morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-11-18
From: Unicoy Gap

To: somewhere in the woods in GA
Miles today: 10.0

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!! I'm somewhere in the middle of the woods!! Surrounded by the dark, stars, fire and all that lingers in the dark woods! So I ask you, what could possibly be better?? Im zipped up in my sleeping bag like a big fat cocoon full of larva (the cold has made me a little crazy, or maybe just maybe I am made of larva???) but really the challenge is to have ALL of my body zipped up inside, even my lil nose, cause anything that is left outside the bag gets nipped by the bitterness of the 18 degree air. I have a 15 degree bag, a silk liner, and an emergency silver blanket thing, trying to find the best combo of these can be interesting as i toss and turn at night also. I have woken up before all twisted up in the liner inside and the zipper of my sleeping bag is on the left side of me at the begining of the night and on the right side when I wake up. but really the best thing is to just use the liner and bag not the emergency blanket. the real decision is the restroom break in the middle of the night, lying there thinking is it worth it to get up and stick you bare butt in the freezing air as fast as possible before the warm body heat escapes the sleeping bag and my body or just to wait it out... really though I might make sleeping in the cold sound unappealing and there are moments when these things seem really annoying and hard but nothing beats being outside, breathing in the cool crisp fresh air, listening to the wind, coyotes etc...  Leaving this morning we have 50 miles till springer mt but just 10 miles ahead of us today, as we are meeting a friend at neels gap tommorow. extending our time in town we started out around 1pm or so. a good deal of our hike today was a thin trail with a steep down on one side with steep up on the other. mpst of the steep rock wall up on our right was full of icecylces, from up high to down low. it is amazing that something so seemingly simple can show such uniqueness in each icycle and even in groups of icycles merging into one. the grass below was also covered, one thin piece of weed or stick with a one inch layer of ice on it making it look like a mini glassy field. it was another cold night, with wind. having a fire was key to surviving the cold long enough to eat dinner before getting in the sleeping bag, as soon as the sun went down it dropped several degrees immediatly. we were up on a ridge so we could see mts on both sides of us, a great view for sunrise and sunset. the sunset created a beautiful silouette of the mts in front of it and a bright orange glow right above them. great clear night to admire the stars. eventually we were brave enough to leave the fire and get in our sleepingbags for the night...we survived. there was frost inside my tent from condensation and on the edge of my sleeping bag where i was breathing. so off to the neels gap ive been hearing so much about!!!!!
Date: 2008-11-20
From: Neels Gap

To: woody gap
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Blood mt, one last biggish climb before the end. a nice clear sunny day, providing 2 NICE views, it was nice to sit and chill out a little there, trying to suck in all the mts i can before returning to FLAT land. i am pretty sure i've gotta live around the mts some how...20 miles till the end...
Date: 2008-11-21
From: woody gap

To: hawk mt shelter
Miles today: 0.0

got on the trial at 27 degrees this morning...with the sun and walking it really isnt that bad. we were at the shelter by 4ish. and all huddled around the fire by 4:30 or so, and remained there until we went to bed. I LOVE FIRE. One last night out in the shelter, sad, but it was such a great night, with the four of us and hungry and drippy (two other hikers we met a few days earlier)! just all hanging around the fire you know doing fire dances and singing koombyeyah, not really but it was a great time!!!! also learned a new trick to stay warm at night!! it is pretty clever... hungry stuck a rock in the fire, heating it up and then wrapping it in a towel or shirt stuck it in my sleeping bag like a little heater, it really does work well!! a cold night made warm being surrounded by friends (i'm soo cheesy!) it was the last time to get water...treat it, set up camp, fix dinner in a plastic bag, sleep on a wooden floor. all i can say is WEIRD...at the begining of the trip it takes some time to get your routine down, figure everything out but then it becomes your life, just what you do, can i say even a part of who you are. Man, im really going to miss it, but what i'm really going to miss is all the people!!
Date: 2008-11-22
From: hawk mt shelter

To: SPRINGER MT!!!!!!!
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: broken clouds

