morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-02-23
To: Huntsville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Got moved out of my college apartment today and am back home with the family. I was planning to backyard camp my parents house, but retreated to the couch because my tonsils are a little swollen and were keeping me awake. It's a shame... I was planning on testing out my tent in the sleet/snow (again). Hopefully some warm salt water will have my tonsils feeling better soon.Back on the couch, I hopped on YouTube and started watching videos of the GA sections of the trail. My nerves are crazy right now and I only expect them to get worse this coming week. How will I get any sleep??But, in other news and on a personal note, I met a girl before I moved. As unfortunate it is that we met as I'm leaving for my thru-hike, I think it's all for the best. She is very supportive of my journey, despite the fact that it will keep me away for the next 4.5 months.Finally, for those of you who are new to my story and my plan, here is the basic run-down:My name is Matthew and I graduated in December with a B.S. in Biology and will be attending medical school in the fall semester. Despite a limited amount of time, I am attempting to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail - approximately 2,200 miles of trail leading from Georgia to Maine - starting March 1st and hope to be finished before orientation starts on July 30th. Perhaps my background in cross country, triathlon, and cycling will lend itself to my chances at finishing in such a short time span (on average the trail takes about 6 months & I only have 4.5 months)? Maybe I will be one of the small percentage of attempted thru-hikers who complete the trail by summiting Mount Katahdin. Or maybe not. I guess you can stay 'tuned' and find out for yourself.I don't expect my posts to get super personal, but I have no clue what awaits me on my journey. Either way, I hope everyone who reads this will be able to share in my adventure. As wifi is available, I will do my best to keep it updated as I go!P.S. If any of my followers would like to send me messages of encouragement, you are welcome to text me at (XXX)XXX-XXXX. I may not reply, but rest assured that your every well-wishing is appreciated. Goodbye for now!
Date: 2015-02-28
To: Final Preparation
Miles today: 0.0

I'm going over my gear and supplies one last time before I head to GA. I will probably be stopping by REI tonight for some last-minute shopping and then I'll head to Amicalola State Park to begin my journey on the AT Approach Trail.The plan is to hike about 8mi/day max for the first few weeks so that I can get accustomed to everything. I would hate for a knee/ankle/foot issue to hold up my trip for a couple of weeks... so prevention is key!I will be posting daily entries as I can, but updates will come about once a week as I can find wifi. Make sure you read all of the entries so you don't miss anything!Onward and upward.
Date: 2015-03-01
From: Amicalola Falls State Park 

To: Stover Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 11.6

Found wifi at the lodge when I arrived around 10pm. Slept by myself at the thru hiker shelter at Amicalola. Got registered at around 7:30 & my hiker number (the number of thru hikers starting before me) was less than 130. Pack weight was 27lbs. Cold, drizzle, and fog all day. 5-6in of snow on the ground in certain areas. Trail is icy in places, but well-traveled and passable. Met two guys (Will & Heath) along the way who have the same end-date as I do. One of them (Heath) is going to med school too. Here are their blogs so you can keep track of them (willontheat.tumblr.com & travelpod.com/members/hgarner11). I'm sure we'll be bumping into each other a lot along the way. Did more miles than I anticipated because I got caught up talking with them, but I still feel good after 11.6mi today so I'm not worried. Knocked out the 8.8mi AT Approach Trail which summits Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the AT, and then continued on to the next shelter where I'm staying the night. I think I'm carrying too much food, but I'd rather err on the side of caution. There has been plenty of water available and I don't expect that to change, especially considering all the snowmelt during the next few weeks. After I ate my fill, I hung my food bag and crawled into my sleeping bag around 7pm, along with the 15 or so other people who are sharing the shelter with me. There's only so much you can safely do in the dark & I'd like to keep my light's batteries as fresh as possible for as long as possible. I expect to be sleeping somewhere around 10hrs a night until the days get longer.. which is fine with me. I'm sure my body will need the extra rest to stay fresh for the miles ahead. All in all though, it's been a great first day.
Date: 2015-03-02
From: Stover Creek Shelter 

