morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-09-12
From: Millinocket, ME

To: Baxter Peak, Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Finished!! Woohoo!Pickle, her father, her boyfriend, and I made the climb up and down Mt. Katahdin in near perfect weather today. I can't believe how lucky we got with the weather here at the end. Maybe Mother Nature felt that she owed us one after all the abuse she gave us along the way.Physically, I'm very happy to be done. The body is definitely ready for a nice long rest. Mentally...I'm not sure its really sunk in yet. It still feels like we're just on a zero day, and that we should go to the grocery store to resupply and get packed up to hike back out tomorrow. Maybe the next three days in the car on the way home will knock me out the hiking routine enough to make it all sink in.
Date: 2007-12-19
To: Planning an Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike
Miles today: 0.0

I'm going back into my journal to mark the day (December 19, 2007) when I first considered hiking the Appalachian Trail. It was right before the New Year and I was already preparing to take on my first big challenge: running the 2008 ING Miami Marathon. As I was skimming the internet, I came across an article on the Appalachian Trail and, at first, it just became an idea. Then, in my mind, I tried to imagine what it would be like to hike the AT and something continued to pull me to find out more about it. When I started having dreams hiking through various sections of the trail and feeling the simplicity of the trail, I was absolutely hooked. On the experience side, I felt that the AT would not only provide me with the opportunity to see some beautiful parts of the United States from an entirely unique perspective, but also to take on an even larger challenge that was physical in nature. After I finished the Miami Marathon at the end of January 2008, I focused all of my attention on preparing for the thru-hike. Like most thru-hikers starting out, my pack weight was excessive. I started off with 34 lbs. of 'crap' and after several shake down hikes, I recognized that going lighter would provide me with more comfort and enjoyment while out on the trail. During a one-day shakedown hike and gear test, I left my apartment at 8 am, walked through three different counties - Durham County, Wake County, and even into Granville County. The trip took me through the outskirts of Durham, crossing Falls Lake and finally coming back on Wake Forest Highway. As I walked along the dark highway, well after the sun had already set, I'm sure that when cars passed, they really did think that I was a hobo. All in all, it was a tiresome day, walking just over 28 miles in less than 12 hours with a 40 lb. pack on my back. Granted, I was on flat land and I was moving quickly. For the last five miles, I actually ran out of water and called my housemate Candy to come pick me up, as we had planned. This hike completely altered the way that I looked at the hike. I knew that I ABSOLUTELY had to trim down my pack weight, otherwise, I wasn't going to survive. On a personal level, the hike itself provided me with the opportunity to really get to know the area surrounding Durham. In preparation for the April 11, 2009 thru-hike, my pack weight is now at a mere 15.5 lbs. I will average 7-15 lbs. of food and 2-4 lbs. of water. It has been a job well done on the front end, but I still have 2,176.2 miles to hike on the back end. Wish me luck...
Date: 2009-03-28
To: Photo of BEAUTIFUL Excel Spreadsheets.. (T-14)
Miles today: 0.0

Here is a picture of our logistical sheets. It has taken nearly 15 months and endless hours of preparation to come to where we are today. Although it became a bit of an obsession at times, these sheets are no doubt crucial in determining where to go when you come to a road crossing, where to pick up food, the various amenities at each town, where friends and family will need to meet up with us, etc. After all, we are planning every ¢step¢ of the way for the next six months. Personally, I have used the AT Thru-Hikers Companion in creating these documents. The Companion can be found online at www.aldha.com and is a great resource in planning.
Date: 2009-03-30
To: Pisgah National Forest: Linville Gorge (T-12)
Miles today: 0.0

