:00 and me and Rob found a ride back to the trailhead from a lady who was headed that way. On the way to the trail her dog, Paintball, started getting sick and threw up all over the back seat. She pulled off on the side of the road and literally shoved a motion-sickness pill down it's throat. Rob thought it was really funny, but not me because I had to sit right next to the dog. We got started hiking at 12:00 and it was another hot day. Today we crossed into North Carolina and camped just beyond the state line at Bly Gap. Camped with me tonight are Dry Clean, Rob, Sunshine, and 4 section hikers. One of the section hikers had some Jim Beam and a 2-liter platypus filled with wine so we had us a little state-line party.Dry Clean, who is a hiker that I've ran into a few times, was giving us advice on how to throw a bear line. He explained that he uses a stick to tie his rope to instead of rocks because one time he accidentally hit himself in the face with a rock trying to throw up a bear line. After explaining this to us, he ties his line to a stick and throws it over a branch and it swings back around and hits him square between the eyes. It knocked him to the ground then he rolled downhill a few feet until he hit a tree. I really tried hard not to laugh.
Date: 2010-04-05
From: Bly Gap

To: Carter Gap
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Biggest mileage day so far. There were two welcome to North Carolina climbs up from my campsite then the rest of the day wasn't so bad except for the temperatures and lack of shade. Today we climbed Standing Indian Mountain which was my first time above 5,000 ft. It was an easy climb because it contoured around the mountain. I tented outside of Carter Gap Shelter with Gonzo, Last on the Bus, Country Gold, Rob, and two section hikers.
Date: 2010-04-06
From: Carter Gap

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

Another day hiking in the sun. I had to wear long-sleeves today because I'm sunburnt so bad and don't want it to get any worse. We crossed the 100 mile mark today and I nearly sprained my ankle. The climb up Albert Mountain was very steep but a short climb. There is a firetower up top with an excellent 360 degree view. I tented outside Carter Gap shelter with Last on the Bus, Country Gold, Gonzo, Grumps, and Rob.
Date: 2010-04-07
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: clear sky

Short day to the gap today. Got the 9:00 shuttle from the Ron Haven bus to the Budget Inn. I was debating on whether to take a zero but I decided to just stay tonight and get back to hiking tommorow. I plan on taking a zero day at Nantahalla. Have a lot of chores to get done today. I'm thinking I'll be in Nantahalla in 2-3 days.
Date: 2010-04-08
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

I love sleeping in beds. I got up early to go to a breakfast at the Baptist Church in Franklin. They served us pancakes, bacon, coffee, and juice. Everyone was really nice. They even took my picture and sent it to my parents. When we got back to the hotel, we waited out a thunderstorm and got a ride on Ron Haven's shuttle van. It was still raining when we got to Winding Stair Gap so I walked up to the closest shelter to wait out the rain. There were probably 8 of us sitting in the shelter and one of the girls had brought cards so we played Rummy. After waiting 5 hours, the rain had stopped and we still had about 3 hours of daylight left so I made a mad dash to the next shelter and got there right at dark. Luckily there was room for me so that is where I stayed for the night. I'm not complaining about the weather because this is only the second time I've been rained on since starting.
Date: 2010-04-09
From: Wayah Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

Hiked into the Nantahalla Gorge today. Leaves are starting to bud at the lower elevations and that is a most welcome sign as we need the shade. It was a long and difficult hike to the Nantahalla River so I payed for it a little bit. Hiked most of the day with Yuri, Nissa, and Longjohn. There was an awesome view from a platform built on Wesser Bald. The weather started out below freezing but it got into the 70's by midday. Quite the drastic change. When I got to the NOC I got a room in the bunkhouse then ate at the River's Edge restraunt with Troll and Hopper. I'm gonna take tommorow off because I'm two days ahead of schedule for when I meet my parents in Gatlinburg.
Date: 2010-04-11
From: NOC

To: Cheoah Bald
Miles today: 8.1

Had breakfast this morning with Katie, Christine, and Evan at the River's Edge. I've been running into them off and on since Franklin. They all decided to go rafting today but I had to get going. I must admit I was a little jealous. The hiking today was all uphill and it was hot and sunny all day not to mention I played basketball yesterday on my zero day and am the most sore I've been on this trip. I had mentioned to several people that Cheoah Bald would be a great place to camp and convinced several to camp up there with me. I camped with Rob, Chilli(who just turned 11) and his dad Pepper, and Bismark. We stayed up and watched the sunset then went off to bed.
Date: 2010-04-12
From: Cheoah Bald

