morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-12-31
To: Kicking off another hike
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Helluva day. I've been thinking about it for a couple of months now. Getting back on the trail in 2016. Finished it in 2006, left the trail at Damascus in 2015, decided to hit it again in 2016.It's so easy to sit here in my comfortable chair and talk about hiking. Far more difficult to write about it when the weather doesn't show any signs of a respite, and all your gear is wet. Fact is, it's hard out there, not to mention the sore feet, and sometimes less than optimal tent space. I guess I'm really trying to be focused on why we do this rather than to just brush off the hardships, while they are not the focus of the day. Had a heart to heart chat with my greatest supporter last night as we dined in one of our favorite restaurants. She gave me the green light, so here we are. Planning another thru hike. The difficulties I had on the trail last year are still fresh. Maybe that will be a blessing.
Date: 2016-01-01
To: Things Happening Fast
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Two days ago, it was only a nagging question in my mind. Suddenly we're looking at travel options, and checking the gear for what needs replacement. Not much really, but there is some. That Big Agnes Q-Core ultra narrow, ultra noisy, minimal sleep pad may get donated somewhere. I'll try something else, but the sad truth is I'll probably never be completely satisfied until they allow llama's on the trail.   Actually, llama's would be a great benefit to the trail. We could burn their dung at our campfires and all sorts of other trail friendly things. I'm sure the white mountains would be a hoot with a llama.   Sadly, I'll have to leave my comfortable 3.5 inch, 5 lb REI sleep mat behind. However, I did find another pair of the Keen 'Durand' boots that I bought in Gatlinburg last year. I'll break them in put them aside. Away from the llama pen of course.
Date: 2016-01-02
To: Gear Changes
Miles today: 0.0

Well OK, with 2015 still somewhat fresh, I decided to make some gear changes. First of all, because gear changes are kind of a constant in my world, and second, because it's the right thing to do in most circumstances.   Flashlight: Last year I packed a photon LED light that weight 15 grams. Great little flashlight, single bulb, "nano" caliber light weight and very durable. Then there was the pre-dawn climb up to Clingman's Dome. Simply put; not enough light to hike by. Fall-back...the same small headlamp I carried in 2006. Still works great. A few grams heavier, but weight takes a back seat to functionality.   Water Bladder: Last year I bought a Camelbak with a winterized hose with the thought of avoiding the tube freeze in the early days. So OK, the mouth piece froze. This year I begin in GA with two 1 quart Gatorade bottles.   Rain Gear: Last year I started with my REI parka. An excellent Gore-Tex jacket that was somewhat heavy, but did a great job of keeping me dry; up until the all day cold rain just before Hot Springs, NC. OK, so it was old, but I really never expected it to fail. Fall-back a replacement for my tried and true Marmot Pre-cip. If I'm gonna get wet, might as well do it with a light weight jacket.   More Advil. Great replacement for those tan colored M&M's in your gorp. But seriously, a far more attentive posture on pain mitigation. For me that's a serious issue. Foot pain is probably my number one struggle, so I keep the boots I discovered last year, and buy a new pair to break in in the coming days.
Date: 2016-01-06
To: Balancing a Theme
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

As a writer, not someone with a huge following, but someone who enjoys describing the day in words, I've been kicking around an idea that came to me one night in '15. Finding the music in each day, whether it be owls hooting in the trees at night, or the wind whipping through the trees during a storm.I'm having difficulty finding a song for the image included in this post, but the sunrise that accompanied it, I assure you, was worthy of something special. After days of uncertain or just plain fowl weather, we emerged from Peck's Corner shelter near the northern exit of the Smokies to this breathtaking sunrise. Writing about the day can be a kind of therapy for tired bones. The point is to find something more than tediousness in the path of the day. It is only fitting that one with a trail name like Conductor (music reference) might try and find a bit of music in it all. Help is always appreciated, so if you can think of a music theme you would like to read about describing the AT, send it on and I'll fit it in. Somewhere along the trail.
Date: 2016-01-14
To: A Hard Look at the Stove
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