Over the weekend, I headed to Linville Gorge in Pisgah National Forest with the Outing Club at Duke University. It was the first real test on my ankle since I received the news that I was ¢cleared¢ to go hiking for six months. Initially, I started off wearing my ankle brace (for about the first 400 meters), but quickly realized that the brace was actually pushing my cartilage into the bone and it just felt very odd. So, I decided to take it off and give it a go without. Surprisingly, it held up quite well. Granted, I didn¢t have 30+ lbs. in the pack and I actually took turns carrying the pack with Andreas, a Duke grad student, but I definitely did force it into some odd positions and it held up quite well. We hiked about 7 miles the first day through the rain and approximately 10-11 miles on the second day. On the Saturday, we managed to climb one peak that would have yielded beautiful pictures of the gorge, but when we looked out, we only saw a heap of grey clouds and precipitation. There were few signs of spring as far as blooming flowers and green seedlings coming through, but the birds were out chirping, especially on Sunday morning. I do anticipate that the weather will be changing and that flowers will be blooming very soon. I tested out my Go-Lite Shangri-La tent again and it held up very well in the torrential rains and thunderstorms that we experienced on Saturday evening. The tent is incredibly lightweight and requires the use of my trekking poles for stability and balance. My only concern is that, on the sides, there is a three inch opening between the tent itself and the floor. This allows all sorts of insects (snakes, animals, etc.) to crawl in and potentially screw up my good night¢s sleep. I might look into getting some guylines to close this gap. Another observation that I made was that I MUST take my fleece stuff sack for sleeping purposes. It adds another 4 oz. or so, but a healthy sleep is well worth it. What I can do is to blow up my large gallon-sized ziplock bags, place them inside the turned inside-out stuff sack and then place something soft (like my fleece) on top of it. This will prop my head all the way up and will allow for me to sleep very well. The only problem that I experienced was the fact that after four hours or so, some of the air had escaped and I had to blow it up again. I think that an actual blow-up pillow will be too heavy, so I¢ll have to see how it works out with the ziplock bags.   I¢ll also have to remember to take my earplugs with me when I start the trail. There were a few people snoring or making some strange grunting noises and it prevented me from falling asleep right away and woke me up a few times during the evening. I guess that this is something that I will have to get used to while out on the trail. All in all, it was a great trip and I¢m glad that I was able to get out one last time before I begin the trail. The people in the Duke Outing Club were wonderful companions.
Date: 2009-04-02
To: Ankle Cortisone Shot - Dr. Almekinders (T-9)
Miles today: 0.0

Today, I headed down (thanks to my co-worker Stephen) to South Durham to receive my highly anticipated cortisone shot, which is supposed to calm down my nerve sensors in my left ankle. Dr. Almekinders, a tall lanky fellow from The Netherlands, conducted the injection. We reviewed the prognosis of the MRI again and he said that, given the history and current condition of the ankle, that there is not much that they can do as far as short-term relief. I told him about the problems that I had with my ankle brace while hiking, but he wasn¢t able to provide me with a solid way to compensate for the discomfort. If I continue to have problems on the trail and that I cannot go on, then the next step would be an arthroscopy. Then, after a good ¢scope¢, they will be able to determine the true severity of the injury and how much cartilage is actually left. He said that in the worst-case scenario, I would need to get a cartilage graft, taking cartilage from a different part of my body and implanting it into the damaged area, where it will adhere to the bone. I really do not think that it will come to this¢¦The injection procedure went well, but I am supposed to be immobile over the next 5-7 days. I must continue with my training, especially with my pack, so maybe I will use the stepper today to get a good workout in. Sitting here now, I do not have much flexibility and the ankle seems to be very sore ¢ merely from the injection, itself. Over this coming weekend, my last full weekend in North Carolina, I will be volunteering at the Full Frame Film Festival. It happens to be the largest documentary-only film festival in the country. I volunteered last year and it was such a wonderful event. I have so much stuff to do in the meantime that I am thinking about skipping tonight¢s movies so that I can concentrate on getting my mail drops and belongings at home more organized. Onward ho!!! Attached to this page is a map of the Appalachian Trail ¢ all 2,176.2 miles in its entirety. Beautiful.
Date: 2009-04-06
To: MDs & Prep w/ Brunell, Ahmet, and Baris (T-5)
Miles today: 0.0

