morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-20
From: White Top Mountain

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

What a night. It was one of those sleepless ones. I got out my phone and spent hours reading a hiker's trail journal from 2014. He was a good writer and it was interesting. And then BAM! He stops writing! He took me all the way from Springer to the White Mountains...and then he was GONE. Now that's one of my pet peeves. I looked him up on FB and there was a picture of him on Katahdin, so I know he made it. But he didn't bother to write that one last post. Bummer.So then what? I'm still wide awake, and then my mind starts working. I started to have doubts. I felt mad that it was 4 AM and I hadn't slept yet at all. I felt unsure about the whole hike...what was I doing? Why was I back? Was I going to get right back into the same struggle I had before? Why can't I just stay home and forget all my crazy ideas? But morning came and the sun came out and I got up and got going. We left the Hiker's Inn and went to MoJo's for breakfast, where we met up with our hiking partners for the next four days. So it was Pam and I, Nancy from Indiana, and Robyn and Deb, two of the gals we hiked with in Georgia in April. At 10, we boarded a shuttle bus and headed for White Top Mountain. We hiked 6.4 miles that day. It was beautiful. Big ferny areas. A lot of shade. A lot of rock hopping. Uphill of course. And yes, I struggled, but all of us were tired and ready for the day's hike to be done by the time we reached the campsite.And right then I put my foot down. Those who can go faster, must go faster! There is no sense in everyone getting to camp late just because I am slow. There were boy scouts in the shelter, but nice camping areas all around. We got our beds made and fell in them. Day 1 was done.Quote: R and R doesn't mean rest and relaxation on the trail. It means rocks and roots. Lots of rocks and roots.
Date: 2016-07-21
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Hiking day 2: It was cold last night. Shivering cold! I had horrendous leg cramps that plagued me much of the night. Oh the woes of hiking..and we do it voluntarily!We left the Thomas Knob Shelter area and headed out for a 5.7 mile hike. The hiking this day was more technical with large rock scrambles that took some thinking and careful climbing to maneuver. We arrived at Wise Shelter in plenty of time to set up camp and cook our meals. Robyn brought her dog along and he was in doggie heaven eating our leftovers. We were in hiker heaven not having to carry out our leftover food. It was a win-win! We hiked through some new and different terrain with open fields surrounded by mountains. We walked through a cow pasture which was a little scary but the cows ignored us. And we saw the famous ponies. And yes, Nancy let them lick her. Not for me! By the end of the day I had one blister on each foot. My left hip was sore and my heel hurt. But I just plugged along at my own pace and it was a good day. And no more leg cramps, thankfully.There was one young man at the shelter. He came looking around for a place to tent and we told him he could set up near us, but we never saw him again. I guess 5 older women didn't look inviting to him. He'd rather sleep in the shelter with the mice!Its amazing how much you can sweat all day while hiking, and then freeze when the sun goes down and you crawl into your tent. Oh my, don't you all want to be a hiker?Quote: Whoever told you that Virginia is easy was lying!
Date: 2016-07-22
From: Wise Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 3 of the hike: What a beautiful day! 81 degrees and a light breeze blowing. The sky was blue and we had a lot of downhill hiking. You know I liked that!But on this day, my hip was fine but my shoulders were killing me. Twice in the morning I had to stop, take off the pack, and lay on my tarp for a while. I met two college age boys who were resting and worn out after their 24 mile hike the day before. I unloaded some granola bars and nuts on them which they grabbed up and I was happy to lighten my load. We were carrying a lot of water that day as there were no water sources along the trail until we got to the shelter. Oh, my shoulders felt it!My partners are:Pam. She is a world traveler and we are perfect traveling companions. She does love to shop and picks up the most unusual things. This time she bought an Asian style hat and wore it to perfection. I put a picture under photos of Pam squatting and filtering her water. It's just a perfect Pam shot!Robyn: She is a 3rd grade school teacher with a heavy southern drawl. (Yes, Robyn, it is and I love it!) She's an experienced and relaxed hiker and her little dog Vinnie was super behaved. Of course, why not? As I said, he knew who his friends were! Robyn sleeps in a big backpacking hammock. Deb: Deb is a tiny little sweet thing. She is afraid of much...but she is a strong hiker who could outdo any of us. She is very caring...ready to teach and always wanting to learn more. I marvel that she deals with fear, but she's still very adventuresome. Amazing she's out in the woods where the wild things are!And Nancy: She's fairly new to hiking, but like me she's studied the trail for a long time and she is determined to become an AT hiker. And she's quite capable! She has a good hikers body and good stamina. She is a physician and she really watched me and had some thoughts on my breathing difficulties. She insisted it wasn't just that I'm too fat and out of shape, but I'm not sure she wasn't just being nice. So, including me...that's the crew. We worked well together. All for one and one for all. It's a good way to hike. We camped at Old Orchard Shelter, where I sat in a big patch of poison ivy. More on that tomorrow!Quote: When you hike the AT this year and pass through 14 states, notice the lack of border guards, the lack of documentation required to pass from state to state, the freedom to come and go as you wish. Without the sacrifice of many, things could be much different than what they are today. We are all very lucky to live in the USA.
Date: 2016-07-25
From: Charleston, SC