It is so easy to over plan a thru hike, while waiting those last few weeks. That's probably what I'm doing, but I can't help but look at those 16 ounces of stove and wonder if it's really necessary. On the trail, I do without coffee and a hot breakfast or lunch, leaving only the evening meal to cook. And what a fascinating evening meal it is! Instant mashed potatoes or maybe a pot full of noodles. Yum Is the hot meal necessary? Actually no. It takes half a water bottle, is basically pure carbohydrate and the heat does nothing really because it has to be cool enough to actually eat. What's left? Variety? Nope. So I've played around with an idea to quantify the value of carrying a stove. I went to the grocery and purchased a variety of trail foods. Certainly not a complete list... OK by a long shot not a complete list. Still, it represents a sample of what I tend to carry on the trail. Now, realize that for this hiker the trail is any distance between cheeseburgers. So I bought these samples and laid out a spreadsheet to quantify things like caloric density (calories per grams of carrying weight including packaging.)I also factored in three nutrients that I like to target in foods, which are protein, fiber and omega-3; giving each a weight factor based on my completely unscientific guess. Actually the factors didn't move the needle much. I could have left them out, since weight dominates the need. Let's face it. Food is heavy and we cannot carry enough to compensate to the calories we burn.As it turns out, the typical cooked fare turned out to be lower in value than most trail foods. Poptarts, by the way, come in the same bracket, so they're a toss as well. As for the meats, the poorest caloric density registered, but I don't need to cook them. So I decided to put the stove in the bounce box and test the idea of a stove-less hike in real time. As an added benefit, I can add flavor and electrolytes to my water bottles. Darn I'm gonna miss those Poptarts.
Date: 2016-01-17
To: Gear Combing
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

The pile is out of the picture frame. It's large and contains many antiques, like a ceramic "Katahdin" water filter that weighs about 2 pounds. 25 years ago it was the "one to have."So for my non-thru-hiking reader friends, a winter gear layout without the pack. Current weight reading about 15.25 pounds basic (sans food and water.) Food will weigh more this year partly because of the stove-less plan and partly because I'm taking a focused approach to nutrition and calorie burn. Multi Vitamins and glucosamine (horse pills) figure into that food weight, but actually more food this year to meet a minimum calorie goal. A calorie deficit still unavoidably exists.Some of this stuff comes out of the pack at varying intervals. The Yaktrax disappear after the Smokies, but the thermals may linger into Virginia. Calculated summer weight is 12.6 pounds, but it's only an estimate. There is no cutoff moment that says, OK ship the winter gear home. Some of it may go in the bounce box and bounce back into the pack up north.Everything that needs to stay dry goes in the stuff sacks. Pack covers simply don't work. Some stuff gets double protection with waterproof bags plus the stuff sacks. All the nasty little electronics needed to support an iPhone. I'm thrilled about that :/ but at least it fits in a bag. Will it change? um... will the weather? With over a month before start, it will surely evolve. More than likely there will be additions rather than reductions.
Date: 2016-02-07
To: Shake it all Down
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

First test this year of the iPhone and Camera setup along with a complete pack load out. Everything went well except the windchill zapped my camera battery in a hurry. I found this great little devise that along with the Apple IOS 9.2 version allows upload to the phone from an SD card. Now, most of my friends know I'm sort of a camera snob and the truth as I see it... Phone cameras are good for selfies and little else. Last year I was distraught by my inability to get my camera photos into my journal. The iPhone pictures just don't cut it. I will accept that the case was a large factor. It's difficult to keep a lens clean; but I digress.With the new gizmo, the camera gets to stay and I am the happy camper. You, dear reader will get to see better images of the AT. It's a win all around. Speaking of win, today is the SuperBowl. So what. So, with a month left before hitting the trail, I put a full pack together to include food and water for a hike with some friends. Pack on, pack off scale difference figured out to 21 pounds, which I am very satisfied with. Only 4 days of food, but that is my typical supply. Actually I was very comfortable all day even on the climbs. Of course, the hills of Michigan don't even begin to compare with the mountains of the AT, but it was a good test.Body shakedown went well. Doctor says I am unlikely to die of natural causes anytime within the next six months. He gave me a great tip on an alternative to ibuprofen. When I asked specifically about pain mitigation he suggested Turmeric. An alternative medicine recommended by a physician? Worth a try.
Date: 2016-02-24
To: Two Weeks Before Start
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

