morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-02-11
To: Preparing for Adventure!
Miles today: 0.0

Hello world!To start this journal entry off, let me first introduce myself. My name is Michelle Lunn. I am 21 years old and I am a student at Kennesaw State University. Yes, I will be taking a break from school to be able to go on this trip, but it will all be worth it in the end! With this being my first time on the trail, or any trail at that, I don't have a trail name yet, but I'm excited to get one along the way! I wonder when and what crazy story will have created my trail identity.Now I've heard the stories and am completely aware that this hike is a test of not only my physical abilities but my mentality as well and all I can say to that is that I am ready. I am ready for the hot, sweaty days and the cold, long nights. I am ready to walk in the rain and live with the bugs. Every little adventure is a lesson and I can't wait for it to start! The best part about this whole trip though is that I get to experience this exciting part of my life with my amazing (and crazy) boyfriend! I am thankful that Taylor has completed the trail once before and therefore, he will be my guide through all this and I will be looking to him for the strength I need to finish. And for him to go on this hike a second time, he definitely has it!Well, thanks for reading! Stay tuned. Michelle
Date: 2014-02-11
To: Tent talk
Miles today: 0.0

So I'm pretty excited about having a tent on the trail this go around. And I think that has a lot to do with the Big Agnes Scout UL2.This tent is very spacious for a 2 person tent and holds both Michelle and I with all our gear comfortably inside. And one of the coolest features is there are no poles, it utilizes those 2 hiking poles you're carrying around all day anyway. This drastically reduces the weight to only 1 lb 9 oz, which is VERY light for a 2 person tent. Now it is single wall so condensation could be an issue on colder nights but I'm hoping that when fully staked out it will ventilate enough to not rain inside on us. We'll probably keep a towel handy in the tent to wipe down the inside of the roof at night or in the morning if needed. We are planning a couple night gear test trip at the end of February if it's not snowing! So I'll try and get some pics of the setup during that trip. Thanks for reading. Taylor
Date: 2014-02-16
To: Backyard
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

So last night Michelle and I decided to pack up all our gear and do a mock camp set up in the dark. We also thought it would be a good opportunity to test out the warmth of our sleeping bags because it wad supposed to drop to below 30°.We found a good flat spot in the backyard to set it up and started at it. The tent setup was very quick and easy, even in the dark. The guy lines on the tent reflect very bright off our headlamps which makes it easier to stake out.When we first got into our sleeping bags it was around 37° and Michelle was warm but my lower torso was a little cold. We decided to go inside for a little while to grab some more layers and let the temp drop. We went back out when it was about 28 and after I put some long johns on. I thought I was going to be ok but I was miserable. I woke Michelle up at about 5 because I was too cold to sleep. Michelle stayed warm in her 20° bag last night with the exception of her face which got cold. She has a wool buff ordered and a couple other size buffs as well which I think are key for keeping your face warm at night. I posted a picture of me wearing the buff like a balaclava style that really helps tap heat in. My sleeping bag is almost 10 years old and survived my last thru-hike. It's only rated at 30 but I think it's lost some of that from lots of compression. So after I warmed up and got some rest I woke up and immediately ordered a Kelty 20° bag. It's about a pound heavier than my current bag but I think I'll only use the Kelty for winter and maybe switch to my Sierra Designs in Damascus. Less than a month away until we leave, let's hope that warm weather is here by then!Taylor
Date: 2014-02-18
To: Hiking with a GoPro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

So I have decided that because my pack weight is at a pretty good place I could afford a little luxury. I've gone ahead and purchased a GoPro Hero3. I watched this video on YouTube of this couple who hiked in 2012 with a GoPro and I immediately wanted to get one. I went with a GoPro Hero 3 White Edition, which films in 1080p HD. It comes with a waterproof housing for underwater out rain video. I also bought a telescoping pole that attaches to the waterproof casing and extends out to 37". The battery life isn't stellar from what I've read so I bought 2 extra batteries and a independent battery charger. For the entire package it cost me a little under $300 on Amazon. I've been playing around with it the last few days and it's very easy to use and amazingly lightweight. It films video, takes stills and has a time lapse mode. There is no screen on the Camera itself but it can be connected through Wifi to my Galaxy S4 and I can view a feed of the video at about a 1 second delay. This is how I'll view the videos I've filmed after I'm done. I probably won't be using my phone as a line screen often because it will be eating the battery if both faster. Michelle and I are leaving Thursday to do a 2 night hike at Amicolola Falls most likely and I'm going to test out some video and put up a couple YouTube videos that I'll link to here. 20 days to go and it can't come quick enough. My mind is constantly on the Trail and always thinking about what I'm forgetting or what I could do without. This weekend will be a good official gear test that hopefully will not lead to more purchases...Taylor
Date: 2014-02-25
To: Anxious to Begin
Miles today: 0.0