I DID IT!!!!! I MADE IT TO SPRINGER MT!!! I HAVE FINISHED THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL!! (to shawna....dun, dun, dun, another one bites the dust!!!!!!!!)we all woke up this morning, had a relaxing morning of getting packed up for one last time and headed out down the trail for one last time! this part of trail seems a little different than the last parts of GA there seemed to be more green rodadendran and some pines, with streams, truely beautiful!! met my parents in the parking lot which is just .9 mile short of the springer summit. and then headed up...what a moment of mixed emotions, so many things to think about all the moments leading up to this, when this moment seemed so far away and like it would never come. We walked up to where a decent size group of people were sitting on a rock, i looked to the left and saw a plaque on a rock and asked, is that it??? then ran for it, the marker of the southern terminus of the Appalachian trail. Hey, we gotta document this moment with some pictures. after pictures i signed the last register that was in the rock behind the plaque. I had really made it, finished the goal i had set out to accomplish! But really it was about the journey and I am so thankful for every moment, the good, hilarious, hard, disheartening, chaotic, calm, maddening, painful, beautiful, blissful, each victorious climb, every wet slip and fall etc....I can not tell you how special it was to have creekdiver, bearbait, and pacer with me as i summited, i couldn't have asked for a better crew of friends to finish with me!!! and shawna you were definitely there in spirit, as we tried to recreate our katahdin summit photo using bearbait as your stand in... thank you guys for coming!! I had an amazing time! oddly enough I am listening to Queen as i type this last part of the journal and guess what has just come on...we are the champions, come on sing it with me, "we are the champions, no time for losers cause we are the champions of the world!!"
Date: 2008-12-03
To: After the trail
Miles today: 0.0

how time seems to go by so fast yet so slow, as it seems like just a week ago i was preparing to leave for this big adventure, excited about the unknown ahead thinking that it was going to be a looooooong time before i would be finishing the trail and now i am finished. Life on the trail is so simple, you get up eat, walk, eat lunch, walk more, eat dinner, sleep and start over again wearing the same clothes the next day. Now it seems choices are endless, what you do with your time, such a wide array of things to eat, even what to wear seemed somewhat overwhelming at first (picking out what to wear a new set of clothes everyday, i had been wearing the same clothes for 5 1/2 months, you just get up and put on that one set of clothes) but dont get me wrong...i love clean clothes everyday,wearing dirty clothes is one thing i will NOT miss! ...missing the trail, wanting that physical challenge of climbing that next mt yet being so glad that i dont have to climb endless numbers of hills today and longing for the sweetness of the fresh, crisp breeze as it blows past yet happy to sit warm and comfortable inside as I look out the window at the snow and cold wind blowing. so for now i navigate through the four walled world....and a new adventure awaits...
Date: 2008-01-18
To: GA>ME ON
Miles today: 0.0

THE      APPALACHIAN      TRAIL                                    Alexandria, VA      I have been thinking (dreaming) about doing a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail for about 30 years now.   In 1977 I compiled a stack of pages torn out of LL Bean catalogs for tents, external frame packs, leather hiking boots, Colman lanterns & stoves, etc., with serious intentions of hitting the trail, surplus military canned food and all. It seems the goal back then was to keep the pack weight down to 50-60 lbs ¢ and that was not easy. (for some its still not easy)      BUT ¢ I was young, I was trying to stay in college, I liked to party, money was tight, I had just started a new job that I somewhat liked, and I had just started dating a girl that I REALLY liked ¢ so I let thoughts of the AT fade into the background.    Over the years, even with the typical family responsibilities of marriage, careers, houses, raising kids, and trying to keep up with the bills taking priority, the lure of the AT was always tugging at my heart.                Now some 30 years later, I find myself at a transition point in my life where all of those typical family responsibilities have been fulfilled, and I now have the time and the resources to follow my dream of the AT before beginning the next chapter of my life ¢ whatever that may be.   So ¢ Here I Go.   Over the past few weeks I have been browsing the internet and came across WhiteBalze.net and Trailplace.com.   I have spent hours reading threads and viewing photos to learn as much as I can about the AT and the community of hikers who are out there.       I registered as a member of both websites and now its time to get serious with research and gear purchases. I have been a car camping day tripper ever since boy scouts ¢ so long distance backpacking is going to be a whole new experience for me.      I need all new gear with the goal of keeping my pack as light as possible. I seriously injured my left knee in a go-cart accident when I was 14 and it still gives me minor problems. I don¢t plan to cut the handle off my toothbrush, but I do need to look for mostly ultralight gear.    I am thinking my start date from Springer to Katahdin will be March 10th or 11th.   I should be back home in Douglasville, GA around January 28th so that will give me 42 to days to prep and gear-up.      -Wes-
Date: 2008-01-28
To: Good to Be Home
Miles today: 0.0

