morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-24
From: Spivey Gap, US 19W

To: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Well my plan today was definitely not to get a ride to the hostel, but that is how it turned out. When I woke up the top of my foot was swollen and bruised and painful to put weight on. Not a good sign after a good nights sleep. When I limped up to get water I went up a bit farther to the road and just as I got up there a minivan pulled up and a hiker I had seen the day before got out. He saw me limping and said his daughter was in the van sleeping and when she woke up could take me to town. So he told her not to leave without me and he headed for the trail. I really wanted to hike (it was only 11 miles to the hostel) but did not want to hurt my foot worse....so I packed up my tent and pack and waited for the daughter in the van to wake up. Well her name was Meredith and she was 18 and had started hiking the trail with her father. She said at about 270 miles she realized she hated it and wanted to stop,so she is now slackpacking her father. That means that he carries a small pack with minimum supplies and she picks him up and drops him off at the trail every day. This way he can hike more miles because he us xarrying less weight. They are sleeping and cooking in the van. She was very nice and very chatty and offered to take me anywhere I needed to go. That was definitely great trail magic. I spent the day soaking my foot in the river...very cold...and resting it. The hostel is neat and I got a shower and laundry done....good day!! I can't let myself be bummed about having to take a break to heal up a bit....the trail will be there when I am ready to go....but hoping that is tomorrow!
Date: 2014-04-25
From: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel

To: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Well my foot was still painful and more swollen so I took another day to rest it and elevate it. I spent most of the day in my tent listening to the rain and teading. Hopefully it will be much better in the morning ad I would like to go back and do the 11 miles I missed so I can continue my journey noryh on Sunday. The hostel has been a nice place to rest....good bathrooms/shower and many nice people through here in the past few days.
Date: 2014-04-26
From: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel

To: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel
Miles today: 11.0

Well I got a ride up to Spivey Gap ( that where I limped off the trail a couple days ago ) tp get in the 11 miles I missed and to test out my foot/ankle. Interestingly it seemed that nobody had ben on thst section of the trail before me in the day as I walked through many spider webs...and I did not even start until noon. My foot was OK, but I am thinking that part of the problem is not enough support in my boots so will look into that before I head out today. I will update when I can but am finding that I do not have Internet in the mountains. Thanks to all for the positive thoughts and strength.
Date: 2014-04-30
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: Mountain Harbor Hostel in Roan Mt, TN
Miles today: 10.6

Today was still cloudy and very windy. The clouds were moving fast with the wind. The trail stayed above 5000 feet most of the morning until the loooong descent into Roan Mt....down to 3000 feet of elevation. The challenging and fun part of the day was Little Hump Mountain and Hump Mountain....the tops of these were 5400 and 5500 feet...these mountains were clearings or balds meaning they had no trees....this is where the wind comes into play...it was a good 3 miles going up and down in very strong wind....it was hard to stay on the trail because the wind was so strong. It made the time go fast because you had to really work hard to stay upright. I think I smiles and laughed all the way. It was one of my favorite sections. The hike down was pretty with big rocks and streams. It also seems that every day there is something new blooming...spring is here!
Date: 2014-05-05
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Campsite
Miles today: 5.4

Yes 5.4 miles is right...my stomach was not happy when I woke up and tried to eat some crackers and finally made it out of camp at just after 930. After 3 miles I sat down for a rest and planned to just focus on 3 mile chunks at a time. Well, after 2.4 more miles and no energy I sat down for another break....I apparently fell asleep and woke up 3 hours later. At that point, still tired and not able to eat, I put up my tent and crawled in. Hopefully the sleep is what my body needed and I will have an easy 13 miles into Damascus VA.....which means a zero day with laundry and shower.
Date: 2014-05-21
From: campsite 5 miles from Pearisburg, VA

