morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-02-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The Ultimate Gear AssemblySo here is an almost complete list if everything I¢ll be carrying or wearing. My total pack weight (not counting food and water) is around 30 pounds.Shelter and Sleep Gear:Warbonnet Ridgerunner HammockWarbonnet top quilt, under-quilt, and tarp.Backpack:Osprey Arther Pro 70Hydration:Sawyer Water FilterAquamira Chlorine Dioxide Water Treatment TabletsCNOC Outdoors 3L and Evernew 2L Water BladdersClothing (Wear):PrAna Breathe Stretch Zion pantsMountain Hardwear FleeceIcebreaker Merino 260 Zone LeggingIcebreaker Merino 175 LS CrewREI Merino Wool Undersock LinerKakuetta Trail Pro Hiking SocksClothing (Carry unless needed):Meriwool underwearWoolX Basix underwearExofficio shirtPatagonia Jacket w/puffy liner and hoodyREI Merino Wool Undersock LinerDarn Tuff SocksBurton GlovesBluefield knee-high Gatorsx2 BandannasCooking:SOTO Micro Regulator StoveFuel: MSR Canister (8 ounce)WindscreenToaks Titanium Pot & Lid (1.1 Liter)Toaks spoon / Esbit forkElectronics:Apple XR iPhone plus accessoriesRavPower 10K aAh Portable Power ChargerApple 4 watchJaybird Wireless HeadphonesPretzel HeadlightHygiene:Toothbrush, floss, soap, wet wipes, comb, lip balmToiletries:Dig tool (Vargo Ti), hand sanitizer, toilet paperMiscellaneous:Trekking poles (Leki MicoVario Ti System)Bear Canister (BV450)Hat (Cov-ver Outback)SOG Ultra C-Ti Folding KnifeKahtoola MicroSpikesSunscreenInsect RepellentPermethrin (all clothing, backpack treated)Ear PlugsTherma-A-Rest Z SeatMicroFiber TowelFirst Aid Kit
Date: 2019-02-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So here¢s my pre-hike plan on getting to Springer Mountain, Georgia. My wife (Sandi) and I will fly to Atlanta next Wednesday (February 27¢th). Then pickup a rental car and drive up to Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge. At the lodge we will meet up with several friends that will also start the Appalachian Trail (AT) hike on March 1¢st. Sandi and I will stay at the lodge for two day/nights before the hike begins on Friday. Sandi will return home (San Antonio, Texas) soon after I start my hike.I don¢t think our starting group of five has made a final decision on whether or not we will hike the 8.8 mile AT Approach Trail. If we do we have talked about taking a ¢light pack¢ on Thursday, doing the approach, then returning that night to the lodge. Then on Friday, driving up to Springer Mountain to the start.My Trail Name will be: ROADRUNNER !!!For anyone wondering what I¢m talking about. I heard it all started on the AT - so many people were hiking that it was easier to keep people straight if they were called by a nickname specific to them. Most hikers feel that their trail name says something about their personality, or history, that their given name never could.So after much thought, I have finally settled in on the trail name of RoadRunner. After generating a list of about 12 solid names and sharing them with friends and family, the majority really liked RoadRunner, and so do I. For me, having been a runner / jogger for as long as I can remember, and running in more road races than I could even begin to count. From distances of 5K, 10K, half and full marathons. Including at least one full marathon in each of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. On top of the 51 just mentioned I can add about 10 more duplicated states. So all in all I think RoadRunner will settle in nicely and fits my personality and history quite well.
Date: 2019-03-03
From: Springer Mountain, GA