Douglasville, GA      Good to Be Home.       These past few months I have been bouncing around Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia, St John USVI, and North Carolina visiting family and friends.      Now that I am home I can focus full-time on getting ready to start my AT Thru-Hike in about 42 days.   REI in Atlanta is doing a workshop on AT Logistics this Thursday (1/31) night and REI in Buford is doing a AT Food Planning/Nutrition Clinic on Sunday (2/3). I plan to attend both.   -Wes-
Date: 2008-02-07
To: 32 days to go . . .
Miles today: 0.0

I went to both the REI - AT Logistics and AT Nutrition Workshops this past week. Good information.   On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week I went over to Sweetwater Creek State Park and hiked the Yellow Trail. This is a hilly 3 mile loop with a moderately steep incline.   It definitely gets my heart pumping.   I think Sweetwater is going to be an excellent close by training ground. It is a beautiful park with the river, hills, and civil war factory ruins. There are a total of 11 miles of trails there with a good mix of terrain and scenery.   On Tuesday I went to REI to buy base layer clothing, rain wear, trek poles, and other misc. items.      -Wes-
Date: 2008-02-17
To: Nashville Whiteblaze Hike & Dinner
Miles today: 0.0

NASHVILLE   WHITEBLAZE   HIKE and DINNER   WEEKEND   February 16-17, 2008   ( See PHOTO's)            Saturday - February 16th-------------------------   I carpooled with Peanuts from Loganville, GA to Nashville for the long planned Nashville Hike and Dinner arranged by Rain Man and Bearpaw.   We met the Nashville folks at REI and then went over to Radnor State Park for a 4(+/-) mile hike.   Rain Man, Bearpaw, Sleeps with Skunks, Peanuts, Lilred, Outrider, Excuses, Turtle2, Spunky, Cerberus (now Zak), and HikerRanky did the hike.    From there the group went to Ruby Tuesdays and were joined for dinner by Stitches, Shadowmoss, Fishbone, Cuffs, TNBig'un & Dela Wear, and Neo.   This is a WONDERFUL group of folks who love hiking/camping and are a generous source of information for a newbie like me.      Sunday - February 18th-----------------------   Peanuts and I stopped by Shadowmoss¢s house in Nashville on our way back to Atlanta. She showed me a quicker and easier set-up system for my hammock and we had tofu and pita bread with her and her friend Nancye. I am way more of a Quarter Ponder w/Cheese guy than I am a tofu guy, but it was really very good. I guess if I can wear fake Crocs as camp shoes ¢ I can eat tofu. Anyways, I had a very nice time with them and look forward coming back up to Nashville.      -Wes-
Date: 2008-02-20
To: Full Moon Hike
Miles today: 0.0

This evening I did the monthly Full Moon Hike at Sweetwater State Park. This was the night of the total Lunar Eclipse.      The hike was fun but on the way back to the parking lot a 23 year old girl starting having sever chest pains and shortness of breath.   We called 911 but it took over 20 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. She passed out briefly several times and I thought I was going to have to use my very rusty former EMT skills.    Fortunately, the rescue finally arrived, stabilized her and took off for the hospital. I have not heard what happened after that.   -Wes-
Date: 2008-02-24
To: Sweetwater Creek SP Hike with Jessica
Miles today: 0.0

SWEETWATER      CREEK      STATE      PARK      ( See PHOTO's)                  My daughter Jessica came down to visit from Wilmington, NC this weekend and we did a 5 mile loop at Sweetwater State Park.   Warm, sunny, blue sky day.    We had a wonderful time together. -Wes-
Date: 2008-03-04
To: GEAR
Miles today: 0.0

