morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-07-30
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: East Branch Lean-to
Miles today: 20.7

August 6, 2011 ¢ Today and tomorrow I will add 4 journal entries. Todays will be July 28, 29, 30 & 31. Enjoy ¢ MaryThe shelter was cramped and busy this morning because it was still raining at 5:30. The northbounders were up early and had eaten and packed, but we lingered until 7:00 when the rain stopped. Everything was wet so it made the trek over Chairback Mountain treacherous as it was very steep and had huge, slippery rocks from a slide to climb down. We made it after more than a few scares, then the trail got much better as we headed for Katahdin Iron Works Road.As we approached the trail magic we saw a group of camp hikers and I saw my mother-in-law coming up the road. It was the mother lode of trail magic. There were a fresh batch of whoopee pies & soda from the trail angel that normally provides them, plus Bev had brought sodas and snacks in a cooler. There was even special trail magic marked for Earl Grey & Mammoth consisting of chocolate milk, M&M¢s, beef jerky, Oreos, trail mix and assorted other items. The camp hikers were from Camp Merrowvista in NH, and they called Bev "Saint Beverly" and sang her a camp song of thanks. We gorged ourselves, had a soda, and took one for the road. Then we were treated to fresh peas picked from Bev¢s garden. Both Mammoth & Bearsweat told me later that the fresh peas were the most appreciated as we rarely get fresh veggies on the trail. Bev also offered to pack out everyone's trash, which was appreciated by all. This magic was just the boost Mammoth and I needed today. We felt rejuvenated and pushed on and made good time up over the last 4 peaks, culminating with White Cap which is really the last climb until Katahdin. The weather got progressively better as the day went on, so by the time we summited White Cap we had good views. Those views included Katahdin again which seemed a lot bigger this time. I saved my second coke for the summit of White Cap to celebrate my last climb until the big K. Katahdin is now only 40 miles as the crow flies, separated from us by a flat valley of lakes, swamps, and forest. It¢s really about 68 trail miles of mud, roots, rocks, and hopefully 1 large cheeseburger at Whitehouse Landing tomorrow. We made such good time today on the hills that we pushed out an extra 4 miles today to cut down on tomorrow¢s miles. We need to hike the 22 miles before 5:00 so we can get in for dinner, so we plan to leave early and hike hard. Both Mammoth and I have been ready to have our hike finished, and have not really looked forward to the last 100 miles, but to see Katahdin so close, and realizing how beautiful the 100 mile wilderness really is, has me very excited again. We are still on track for an August 4th summit date, and so far the weather looks good. I¢m very excited for the journey to be coming to an end, but at the same time I¢m sure in a short period of time I¢ll miss it too. Well off to bed because there are 22 miles to do before 5:00 tomorrow, and a 1 pound burger with my name on it!
Date: 2011-07-31
From: East Branch Lean-to

To: White House Landing
Miles today: 21.8

August 6, 2011 ¢ Today and tomorrow I will add 4 journal entries. Todays will be July 28, 29, 30 & 31. Enjoy ¢ MaryToday was all about one thing, making it to Whitehouse Landing by the 5:00 deadline for dinner. We had tented in the woods near the shelter last night because day hikers had sucked up all the spots around the shelter. We were up fairly early but didn¢t manage to leave until about 6:20. Fortunately after one little blip of a climb the trail was level, and the footing was great. We didn¢t stop for many things today other than the usual breaks, but we did look at the view of Katahdin from the shore of Lake Pemadumcook. The view was breathtaking, Katahdin now filled up the whole horizon of the lake and you can see all the ridges and slides on the mountain. It is about 20 sight miles now, and looks like you can reach out and touch the massive mountain. We made the boat dock of White House landing about 4:15 very tired and sore, but happy. We blew the horn (only one short burst) and soon the boat arrived. White House Landing is an old logging camp that is now run as wilderness cabins. There is no electricity, but we were able to shower, wash our clothes by hand, and best of all order our dinner. We had a choice of pizza, 12 lb. burger, or 1 lb. burger for hikers. We of course chose the 1 lb. burger and it lived up to its billing. It was cooked perfectly and came with chips and all the fixings. I ate mine along with 2 Mountain Dews and still had room for a small loaf of zucchini/apple bread. It was delicious, not so filling that I couldn¢t move, but filling enough that I was happy. We chatted with some other hikers that were flip-flopping. As we talked I thought I recognized a woman that I met on my first day of the hike with Mammoth, Shutter, and Flutewalker. When I questioned her, it was indeed her and she remembered us too. She goes by ¢Weaver¢, and I think she may also have a trailjournal. It¢s a small world, and very funny how these people turn up again. Mammoth and I decided to take the next 3 days slow and enjoy ourselves, we had considered pushing two 20 mile days to finish on the 3rd, but decided not to beat ourselves and just enjoy the last miles. So it is still the 4th for now.
Date: 2011-08-01
From: White House Landing