To: The Captains 
Miles today: 15.9

Nice day today...not too hot. There were a couple of big uphills but for the most part was on the ridgeline and pretty flat. The last few days water sources have been much farther apart. This means paying attention to where they are and how much water I have left. I missed one today and it was the last one for 9 miles. Luckily I had just under a liter of water so I was able to make it last. When I did come to water it was a beautiful, rocky, fast flowing stream. I am tenting at The Captains tonight. This is a persons home on the creek and they allow hikers to tent in their yard. The most fun part is the zip line swing that is set up to get across the creek...nice flat spot for my tent so I will sleep good.
Date: 2014-06-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Update!!! Cell signals have been sketchy at best so not strong enough to post any updates. I am still in Virginia as many of the miles of the trail go through this state. The hiking has been great with much of the miles on the ridge lines. That is some of my favorite since from there you can see down both sides of the mountains. I have not done as many miles a day lately but have instead taken lots of time to "smell the flowers" and enjoy the views. It is a great thing to get to a rock with a nice view, have lunch and take a nap. It is an even better thing to realize that it is ok to take the time to do that and that this adventure is not just about how many miles a day I can hike. This hit me when I passed the one third mark. It is hard to believe that not only have I hiked that far but it is one third over. The things I get to see everyday are so unbelievably beautiful. Some of my favorites: Dragons tooth ( I think I have some hiking friends that have done this section)which is a huge rock monolith with 360 degree views and a most unexpected rock scramble to get down the other side. It was fun but a definite challenge with a 30 pound pack and trekking poles. I think I ended up just tossing my poles down the rocks most of the way. McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs were great views and fun to hike too. Lately instead of staying at the shelters as much I have been looking for nice scenic places to put up my tent. Sometimes near a river or stream or a nice meadow and it is always neat to find a clearing on top of a mountain where I can see the sunset and then the sunrise in the morning.My original boots made it just over 700 miles. I got a pair of blue trail runners that I am really liking. The food in my mail drops has been working out well supplemented with food from the grocery stores when I get to town. The challenge with food is to not carry too much or too little. I am eating quite a bit and always seem to be able to eat more so the grocery store can mean a very heavy pack when hiking out of town. I have met some amazing people along the way. The trail community is very cool. Trail magic/trail angels is always a nice surprise. Sometimes it is a cooler with cold soda by the road and other times people are set up at a trail crossing. The other day a guy that thru hiked last year set up for a full day and cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He had everything....fruit, veggies, chips, soda, beer, candy, cookies and more....even chairs to sit on. Thankyou to everyone for the messages in my guest book. I love to hear from you all. My apologies for not posting updates more often but lack of cell service has made it challenging. top of a
Date: 2014-06-16
To: Meagan
Miles today: 0.0

Hello from the Shenandoah River. I am on my third day of paddling up the river in a canoe. It has been great fun and a good break for my legs. The river is beautiful and the animals are fun to watch. The upside to canoeing is being able to carry more than just what fits in my pack...so have been able to have food that I would not usually carry. A cooler with fresh veggies and fruit has been a nice treat. The downside has been finding camping spots. The land on the river is mostly private property with no tresspassing signs. So that has meant trying to find stealth spots where you can't be seen or asking if you can camp there. Very different than the mountains where you can set up a tent about any where. The trip will take another two days and will put me just about to Harpers Ferry, VA.Thanks for the messages and positive thoughts. This has been a great adventure so far and I am loving my time out here. ~Meagan
Date: 2014-07-07
From: Meagan