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 13.0

Went to sleep with too many layers on, woke up sweating in the middle of the night, and had to change. Woke up well-rested around 5:45 but just laid in my bag until it was bright enough to see. Despite going to bed with a few aches from my first day, I felt fresh and ready to go. After a hot breakfast, I took off from Stover Creek at 7:30. Five hours and 9.5mi later, I was eating lunch at Cooper Gap (how could I miss the opportunity to stop at "my" gap). Because I was making such good time and still felt good, I decided to press on to the next shelter and ended up at Gooch Mountain a little after 3pm, making for a total of 13mi. I think my 8mi/day goal may have been on the conservative side, but I will be taking a slightly shorter day tomorrow with a detour into Suches, GA to recharge my phone and to upload the first two days of this journal. Plenty of fun people at the shelter tonight - including two previous thru-hikers who are the center of attention because all the eager beavers are asking questions about what do expect. Hopefully we will break out the playing cards here in a few minutes!
Date: 2015-03-03
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter 

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 15.9

I had nightmares about getting stranded in Suches, GA during the night (silly, I know) so when I woke up early I looked through my guidebook and decoded to try and push for Neels Gap - where there is an outfitter, a hostel, and cabins. The only problem with this plan is that it would put my daily mileage almost double my original expectations. But since worrying won't get me to Katahdin, I was up getting ready before dawn and was leaving the shelter at sun-up with a nice guy named Paul from Kansas City. Turns out he's doing the trail in memory of his father and is scattering his ashes along the way. That really struck me and almost made me feel selfish in comparison: I'm only doing this for personal enjoyment. But as we hiked, I heard nature's call and had to step off the trail while he carried on. A few minutes later, I was booking it back down the trail, only to find my first "trail magic". I used to think that was a hokey name, reading about it online, but experiencing it in person? It really was magical. I've never had a tastier banana pancake and coffee. Major thanks to Fresh Ground (his trail name) for putting that on. Apparently he does this for a few months, leapfrogging up the trail and doling out unexpected treats to thru hikers!Anyway, I found myself thinking today that the secret to hiking fast isn't necessarily a quick pace, but to be consistent and limit your stops in number and duration. If you don't count dropping my pack to change rain gear, I only stopped 4 times today and each was less than 10 minutes. And unsurprisingly, I felt the miles slide right by. I managed 15.9 miles for the day in less than 8 hours, including the ascent and descent of the ominously-named Blood Mountain.Despite my fast pace, I arrived a mere 5 minutes after the hostel filled up. Thankfully, one of the employees at Mountain Crossing (the outfitter located at Neels Gap) told me about cabins that could be rented for $60 and split 4 ways. So, in an unexpected turn of events, I found myself with a hot shower, frozen pizza dinner, wifi, and a BED. P.S. Paul was one of the less-prepared people I encountered along the way. He said that he would be dropping some major coin at the outfitter when he arrives tomorrow, trying to lighten his 50lb pack. He also was without hiking poles - a must-have for almost every thru hiker - and, since I'm due for an upgrade, I decided to leave my old poles for him to pick up when he arrives at the outfitter. He certainly has more reason to be out here than I do, and if anyone deserves to get to Katahdin, it's him. Hopefully those poles will help him on his way and to continue North in memory of his father. P.P.S. I now have a trail name: Houdini. If you want to know the story, you'll have to ask me personally or see me on the trail! Haha
Date: 2015-03-04
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night was awesome. I shared a cabin with Mingo (who thru-hiked in '11 if I remember correctly), Luna (from Wisconsin), and Mumbles (student at Georgia) and we all stayed up talking until almost 10:30. We picked up out laundry at 8am and each of us went our own way as we got ready. I stopped in at the outfitter to top off my food bag and purchase a new set of Leki hiking poles and after 11.5mi with them today, I think I'm in love! Haha. My knees were a little sore today, so I was thinking about stopping at Whitley Gap, but it was an extra 1.2mi off trail to get to the shelter so I decided to press on another 4 miles to Low Gap. As I expected, the shelter was full, so I'll be tenting nearby. Plenty of cool people here though. One guy, known as Loner Boner, is attempting his 3rd thru hike, something that only a few people have ever accomplished... and he's doing it at 74yo! I think I'll take it easy the next few days to keep my joints in tip-top shape. I don't feel any problems yet, but I am trying my best to avoid a flare up of knee problems like I've had in the past. I've made great time already and, assuming I avoid injury, I'll be able to make even better mileage later on. There's still plenty of trail left to go!
Date: 2015-03-05
From: Low Gap