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: few clouds

Today, August 7, I will enter the final 4 journal entries ¢ August 1, 2, 3, & 4. ¢ MaryAfter a good night¢s sleep I was up and ready for breakfast which is served promptly at 8:00. It was a tough start to the day because the owners have ducks that come up to camp from the lake that they feed. Well, just as the little ducklings came up, one of the southbounders who is traveling with a husky dog also came over for breakfast. The dog took off after the ducks and killed one of the babies. The owner was none too pleased as he had warned the hiker that the ducks would come up last night and had asked if the dog would chase them. The hiker leashed his dog last night but this morning he was roaming free. The owner was quite upset and vowed that White House Landing would now be ¢no dogs allowed¢. He didn¢t think dogs should be on the trail, and said he had problems for years and was very close to banning them in the past. This was apparently the last straw. Breakfast was a little subdued after the incident, but was very good and filling. The weather was clear and warm with showers expected in the afternoon. We got dropped off not very motivated to hike as both Mammoth & I had sore feet from yesterday¢s mileage. We plodded along until we came to Nahmakanta Lake. As the trail passed a beach there was a reclining lawn chair chained to a tree. It was too inviting so we sat and sunned ourselves for about an hour. We finally dragged ourselves away and made it up a little Mountain where we got another view of Katahdin behind Nahmakanta Lake. Katahdin looms larger each time we see it. It soon began to thunder in the distance and we pushed the pace a little. We made the shelter just as it started to sprinkle. I pitched my tent and Mammoth is staying in the shelter. I¢m glad we decided on 3 days instead of pushing it in 2 as we were both tired and would probably have been a little grumpy if we had to hike 20+ miles today. As I write this there is heavy rain and a thunder & lightning storm has been raging for about 2 hours. Only 30 miles to go now and it is rumored to be a little muddy in the first half of tomorrows hike. I¢m sure the rain won¢t help, but it¢s got to be done.
Date: 2011-02-17
To: The reasons behind it all
Miles today: 0.0

Written August 16, 2010   Ever since I can remember, I have wanted, no needed, to have adventure in my life. So, this time, I have picked the biggest challenge to date.   A Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail: 2,175 miles from Georgia to Maine.   This endeavor has found its way into my subconscious for as long as I can recollect.      My boyfriend, Tommy, and I will begin our hike this coming March. With less than one year to prepare, I occasionally get overwhelmed. Sometimes I feel that Tommy, on the other hand, could almost pick-up and go tomorrow.   This experience will be the ultimate test not only of us as individuals, but of our relationship. Can we survive six non-stop months together?   We both have done week long backpacking trips and I have worked for adventure companies leading short backpacking and canoeing trips for youth. But, this time we will both be out of our normal element.   To make matters even more interesting, for the little more than a year we have been together, we have always had a long-distance relationship.      Do I think we have what it takes to make it to Maine? (without killing each other) And for that matter, what does it take??
Date: 2011-02-17
To: Last Minute Details
Miles today: 0.0

