morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-03-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Tomorrow Eric and I fly to Atlanta! It¢s hard to believe it¢s finally here. I¢ve been looking forward to this for so long, that it doesn¢t even seem real yet. My dad has been kind enough to offer to update my journal for me while I¢m on the trail. I¢ll be carrying a small electronic device called a Pocketmail that lets me send emails using a phone. Whenever I get into a town, I will send him the last several days¢ worth of journal entries. So be sure to check back regularly for updates. You can also track our progress on a Google map that Eric has set up. We will be carrying a SPOT personal satellite tracker that allows us to send daily updates of our coordinates, which Eric¢s dad will then plug in to the map for your viewing pleasure. You can find our map at: http://www.ericmjones.net/Home/AT2008.htmlI have also listed this web address under the ¢About¢ section on the left-hand navigation bar for my journal. Also on the navigation bar is a list of places where we plan to receive mail. Letters and cards are always welcome, as are SMALL (think zip-lock bag sized) packages of goodies. If you¢re thinking of sending us anything, we can always use things like tiny-sized bottles of hand sanitizer and travel-size tubes of toothpaste. Zip lock bags of assorted sizes are also always helpful, and baked goods would be especially appreciated. The dates listed for our mail drops are only approximate and subject to change, so if you plan to send anything, please check back for updates. Finally, on the navigation bar there is also a guest book that you can sign. We would love to hear from anyone and everyone who is keeping up with our journal. It¢s encouraging to know that people are with us in spirit. Go ahead¢¦ you know you want to sign it!
Date: 2008-03-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Eric and I are now safe and sound at the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega, Georgia. The people here are very friendly and the hostel is really nice--I would definitely recommend staying here. Tonight will be our last night sleeping in real beds and our last showers for a while. I'm going to miss the warmth, electricity, and running water. But I'm so excited; it'll all be worth it.Tomorrow morning we'll take a shuttle to Amicalola Falls State Park, where we'll get on the 8.8-mile approach trail that takes us to the Appalachian Trail. By Thursday morning we will be starting on the AT.Talk to you from the trail!
Date: 2008-03-12
From: Amicalola Falls State Park, Aproach Trail

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.02
Weather: clear sky

Today was an absolutely beautiful and wonderful day! But before I get to our day, allow me to briefly backtrack to last night.At the hiker hostel, Eric and I shared a room with two guys from Maine who are also starting a thru-hike--Mike and Nick. Apparently, Mike sometimes talks in his sleep, and last night was no exception. Not once, but on four separate occasions did he call out in his sleep. First it was a couple of words, then a whole sentence or two, and finally, to top it all off, he started BEAT-BOXING in his sleep. Beat-boxing! Who does that!? Not only did he wake all three of us up, but he admitted this morning that he kept waking himself up throughout the night, too. How funny! We all thought his trail name should be "Beat-box." It'll be interesting to see if it sticks. {For those who don't know, a trail name is basically a nickname that you go by on the trail, usually but not always given to you on the trail based on some aspect of your personality, or something you say or do.) He and Nick took a shuttle directly to the start of the AT, instead of hiking the Approach Trail, so now they are a day ahead of us. We'll probably be seeing more of them sooner or later, though. But now, back to our day... We started the Approach Trail around 10:15, after first signing in at the Amicalola Falls State Park visitor's center. We weighed our packs on the scale, and with 5 days' worth of food, and fuel, and water for the day, my pack weighed in at 32 1/2 pounds, and Eric's was 35. We were pretty happy with that! It was a gorgeous day, sunny and clear, with highs in the 60s... basically, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day to start. We took it easy to start, not wanting to overdo it our first day out. We took several breaks, including a long, relaxing lunch break, and we finally made it to the top of Springer Mountain (and the start of the AT!) around 4:20 pm. We had heard warnings from people ahead of time that the Approach Trail was supposed to be very difficult, but we were pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong--it was a lot of up hills, and we gained about 2,000 feet over the course of 8.8 miles, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. We're very happy we did it. Now we're at a shelter about 0.2 miles away from Springer. There are 5 other people staying in the shelter with us, and several tents set up outside. A big group of us hiked back up to the top of Springer to watch the sunset, and boy, was it beautiful! We met another couple today who are also thru-hiking (a lot of the other people we met are just out for short trips, like spring break). Their names are Aggie and Brad, and they're from New Hampshire. They're very nice, and we're excited to be hiking to the same destination that they are tomorrow. It's just after 9pm now, and we're about ready to call it a night. There's not too much for us to do out here once it gets dark. On the trail you pretty much sleep and wake with the sun. So, here's to hoping tomorrow is another great day! Goodnight!
Date: 2008-03-13
From: Springer Mountain Shelter