To: Unicoi Gap (Hiawassee, GA) 
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: snow

Last night was my first night tenting on the Trail. Of course, it was also the night where a front brought high winds and rain howling up the valley and over Low Gap. The wind woke me more than once in the night, most times sounding like a freight trail coming up the mountain. I'm happy to report that my tent and I fared well, but some of the wind apparently carried rain into the one corner where I happened to be storing my clothes (out of my dry bag, unfortunately). So, I started out my morning with only the clothes on my back being dry. Less than an hour later, it started raining. Cold, wet rain that would continue all day. During a short break in the rain I took off my waterproof rain shell and wore my water-resistant wind jacket. Out of nowhere, the wind and rain kicked back up and I was soaked in no time. I knew I didn't have far to go until the next shelter, where I could dry off and warm up a little, so I picked up the pace and high-tailed it to Blue Mountain Shelter. Once there, I put on my fleece, got a quick snack, and began using my stove to warm/dry my hands and glove liners. Other hikers began trickling in a few minutes later. As we talked, I found a couple (Jared & Erica - jaredanderikahiketheat.blogspot.com) and another hiker (Ryan) who were willing to split a hotel in town at the end of the day. Luckily, we were only 2mi away from Unicoi Gap, where we could hitch a ride into Hiawassee, GA. After calling ahead to the hotel, they offered to send a shuttle to pick us up!During the descent to our pickup, I noticed that my knees were really achy and sore, which has me worrying about a an overuse injury like Runner's Knee. After talking with my hotel roommates, I think we are all taking a 'zero day' tomorrow to help the joints heal and to avoid some dicey winter weather that should be hitting tonight and tomorrow.Also, there appears to be an all-you-can-eat buffet at the local steakhouse... so if I didn't have a reason to stay before, I definitely do now!
Date: 2015-03-06
From: Unicoi Gap (Hiawassee, GA) 

To: Unicoi Gap (Hiawassee, GA) 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

My first zero day was filled with a whole lot of nothing. And it was awesome. I did get to enjoy one of the best all-you-can-eat (AYCE) buffets I've had in a while at Daniel's Steakhouse. I'm not sure how tasty it really was, but one thing is for sure: Hunger really is the best seasoning!I will be taking it very easy the next three days as I reevaluate how my knees are doing on the trail. The forecast says I should have excellent weather through the weekend, including a bit of sunshine. I was almost beginning to think the sun never shines in Georgia! Haha.
Date: 2015-03-07
From: Unicoi Gap (Hiawassee, GA) 

To: Tray Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: clear sky

After a quick trip around town to fill up my food bag, Ryan and I caught the 11am shuttle from Hiawassee back to the trail at Unicoi Gap. Jared and Erika took the 9am shuttle and were way ahead of me all day. As soon as we arrived at Unicoi Gap, we were greeted with some trail magic. I had a hamburger, thanked the group, and started up the mountain gingerly. Not even 3 miles later, I descended to Indian Grave Gap and found another trail magic setup. I took a moment to grab a soft drink and a hot dog, thanked the men putting it on, and continued. Imagine my surprise when, 2mi later, I came upon a THIRD group doing trail magic! This time, it was a local Boy Scout troop. I took the opportunity to remove my pack and enjoy some more food while I talked with the families that were present. After consulting my map, I noticed I only had a mile and a half left to go so I spent a good hour just relaxing and hanging out. The last little bit before I arrived at Tray Mountain Shelter was tough (5.7mi total for today). Going uphill is about 90% right now, but I'm almost shuffling downhill to avoid any pain in my knees. All in all though, I feel much better after taking the zero day in town. It was much-needed!Camping tonight should be fun - the overnight low is forecasted at 30°F, but since I'm staying at about 4,200ft I'm expecting the low to be closer to 25. Burr! The view is definitely worth it though (see above).
Date: 2015-03-08
From: Tray Mountain Shelter 