As I count down the days until takeoff, I am still in disbelief that I am about to embark on this journey. Having never done anything like this before, I'm still wondering what will be in store for me. After our test hike the other week, some questions were answered but even more popped up. Not about the aspect of hiking, but rather about myself and what I had discovered. Since we've first decided to do this hike, I've been mentally preparing myself for it. I've given myself plenty of pep talks and I know my physical limits - or so I thought. When we first began the practice hike, it instantly dawned on me that my small stature would be a hinder. Being only 5'2 and Taylor being 5'11, my little legs would have to work overtime to keep up with his long strides! And for a little while, I did keep up, but not for very long. That's when I realized that my small lung capacity wasn't any better either. I could barely catch my breath going uphill for long distances. Needless to say, I was slow....and inevitably I fell behind. I got frustrated and upset at myself that my incapabilities were causing me to be so slow. I had never taken into consideration thay my small stature would bring about such a dilemma. That was something I was not prepared for, mentally or physically. Taylor has done this before and it took him no time to get back into the rhythm of it. He has his own way of hiking and it is my duty to train and push myself beyond my limits to become like Taylor and to keep up with him. Even if it means that I will fall behind many more times in the beginning and I can't take many breaks, I have to keep pushing myself until I can finally hike along side him all the way up to Maine. Lets just hope it happens in the first few weeks and not halfway through! Michelle
Date: 2014-02-25
To: Update after gear test
Miles today: 0.0

Michelle and I did a 2 night hike on the approach trail from Amicolola falls. We got a late start on our first day but managed to put in about 8 miles to Black Gap Shelter. We met a guy named Hawk who is leaving a few days after we are to start his thru hike. He was out day hiking with all his gear on his back. A little bit before the shelter we came across a down tree with a branch about 5" in diameter that was blocking the trail. I packed out this lightweight saw that I bought on Amazon and decided to give it a try. As you can see in the picture it worked great, cut through that green wood with no problem. I think I'm going to carry it with me to help with firewood and for random acts of trail maintenence. When we got to the shelter another thru hiker was already there. His name was Dave and it was his first night out. His pack was massive! It looked like it must've been 75+lbs. A lot of it was food but I can only imagine how much that must hurt. It made my 27ish lb pack seemed like nothing. Another guy from NY named Cannonball showed up just after dusk, his first night as well. We knew it was supposed to rain so we thought it would be a good test our tent's waterproof capabilities. We did not know that it was going to be over an inch of rain with 25+mph gusts of wind... But thankfully we managed to stay completely dry on the inside, we did have to let it air dry in the sun for a couple hours in the morning to get it completely dry.The next day we just hiked about 5 miles back towards Amicolola and camped in a spot we found along side the trail. We made a fire and I tested out my bear bag line that I bought off antigravitygear.com, it worked well.Overall a good trip and made me realize a couple small things I needed that didn't have. Just a couple weeks until we leave, getting very anxious. Taylor
Date: 2014-03-09
To: The Day Before Take-Off!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

In less than 10 hours, we head out for Springer Mt. to begin our epic hike! I am more than excited and I'm not even sure if it has even completely hit me yet that for the next six months, nature will be my home. With us getting an early start in the morning, I know l need all the rest I can get, but the butterflies in my stomach have multipled the closer our take-off date gets and they refuse to settle down!Taylor and I have pack and repacked our backpacks hundreds of times - debating what's useless and what's not after our practice hike a few weeks before. Eventually we were finally satisfied. With about four days worth of food each and a couple bottles of water, Taylor's pack ended up weighing 30lbs on the dot. My pack ended up weighing 27.8lbs which is about a little over a quarter of my weight but I should be fine.I'm really going to miss everyone from work and from home and I truly appreciate all the support we've been receiving over the past few months! We had an amazing dinner with Taylor's family which was made by his cousin Justin and his wife Leah (thank you!). It was nice spending time with everyone one last time over the last few days! And surprisingly, Saturday night by some random coincidence, I happened to run into Kitfox at a restaurant while I was having dinner with my friends and it was such a pleasure to meet her. She gave me some advice about what she learned during her first thru hike and it definitely calmed me down and gave me some peace of mind. It may seem odd, but after meeting her by coincidence, I felt like it was a sign that this trip was going to be just fine and a huge success.Lets get started!!!- Michelle
Date: 2014-03-10
From: Springer Mt.