To: Charleston, SC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

So where are we? And what happened to our hike?Well, phase 1 was over and the next step was to go to the Shenandoah park. But the temperatures were going to be up to 100, there were storms in the forecast, and we heard that tenting was difficult in the park. Apparently the few tent sites are on very slanted ground and that leaves the mouse infested shelters or sleeping in hammocks. So Pam and I discussed our options and chose...Charleston, SC. We arrived Sunday evening and got a hotel right downtown in the middle of the action. Monday was a full day. We took a walking tour first. This is a very popular thing to do, and there were little groups everywhere being led by a guide. I had to chuckle at the poor lady who must have been new on the job. She was walking fast, ahead of her group, papers in her hand, and I could see her mouthing the words as she walked. Practicing. Her group was scurrying along trying to keep up with her. But it had to be about 100 degrees outside, so hurrying was not preferred. I was glad I was not in her group.When we were done with that I was again hot and my feet were killing me. Here's the thing with my feet. There are painful blisters on each foot, the right foot has 3 toes that are bruised at the nail and those nails are sure to fall off. And my left heel has that tendonitis that causes me to limp along like a poor old thing. Poor Pam had to put up with that all day.So I was very unsure about going on the sailing cruise. I did not want to get seasick and there was a lot of walking down to the water. But we stopped and ate and cooled off, and it turned out that the sailing was the highlight of the day.But we weren't done yet! There was shopping to do! The city market was about to close so we hurried through the stalls to see what they had. The usual.Our last stop was for dinner at Hyman's. It was a seafood extravaganza. Our table had little plaques that said Barbara Streisand sat at this table. So did Jimmy Buffet and Judge Wapner. We finally got back to our hotel, where I got cleaned up and collapsed into bed. Sightseeing is every bit as hard as hiking when it's this hot out!Quote: "My feet are not hurting, they're just saying, 'Hello! I love you!' with every step."Yeah, right!Note: In case you're wondering what my husband thinks of all this...when I called him he said to have a great girl's trip. He even asked if I had clothes! (He did not say to go buy a bunch of new ones though.) Obviously I've got a very good man!
Date: 2016-07-26
From: Charleston, SC

To: Isle of Palms
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We have left Charleston and are going to the beach today and then will head home.This is a hiking blog, so I will wrap it up for this year. In the last 3 years I've hiked around 200 miles of the AT. A drop in the bucket as far as AT miles go, but they were hard won miles for me and I count every one of them as, "I did it!"All you hikers out there...stay safe and enjoy every miserable moment! You know what I mean! Signing off for now...Mrs. KnobbyQuote: It¢s not about the destination, it¢s about the journey. I learned a lot about myself while living on the trail. I¢ve learned what is important and what isn¢t. I¢ve learned, the hard way, that the ¢stuff¢ we all want is not what matters. If you have food, shelter, water, and a sense of who you are, you will always be home, no matter if your shelter is a piece of nylon or a 5,000 sq. ft. house on the beach. (I added a note to yesterday's post. Check it out!)
Date: 2017-03-17
To: Hello Trail Friends
Miles today: 0.0