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 21.0

(TH 2/28/19) Officially signed in today as a 2019 AT thru-hiker at Amacalola Falls State Park (register number 398). Tomorrow morning the journey begins. Will be packing about 40 pounds total (30 in pack, then plus 7 in food and 3 in water). Just purchased Guthook App to help me along my trek. Will be my final night at the lodge here with Sandi (wife).(FRI 3/1/19) Starting out with poor internet service. I have Verizon which is supposed to be the best service on the trail so hopefully it gets better. May need to group together my journal entries like I¢m doing now.Dropped off at Springer Mountain parking lot. Hiked up to Springer Mountain with my starting buddies (1 mile) and then proceeded to hike to the Hawk Mountain Camping Area (7.4). All Day on and off rain. Sometimes heavy leading to a very muddy trail. Slipped and fell a couple times in the mud but nothing serious. Good hard first day. My four hike buddies that started with me today all have different paces - So I¢m hoping we¢re able to meet up again as much as possible. It would be awesome to end each day at the same shelter or camping area, but realistically that¢s probably not going to happen. I talked with a few passing hikers and I think they are going to make this journey even more awesome than I even imagined. Yes! Awesome people out here on the trail.(SAT 3/2/19) Great day weather wise. Mostly cloudy with the sun breaking through on occasions. Slept in until 8AM and did not leave the Hawk Mountain Camping Area until 10:30. One big climb of around 1000 feet was tough. Later the weight of my pack really started hurting my shoulder blades. Made it to Gooch Shelter, which was a little more than 8 miles today. Talked to a few guys I met, then set up my hammock and enjoyed a hot dinner. Quite tired so I tucked myself in around 7:15 pm.(SUN 3/3/19) Left Gooch Shelter around 8:30 and hiked about 5 scenic miles to the Woody Gap/Hwy 60 GA crossroads near Suches GA where I was greeted by heavy rains, thunder and lightning. That was enough to help me decided to end my Sunday hike a little sooner than I wanted to. I had heard about a great hiker hostel in Suches so I called them (Barefoot Hills) and was picked up from the trail about 20 minutes later. There are six hikers staying here in a bunk house and two of them are my original hiker buddies! Looking forward to a hot shower and meal. Followed by a good nights rest out of the rain and a night off the trail.
Date: 2019-03-06
From: Woody Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 30.0

MON 3/4/19). I met David (BOOT) at the Barefoot Hills Lodge and we hiked from Woody Gap (elevation 3198) to Neal¢s Gap (10.8 miles). This included hiking up to Blood Mountain (4461 elevation). Beautiful scenic trees covered in ice. A very chilly day but well dressed and while hiking very doable. Temps dropping into the teens tonight and tomorrow.(TUE 3/5/19). Boot and I continued on today in the icy cold weather. We left Neal¢s Gap and hiked to Hogpen Gap which was a 6.9 mile day. Once again beautiful scenery and great pics of the area. Making it well worth having to deal with the extreme cold.(WED 3/6/19). Started out from Hogpen Gap with temps still in the teens. Wearing three layers of cloths so very doable. As we passed Low Gap Shelter I spotted Davy (RoweMer) hiking out. I met RoweMer on day one as we were both starting out at about the same time on March 1¢st. He now lives in Colorado but grew up along the Appalachian Trail and is very knowledgeable. This is his 50¢th year and his big ¢to-do¢ for the big 5-0 is a thru hike of the Appalachians. RoweMer joined us on our hike and shared many great stories of him and his families many hiking and camping adventures with his family. We hiked to Unicoi Gap which totaled 14.3 miles. My best mileage day so far.
Date: 2019-03-09
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 34.0
Weather: moderate rain