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

My Aunt and Uncle dropped Michelle and I off at Springer Mountain today. We hiked the mile south to the top and it was windy and cold the whole way up. There was a large group already on top, a few thru-hikers and some of their family. We met Bluejay while we were on top, she also has a journal on this site. After getting our pictures taken near the plaque, we began our hike northbound. It warmed up quick on our way down and before long we were removing layers to keep from getting hot. It was a really pretty day and easy hiking for most of it. We made it the 8.1 miles to Hawk Mountain Shelter around 2:30. There were several people already there. We set up our tent and watched the people roll in. Someone said they counted 43 tents before nightfall! There were 60+ people there over night, it was crazy. I built a nice fire and we sat around while listening to Orangutan play us some original music on his wal mart guitar. Awesome first night on the trail, so happy to be back out here! SuperFeet
Date: 2014-03-11
From: Hawk Mt. Shelter

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Today was definitely tough. We began around 10:35am just like the day before. I was feeling good and Taylor told me how well I was doing without having to take any breaks especially on the uphills. We finally passed the summit and made our way down to what we believed was Cooper's Gap. I mean, after that uphill battle, that mountain HAD to be Sassafrass. But we were wrong! I don't know which mountain it was, but it wasn't Sassafrass. We ended up at Horse Gap, the gap before it and it looked brutal looking up at how tall it was. I'm not gonna lie, Sassafrass definitely kicked my butt. But hiking Justus Mountain right after was amazing. The scenery was beautiful and the uphill was for a short distance. After that, everything was smooth and downhill. It was really relaxing and I really enjoyed hiking Justus Mountain. It's definitely my favorite so far. After getting to Gooch Gap, we met up with a lot of people we camped with from last night. We sat around the fire and just enjoyed the rest of the night. Even Miss Janet joined us towards the end. She brought beer, soda and tacos! The majority of the people went to bed around 9, but a handful of people decided to stay up later. Everyone (B-Line, Meticulous, Orangutan, Hand-me-down, Day Tripper, Knaffles and her pup Champ, Superfeet and I) was drinking beer and having fun telling stories. It was a great night with great company. When it got quiet at one point, Orangutan looks up at me and says, "So what are you thinking about Barnacles?" Barnacles. Where did that even come from? Apparently he had always wanted to name someone Barnacles and he figured it would be me. So far, the whole Turtle crew is trying to make the name stick and it really seems like it will! So apparently I got named Barnacles by a bunch of drunk hikers around a campfire one night. Thwap-Thwap!- Barnacles
Date: 2014-03-12
From: Gooch Gap - Still Here!

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Third day on the trail and already we've decided to take a zero day. The weather from last hasn't been too harsh or at least I don't think so. We stayed up pretty late so by the time we went to bed, I was knocked out. I didn't even wake up once during the night which is a huge improvement from waking up every now and then during the night. We've decided to stay at Gooch Gap for another night due to the very cold weather that's headed our way. The rain has stopped thankfully, but the windy is still pretty strong. But that hasn't stopped us from enjoying each other's company! Plus the people from last night and a few newcomers, the day has been pretty chill. We had a nice warm breakfast (breakfast burritos!) in a canopy tent which was provided by the generous Miss Janet! And now we've just been sitting around the giant fire that Superfeet and Day Tripper has made for us.The funniest thing happened earlier and I probably will never forget that moment. The wind was blowing really hard while we were standing around the fire. And as we look up, we see the canopy tent fly up and fly across the ground a good couple feet. But just as the tent flew up from the ground, just underneath was this guy who we had forgotten was even in there and his expression was absolutely priceless. Imagine the scene from Jurassic Park and that's it. That moment was amazing and we just died laughing. A couple guys who came by after thought we were flying a gigantic kite!Thwap-Thwap!- Barnacles
Date: 2014-03-13
From: Gooch Gap

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: clear sky

I just wanted to extend a thank you to Allyn Morton aka Mr Fix It at Neel Gap. Barnacles had a leaking sleeping pad which was making her quite cold at night. And Allyn came to the rescue with a replacement for her. Thanks again to Allyn and the folks at Big Agnes for standing behind their product. For those of you who like to sleep comfortably on the trail, get one of these insulated core Big Agnes Sleeping pads. 3.25" thick! I thought my 1.5" therm a rest was nice but this thing blows it away.
Date: 2014-03-15
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: few clouds