GEAR . . .   It would take days of banging away with my two finger typing skills to have documented all of the agonizing trails and tribulations I went through in selecting and purchasing my gear and clothing for this expedition.   Way Too Many Options.   Its True - Everyone has there own preferences when it comes to gear. You just have to trust your best gut feeling and go with it.      The biggest decision was whether to go with a UL tent or a Hammock.   Since I only had a little over a month to prep I had to make a decision and Go for It. I chose to go with a hammock.   Then the question is ¢ what type and where to buy it.   I did hours of research on Whiteblaze and Hammock Forums. Hennessy Hammocks (bottom loader) seem to be the Hot Ticket these days, but I just could not pull the trigger and buy one. I went with a Speer Hammock (top load) with a winter tarp and PeaPod.      Then ¢ I went with my second choice and bought a Tarp Tent Rainbow and a Big Agnes 15* insulted pad. D¢ho . . . Now I know how easy it is to become a GearHead.      I am going to hit the trail with the Hammock and leave the Tarp Tent behind. I¢m sure (I hope) I will find some use for it on future hiking trips.       One other big question is do I use hiking poles ¢ or ¢ my trusted hiking stick that I have used for the past 10 years or so? (dayhikes)   Being the Newbie GearHead that I am - I bought a pair of $150 Leki Poles that I think I am going to also leave behind.    It gets worse ¢ so I¢ll just cut to the chase and list the gear I finally settled on.   Starting Gear:Pack: Six Moon Designs - Starlight 25oz.       (I first bought the SMD Essence ¢ too small, but I¢m keeping it anyway)Shelter: Speer III Hammock w/winter tarp 37.2 oz. Sleeping: Speer PeaPod (overfill) 42 oz.         and a no-name 30* down sleeping bag to use as a top quilt. (25 oz.)Pad:   Speer thin foam pad cut down to fit my shape.          (Yes ¢ I am keeping the BA pad too)   Plus: - REI insulted convertible jacket/vest - Marmont rain/wind jacket - REI rain/wind pants - Mountain Hard Wear convertible pant/shorts ( I love these pants) - Patagonia base pants - REI base shirt (zipper turtleneck) - NewBalance 850 trail shoes - SmartWool socks - Wool Cap & Ball Cap - Polyester t-shirt - Polyester long sleeve shirt - Thermasilk Balaclava - Etowah cook stove - 1.3 liter aluminum cook pot with lid - Aqua Mira filter ¢AND ¢ drops - 2 liter platypus. - 2ea. Gatoraid bottles - Pentex waterproof camera - PLUS - all of the usual misc. gear.      Well, I guess I¢ll find out early next week just how well my choices worked out. Stay Tuned.    -Wes-
Date: 2008-03-05
To: 5 Days to Go . . . Yikes
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday I ran around town doing errands and last minute shopping.            Late last night I started the FINAL sorting of everything I have bought up to now and fell asleep sitting on the couch surrounded by mounds of clothing and gear. I woke up about 2:00 am and went to bed.          This morning I setup a digital kitchen scale and weighed and logged in every piece of gear and clothing I plan to take on the trail. I still have a few misc. shaving kit items to pack but I am at ....      22lbs 9 oz including the clothes and shoes I will be wearing.      I think I can keep it close to 20 lbs on my back - plus 3-4 days food and water. This is winter weight, I will send the heavy PeaPod and winter gear home in a few months to drop a few pounds for the summer.    I guess my knees can live with that. Still some minor tinkering to do.   -Wes-
Date: 2008-03-10
To: I Am Off to Amicalola . . . 
Miles today: 0.0

This has been a very busy weekend.   Last Thurday my son and daughter-in-law (Jon & Morgan) flew down from Maine, my daughter and her fiance (Jess & Brian) drove down from Wilmington, NC, and my mother (Jackie) flew down from Virginia.   We had a wonderful weekend together.   On Saturday there was a going away party and many of Lynn's large family (brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews) came to say good-bye. We all miss her very much, but know she is with us in spirit.   I took Jon, Morgan, and Jackie to the airport this morning and Jess and Brian will drive me to Amicalola and head home from there.   Thanks to all for the well wishes. I will update this as best as I can in the months to come.   -Wes-
Date: 2008-03-10
From: First Day on the Trail

To: Len Foote Hike Inn
Miles today: 0.0

Day 1 - 3/10Amicalola Falls State Park to Len Foote Hike Inn 5mi Approach TrailWeather: Sunny, clear, mild, with good visibilityJes and Brian dropped me off about 2:30pm A tough hike ¢ mostly uphill. This was my first hike with a full 34lbs pack, and I'm not used to that much weight yet! I made it to the Hike Inn about 4:45pm ¢ Very nice! Here, I met thru-hikers, Yoda and his son Harp (MD), and several couples just staying a few nights at the Hike Inn.I had a very nice home cooked meal, then Stan, the Hike Inn manager, did a pack shake-down with me. Stan completed his AT thru-hike last year. I sent home about 4lbs of unneccessary stuff that I had thrown in my pack at the last minute before I left the house. Stan was a great help! Here, I stayed the night in one of the two-bunk rooms.
Date: 2008-03-11
From: Hike Inn