To: Duncannon PA
Miles today: 0.0

What,s happening!*finished canoeing with a search and recovery mission on the second to last day after the canoe tipped over and stuff floated down the river*hiked with friends from Jacksonville. It was great to meet up with Nan and crew.*checked in at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry. I was thru hiker number 755   *slack packing with rides from Stealths mom and stayed with his aunt in Duncannon*slack packing with rides from dad while hiking with mom*finally finished Virginia*got through WV* crossed the Mason-Dixon line...MD done * crossed the midpoint at 1094.9 miles...halfway done!!!*did the half gallon challenge at Pine Grove Furnace State Park....that is eating a half gallon on ice cream in one sitting...it took me 38 minutes*working on PA now....in case anyone did not know....there are rocks in PA and they ARE the trail! big, small, sharp, round and every other description you can think of for rocks. It makes for slow going and beats up the feet. In between the rocks, though, the trail goes through corn fields which is a nice break. It has been a great journey so far and I am looking forward to the second half.Thanks to my Mom and Dad and Mom Stealth for your hospitality and help in the past weeks and all through out the trip. It was great to see you and your support is appreciated more than you know. I am very lucky to be on this journey and even though there are challenges I am enjoying every day. This is beautiful country and I am have met some amazing people.
Date: 2014-07-20
From: Duncannon PA

To: Campsite with a Great View
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Hi.....still in PA and there are still rocks. It is very beautiful here but the rocks have gotten challenging.   There have been some spots in the past days that have huge rocks to climb across and down. It is fun but a 30 pound pack tends to throw my balance off making it a bit tricky and definitely slow going. Some of these rock piles end up with a great view though.....some just end up with more rocks....my feet are getting beat up pretty beat up but I am enjoying the challenge and am very lucky to be out here spending every day in this beautiful forest. The camping spot last night was on a ridge with a beautiful view and great sunrise. Thank you for the messages. I always enjoying reading them. This continues to be a great adventure....on to NJ soon....
Date: 2014-08-07
From: Campsite with a Great View

To: Stormville NY
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Quick update to say that I am still heading north and having a great time. I finished PA and there were still rocks in NJ but the NJ rocks were different.   Some good challenging rock climbs and the forests are beautiful. NY has been just as nice as NJ. The weather has been perfect.   Some warm days and humidity but not like FL at all. It is, also, cooling down at night which is nice. So at this point I am 2/3 done. Only 755 miles left to go. It is hard to believe that I have walked this far. I get frustrated with myself because I am very slow, but just keep reminding myself it is about the journey...not the speed...and I am loving every day out here.Thanks for the messages. ..I enjoy reading them and they give me a boost.
Date: 2014-08-31
To: Meagan
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Ok so where am I now??? I am doing what is called a flip flop hike. I hiked north from Georgia to Pawling, NY and made my way by car ( thanks to Mama Stealth ) to the northern terminus of the Appalachian trail...Baxter Park in Maine. From there my hikng partner Stealth and I will hike south to Pawling, NY. We decided on this to avoid the cold weather as we got farther north. I am now in Monson, ME having just finished the 100 mile wilderness.   Maine is gorgeous and the change of scenery and terrain has been nice.   The unexpected benefit of flip flopping is getting to see northbound hikers that I met earlier in the hike that I probably never would have see again and hearing about the upcoming terrain. The word on the trail is that we have some great hiking ahead....verified difficult but worth it....apparently southen Maine and New Hampshire have some of the most challenging terrain with big mountains and rock climbs.      So far Maine has been great with beautiful lakes with beaches, so good swimming and breath taking views.   We have seen bull moose, loons, and other different wildlife.      It seems after all these miles it should get easier for me but every day has its challenges. That is a good thing I suppose and even though I get frustrated with myself I am enjoying the adventure.
Date: 2014-10-18
To: Meagan
Miles today: 0.0