(TH 3/7/19). Chilly start in the mud. Temps started in the 20¢s but warmed up into the 40¢s and Sunny skies. The AT is famous for its constant climbs and descents. I can confirm these are facts! Wow! Can¢t wait for me to build some trail legs. Boot and RoweMer hiking with me. Unicoli Gap to Dick¢s Creek Gap (16 miles).(FRI 3/8/19). More of the same. Many ups and downs. Elevations range from 3000 to 4500. Tough going on the big climbs. Dicks Creek Gap to Plumborchard Gap Shelter (6 miles).(SAT 3/9/19). All day cold with on and off rain. Lots of muddy trails from all the recent rains. The grind is on! Plumborchard Gap Shelter to Standing Indian Shelter. Shelter full, hammock time with strong winds this night. Hope she holds through the night (12 miles).
Date: 2019-03-10
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Carters Gap
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Standing Indian Shelter. My Saturday night/Sunday morning here was one I will never forget. Around 8:00 pm, as I was finally settled in my hammock, the sky¢s above this bus mountain opened. Down came the rains, wind and lightning. My tarp above my hammock soon pulled free from the stakes, and the flapping began. My hammock is also encased with a rain cover but that too was now blowing out of control. So in the dark I quickly gathered the everything in sight, and ran towards the small three sided shelter that was already maxed out with six tired hikers. Of course the wind and rain was gushing in through the one side that was open. For the next eight hours I covered myself with my tarp and held on. By morning almost everything I had was soaked. I could not sleep fearing the rain hitting my tarp would freeze and soon I would too. In the morning I packed everything up and said to myself, just hike. Just hike. I met up with ¢Hey Mic¢ (Charleston West Virginia) as he was stopped and we hiked together for about 8 miles. Now here¢s an interesting fellow. He looks a lot like Woody Harrelson and his trail name comes from his movie called ¢Hey Mic¢. He is doing the four US corners. He biked from San Diego to Jacksonville. This year he is doing the AT (GA to MA); next year he¢s planning on biking from Portland Maine to Portland Oregon. And after that he plans to do the PCT Hike (California to Washington). After hiking with ¢Hey Mic¢ I stopped at the Carter Gap Shelter. Boot was there, he had left the Standing Indian Shelter before me and was taking a break here. He asked me if I was ready to hike on but I told him I needed to stay here and began the process of hanging all my gear/cloths out to dry as the sun had made its way into the day. Boot was anxious to keep hiking as we are approaching Franklin, NC. A trail town with lots of hostels, hotels, restaurants and a couple of outfitters. So Boot was on his way to get another 8 miles in today.Later in the day, I was pleasantly surprised as Sara (Cushy Life/New Hampshire); Sandy (Sara¢s cousin and professional cross country biker/Colorado); and Bob (Trigger/Louisville, Kentucky) arrived in the shelter. I had met them about a week earlier at a B&B in Georgia. Great group and I hope to hike with them in the days ahead.
Date: 2019-03-11
From: Carters Gap

To: Wallace Gap
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

MON (3/11/19). Carters Gap Shelter to Wallace Gap). Around 8:00 AM I saw Spinner walking by the shelter area and she said she found a lost dog at the Privy. She said she was going to make sure he made it to a safe place. Her cousin Sara was already on Instagram and calling a friend in Franklin to see if anyone could help. It turns out the nearest road is about 6 miles down the AT and it¢s a restricted forestry road. Sara worked out the logistics that if we could get the dog to the road, an officer from the local Animal Shelter would meet us there to take him to their shelter. So off we went, the four of us, and a very tired and starving dog somebody (I think Sara) named Bozo. He looked to me to be hunting dog, some kind of hound dog. Around 25-30 pounds but definitely lighter than he should be. I was sizing him up in case I would need to carry him. He started out for the first two miles with a good pace. Then his pace began to taper off and he started limping (right front foot/joint) and slowed. He was drinking lots of water at every water crossing (natural springs crossing the trail about every mile or so). Once when he stopped to pee I though his urine was too dark and I was worried it could be blood. We were also stopping to feed him a few bites of our trail food every 1/2 mile or so. As soon as anyone reached into a pocket he was hoping you were pulling out food. He would gobble whatever you gave him in a millisecond. You could tell he had been food less as his bones were visible. He was strong and doing his best to continue. You could also tell he trusted us. Occasionally, I would have to help him over large rocks or steep climbs/drops. Spinner had made a make shift leash and he had a collar but no tags. Finally, we reached the road and almost immediately, we spotted the Animal Shelter truck. Sara ran to flag him down and he stopped. The officer said he looked like a Walker Hound. He said someone had posted pictures around town last fall that he thought looked like him. The officer searched Bozo for a ID chip but there was none. He then put him in one of his truck cages and said a vet would see him today. He would have a warm shelter, food and water tonight. I hope he will be OK.  The officer said he was probably someone¢s hunting dog that got lost in the woods on a hunt. I thought about the night before, the big stormy night that scared the wits out of me. How did Bozo fare that night? Lost and alone. What was his story? Certainly I had nothing on a difficulty scale to compare to his. Finally, Bozo was rescued! I hope his owner or someone nice will adopt him soon.  After the exciting morning we hiked on about another 8 miles. Then caught a shuttle into town (Franklin, NC). We would all be resting in a hotel this night and a trip to nearby restaurant for dinner.
Date: 2019-03-18
From: Tellico Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 38.0