To: Deep Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: broken clouds

Slept a little restlessly last night, but woke up to a beautiful view at sunrise. It was a bit nippy to start out, but it just made me hurry getting all my stuff packed up and ready to go. I started out going downhill and slowly increased my pace, allowing discomfort to be my speedometer. My knee felt loads better today and I hope to continue that upward trend. Tomorrow should be relatively easy. Ended up doing 7.4mi today, plus a little extra to reach the off-trail shelter. I love how it's laid out - it has two upstairs bunks, one of which I grabbed as soon as I arrived. The weather was just warm and sunny enough to strip down to my underwear while I had a snack. After a few housekeeping activities, I even got a nap in the sun! Ryan, who shared a hotel with Jared, Erika, and myself, showed up about an hour after I did. (He got the trail name of "Tribute" yesterday at the trail magic put on by Boy Scouts.) We compared our schedules and decided that we will be sticking together for the week, until we get to Franklin, NC. I'll probably top off my food bag and charge my phone tomorrow at the Top of Georgia hostel, but I plan on continuing to the next shelter before dusk.
Date: 2015-03-09
From: Deep Gap Shelter 

To: Plum Orchard Shelter 
Miles today: 8.1

I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of munching. Turning on my headlamp revealed a little field mouse, munching away at the plastic bag that held my guidebook! After shooing him (or her) away, I put the bag under my sleeping bag - hopefully out of reach for any critter - and fell back asleep. Next, right around 7am, I was awoken by a shrill screech right next to my head. Jumping up, I shone my headlamp on my pack, only to find a baby brown bat sleeping on the other end! It crawled back onto the wall and out of the way after a bit of encouragement, but not before two or three other hikers poked their head up into the loft to see what the commotion was about. But wildlife surprises aside, it was a decently miserable morning. Just chilly enough to make my fingers numb for the first few miles, while a cold rain kept everything soaked. But the misery was short-lived. A short 4mi later, I caught the shuttle down to the Top of Georgia hostel to resupply and grab a warm lunch. Twenty dollars later, I was the proud owner of 2lbs of food and a frozen pizza (which was being cooked in the oven). After catching up with a few of the hikers I recognized, I plugged my phone in and took a 45min nap. It was wonderful! I caught the 1pm shuttle back to Dicks Creek Gap, where I left off, and was on my way to the shelter for the night for a total of 8.1mi.My knees are still a bit stiff, but a healthy bit of stretching and careful descending has me thinking that I'll be all healed up and ready to steadily increase my mileage in the week to come.
Date: 2015-03-10
From: Plum Orchard Shelter 

To: Standing Indian Shelter 
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

Crossed into North Carolina today! Not a quarter mile later, I found a trashed sleeping bag that was undoubtedly left by a weekender and got rained on. I didn't want to leave trash like that out in such a beautiful place, so I picked it up and lashed it to my pack. That sucker was HEAVY! One thing I've noticed is that the wind likes to whip through mountain gaps very quickly. Today was a fine example: Hiking through Bly Gap - the first gap after you pass into North Carolina - a wind picked up out of nowhere and I was nearly lifted off my feet. It blew the fog, which had limited my visibility to no more than 50ft at times, down the mountain and provided a great view... which I enjoyed once I had steadied my footing. A few miles later, I pulled into Muskrat Creek Shelter. I had planned on spending the night there, but since I arrived so early I soon got bored. I finished my lunch, re-packed my bag and mat, and set off for the next shelter. My knees began to feel solid on the downhills - something that hasn't happened in a few days - so I made great time descending to Deep Gap. I dropped off the sleeping bag, which was gaining weight as it continued to rain, and started the final climb up to my evening home. I arrived to a packed shelter, but it was a happy arrival. I knew almost everyone inside and they all offered me a hearty welcome. After shooting the breeze for a bit, I will go back down the mountain a couple hundred yards and stay right next to the creek. I saw a mossy bank that looks like a comfortable place to bed down. And the creek is on the backside of the mountain, so I won't have to worry about any wind whipping up in the middle of the night!
Date: 2015-03-11
From: Standing Indian Shelter 