I'm back! And anxious to get on the trail! I'm planning to be back on Springer Mt on April 3, heading out once more to see how far I can go. I'm not planning to write a lot of pre-hike journal entries, as I've had plenty of those over the last few years. This year the magic is gone. No hoopla. No parties. No incessant talking about it to everyone who will listen. (Well, there is SOME talking...who can help it?) My husband thought I was done when I got home last year, and it is hard to leave him and my family again, but in my heart I am not done. So I am heading out to give it another go-around. Going North. One foot in front of the other. You'll be hearing from me soon!Quote: What quality does a person have to have to complete this journey? Experience? Equipment? Knowledge? Money? Desire. A person has to have a burning desire to do this.
Date: 2017-03-30
To: M-2D
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We have moved up D-day by one day. So it is M-2D. Mountain minus 2 days!Sunday looks like a great hiking day for Day 1. Monday and Tuesday look like rain and thunderstorms. Now in the scheme of long-distance hiking, what difference does it make, really? There¢s going to be rain, I know that.I¢ve thought a lot about last year¢s hike and what I could have done differently. So this year there are some ¢rules.¢ If I call home whining to come home my daughter has been given a list of things she is to have ready to say to me:1. Are you just having a bad day?2. Could you slackpack, or shuttle north and hike south so you can go downhill instead of up?3. Go to town for a couple of days and take a break.4. Remember how you felt last year after you quit.5. Think of all the time you¢ve studied and planned for this. You really wanted to do it!6. Remember, this is your last shot at it.7. You know you can do it, is the problem mental or physical?And to my husband: You must wait 3 days before coming to get me so I have time to change my mind.Now of course, none of these rules apply if I have a broken leg, but if I¢m just tired, or bored, or whining, then stick it to me!Just a few more things to wrap up around here, and then I¢m off.I¢m going to close with repeating my send-off from last year. One of my favorite ¢goodbye¢ videos:
Date: 2017-04-01
To: Getting There
Miles today: 0.0

It's Saturday. To clear up any confusion, it's driving day. We left the flat land of Illinois about 7:30 this morning and are at this moment heading south. It's a bit of work getting ready to leave home for an undetermined amount of time. But all the essentials are taken care of, I think. And what problems turn up...well sorry Honey, you'll figure it out!Tomorrow. Springer Mountain.Quote: As my friend once said; If it weren't for the last minute, a lot of things wouldn't get done.Note about quotes: I've been collecting quotes from trail journals and books for years. I usually did not document the author's names. If you see a quote on here that sounds familiar to you, as in, "Hey, I wrote that!" please consider it a compliment. And it may be that I will repeat a quote this year that I have previously used. Forgive me for that, too. I'm not inclined to go back and see what I have or have not used...and some of them are just too appropriate to not sneak in again.
Date: 2017-04-02
From: Springer Mt