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Neither Eric nor I slept very well in the shelter last night; I guess it's going to take some getting used to, to be comfortable on the hard ground. But today was another gorgeous day that more than made up for it.The trail was much easier today than yesterday--lots of flat parts and downhills. That must be why everybody says the Approach Trail is so hard, I guess it's only in comparison. We met a number of other thru-hikers today who stayed at the Hiker Hostel last night and started the trail today from the top of Springer Mountain, instead of hiking the Approach Trail, like we did. Even though they started a day later than we did, they were hiking the same parts of the trail. One young couple we saw a few times--Katie & Frank, also known as Pinecone & Dirt Patch. They decided to hike on a little bit passed us tonight, but Aggie & Brad are here again. There are 5 guys staying here who are out for a few days during their spring break, and there are two other thru-hikers here as well: Roger from Seattle, and Blythe from Vermont. Everybody is very friendly; we've all been hanging around a campfire, eating dinner and talking. On our hike today we took a short side trail to a beautiful waterfall called Long Creek Falls. We stopped and had lunch there, and I soaked my feet in the water for a brief, ice-cold treat. Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, but at least our first two days were sunny and beautiful. I hope we stay dry!
Date: 2008-03-14
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Gap Shelter;
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light rain

Apparently there is an Army Ranger Training Station in the mountains around here, and last night as we were lying in bed at the shelter, we could hear (very loud!) and see army helicopters flying all around. Supposedly the rangers do their training all around the trail, and they have orders that whenever they see a hiker coming they have to disappear into the woods. We could also hear firing off in the distance, but supposedly they only use blanks. It rained off and on all day today. Cold rain, like in the 50s. We alternated between being cold and hot underneath all of our rain gear, and by the time we got to a shelter at 3 pm, we were ready to get out of the rain and call it a day. Good thing the scenery was really beautiful, or it might have been a much more miserable day. It was also foggy all day, and it was really neat to look off the mountain and see nothing but fog. It was as if all that existed was the very mountain we were climbing. At the shelter with us tonight are Aggie and Brad again (our third night together); Roger, whose trail name is Corkscrew...I didn't catch that part last night); Blythe; a father and son thru-hiker (I didn't catch the father's name, but the son, who is only 12 years old, goes by AT Red); the Georgia Ridge runner, who goes back and forth along the trail in Georgia, maintaining it, picking up garbage and gear that people leave behind, and reporting statistics about the number of hikers on the trail/at each shelter, a guy named Frog, and three hikers with a beagle. It's going to be a full house at the shelter tonight, but with more rain possibly on the way, we try to make room for everyone, so no one gets stuck tenting in the rain. It's getting dark now and the temperatures are dropping. It's supposed to be in the 40s tonight, as it has been the last couple of nights. I think I might go get bundled up and make some hot chocolate before I head off to bed. 'Night!
Date: 2008-03-15
From: Gooch Gap Shelter;