As I sit in my comfortable chair, passing the time before starting the trail, a lot of things go through my head. At the foremost is mental preparedness. One of the things I do for that is read other people's journals. I especially like the one's where the hikers tell it like it is and don't paint some rosy picture of every day. Sure there are a lot of great days out there, a lot of em. That's why we hike, for the views, and the people and the incredible journey ahead. But anyone who really knows the trail knows that there are days when a hiker gets down.Many "in the know" people say that the trail is 90% mental and I agree. To be sure it's also very physical. Still, I'm taking a realistic look at how to hike the mental hike. It's just like finding the right equipment, and who would agree on that? For me, it's anticipating those moments and having something prepared for it.OK, enough of the heavy shit. Still haven't settled my gear and figure I'll just have to figure it out along the way. Added some cold weather stuff, decided to go with a pad inflation bag instead of using moist breath in hopes of extending the life of my pad. Tested out some food options. Geez, these last two weeks will just drag by.
Date: 2016-02-26
To: Press On
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

We had a great snow covering yesterday, so I got out and did some snowshoeing today. Yesterday I dug out of my driveway. The snow blower couldn't handle it, so it all had to be done by shovel. Good aerobic workout.Thing is, training for the AT in lower Michigan is like training for a boxing match with no sparing partner. You can build up endurance and develop a pretty good punch, but the punching bag doesn't punch back. Not to suggest I know anything about sports, especially boxing. I do know this, the AT punches back. Think Sassafras mountain. We don't have any mountains here in the lower peninsula. I'm told there are some in the upper, but I haven't hiked them.Hey, I wanted to give a shout out to some of my hiking friends from last year who I hope to see on the trail this year. Papa-Al, Philco, Sookie and Spirit. Possibly Paisley, if she doesn't start too late. People are one of the many aspects of the AT that make it special. Looking forward to meeting a lot of new folks along the way.
Date: 2016-03-02
To: One Week Out
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Ready as I will ever be, except for mailing the bounce box. At this point, it's pretty much going over things and trying to make sure all of the loose ends are taken care of.I've got the map embedding worked out, and will probably do that on a "milestone" basis rather than each journal entry. Beth will update part of it from home, with data sent from me on the trail. Pretty neat method of embedding a Google map with a current position into the journal entry. To see an example, check out Airlock's Journal from 2015.Still going strong on the stove-less experiment. This will go until I get my bounce box in Fontana, where the final decision will be made. The evening meal I have put together has more calories and better nutrition than a package of noodles, so I'm pretty happy with it. At least for now. Built in variety too. Basically crackers meat and cheese.So today, I plan to get an accurate pack weight and take one last hard look at everything in it. I'm anticipating a cold, wet Spring, and if that doesn't happen I erred on the prepared side of things.
Date: 2016-03-09
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Campsites
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: clear sky

Day 1Hawk Mt Campsite7.4/7.4TentIt was an absolutely beautiful day. Shuttled up to Springer parking lot from Hiker Hostel, did the one mile Southbound to the summit and started North at 10:00. Temperatures in the high 60s, maybe higher. The overcast sky eventually gave way to clear blue. Pretty good way to start a hike.Staying at the new tenting camp half a mile short off Hawk Mountain. 30 new tenting sites, plus a brand new privy and a spring quite a way back. Oh yes, bear boxes instead of cables. Some folks did a great deal of work on this site.Have met some people. Seems like we have a pretty good bunch. Not what I would call crowded. At least tonight. Maybe 10 of the 30 occupied.Can't say much about my stove less experiment. Had cheese, salmon and wheat thins, but really not much of an appetite today.
Date: 2016-03-10
From: Hawk Mountain Campsites

To: Gooch Mountain
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: light rain