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: few clouds

Day 1 is history. It was tough. But I am now at the shelter, in my tent, somewhat organized and planning to stay right here. It is 7:30 PM. I wondered if I would have anything to write tonight, but the trail provides.We got up early and left the motel at 6:15. It was quite a drive up to the Springer Mt parking lot, and not without some angst if we were on the right road. Dave dropped us off and he took off for home. We had barely stepped out of the car when a man started in on us...everything he thought we were doing wrong. It was right out of the Walk in the Woods book and movie. We sweetly said thank you for your advice and we headed up the 1 mile trail to the summit and southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. We took a few pictures and headed back down to the parking lot. (I know it's confusing but that's how it's done.) And there was our friendly "criticizer" with a cooler of trail magic. I took a juice in a plastic container. Then he says, "I can't take all your garbage. I guess I can take some of it but not all of it. Well if he had said that earlier I would not have taken a juice that I would have to carry out the container. I could tell him a thing or two about being a trail angel! He was doing it wrong! I finished the drink and snuck that plastic jug in his plastic sack. MINE was going to be part of the "some" garbage!I was able to be a trail angel myself today. There was a girl on the trail very sick. She was sitting there beside the trail and told me she had been throwing up and having the runs all day. I thought, "Lord, have mercy! What a nightmare!" She asked if I knew the closest place she could get off the trail. I had my guide and gave her the phone numbers of several shuttle drivers. She eventually got a ride out for tomorrow morning. I hope she has a good night.Stats: I big blister on right foot0 bears3 cases of the "tinglepoops" as my grandson calls it. That's the feeling you get when you ride a roller coaster. It's also the feeling you get when you trip, and fear you are heading face first into the dirtI only am including that because I can report 3 trips, but 0 falls. And I will refrain from using the word "tinglepoops" from now on!Quote: Today I asked a girl her trail name. She told me. A couple minutes later I had to ask again, and she repeated it. Before we parted ways I told her I would have to ask again when we got to the shelter and I could write it down. I said, "I can't remember. I'm old. I'm OLD!"She responded, "I can't remember either, and I don't have an excuse, LIKE YOU DO!"Well, I guess I'm the one who said it.
Date: 2017-04-03
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I woke up early and attempted to pack things up in the dark. Just as I was ready to take down my tent, the rains came. Rain, storms, and more rain. I decided I was staying right here, claiming a spot in the shelter and waiting the weather out.How do you spend a day in a shelter? Wrapped in your sleeping bag trying to stay warm, watching people come in hoping for a spot to sleep for the night, some leaving disappointed. The shelter filled up by noon. People are cooking in any little space they can find. It's packed, it's dark in here, and it's chilly. One guy came in with a sprained ankle. Another guy fell and hurt his wrist. Then a young gal showed up, stepped in and took a look around. She said, "This is AWESOME!" Everybody looked at her, we looked at each other, and we all burst out laughing. No one was thinking of this day as awesome!So we will sleep here tonight and hope for a good hiking day tomorrow.Quote: At last count, I think we had nineteen people in the shelter that was listed as holding twelve. We had a short discussion on how someone figured out that only twelve people was the capacity, and the best answer I heard was from one guy who said, "It sleeps twelve PRUDES, but nineteen frozen hikers."
Date: 2017-04-04
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Cooper Gap
Miles today: 4.2

4.2 miles today? Can that be right? It was brutal hiking and progress was SLOW!But to finish old business, I included a few more pictures of the shelter last night. The sun came out towards evening, there was a fire building event that involved several men, and then the drying out gear ceremony around the successful fire, along with guitar plucking and some questionable singing.I wanted to pack up everything I could last night so I would be ready to pull out early this morning. I forgot one little rule. ALL the food goes in the provided bear box. Well, I put some trail bars and my beef sticks and cheese in my belly bag and tucked it up by my head. Without thinking, I had just created Mouse Heaven! Sure enough, at about midnight I heard a mouse investigating my bag, right by my head. I was pretty sure it was a mouse, but it was confirmed when Jayne found an acorn in her boot this morning. The mice were happy last night. And today? Jayne and I started out about 8 AM. She moved ahead of me, heading to Gooch Gap. I struggled with lots of uphill, very little water, and sore feet. I was taking a rest, really feeling done in, when I met Journey, also looking done in. We ended up hiking the same pace and stuck together. That pace was take 25 steps and stop. Repeat for what seemed like hours. We were both very thirsty and very tired. At Cooper Gap, along came Ron's shuttle and we begged a ride to town.So here we are at the Motel Inn, planning to sit out severe storms tomorrow, get our laundry done and dry out our gear. Back at it Thursday. Its not a quit, it's just another delay. That's ok. We are not in a race, right?I hope I can meet up with Jayne again. I've left messages and texts but haven't reached her. I also sent "trail telephone" so hopefully some other hikers have passed on the word of my whereabouts.Quote: We were nerve-wracked, tired, bruised and banged up, but it was great!
Date: 2017-04-05
From: Motel Inn, Dahlonega, GA

To: Motel Inn, Dahlonega, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Whether the weather be fineOr whether the weather be not,Whether the weather be coldOr whether the weather be hot,We'll weather the weather Whatever the weatherWhether we like it or not.Well, I am weathering the weather in a warm, safe hotel room and planning to stay right here until this system passes. "Journey" is here keeping me company. It's hard to sit and wait, but it's not too safe on the trail right now. I will do cold, but cold and wet is a dangerous combination. Friday is supposed to be cold and windy, but dry. My total miles listed here under daily miles is not correct, obviously. The site automatically calculates the total miles so it is including what I did last year. Any trail journalers know how to fix that? Quote:You're out there to hike the trail, not to prove how macho you are.
Date: 2017-04-06
From: Motel Inn, Dahlonega, GA