To: Wood's Hole Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

Today there were severe thunderstorms and hail that we walked through. Our friends Brad, Aggie, and Corkscrew all took a shuttle into town to stay in a hotel tonight. Brad & Aggie because Brad was sick, and Corkscrew because he hasn't been sleeping well. Eric and I were sad to see them leave, and very jealous as we hiked on in the miserable weather.The closest shelter to where we stayed last night was 12 miles away, and since it was raining, we really didn't want to have to camp in the rain. So we pushed ourselves to do our longest day yet. . . in the worst weather we've seen so far. We didn't get in to the shelter until almost dark. The only person we know here is Frog, who stayed at the shelter with us last night. We have 3.7 miles to hike tomorrow until we get into Neel's Gap, our first town, re-supply, showers, and laundry. We're considering staying the night in a hostel in town. My feet are extremely sore and could use an easy day. And right now my fingers are so cold I can barely type. I guess that means it's time for bed!
Date: 2008-03-16
From: Wood's Hole Shelter

To: Bull Gap Tent Site
Miles today: 4.8

Last night was freezing cold and super windy, but today was gorgeous! We hiked about a mile from our shelter to the top of Blood Mountain, which is the tallest mountain on the AT in Georgia. I'm so glad the rains passed yesterday, because we had such an amazing view from the top!After that we hiked 2.7 miles down into Neel's Gap, where we bought more food, did laundry, showered, and charged our batteries. We ended up hanging out for several hours, and while we were there, our friends Frog, Corkscrew, and Blythe showed up. Frog decided to keep hiking, but Blythe and Corkscrew spent the night in the hostel there. They reported that Brad saw a doctor in town the previous afternoon and was diagnosed with Bronchitis. He and Aggie think they might get back on the trail by tomorrow, now that he has some medicine. We hope to see them back on the trail, but most importantly we hope he gets well. Eric and I decided not to pay $15 to stay in the hostel's bunk beds, and instead got back on the trail and hiked 1.1 miles up to a tent site. There are two other guys tenting here. It's a beautiful, clear night--great for tenting; we got to see the sunset as we were setting up camp. Tomorrow should be another good day. The only thing bothering us is sore feet. Hopefully Blythe and Corkscrew will catch up with us tomorrow. It's nice having friends on the trail.
Date: 2008-03-17
From: Bull Gap Tent Site