Day 2Gooch Mt8.4/15.8TentLast night we heard a great horned owl near the camp. Always good to hear the woods come alive.So I started out about 7 this morning and hiked in a cloud for most of the day. It cleared up later in the day, but even at my slow pace I was in camp shortly after the sun came out. It actually made for a pretty good day of hiking.Today was more difficult than yesterday. Mostly because of a couple climbs, but more because the trail is a little more rocky. A couple of streams to rock hop and maybe just a little bit farther, but it was still a great day for hiking.A lot of people here tonight. Maybe 40 or so. I've met a lot of them, but most don't have trail names, so it's still very early in that process. Fun to help them with suggestions. The German couple from Hamburg were suggested as Hamburger and French Fries, but we'll see. Not my suggestion, but I did suggest to one girl who stills quietly in the corner that we should call her ChurchMouse. Don't think she will use it though.
Date: 2016-03-11
From: Gooch Mountain

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: few clouds

Day 3Lance Creek8.5/24.3TentLast night no less than four Barred Owls serenaded the camp for half an hour then again this morning. It rained a little during the night, but today was another warm sunny day.It was good hiking, maybe a little warm. I drank two liters of water and ran out just before Lance creek. Plenty of water available, so no reason to ration. Still can't eat the full daily food ration though. I'm sure that will change, but tomorrow I have a box I mailed to the outfitter at Neels gap. Now I will have even more to carry. Rats.Some are saying the rain will come tomorrow. One thing is certain. It will come eventually. I kind of hope the system passes tomorrow, so Sunday might be better. It is what it is.
Date: 2016-03-12
From: Lance Creek

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 7.4

Day 4Neels Gap7.4/31.7CabinI set my alarm for 5 AM and hit the trail by 5:35, remembering PapaAl's heroic effort last year to secure one of the Blood Mountain cabins. Rolled in at 11 and snagged the last one. Sharing with Jelle from The Netherlands and a couple, Phillip and Jill. One of the differences this year is that hardly anyone has trail names yet. People are making suggestions, but nobody is finding their calling. Just different, that's all.Four beautiful days in a row. It's kind of amazing. According to the AT weather website the rain is coming in tonight and will last through tomorrow. Still the temps are nice in the mid sixties.Blood mountain was a nice hike. Lots of day hikers out enjoying the weather. My early start found me hiking in the dark for the first hour. Not something I do often, but it was nice to watch the sunrise and listen to the birds. I was alone until I got to the summit. It's great to walk alone in the woods once in a while.
Date: 2016-03-13
From: Neels Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 5Neels Gap0/31.7CabinWell the storm came in last night and will continue through the day. I decided to take a zero day and my body is appreciative. I feel pretty good, but the four day trek to get here can be felt in my muscles.Sitting here in the Blood mountain cabins lodge enjoying the atmosphere and chatting with other hikers. We are all still in those early stages of acquaintance, some have dropped out. That normal at this stage and I won't put a number on it cause I don't really know, but a significant percentage of thru hikers drop by this point. Yet the early excitement of the trail can still be seen in many.At this point in the journey, we all look forward to putting miles behind us. Out on the trail, it's more about getting to the next waypoint with a lot of good thinking in between if we're lucky.
Date: 2016-03-14
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Day 6Low Gap11.5/43.2TentLeft Neels Gap at 8:00 for the long hike to Low gap. Except for a couple of mountains, oh yes there are always those, it was an uneventful day. On and off drizzle and I finally broke out my rain jacket. Of course the rain quit then. A small tent city has grown up around me in the two hours since I set up my tent. It's just before 5:00 and we heard thunder in the distance. This makes the third time I have camped at Low and it has been raining every time, so I'm not counting on a dry night. I'm dry in my tent and that's what counts.What's for dinner? A nice sharp cheddar with wheat thins and herb and garlic tuna in a tortilla. I'll hang the food bag just before dark so I can munch away at all this food I brought. I planned for only 2500 calories per day, but I don't has the appetite to go through it all right now. I may cut down a little with my next resupply in Hiawassee, but I have three more hiking days till then.Thank you all so much for the guest book entries. It's always uplifting to read them.
Date: 2016-03-15
From: Low Gap