Well I suppose it is time for an update. Yes, I am still hiking and Yes, I think I am probably the slowest AT thru hiker ever....but I am still going...and I am lucky to have found a very patient hiking partner....the end is just under 280 miles away. So that is Vermont, Massachusets and Connecticut. Maine was beautiful and very rugged...the trail was roots, rocks and mud continuously. There were mountain climbs and rock scrambles that were hand over hand climbing or finding the best way I could to get over it or under it. I sit down and slide/scoot down often just so I can keep the slide controlled...I have had several uncontrolled slides where my feet went out from under me and next thing I know I was at the bottom of the slippery rock faster that I chose to be. Mahousic Notch is listed to be the toughest mile on the AT and can be fun or not...it is a one mile boulder pit where there are rocks to climb over and under and around.... it was tough but lots of fun and took just over 2 hours to get through....New Hampshire was just as beautiful and just as challenging with steep climbs and steep descents....the White Mountains...the Presidential range....Mt Washington....well, talk about some beautiful views...It was definitely work to get those views, though. Next to Maine. NH was some of the toughest hiking. Luckily the weather was great. So far, Vermont has been a nice change of pace with rolling hills and a steep climb here and there. One of the things I have enjoyed most is watching the leaves change colors.....so many different colors and so many different shapes...it has been great to watch from the first yellow tree I saw in a bunch of green to now with the many different colors. Though this continues to be a great journey, I am ready for it to get to the end in some ways and in some ways not. My body hurts all over from feet to ankles to knees to hips..every day. But it is so peaceful being in the solitude of the mountains and seeing sights that not many people ever get to see. I am lucky...Thanks for all the posts in my guest book. I love reading them...continued thanks to my parents who are sending me food drops and taking care of my dogs and house...and to Stealths parents for providing a warm, dry place to take cover in Vermont and many rides to and from trail heads...What a great adventure this is.....
Date: 2013-10-03
To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0

Today I opened my Appalachian Trail Journal. I plan to do a solo hike and will start on March 18, 2014, and end on September 5, 2014, for a total of 171 days. According to the 2013 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers' Companion, the trail is 2,181 miles long, which means I need to average 12.75 miles per day. Update 1-17-2014. I just read the new 2014 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker's Companion and the trail is now listed at 2,185.3 miles. Seems easy enough, but I am not fooling myself. There are a lot of hard mountain miles ahead in all kinds of pleasant and unpleasant weather. Worse, at 59, I have some arthritis in my feet and various other occasional aches and pains. I have backpacked before, but nothing on this scale. This will be a challenge. The last time I backpacked was nearly 20 years ago when I hiked the Grand Canyon. Since then, I jog, exercise, and occasionally camp, but no backpacking. My past backpacking trips were less than one week long and other people hiked with me, so I shared the load and didn't overly analyze the ounces. Some of my old equipment was good, but most was low end, box-store type equipment due to the low cost. There wasn't a great need for superior equipment because I wasn't gone that long, so I could usually do without or rely on the other guy's equipment should my equipment breakdown. I retired in May 2013 after working 37 years doing the same job. I am looking forward to the challenge and change. Soon after I retired I started preparing for the hike. Most of my equipment is now new. I originally intended to use my older equipment. I soon discovered as I looked at the advancements in ultralight backpacking gear, that my equipment was old, heavy, and needed updating. This is going to cost more than I originally budgeted for equipment. Truly amazing light gear. When I think back to the weight I used to carry, at least 40 pounds, and realize I am planning to hike the AT with a maximum weight of under 28 pounds, including food, water, equipment, and fuel, I think I must be fooling myself about the weight. Yet, I carefully added my equipment weight, and realize it will weight far less than ever I thought possible 20 years ago. If I had found this website earlier, I probably would have purchased a different backpack. I like the sleeping bag because of the warmth. I like the sleeping pad. I might have gone with a one-man tent to save ounces but went with a two-man tent for the extra space. After all, it will be home for nearly six months. Time will tell if I regret purchasing a slightly heavier tent for the space. Reading other hiker journals, most don't discuss their tent options, so I figure I am fine. Most seem to discuss clothing. I am still considering clothing options for the cold weather, whether to add long-joins and a heavy coat. Now that winter is approaching I can practice in cold weather and determine my cold weather needs for the hike. More on gear and my preparations later.
Date: 2013-10-06
To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0