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: clear sky

Today was very windy and cold, but otherwise good. Our packs were feeling heavy after loading them up with 4 more days' worth of food yesterday. There were a lot of ups and downs today, but nothing too steep. After coming down a rather long descent, we were so happy to come across our first "trail magic!" Myrtle and Bruce, our "trail angels" had driven about 50 miles from their town, somewhere near Atlanta. They parked their car where the trail crossed a road, and they set up coolers with soda and ice, served us cookies and fruit, and even had lawn chairs for us to sit in to take a break. It was such a nice surprise and so wonderful of them! Now we're at a shelter with Blythe, who rejoined us after staying at the hostel last night; Abby & Stephanie, who we met yesterday while we were showering and doing laundry; Mother Nature & Father Time, an older couple who thru-hiked together in 1998; two sisters named Toot & Poot; Shilo; and Old Dirty Dog. Everybody except Mother Nature & Father Time is thru-hiking. Corkscrew ended up staying in Neel's Gap one more day, waiting for Brad & Aggie to catch up. I think the 3 of them will be getting back out again tomorrow. Eric and I have been holding up surprisingly well, so far. We were expecting our legs to be really sore, but they're not. The balls of my feet are hurting me the most right now, and Eric's feet and shoulder are hurting him. We're considering doing either a low-mile day or a zero day sometime soon to rest. They're predicting rain on Wednesday, so that might be a good day. We'll see what happens.
Date: 2008-03-18
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Cold, windy, foggy, mist... Yuck! The weather began deteriorating throughout the day today, as a front moved through the area. After 7.2 miles, Eric and I arrived at Blue Mountain Shelter and stepped in to look at our map and re-evaluate our plan for the rest of the day. In the trail register, a notebook where hikers sign in to say that they passed through, there was a note from Blythe, Stephanie, Abby, and Dirty Old Dog, saying that they had all decided to take a "zero day" (the day off) tomorrow at a hostel in town, and that we should come join them. At 2:30, we called the hostel from the shelter on top of the mountain, and they said they had a shuttle picking hikers up from Unicoi Gap at the bottom of the mountain at 4:00. If we hurried, we could make it there in time. We threw our packs on and raced the 2.2 miles down the mountain and to the road, where our friends were waiting for the same shuttle. Amazingly, we crammed 8 hikers and 8 backpacks into a car with 4 passenger seats, and we headed into town. Now we're all at Cloud 9 Hostel, which is also a trout farm. You can catch your own fish and eat it for dinner if you want. We all decided to order pizzas, tonight, though. This place is great. There's a huge TV, internet access, a hot tub, a volleyball net, a ping-pong table, and a pool table. They have coolers of soda and beer, and even communal food in the fridge. When we arrived, we helped ourselves to a bunch of fresh fruit, left over from a St. Patty's Day Party. They even have bathrobes for you to wear while you're doing laundry! This place has everything you could need. Eric and I are staying in a small, 2-person room called the Tree House, which is reserved just for couples. It is literally wood boards put up in the trees, just big enough for two people to lie down in, and not much else. It has electricity, a tiny space heater, and a chipmunk that lives in the walls. Everybody who stays in it gets to carve their names in the wall!Most everybody else is staying in the bunk house, except for Dirtpatch and Pinecone (who might now be Pinesol?), who are in a semi-private room with a big queen bed. We haven't seen them in days, and it turns out they're about 20 miles ahead of us, but they, too, are taking a zero day here tomorrow because of the weather. Also here is Frog, who is now 20 miles ahead of us, and Hoover & Jitterbug, a couple we met at the Hiker Hostel the night before we hiked the Approach Trail, and haven't seen since. It's funny, because all the hikers spread out over about 25 miles ended up coming here because of the weather. It's neat to see who's ahead of and behind us. It's going to be quite a full house tonight, with about 30 hikers in all. What fun!
Date: 2008-03-19
From: Cloud 9 Hiker Hostel

To: Cloud 9 Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Today we took a zero day because of the bad weather and my sore feet. The tops and bottoms of my feet all around my toes have been swollen, so much that I could barely walk on them or bend them. According to the people at the hostel, who deal with hiker injuries all the time, my problem was an ill-fitting pair of boots. So, off I went with a group of hikers who were getting shuttled back to the outfitter at Neel's Gap that we were just at several days ago, so I could buy some new boots.The boot guy said my feet were really too swollen to fit me, but we tried anyway because it was about an hour drive away from the hostel, and it would've been really hard to get back tomorrow. He said that given my foot problems, I should really lower my pack weight down to about 25 pounds, and he helped Eric and me to shed some weight from our packs. Later we went to the grocery store to get more food, and shared a pot-luck dinner with all the hikers. Crutch, a guy who lives and works here, thinks I should take one more day off to rest my feet, so he arranged a work-for-stay for us, in which Eric will help build new bunk beds tomorrow, and we'll get to stay for free. Eric likes the idea, and my feet could definitely use a little more rest. I'm only a little sad because a lot of our friends will be hiking on. I'm sure we'll see them again, though.
Date: 2008-03-20
From: Cloud 9 Hiker Hostel