To: First Day on the Trail
Miles today: 0.0

*This is Wes' Daughter, Jessica, and her fiance, Brian, reporting for Wes while he is on the trail. When he does not have access to a computer, he will relay his journal to us by phone. Good luck Wes! *Yesterday Jessica and Brian dropped me off at the Approach Trail at Amicalola Falls. I hiked up to the Hike Inn where I spent the night and enjoyed a great meal. This morning I hiked to Springer Mountain. It is a little past noon now and I am officially on the Trail!
Date: 2008-03-11
From: Len Foote Hike Inn

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 2 ¢ 3/11Len Foote Hike Inn to Springer Mtn. to Stover Creek Shelter4 mi approach trail + 2.8mi on AT (Appalachian Trail)Weather: Overcast, cool, distant hazeThe Len Foote staff served a great home cooked breakfast this morning, then I was on my way about 9am. My pack feels a little better today, but it is still going to take a few days to get used to it.The hike was mostly uphill to Springer Mtn. At Black Gap Shelter, I met Serenity Rich and his 12 yr old son AT Red (CA) who are thru-hiking to Katahdin. AT Red is a neat little guy and full of spunk. At Springer the weather was gray and very cool when I arrivedThis is my third visit to Springer Mtn and this one is for REAL! I met Pete, Matt, Jim, and Little Lo (MA) and I Trod (GA) ¢ who are also starting their AT thru-hike. I also met Wiley (TN) and her dog Lakota who are starting their AT thru-hike in four days.I took some pictures, signed the log book, and headed north to Stover Creek Shelter where I met JBird (MD) coming up the trail to stay at the Springer Shelter before starting her AT thru-hike tomorrow (3/12).It was an easy downhill hike from Springer to Stover. I passed through several Rhododendron patches. I also passed I Trod, who's going on to Hawk MTN Shelter.At Stover Creek Shelter, I met Pat and Miller, two locals, who are just doing an overnight at Stover. Also met thru-hikers 2600 (NH) and several young spring break hikers. Late in the afternoon Serenity Rich and AT Red rolled in. I set up my hammock and tarp for my first night on the AT and slept very well.
Date: 2008-03-12
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Hawk Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 3 ¢ 3/12Stover Creek Shelter to Hawk Mtn. ShelterWeather: Sunny, clear blue sky, mild, good visibility5mi. ATGot up at sunrise and cooked oatmeal and hot chocolate for breakfast before I packed up and hit the trail around 9am. My pack is feeling better now. I took a side trail and ate lunch at Long Creek Falls, where I met Ginken and his wife, No Eye Deer (FL). A short ways up the trail, I met Dirty Old Dog (PA) who was on his first day on the trail and was having as much trouble with his pack as I was with mine two days ago.About 2mi from Hawk Mtn. Shelter, I came across a beautiful green grass mountain meadow. It was early in the day, so I took a break lying in the sun in the meadow While resting there, I met Sunbeam (ME), and two US Army Rangers came up from the tree line below us to see if we were okay. They had seen us lying in the field with our heads on our packs. A few minutes later, one of the soldiers, Sgt. Mitchell, came back and gave us each a can of Bad Mother energy drinks and a packaged honeybun. Our first ¢Trail Magic¢. Sgt. Mitchell told us he was one of the instructors for the US Army Ranger training program going on in the area. He said there were 150 soldiers in the woods around the AT. A short time later, AT Red and Serenity Rich joined us in the meadow. About 4pm, the four of us moved on to Hawk Mtn Shelter. On the way, we saw several groups of soldiers in the woods.At Hawk Mtn. Shelter we joined up with JBird and her friend Just Jack, 2600, Dirty Old Dog, and Brad (GA). I cooked Lipton pasta, set up my hammock near the shelter and called it a night. Overnight, there was periodic sounds of automatic weapons fire and explosions in the woods around us.
Date: 2008-03-13
From: Hawk Mtn. Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 4 ¢ 3/13Hawk Mtn. Shelter to Gooch Mtn. Shelter7.3mi ATWeather: Sunny, clear blue skies, warm, clear visibilityWoke up this morning and watched the sun rise up over the distant mountains from my hammock. The end of my tarp hammock was open to the east. What a BEAUTIFUL way to start the day! Today was a very tough day of hiking. The trail up Sassafras Mtn was a fairly tough climb.Late afternoon, I took a break at Justice Creek to get water and cook dinner before going the last 1.3mi to Gooch Mtn Shelter. Just Jack, JBird, 2600, Dirty Old Dog, Sunbeam, Ginken and No Eye Deer were already there, among others. Serenity Rich was having a hard time getting up Sassafras Mtn and we later heard that he and AT Red camped out at Justice Creek. I set up my hammock and called it a night.