FRI 3/15/19. Tellico Gap to Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). Great hiking weather. Just 8 miles today before we prepare for tomorrow¢s push up Sassafras. A lot of canoe/rafting activities this weekend scheduled here (NOC). Lots of participants practicing. Great area for white water rafting. Returned to lodge for final night.SAT 3/16/19. NOC to Stecoah Gap. AT mile marker 150.5. Big climb up Sassafras (1700 to 5000 elevation). Beautiful views at Cheoah Bald Summit! Total miles today 14. Another perfect weather hiking day.SUN 3/17/19. Stecoah Gap to Cable Gap Shelter (8.7 miles). Highlight was Jacobs ladder! Biggie climb straight up!MON 3/18/19. Cable Gap Shelter to Fontana Dam Visitor Center (7.1 miles). Mile marker 166.4. Monday night stay at Fontana Lodge. Cold morning rising from my tent (25 degrees). Otherwise perfect sunny and cool. Met and hiked the last mile with ¢The Bens¢. A father (Ben) and son (Ben) tandem from Jesup, GA. Dad retired from BOP in 2017 with 25 years of service (ISM). Can¢t make this stuff up! Great guys! Hope to see more of them along the trail.
Date: 2019-03-22
From: Fontana Dam

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 41.5

TUE 3/19/19. Fontana Dam Visiting Center to Russell Field Shelter (14.6 miles). Another big climb day with an ascend of 4,200, descend 1,300 on a 8.9 percent grade. Very tough day for me, and my right achilles is pretty sore. WED 3/20/19. Russell Field Shelter to Silers Bald Shelter (14.7 miles). Morning temps at the shelter mid 20¢s. The climb up ¢Rocky Top¢ known for being one of the toughest in the Smokies. Giving it all I got but these Smokies are kickin my butt! Achilles not doing well and there¢s no exit out of the Smokies until Gatlinburg. Hope I can hobble my way there!THUR 3/21/19. Silers Bald Shelter to Newfound Gap/Hwy 441 (12.2 miles). Another cold morning getting up from the shelter. Ice on the trail and snow falling most of the day. Made it to the highest point on the Appalachian Trail (Clingmans Dome). Hiked the last few miles with ¢The Bens¢ and got a ride with there buddy into Gatlinburg. Ugly weather glad I¢ll be in a motel tonight. Need to get my achilles checked out and some rest.
Date: 2018-07-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I've carefully considered which trail to hike in 2019 and always seem to gravitate to the AT. It's not as if the trail is the same, but the familiarity with certain features does seem inviting. I'm sure the other long trails are beautiful, but they lack the culture of the AT, which is a big draw for me. I love the scenery and the AT offers plenty of variety. Hitching long distances and carrying buckets of water just doesn't. So, here I am, preparing for a third thru hike of the AT. Most of my gear is collected and I'm now in a process of shaking it down.  My goal is to post one entry a month in preparation, and one entry per day while on the trail. Goals are just faint guidelines for a plan. Do consider following along and I'll keep it positive, that's my promise to my readers. Even when I'm sweaty and thirsty and tired and hungry.
Date: 2018-07-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Such a personal thing, this getting equipment prepared for a thru hike. No two people would agree on every detail, but I think experience shows when a person can step back from looking at someone else's gear list and be satisfied that letting them figure it out is better than dictating one's preferences. I have met and become solid friends with thru hikers that carried far more and far less gear than I. All of them expressed satisfaction with their chosen gear. Now me? I'm never satisfied, but some of the gear I carry has been with me through many miles either because it is durable or simply useful. I try to use lightweight gear. Admittedly I spend a lot of money on some of it. Most of the time, if you shop carefully, I think you get what you pay for. For my boots and tent, the two most important and expensive items I carry, I pay top dollar. I'm sure plenty of folks could register an argument for spending less, but that's just me. Beyond that, weight, utility, durability and possibility for double duty for a criteria for choosing what goes and what doesn't.I use an excel spreadsheet with a winter and a summer page. The difference is obvious, but some gear actually does get switched out for a lighter version, such as the sleeping bag. This year I have finally jumped on the synthetic band wagon for my sleeping bag. The winter portion of 2015 from Springer to Damascus was wet and cold. I wasn't in danger of hypothermia, but it was a constant threat with a down bag supplemented by liners and kept dry through vigilance. Even the summer gear, however, is scrutinized. Weighed to the resolution of a gram and compared with other similar gear. Call me anal retentive, but I really like seeing the column of weight in grams and the column of converted ounces and pounds in side by side comparison.Truth is, it provides a distraction during the long winter, while waiting for that March day, when boots on the ground out weigh all the preparation I can stir up.