To: Blue Mountain
Miles today: 7.3

Day 7Blue Mountain7.3/50.5TentAnother stellar day. Blue skies and mild temps. The trail was easy and I made good time. Even though I got a late start, I was the first one here of the group that stayed tonight. A lot of people continued on another three miles so they could get a ride into Hiawassee. Not for me, since we have only been out of Neels gap for 1 day.I will go into Hiawassee in two days. Another short day tomorrow then a longer one before the hostel.With the good weather, several of us sat in a big circle and just let the conversation flow. Totally different from last night with intermittent rain. Anyway, it's nice to get to know some of the other hikers.Song for the day: Up Where We Belong. Joe Cocker And Jennifer Warnes
Date: 2016-03-16
From: Blue Mountain

To: Tray Mountain
Miles today: 8.1

Day 8Tray Mountain8.1/58.6TentI saw a skink today. He ran across the trail in front of me and hid under some leaves. Sorry the picture isn't very good, but if you look bottom center you can see his head. His tail is near the top of the image.Couple of pretty good climbs today, but nothing too strenuous. Tray Mountain was a 1500 footer and I think that might be the biggest one yet. Nice views because once again we had amazing weather for hiking. It was sunny but breezy today.Actually last night the winds were gusty enough to cause my tent to flap noisily and keep me awake. I should sleep better tonight. Hope so cause I want to get an early start and get to the hostel in time to make a supply run to town. Think I' ready for that cheeseburger. From our campsite, the city lights can be seen scattered throughout the valley far below us, while not obscuring the stars. I just crawled out of my tent and enjoyed the peaceful scene for a moment. It's after 9 PM and everyone is quiet in their tent.
Date: 2016-03-17
From: Tray Mountain

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 911.5/69.6Dick's Creek GapHostelWith an 8 AM start I made it to the hostel about 3 PM, in time for a shower and to catch the 4 PM shuttle into Hiawassee. Not a particularly eventful day. I did see a whitetail deer. And it was another perfect hiking day. Cool breeze, blue sky, wind in hair... That sort of thing. Like as I was road walking the .5 mile to the hostel the wind blew my hat from my head over the side of the drop off. Well, I wasn't gonna climb down that bank for just a hat; so I threw a couple bucks down the bank and proceeded to recover my stuff.Happy St Patty's day. Supposed to be a big start date for the AT. Glad I'm a few days ahead of that because the hostel is at full capacity tonight. Five of our group is tenting due to overflow. Joker and I called in from Tray mountain last night. Pretty sure we got the last two bunks. Towns are where the hiker bubbles collect, break apart and form new bubbles, so we have a mix of new and old faces here. Hostels are an integral part of this experience. I don't really expect to get a lot of sleep tonight.
Date: 2016-03-18
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 100/69.2Dick's Creek GapHostelOk, yeah. Last night was a page right out of Bryson's book. We were in the "Wolf Den" room, where they allow hikers with dogs to stay. There was this woman with a service dog. Not really sure why she needs a service dog except for not being all there. Now this may seem insensitive so skip to the next paragraph if people with disabilities can do no wrong in your paradigm. This lady cleared her throat loudly three times every minute. I do not exaggerate. Now OK, I can tolerate that for quite a while, quite a while. Now let's try for two hours straight, while she continues to rustle around in her pack until 11 PM. I'm not making this up. Of course she used her bright white headlamp after lights out (house rules) at 10.She seems very nice, just somewhat oblivious. I'll try and cut her some slack. And maybe snooze a while today. Yeah, I'm writing a journal entry in the AM. Bass akwards from my routine, but things are upside down today. A leisurely trip into town for resupply and another cheeseburger.Update on the trail names. Most of the hikers have chosen and I think we have a good collection. Jelle from The Netherlands speaks English so well he actually cracks jokes and even an occasional pun. He was the last to take on a trail name, but Joker just fits him perfectly. Super nice young man. We also have Spoony and Whistler, two young Jewish kids from Manhattan and a young couple from PA; Voodoo and Caboose. There are others, who I will fold in during the coming weeks.So the first resupply went well. Ingles supermarket with all the good stuff. All except that is for single spam servings gotta eat just tuna for three nights. Tomorrow I'll start a three and a half day trek to Franklin NC. Pushing on toward Fontana in about 10 days or so. Then into the National Park.