Since Tommy and I have a long distance relationship, we have to center our visits specifically on AT planning. A lot of gear research and purchasing has happened independently, but often discussed over the phone for hours upon hours! This weekend, he will be visiting so we can work on last minute food prep, itinerary, and mail drops.   To me, food prep has been the most fun. At first it was overwhelming and frustrating, but in the end, I definitely have enjoyed this aspect of trail prep. Currently, we have created about 50 dinner meals (10 different kinds) using one main book: The AT Food Planner.   (a much deserved thank you to the author!) We spent a lot of time reading through recipes, testing them out on our regular stove, as well as on our backpacking stove, and then deciding which ones we actually liked.   While it seems like we will have a wide variety of food, I am sure in the end it will all start to be the same: pasta, rice, and more pasta or rice! We also have bought about the same amount of pre-packaged dehydrated meals, mainly for simplicity. These quick, easy meals will be great after long, tiring hiking days when all we really want to do is boil water, pour in bag, wait a little bit, and enjoy!  Certainly not like real cooking, but I can get used to just about anything after awhile.
Date: 2011-03-23
From: Amicalola

To: Amicalola
Miles today: 1.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We start tomorrow!!! My parents were kind enough to drive us down to Georgia. This afternoon we spent several hours going through our packs and repacking. Do we need this, do we want that? Let's just say that I was a few pounds off in my pack weight estimates. When inquiring minds wanted to know how much I would be carrying my offhanded answer was 35-45 lbs. Instead, when I weighed my pack at the park it was 50 lbs! At least that is what the scale at Amicalola Falls State Park read. Tommy's weight is 62 lbs; he thought it would be less than 50 lbs.We hiked up a bunch of stairs (604 to the top of Amicalola Falls (the 1st mile of the Approach trail). Definitely feeling the weight. I am positive we will make many changes to our gear options. Taking the 1st mile of the Approach trail felt almost like cheating as we aren't planning on doing the extra 8.5 miles to the start of the AT.When the Ranger (Ranger Ron) from Amicalola asked where we were heading I said "Maine." His response "That's it?...Not Katahdin?" Well, of course, I meant Katahdin. Maine, I suppose, is less committal, than Katahdin. But, we need to start thinking "Katahdin or Bust."I realize our pack weights may be excessive, but that is with 100% of our food and water. Some family members (mom) are pretty worried about us and our heavy packs, rightfully so. However, we aren't going to randomly chuck gear off mountains or set any land speed records. Tommy and I wondered if Ranger Ron gets impressions of every thruhiker enough to decide whether they will finish the whole trail or not. Well, I just eliminated only about 3 ozs: extra medicines, pill bottle, 2 small stuff sacks. Tommy realized he had a pillow in his pack after he weighed it. He didn't know it was in there, nor did he want it! He also accidentally left a camera lens in his father's car when he met us at Ceil's in PA. At least it was there and not in the hotel at TN.Ranger Ron spoke of pack weights of other thruhikers that were heavier: 70 and 170 lbs. I can't even imagine. I even cut a tag off a stuff sack. Anyway, I am excited (and nervous) to be here and starting this incredible journey tomorrow. This has been a long time coming. Spring is certainly starting to appear here in Georgia. Wildflowers gracing us with their presence along the trail to the falls. I always want to know the names of things; wildflowers, trees, birds. I guess it is a way to connect to them. With my naturalist tendencies and Tommy's photography desires, we will lucky if we make it to Maine about this time next year. Nothing like stopping every 100 yards to take a picture or relearn the name of bloodroot. We will have to adjust our speed if we want to have a successful trip. But, then again what do we define as a successful trip? Our hiking numbers are 453 and 454, Alicia and Tommy, respectively. That means we are the 453rd and 454th people to start a thruhike from Springer. That is about 40 people more than last year. Good night and Good luck!
Date: 2011-03-24
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 8.0