Tonight, I spent the majority of the evening running around with Brunell picking up loose odds and ends at Walmart and Whole Foods for my mail drops. Items included: Systane eye drops b/c of the recent LASIK surgery, band aids, Dr. Scholl¢s moleskin, salami, extra salmon packets, beef jerky, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. I had already completed most of my shopping on several previous trips to Costco and orders of freeze-dried foods through Vitacost.com. I *think* that this will be the end of what I need to buy. After we arrived back home, my Turkish friends Ahmet and Baris came over to help out with the preparation process. We managed to get through about 1/45 of the work as there is still a great deal that needs to be done: write addresses on boxes, sort through the Endurox sports powder, divvy up vitamins and other assortments of pills, re-organize energy bars, sort boxes, cut out blister pads, help to pack up boxes of things in my room, and eventually post items to sell online. Change of schedule: I just got off the phone with my aunt, who will be coming down to Durham on Wednesday evening now with my cousins Katie and Alex and my hiking partner, JC. My hope is that we¢ll be able to sort through all of the mail drops on Thursday, which would allow for us to relax for one full day on Friday. Sitting here in the silence of my dining room, I¢ve just realized how mentally exhausted I am. I¢ve been running on ¢empty¢ for weeks now. I haven¢t been getting sufficient sleep, my eating schedule is all over the place, and my brain is constantly on overload. When my head hits the pillow at night, I literally just crash out. Somehow, however, the tank continues to have a little bit of gas left and I just keep going. One final push until Saturday and I will be out on the trail. I can¢t wait. Tomorrow, I will be heading to the cardiologist for a check-up on my bicuspid aortic valve and irregular heartbeat. I have to do it now before my Duke health insurance runs out at the end of May. Then, in the afternoon, I¢ll be off to my final physical therapy appointment for my ankle. More to come in the next day or so¢¦
Date: 2009-04-11
From: Springer Mountain

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

It's Go Time!!!This morning was way too crazy for me. Gene came over around 7:30 and we were moving very slowly as the past two days had completely caught up to us. If it were not for my wonderful Aunt Kathy, my two loving cousins, Katie and Alex, and JC, I don't think that I would have been ready in time. Advice to any other thru-hiker: Quit your job two weeks before you leave ¢ not two days before!!! We managed to get all ready, but fitting all of my ¢crap¢ into Kathy¢s car proved to be a challenge. There were still some loose odds and ends that needed to be taken care of, but there was just no more time. Thank you, again, Kathy for your support. I was really going to miss the kids over the next few months, but I¢m hoping to see them out on the trail in Harper¢s Ferry ¢ maybe over July 4th for my birthday (July 5th). The road is long¢¦Gene, JC and I were on the road by 9:30 am en route to Springer Mtn. It was great to have some time to talk to Gene, my good bud from Duke, as we have both been so busy in recent weeks and haven¢t seen each other. We were telling stories about the past two years being at Duke and in Durham and we were also listening to some of his Led Zeppelin CD¢s. Seven hours later, we arrived at Amicalola Falls State Park, where we weighed our bags and signed the AT Register Book. My pack w/ food and water weighed 33 lbs. Without food and water, it was a mere 19 lbs. Then we were off to Springer. Taking the Forest Rd. 42, we managed to wind our way up and around the mountainside, finally reaching a parking lot less than one mile from the Springer summit. We talked to two guys who had just hiked the Approach Trail just days before, telling us that it was incredibly grueling and not worth the physical effort and sheer stress. We climbed the .9 mile to the summit, took some pictures, and then headed back down again to the parking lot and beyond. Over dinner, we talked to Tom, another hopefully thru-hiker from Boston, who had just taken the Amtrak all the way down from Boston to Atlanta, then up to Gainesville, then up to Springer. Stover Creek Shelter was a mere 2.8 miles from Springer, but we figured that we would just spend the night as there wasn¢t much daylight left. Luckily for us, we missed the tornado that ripped through the countryside just one day prior. We figured that it would be best to get some good rest tonight and be ready for a solid 10-12 miles tomorrow. We had to use bear cables, the first time I had ever used them, in order to keep our food away from the bears in the area. It is quite cold writing this now ¢ 35 degrees and getting colder. The trees are rustling in the wind. It feels good to be out here.
Date: 2009-04-12
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