Date: 2018-08-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Even when I carry a stove, I only cook one meal a day. Usually that's a package of Ramen or mashed potatoes. Maybe if I'm splurging this resupply, I'll whip up a package of stove top stuffing. None of which provides a decent amount of calories. OK, the stuffing comes close. The stove takes up room in the pack, requires a new canister from time to time and honestly, I just found I could do without it.If you think about it, the simplicity of thru hiking lends itself to doing without the creature comforts of home. I do without coffee, oatmeal and macaroni, why not Ramen and mashed potatoes. Now, I change my mind from time to time, so I will likely put it in my bounce box, so I'll only have to do without that stuffing mix for a couple hundred miles or so. In a few weeks, I'll head out with my winter gear kit (only because it's a shakedown) and test this stoveless setup once again. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind back. One thing I'm certain about though. If I don't have it, I don't have to carry it. Some would argue that I still have to carry the weight of the stove in extra food, but that's not the whole story. All I need to do is carry an equal amount of calories to the cooked food to realize the weight savings. Divide the weight of the stove by four (the typical resupply) and I can break even with that much more cheese or whatever. That's my plan anyway.
Date: 2018-09-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Shakedown is a term used to describe the various testing of equipment, body, food and mental preparation. Doesn't have to be strenuous like the AT, unless physical stamina is something you want to test. In this case, I had several pieces of new gear that I wanted to put under scrutiny. Primarily, my single person Nemo tent, Nemo Sleeping pad and a new Marmot 20°synthetic sleeping bag. I needed a good storm and it seemed late August was a good time to find one. My friend Drop Bear invited me to hike a portion of the Northville-Placid trail in the Adirondack region of New York state. We did a five day, fifty mile section using both shelters and tenting along the way.By Wednesday night we set our sights to camp at the base of the highest climb on the trail, which was just over 1000 ft. It was a beautiful day, although we did note some heavy breezes passing through the treetops at mid day. Somewhere between 4 and 5 PM the storm moved in and we found ourselves hiking in a pouring rain. Well, that's not so bad. We had both been in pouring rain before. We arrived at the campsite with the rain still coming down. As quickly and efficiently as we could we set up the tents, helping each other by letting the owner of each tent take the lead and simply pointing out what we needed the other to do next. The rain continued as we set up our two small one person tents in a space that really wasn't large enough for both. I compromised by not staking out my vestibule to the full size.Of course, the rain stopped within 20 minutes of our setup, but we had no way to determine that. Thankfully, we were able to minimize the wet and managed to keep most of the tent interiors dry. My synthetic bag really did well, since it was impossible to keep every inch of the tent floor dry. It got a little damp, but not so much as to soak up a lot of heavy water. That night the storm came in hard with two separate events. The small one person tent wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. A bit tighter than my usual 2P tents of the past, but still plenty of room. I stayed dry through the night.I'm very happy with the tent, a Nemo Hornet 1P Elite. Pricey, but very functional. The Marmot Ultra Elite 20 synthetic bag, with an EN rating of 22.5° F weighing in at 2.2 lb did very well, even in the 70°F temperatures of the hike. Got a little damp, but dried out quickly. As my first synthetic bag, I'm sold. The Nemo 20 inch wide sleeping pad didn't do so well. Like most air pads, it made a lot of noise in the shelter. I found that by not blowing it up tight it was a little quieter. Still, the 20 inch width just doesn't cut it. Exped make a 25 inch wide mummy shaped pad, but the longitudinal baffles can't endure the rigors of the AT, as I found out in 2016. Conclusion: The tent will make the whole trip. Sleeping bag will go until I change to summer gear. The pad goes on the scrap heap, in search of the perfect pad for these old bones. Is it out there?