This is Day 2. We are sleeping at Gooch Mt Shelter. We hiked 8.5 miles today.Yesterday (Day 1) was a long day. So long that I didn't even take time to write. We walked 8 miles and it felt way more. They say it is 5 million steps to get from Maine to Georgia. I feel that I took that many steps on Day 1.At one point Tommy said he was ready for some trail magic. So, I turned around and gave him a kiss. I don't think this was the trail magic he was looking for. We did, however, hear of a former thru-hiker, Grits, who will be doing some trail magic in an upcoming Gap. Nothing tastes better than a hamburger after a long day of hiking. This coming from a person who used to be a vegetarian for awhile and probably will be again someday.The first night on the trail we almost got to Hawk Mt. Shelter after hiking 8 miles. We camped in a clearing not far from the trail. Someone watching us set up camp and our bear bag would have had a great laugh. we had great difficulties with hanging our food: getting the rock stuck, getting the rope tangled, having the stick fall off the rope. Eventually Tommy was successful. This is certainly a skill that I hope we improve on by the time we reach Maine.We also experienced our 1st "run-in" on Day 2 with an AT purist. For those of you who aren't familiar, a purist is someone who must walk every inch of the AT. A blue-blazer is someone who will allow themselves to take short cuts on blue side trails. A yellow-blazer walks the roads! Anyway, as we were hiking off a ridge and across a road, a man yelled out at us "Are you hiking the AT?" And then proceeded to tell us we should turn around because the path we had taken was wrong. The AT had forked, but the actual AT was only 10 feet or so longer and there was nothing distinguishing the two trails. So we turned around! I don't see us becoming that "pure."
Date: 2011-03-25
From: Hawk Mt. Shelter

To: Gooch Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 8.5

Day 2:On Day 2, we hiked 8.5 miles from near Hawk Mt. Shelter to Gooch Mt. Shelter We stayed in the shelter (three-sided building for hikers), first time for me ever, and first time for Tommy as a thru-hiker. I'm not so sure we like sleeping in the shelters: noisy and crowded. There was probably 10 or so people in the shelter, and another several camping nearby. The company is usually fine, but our tent provides quiet and privacy. Plus, the only snoring we have to deal with in the tent is each other.I think some people can't believe we can carry heavy packs. I can't either, but we are making it, one foot in front of the other. I can imagine some people wonder what exactly one does all day while walking. It varies greatly, but surprisingly the time usually flies. Plan your rest stops, plan your meals, look at the map, wonder about the plants and animals you see, complain about being tired/sore, ponder the future, but also just walk!I am starting to get a blister on my left foot. Just a hot spot now, but hopefully it doesn't develop into anything more. Blisters can really dampen a trip and slow a person down or even stop them. Tommy has insisted (way before we started hiking) that he wasn't going to get any blisters. I thought he was just being silly, arrogant, or both. Turns out he has a stick of anit-chafing cream that he insists works. I am trying it, but the jury is still out.Tommy asked me during one break when I thought people would stop passing us. I can tell that it bothers him, but we both have to remember that this isn't a race. Katahdin will still be there whether we get there in August, September, or October..it just might be colder.
Date: 2011-03-26
From: Gooch Mt. Shelter

To: Dahlonega
Miles today: 5.0

Day 3:We didn't get very far today. About 5 miles into Woody Gap (Georgia) and ended up being picked up by my parents. The weather is ATROCIOUS! lots of rain. My parents shuttled us and our friend Eric (another hiker) and his dog Meisha to a Super 8 in Dahlonega. The motel room looks like a bomb went off in it. Our gear is hanging from curtains, over the heater, from hangers, over chairs, in drawers, etc. etc. Hopefully, it will dry by morning. I hope we are not being too "soft" or that we will get used to or expect this level of comfort. I doubt that my parents can pick us up and shuttle us to a hotel every time there is a day of rain and thunderstorms. We have to be able to tough the hard weather out. It was difficult for me to accept their offer, but I am feeling cozy now in my cotton sweatshirt and clean hair. (In retrospect, the hotel and restaurant dinner were just what we needed to keep us moving. starting slow is best!)At a laundromat, an older gentleman asked if we had just gotten off the AT. Surprised he could tell after only 3 days! We can't stink, we just showered. He (probably the laundromat owner) welcomed us to the neighborhood. His words of advice: what you need in life comes down to 4 words: perserverance, determination, tenacity, and persistence. And failure is not an option! Walking in the rain is not only harder, but makes me hungrier. That or my body is adjusting because I thought about food and listened to my stomach rumble way more today than the past two. That or it was the thunder.
Date: 2011-03-27
From: Dahlonega