To: Long Branch Shelter 
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: light rain

Today was a my longest day yet - 16.2mi. I made excellent time to the first shelter of the day, where I stopped to have a quick lunch. I had considered taking a break for an hour or so, but I felt great and noticed Bismarck - who I've run into the past few nights - about to head out, so I made quick work of my pasta and set off after him. A few miles later, I caught him as he was putting on rain gear. The drizzle turned into a full-blown rain storm, so I soon did the same. Amidst light conversation and heavy rain, we made quick work of the last 6 miles, including the summit of Mt. Albert. After throwing my gear into the shelter with the other 10 or so hikers, I began the slow process of drying out everything that wasn't in my dry bag. Dinner was delicious and I seem to have timed my food perfectly, as I'm completely out of food and I'll be heading into Franklin, NC first thing in the morning. A quick shout-out to one of my new hiker buddies, Werewolf, who is on trail journals at trailjournals.com/werewolfwalker . If you have the time and are interested, go check out his page!
Date: 2015-03-12
From: Long Branch Shelter 

To: Rock Gap (Franklin, NC)
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: clear sky

Today was easy day into town for a resupply and a chance to shower and do laundry. It's saying something when you still smell like a thru-hiker after 2 showers! Haha. Splitting a room with Seeker and Banana Boat worked out nicely and we refueled with hearty meals at the Motor Company Grill for lunch and Mulligan's Sports Bar for dinner. There were plenty other hikers at the sports bar, and most of our time was spent inhaling sinful amounts of high-calorie food, enjoying a sparse selection of cold beer, and sharing stories about our travels/personal lives/future plans. It's very refreshing to be able to connect with someone from a wholly different background than yourself, simply because you are sharing the same footprints on the Appalachian Trail. I suppose we are all united in an adventurous spirit, everyone more apt to talk and share with others. Either way, it's a new experience and something that I will never grow to regret.A hiker told me a few days ago (sadly, I don't remember who it was) that no one who ever made it to Katahdin has regretted the journey. I'm barely a hundred miles in and I already could never regret the steps I've taken.
Date: 2015-03-14
From: Wayah Gap

To: Tellico Gap 
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Waking up to the sound of raindrops on on your tent should be a relaxing sound. Yet, when you're thru hiking, it means that all of your gear will be sopping wet in your pack for at least the next day and you will undoubtedly get soaked, cold, or both while you're packing up the campsite. To avoid a scenario like the one outlined above, I decided to sleep in, hoping the rain would ease. Luck was in my favor: the rain had all but stopped when I woke up at 8:30.Banana Boat apparently had the same idea because we both began packing up at the same time and set off only minutes apart. We ended up hiking together for another couple of miles, but soon split up when we stopped for water. I have to say, using tablets to treat water may take a while but you seem to be back on the trail very quickly in comparison to using a filter. I guess I'll compare for myself when my Sawyer filter is shipped to me later in the trip. After cresting Wayah Bald, I stopped in at the shelter (of the same name) and bumped into Bismarck and a new face: Signage, a 60-something year old second-time thru-hiker. Four miles later, I bumped into Fresh Ground again (first at Gooch Gap in GA) and, while he wasn't cooking anything for trail magic, he supplied me with an Arizona Tea and filled up a quart-sized ziplock bag with leftover spaghetti. How awesome! Soon after, I was convinced by Bismarck to hike a few miles past the next shelter and join him and Signage at the Nantahala Mountain Lodge (highly recommend for any AT hiker). As we hiked past the Cold Spring Shelter, we added one more to our group as Greywolf, a hiker from Germany, decided to join us. Soon, we were riding along with Wiggy (a 2010 British thru-hiker) as he took us back to his lodge/hostel/B&B. I was soon refreshed with a hot shower and fresh clothes, and stuffed full of Fresh Ground's superb spaghetti. Tonight's plan is likely to kick back, plan out the next few days in more detail, and watch some basketball. Tomorrow will see me at or near the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center), right after which is the trail's first 3,000ft climb up to Cheoah Bald. Hope my legs are ready! P.S. Check out Signage's trail journal at trailjournals.com/location.cfm?trailname=17812