It was a cold sleep last night. We woke up around 7 am and were out hiking by 7:45 am, deciding to have breakfast a few miles into the trail. We were very excited to have our first full trail day in front of us. The sun didn¢t come over the mountainside until 9:30 am and it was largely cold weather until just before noon. It felt great to be on the trail so early, and we had about 5 miles under our belts before breakfast at Hawk Mtn. Shelter. While at the shelter, we met Matt, who is an easy-going guy, most recently quitting his job in Las Vegas, working as a caddie on a ritzy golf course. He¢s an interesting sort as he has been to more than four universities and has switched his major 10 times, still without a degree. Both he and JC were discussing the fact that they were hoping to find ¢something¢ out here on the trail and attempting to figure out their lives. For me, being out here isn¢t about finding out who I am or what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. It is merely about embracing the challenge and being able to try something new. I have never spent more than three days in the woods before, so this is obviously entirely new terrain for me. But, the simplicity of waking up each morning and just hiking sounds very appealing. I¢m out here b/c I want to be out here ¢ not b/c I was driven to be here. We also met Segway, who is from Bangor, ME, but spends most of his time at various construction sites in the Philadelphia area and mid-Atlantic states. He has already hiked most of the AT, but has yet to do the southern part. The biggest surprise toady was when I came across a woman wearing a ¢Scotland¢ hat. The accent was unmistakable. She was a lovely middle-aged woman from Edinburgh ¢ a burly sort ¢ out here to enjoy the splendour of Appalachia. We talked for some time, before I headed off to catch up with the others. After hiking a good 12.3 miles, which was very respectable given the fact that it was only our second day, we made it to Gooch Mtn. Shelter. Here, we stayed w/ Matt, Pete (an older man from Florida out for two weeks), and Wendy (a wonderful young lady with a quiet disposition), and Liz (the Scot). Segway joined us a bit later on as well. After some good conversation over dinner, it was time to get some sleep. They are calling for some really nasty weather tomorrow and I can just feel a pressure system moving into the area. Today yielded some beautiful blue skies and picturesque viewpoints. Signs of spring are ubiquitous. The revival of life is right around the corner.
Date: 2009-04-15
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mtn Campsite
Miles today: 17.5

Today was a long hiking day. After spending last night with Cara and her dad, Mark (he was named by Frankenfoot as Mr. Belding from Saved By the Bell b/c he taught and was a principal for 35 years), we headed off early in the morning. It was freezing ¢ this time 37 degrees. The wind chill made it even colder. Just two miles into the trek, I began experiencing horrible blisters on my feet. I don¢t know if it is my bony heels or my La Sportiva trail running shoes. I tried some band aid and moleskin remedy, which proved to be futile b/c as soon as I stood up, I could really feel the hot spots. The blister was really etching into my flesh and I could literally feel my pulse beat through my heel. At the moment, I still feel the pulsations. In order to continue hiking, I had to hike in my Crocs for the next 15 miles, completing a 17-mile hike at the end of the day. Once I get into town, I¢ll look into getting some heel cups to protect my bony heels. After discussing our options, JC (named by Blu-Ray and Frankenfoot as Little Ripped Boy, or LRB for short) and I have decided to split up. He feels as if he can finish his thru-hike in 4 ¢ 4 12 months, while I view it taking 5 ¢ 5 12 months. Finishing in 4 12 months would mean 18.13 miles per day with 15 zero days. Finishing in 5 12 months would mean 14.5 miles per day with 15 zero days. I also want to make some stops in town to really get a feel for each unique area and to meet some very different people. We both agreed that splitting up would be the best thing for both of us and I certainly wish him all the best. Go for Katahdin, JC!!! He has a determined spirit about him and I do think that he¢ll be able to push on quite well. The other main reason to split up is b/c when you are hiking together, it feels as if you are attached at the hip. Some days I was hiking way ahead of him and other days he was hiking way ahead of me. Therefore, we would constantly have to stop and wait for one another in order to filter our water, have lunch, etc. It just makes it much easier. As they said, HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE!!! Today yielded some outstanding views, especially when we cleared Tray Mtn at 4,450 ft. with a panoramic view. It¢s amazing that we are so far into the wilderness. Tonight is the first night that we have actually set up camp ¢ and it feels great. After a nice meal and hanging up our bear bags (Wendy, JC, and Tully), we¢re off to sleep. Tomorrow we¢ll be waking up at 6 am to get into Blueberry Patch Hostel early, and then we¢ll be off to Hiawassee for some real food. I¢ll also be sending some superfluous items home. Good night all.
Date: 2009-04-16
From: Tray Mtn Campsite