To: Cable Gap
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Hiked to Cable Gap Shelter today. It was a long and difficult day of hiking mainly due to the heat and the climb out of Stecoah Gap. Evan caught up with me from the NOC today. That dude can really fly. I'm camped tonight with the biggest group of people since starting the trail.
Date: 2010-04-13
From: Cable Gap

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: clear sky

Did a short day into Fontana today. Got the shuttle from the Marina to the General Store to resupply and do laundry. I met a guy named Stix the other day. I had lost my chapstick and he had an extra tube so he gave me his extra. I owed him a favor so I bought him a beer and you would have thought that he had just won the lottery! After lounging around at the General Store for a while I got a ride back to the Marina on the shuttle then had another mile to do to the shelter. Lots of people here tonight. They have showers here at the shelter but no soap or shampoo so it's just a "survivor shower" tonight. I'm really gonna stink by the time I get to Gatlinburg. I decided to cowboy camp outside of the shelter tonight just to try it out. It was a nice night out so I'm glad I did. A low-flying plane came during the middle of the night and really startled me in the middle of the night. Somebody said that is a normal occurance in this area and that the Army does it to test their radar. No way to update my journal today because I'm not staying at the Village. Guess it will have to wait until Gatlinburg in 3 days.
Date: 2010-04-14
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

Today was my first day in the Smokies. The climb up from Fontana was hard and it was really hot. Got a great view of Fontana Lake from the Shuckstack firetower. The forest was covered in wildflowers starting at Doe Knob. Really beautiful, open forest with a blanket of grass and trillium. I stayed at Russell Field shelter with probably 15-20 others. This shelter has a cage in front of it to keep bears out. It kinda looks like a prison. I've been hiking with Hollywood, Sticks, and Hedgehog today. They've all got a good sense of humor and Sticks and Hollywood are both from the South which seems to be a rarity among thru hikers. I got to talk some college football with Sticks which I haven't been able to do with anyone else yet. He's a Georgia Tech fan so we talked about the upcoming season which is still a ways off.
Date: 2010-04-15
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was definetly the best day on the trail so far. Got up early in the morning and did some tough miles but through lovely meadows with many varieties of wildflowers. I took alot of breaks today which seemed to work out for me in the end. It never got all that hot today because we finally had some cloud cover and a bit of a breeze. I'm staying at Double Spring Gap with about 20 others. Tomorrow I'll be in Gatlinburg at a hotel. I'm really looking forward to it.
Date: 2010-04-16
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: few clouds

Got up at 4:30 to night hike with Hollywood and Hedgehog so we could see the sunrise at Clingman's Dome. We got there just in time for a pretty nice sunrise. Unfortunately, Hedgehog realized when we got to the observation tower that he forgot his glasses at the shelter so he had to backtrack all the way back to the shelter. The scenery was much different today. We are in the part of the Smokies where evergreens are the dominant tree species which is a nice change of pace. I had to walk through patches of 3-5ft deep snow today on the backside of Clingman's Dome that had been left over from the crazy winter and early spring snow storms. I even postholed once. I got to Newfound Gap at 11:00 and immediately found a ride into Gatlinburg thanks to Yoga Matt. Not only that, but they also had candy and grape drinks. People go out of their way to help us out and it is much appreciated.I payed for a room at the Grand Prix only to later find out that my parents had reserved a room for two nights at the Best Western. I ended up selling my room to Zoe and then walking the 1.5 miles across town to my new and improved room. It has a jacuzzi and they serve complimentary cheese and wine between 6:00 and 8:00 in the evening then cookies and milk between 8:00 and 10:00. I'm really roughing it out here.Christine, Katie and I had dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. So I had to walk all the way back across town to meet them for dinner then walk back to my room after dinner. I'm sure by the time I'm done with this hike I will have walked over 3,000 miles. I've been hiking with Katie and Christine since Winding Stair Gap and they are a lot of fun to be around. They are sectioning between Dick's Creek Gap and Hot Springs so they will be leaving us in a week. So sad to see them go.Physically and mentally I am doing fantastic. I get a little sore at the end of the day but every morning I wake up ready to go. I've been pushing the mileage up a little bit and still feel like I could do more. I've typically been waking up at 6:30 and am on the trail by 7:00 and I usually am done hiking between 5:00 and 6:00 in the evening. I've been taking about four 10 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch am going to stick with that routine for a while. I plan to push the mileage up further when I get around Damascus as long as the terrain allows. I still don't feel like I'm in real good shape yet and most people are faster than me on the uphills but I have pretty good endurance and could probably hike all day long if i wanted to.Tomorrow is a zero day with my parents then the next time I will update will be at Standing Bear Hostel in 3 days if they have a computer. Still no pictures yet because I haven't seen a computer that has an SD card port. Maybe one of these days.