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We made it to Neel's Gap. Today was our longest day yet at 10.6 miles. While this is really long for us, another thru-hiker at the hostel did 28 miles today. To me that sounds absolutely insane.The weather turned out to be beautiful today. We hiked in the clouds as we ascended Blood Mt (the tallest on the trail in this section). There were some great views from the top (check out our pics) even with some fog and cloud cover. Saw our 1st stone shelter. Quite impressive, but it would have been pretty cold to sleep on the top of Blood Mt. So, we pushed on and made it to Neels Gap another 2 1/2 miles of knee-killing torture downhill.At Walasi-Yi hostel, we each had a bunk and got a warm shower. There are many people here that we didn't think we would catch up to after camping with them at Gooch Mt. Turns out no one likes hiking in the rain.We have a Grand Slam: staying in all the various AT accomadations in one week: tent, shelter, hotel, and hostel. I wonder which one I'll end up liking the best.
Date: 2011-03-28
From: Neel's Gap

To: Wildcat Mt
Miles today: 0.0

Weather was cloudy, foggy, but reasonably warm. We hiked only 6.2 miles today as we waited for my parents to meet us to give us our mail drop. Thanks to them for all the help they have been.Didn't sleep well at the hostel. Every time I woudl turn over on the top bunk, the whole frame would shake. I was worried that the person sleeping below me wouldn't get an iota of sleep. Then, there was the snoring! There must have been probably 20 people or so staying at the hostel.We ran into an AT legendary figure. Wasn't quite what we pictured. But if someone like him can hike it multiple times so can we! We used some of his tips/guidelines in planning our mail drops. Our pack weights are down! Turns out we had more food than we needed, so we were able to send some back with the folks and adjust our future drops. We don't need 2 bags of baked goods, two bags of dried fruit, etc. This definitely helped our pack weight drop. Tommy's is now at around 47 lbs, and mine at 37 lbs. Certainly still too heavy, but there is time to adjust! (about 6 more months). We also sent home a hammock and tarp, but kept the tent.Enjoyed the first trail magic at Neel's Gap in the form of Jesus burgers. A burger cook-out at the hostel sponsored by the First Baptist Church of Helen, GA. Yummy...thanks so much.Met some other thru-hiker couples, which is nice to see. Veronica and Austin from Texas and River and Haalo. Unfortunately, a bear got into Veronica and Austin's food before they got to Neel's Gap. Seems the bears can even get through food cables used at shelters. I wish them better luck. River and Haalo just spent several months hiking the Florida trail and have continued on to the AT!
Date: 2011-03-29
From: Wildcat Mt

To: near Blue Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

Day 6:There aren't many women hiking the trail. Supposedly, 10-15% of people who attempt a thru-hike finish the entire trail. And about 10% of that number are women. So, needles to say I am/will be a minority. Haalo (another thru-hiker) expressed enthusiasm for seeing another girl at the Walasi-Yi hostel. OUt of the 20 or so people there, I was one of three women.We hiked 11 miles today, most of it in fog. The weather did clear in the afternoon and we could see distant ridges. Tomorrow we are supposed to get a 1/2 inch of rain. Yuck! I'd rather have the fog.We have been thinking up titles for our AT memoir: Perpetual PainRoots, Rocks, and RainA Walk in the Rain (a parody on Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" also on the AT)Another Foggy Day.As we walked the last few miles into camp tonight, we traversed several rock piles. Tommy thought that it wasn't a trail, but some evil person's attempt for a torture device. Lovely.I have had at least 2 people (probably many more) say that I am crazy for doing this. Before I left, I asked my brother-in law, Scott,(who is a physician's assistant) what I should do to strengthen my knees. He emailed his physical therapist friend for some additional tips. His friend said that I didn't need help for my knees, but rather for my head.An older man, that we met at a hotel in Dahlonega) said that when we get to PA to make an appointment with our doctor to get our heads checked! I guess this isn't everyone's cup of tea, or maybe we are just plain crazy.We have enjoyed taking our time and experiencing all that nature offers. We have noticed even the smallest insects, butterflies, wildflowers, woodpeckers. One day, Tommy saw a mouse that looked like it was playing, running back and forth (probably trying to get under the leaves to get closer to food and away from predators). We have seen a few grouse, and heard many. Barred owls calling at dusk in the fog. Today, it sounded like one of the owls calling back could have been a human. It is nice to have a hiking partner so we can share what we see with each other.