To: Dick's Gap (Hiawassee)
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up at 6:00 am to begin hiking. Hitched a ride into Blueberry Patch and then into Hiawassee. Made an alcohol stove, rested my feet and blisters with Wendy in Ingles and grubbed with Doc. Sent some extra stuff home to cut down on weight. Headed to the library to catch up on emails, etc. For dinner, we all met up at Daniel's Steakhouse where we had a glorious $7.95 all-you-can-eat meal. It was great food! While back at the hostel, we laughed our asses off at all sorts of trail stories. We also met Mike, a crazy Georgian, who started with over 70 lbs. in his pack and ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW TO HIKE. He was carrying over 30 days worth of food. My blisters are still sore and I think that I'll head into town again tomorrow to catch up on my journal and to change shoes. Will write again when I can. Peace to all!!!
Date: 2009-04-18
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

When I woke up in the shelter, JC and Wendy were very surprised that I had made it up, given the tough terrain, nighttime hiking, and blisters. JC was off early and we said our real goodbyes to one another wishing each other all the best and that we would make it to Katahdin. Wendy stayed behind and I began the slow and tedious process of soaking my blistered feet in a heavy duty plastic bag. We talked to a few people that were in camp - Seeker, a section-hiker, and Jim, a 'semi-retired' Air Force employee from Wichita, KS. We headed off just before noon and, yes, I had to hike in Crocs again. Wendy said that she saw Blu-Ray and Frankenfoot head off earlier and that they were probably meeting up with Frankie's wife at one of the local gaps. I'm sure that we'll see them rolling through the Franklin area sometime soon. It was a beautiful sunny day and we definitely were zapped by the sun's energy again. Being up at higher elevations (obviously a relative term), the sun can burn your skin more easily. We climbed over Standing Indian Mtn, reaching a peak of 5,500 ft., the highest we have experienced so far on the AT. After approaching our original destination of Carter Gap Shelter, we came across about 25 Boy Scouts playing with fire and eating Mountain House dehydrated food. We visited the shelter, talked to the thru-hikers inside, and then decided to keep plodding along. The sun had been setting, but we were told that there was a very strong chance for rain tomorrow, so onwards we went. We reached Betty Creek Gap at 4,300 ft. and found our friends Whitney and Dan, both graduates from Skidmore College, most recently returning from China after being their for two years. We chatted for a while, set up our tents, and met our neighbors from Florida tenting 'next door'. I soaked my feet again in this heavy duty plastic bag and rested my weary legs after a long hiking day. I could feel my hamstring beginning to pull and my back was just so tight from carrying a heavy load and walking so many miles in so few hours.I've noticed that I've been eating even more while out on the trail. My supervisor, Patty, would always comment about how much I would (and could) eat, but she would be even more impressed if she were out on the trail. I'm literally eating 3 oatmeals, 5-7 energy bars, dried fruits and nuts, and two Mountain House meals (4 servings total) each day. Two dinners is almost nothing for this hungry lad. So, I had my Lasagna w/ Meat Sauce MH, hung up my bear bag and headed off to sleep.