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: light snow

I woke up in the Motel Inn and thought, "No way we're laying around here another day!" I woke up Journey and said, "Let's hike!" She agreed so we called our shuttle and arranged for a 10:30 pickup. IT WAS A GREAT DAY!We had some drizzle, some rain, some sleet, some mud, and a little sunshine. The terrain wasn't bad and my feet and legs were recovered well. The big blister I had has resolved also. I haven't mentioned that my pack has been great this year. It fits just right and I am guessing it is around 28 pounds, give or take some water and food. A highlight of the day was our shuttle driver Dixie. She and her husband Wes drive their two vehicles all over the mountains giving people rides. Wes is featured in Bill Bryson's book, A Walk in the Woods. They are in their 70's. Now, these are some really bad roads. I had a hard time not laughing out loud the way Dixie hit the bumps and tried to evade the holes...all driving way too fast, in my opinion. She talked all the way and was just delightful. Wes called her to pick up another guy after us, and she yells at him and says, "Yes, I know where I'm supposed to be going!" Then he starts telling her where all he is going and she says, "I don't care what you're doing! Just don't pick up any chicks!" He says, "I got 4 of 'em in my car right now!" She told us about one wreck she had going off the side of the mountain. She landed perfectly spaced between two trees. Wes told the rescuers, "Well, look at that! After 40 some years, she finally learned to parallel park!" She was not injured but wasn't thrilled with climbing back up the steep hill. It was funny and the hilarious stories continued all the way.She let us out at Cooper Gap and we hiked 4.8 miles, stopping at 3 to eat lunch and stopping to camp at Gooch Gap. We got our tents up, made dinner, hung our food bag and I'm in my sleeping bag, slightly shivering. It is supposed to be 35 degrees and 35 mph winds tonight. Guess that's nothing compared to what the hikers had a couple weeks ago. Let me just quote myself, "IT WAS A GREAT DAY!"
Date: 2017-04-07
From: Gooch Gap

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: clear sky

Oh, it's cold. Today was NOT a great day. A cold wind blew all day and is still howling outside my tent. I had a miserable cold night last night and it's a repeat tonight. It's 7 PM and I am in my sleeping bag shivering. I am ok. Do not worry. I am dry and will survive!Short report tonight:Breathing - not bad.Feet - Sore, 1 blister trying to heal. Heel Spur - Amazingly good.Knees - Good. Appetite - PoorFood - Not good.Hair - A mess!Bathroom - A-OK (Nance)Hiking - Difficult. Falls: 0Bears: 0Any wildlife for that matter: 0The animals are too smart to come out in this weather!Two men passed us today and said they had hiked from Springer. Today! 25 miles! But we are doing the best we can and just putting one foot slowly in front of the other. Total miles on AT in 2017: 24.2
Date: 2017-04-08
From: Lance Creek

To: Jarrard Gap
Miles today: 2.2

2.2 miles? Seriously? Well, the truth is I messed up yesterday and we were actually at Dockery Lake Trailhead last night. So we hiked a little less yesterday and a little more today. Takes too much battery to fix it.The hike today was mostly uphill...and I was not feeling too well. But we got to Jarrard early and got our tents up in the dry, still, warm weather.Last night was not quite as cold as the night before. However, the wind was ferocious. Several loud gusts came through during the night and suddenly a loud roaring started up and got closer and louder and closer and louder. I woke up convinced it was a tornado. What do I hold onto??But it passed by and we all determined in the morning that it was a low flying airplane. That's been my only "uh-oh" moment yet on this hike.   Tomorrow is a huge climb up Blood Mountain and down into Neel Gap. One week ago we were driving out here. Jayne is 2 days ahead of me and doing well also.Quote: We romanticized the complete trip as a beautiful hike ¢ but in reality ¢the journey is the destination¢ as they say. This trail is not about the walking; it¢s about the people and the experiences along the way.Total AT miles for 2017: 26.4