To: Cloud 9 Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

We took another zero day today to rest my feet. Eric worked on building a set of bunk beds, while I lounged around the hostel and helped clean the kitchen and fold clean towels. For lunch we went to an All You Can Eat (AYCE) Mongolian Barbeque. Tomorrow Eric and I are carrying very light daypacks (called slack-packing) and leaving most of our gear at the hostel. We are aiming for a 17-mile day, and with light packs, healed feet, and new shoes, it should be pretty manageable. When we finish our miles, someone from the hostel will meet us at a road crossing and bring the rest of our stuff to us.Oh! I now have a trail name! When we were at Neel's Gap for the first time, when we re-supplied, there was a guy there who was dissing our form of water treatment, which are liquid drops called AquaMira. He was arguing that AquaMira doesn't actually kill anything in the water, and is only supposed to be a "flavor enhancer" (which, if you've ever tasted it, you would know to be completely untrue, because it actually makes the water taste slightly unpleasant). I disagreed with him and stood up for AquaMira (which is many ultra-light hikers' water treatment of choice because it is lighter than most water filters). It just so happened that Abby and Stephanie were there and overheard my conversation, even though I didn't know who they were at the time. The next night we ended up staying at the same shelter that they were at, and we found out that for the past day and a half they had been referring to me as "AquaMaria," the girl who stood up for AquaMira. Everybody at the shelter thought it was a good name, as do the people here at the hostel. It's definitely original--nobody can recall any other hiker with the same trail name. After careful consideration over the last few days, I have decided to make it official. Just call me AquaMaria!
Date: 2008-03-21
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

Today we hiked almost 17 miles, our biggest day yet! To be fair, I was only carrying about 6 pounds in a daypack, and Eric was carrying about 10, but it felt great! It was our warmest day yet on the trail--in the 60s--but up on the mountaintops in the direct sun it felt a lot hotter. We got a shuttle to the trail and started hiking at about 8:15am. We stopped for a few breaks to eat, take pictures, and get more water, and we finished around 4:30pm. Right as we were approaching the trailhead at Neel's Gap, we saw Fran, the owner of the hostel walking up. He had just dropped some other hikers off, and since we hadn't called ahead, he didn't have the rest of our gear that we had left behind. But the hostel is only 1.5 miles from the trail, so he drove us back so we could get our stuff. The plan was, we were going to get all of our gear back, and then hike about 1 mile further up the trail to a tent site to camp. Once we got back to Cloud 9, however, everybody convinced us that we should just spend the night again here, and that hiking 1 more mile tonight wouldn't make much of a difference for tomorrow. They could just shuttle us back to the trail in the morning whenever we were ready to start. They even offered to let us set up our tent for free (it normally costs $10). We decided that since it was really, finally our last night here, it would be fun to actually eat some trout for dinner, since the hostel is also a trout farm. Fran offered to cook up fish for whoever wanted some for dinner. It costs $5 a pound, so Eric and I each ordered a 1-pound fish. We even got to help Fran catch some of the fish he was cooking for people for dinner. We each caught 2 fish, and I must say, catching trout out of fully stocked pond is the easiest fishing I've ever done! Now we're just hanging out at Cloud 9, talking to some neat people. I just met a guy who lives in MY neighborhood in Orlando! Crazy! We're probably going to call it an early night tonight, since we had such a big mileage day today, and we're pretty exhausted. It should be a good day tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting back out on the trail for a while.
Date: 2008-03-23
From: Plumorchard Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Happy Easter! Today was an exciting day because we crossed into North Carolina! One state down, 13 to go!The mountains in North Carolina are much taller and steeper than anything we did in Georgia. It was a long 12 miles today; our feet and legs are very sore right now. And we've got 14 miles to go tomorrow. I think we're going to get up a little bit earlier since we have such a long day planned.Eric was kind of bummed because he lost one of his fleece mittens on the trail today; it fell out of his pocket somewhere. About an hour after we realized it was missing, some hikers came up from behind, going faster than we were, and it turned out they had picked up Eric's mitten! We were so happy to get it back, and certainly hadn't expected to see it again. At the shelter tonight is a woman with her dog, who is sleeping with her tent set up inside the shelter. Also here is Shiloh, who we met awhile back, and a few other people. It's supposed to get below freezing tonight. It's already in the upper 30s. I'm off to bed now, to go get warm in my sleeping bag.