162 days till the start. For the past few weeks I have been practicing with a 28 to 40 pound backpack walking about 7 miles in 2 hours on flat ground. This was getting easy. Since the actual trail is very hilly, mountainous actually, I determined that I needed to practice climbing. So I went to the stairs at Swallow Cliff, see picture. The Swallow Cliff stairs are 125 irregularly high and spaced flagstone steps. The steps are murder going up and down. You change elevation only 90 feet but feel every step. The first day I carried a 38 pound pack and did 10 laps in one hour. After that, I couldn't walk for 3 days and was sore for a week. Today was the first time back to the stairs. I did 15 laps, but only carried 5 pounds. Feeling tired and will see if I am sore tomorrow.
Date: 2013-10-07
To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0

161 days till I start. As I train, nearly everyone asks the same questions - What about bears? Are you carrying a gun, bear repellent, or a big knife? Why are you doing this hike? Won't you be lonely? First the bears. After some research on the all-knowing website - Wikipedia - I found a list of bear attacks. It appears living in a major city is more dangerous concerning bears than the Appalachian Trail. I found one instance that can be stretched of a bear attack close to the trail. In 2000 a bear attacked someone near a campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Otherwise, more people are killed by bears in major cities than on the AT. Many of the people killed by bears in the cities were doing things they shouldn't be doing in zoos or with captive bears. In the Rocky Mountains there are bear attacks and people are occasionally killed, but still on a small scale. I will not carry a gun, bear repellent nor a big knife. They are too heavy and not that useful. My personal experience with bears is you leave them alone and they will leave you alone. Also, black bears inhabit the AT trail country. Black bears are smaller, and would rather steal your food than fight you for it, so they can be driven off with a fair amount of shouting. From what I understand, bears have a much easier time getting food from tourists on the roadside than trying to take the measly and guarded backpacker food. I will hang my food like most other prudent backpackers. I see a number of people purchase bear bags, I will likely go simple. I will probably use a stuff bag with a garbage bag liner and throw it over a limb or bear line at night. I won't lose any sleep over bears.Regarding being lonely, unlikely. There is a fair amount of hikers on the trail, and most backpackers congregate at similar locations like shelters and water. I am looking forward to the new friends and camaraderie on the trail. I expect there will be more times when I wish for solitude than company on the trail. As for why I am doing this - I don't really know yet. It is something I have thought of for a long time, but don't really know why. I hope by the end to have some revelation about the deeper meaning of life and my purpose, but will not be surprised if after hiking 2,185 miles, I am still no closer to an understanding of myself than when I started this journey. Stay tuned.
Date: 2013-10-17
To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0

151 days till I start. Today I passed 100 miles in my training. The past week I hiked 8.1 miles per day on a hilly trail in less than 3 hours per day. Much faster than I expect to walk in the mountains. My pack weighed approximately 28 pounds, my target maximum pack weight. The only pain still remaining is the little toe on my left foot. I may purchase a pair of expensive shoe inserts to see if that solves the problem. While on a trail forum, I learned that some of my past feet pain was from taking long strides. I shortened my stride and most of my feet and leg pains disappeared, with the exception of my left little toe. A shorter stride did not slow me down at all and is more comfortable. Still working on sock combinations. A liner sock keeps most blisters away, but make my feet hot. I plan to look into wool socks. This recent cold and rainy weather is providing me the chance to test rain gear and my cold weather clothing needs. The rain gear is working fine and not too hot at 45 degrees in the rain. Clothing choice is still a challenge. Short sleeve shirt and short pants are fine in rain gear, even in the low 40s, but as soon as I stop hiking, I get chilled. I am weighing all of my gear, and find that my clothing weighs more than I want, but what to get rid of or change? Winter is approaching and I will continue to experiment with clothing combinations to see what little I can wear after a day of hiking.I am considering replacing one piece of gear, my Dromedary hydration bag. I don't care for the way the hose connects to the bag. The hose protrudes into my backpack, kinks easily, and I must be careful about how it is connected or it will leak. One day this week, my hydration bag leaked nearly a quart of water into my pack, which got a lot of things wet, and worse, I ran out of water. I was very thirsty by the end of that hike.