Today has been a very long day. Longest miles in one day so far! 11.5 to be exact. My feet hurt and my legs are sore, but I'm not complaining! I really enjoyed today. There were many uphills and downhills today but it wasn't as brutal as yesterday's hike. Rather, it was gradual and relaxing. The trails were beautiful - not that they haven't been before, but today because it was relaxing and the weather was absolutely perfect, I really enjoyed this tiresome hike. We've been hiking with Indie the whole time and with Knaffles and Champ (now Thumper!), Double R, Smokin Bear, and Slowpoke right behind us. Meticulous had to take a zero day due to blisters, but hopefully we'll run into her again further down the trail! From Neels Gap, we've walked and have decided to spend the night at Low Gap Shelter (in our tent). Surprisingly it's pretty crowded here as well. We were hoping to stay in the shelter due to the rain that's headed our way tonight, but that's okay. We'll be headed in town tomorrow to meet up with Superfeet's family! I would like to thank Big Agnes (especially Allyn aka Mr. Fix-It) for replacing my sleeping pad that has been constantly deflating during the middle of the night. Hopefully I can get a good night's rest now off the cold ground!I would also like to thank Glenloch Baptist Church for their trail magic at Hogpin gap! We heard there would be hotdogs there and we used that as our motivation to keep on moving. It was a tough, steep climb just before the gap but they were so welcoming and gracious that the climb was definitely worth it. Hotdogs and a coke? Deliciousness! Plus apples and bananas? It completed the whole package! We had been craving for some fruit. And yes, we totally packed a couple hotdogs out as well! Thwap-Thwap!- Barnacles
Date: 2014-03-16
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.7

Today really tested our mentality more so than our physical capabilities. We woke up around 9:30ish to a constant downpour that wasn't going to be letting up any time soon. So forcing ourselves to get up and pack the soaking and muddy tent in the cold rain was definitely not fun.Once we started, we were hoping to warm up but with that rain and wind, it wasn't going to let us. Even though it was a nice, easy trail today (minus the never-ending trail of rocks and boulders) it seemed like it would never end! SuperFeet and I literally only took a three minute break the entire 9 miles since we wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.Finally after that cold stretch of what really looked like a creek more than a trail, we rounded the corner towards Unicoi Gap and waiting for us was SuperFeet's family! Warm hugs and smiles were absolutely needed at that moment and it made me feel so much better. So we all piled into the car and headed in to Helen, GA where we had a nice dinner (thank you again!) and are now staying in a warm motel for the night! Tomorrow is supposed to be another rainy day so our plan is to recuperate and take a much need zero day.Oh, and I've just realized I have a nice crack right across the screen of my phone. I don't know when that happened, but hey, it means it's time for a new phone!Thwap-Thwap!- Barnacles
Date: 2014-03-17
From: Helen

To: Helen
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: snow

I'm writing from the comforts of a Econolodge room today. With gear hanging out to dry from every light fixture, chair and mirror in the room. It's still raining outside which it has been since early yesterday morning. We're going to stay the night here again and hopefully leave on a drier Tuesday morning. My parents, sister and her two little girls came and had dinner with us last night. Camryn, who is 7, met us on the trail and hiked with us into Unicoi Gap. She made our pace look sluggish, she earned the trail name Skippy Feet. I'm so proud of her and impressed with how smart and capable she is. Camryn was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was 4 and it's truly amazing how well she handles her condition. Her blood sugar fluctuates so much and it's up to her to let her mom know when she'sfeeling low or high. Recently her blood sugar has been running very low while she is asleep. This is especially scary because she has to wake up to tell her mom she's feeling low. My sister has set up an account to try and raise money to get her a sensor that will monitor her levels 24 hours a day. The website is here:Camryn's PageAny amount of donation would be greatly appreciated and will go a long way to help the sweetest little girl in the world. I love you Cam! Hope we can hike again soon! Barnacles and I are off to hopefully find a laundromat in Helen. We'll be hitting the trail tomorrow and hopefully we'll have service before Franklin, NC so we can update. SuperFeet
Date: 2014-03-18
From: Helen

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Hitching a ride out of Helen, GA, the fog was pretty intense. You couldn't even see more than a few feet ahead of you so all the twists and turns it took to get to Unicoi Gap made me uneasy seeing how fast everyone made the turns coming in the opposite direction. Once we got to the gap, we were ready to hike because the cold was unbearable. The hike was pretty tough but it wasn't as bad as I had heard someone say a few days before. I actually really enjoyed the hike and the cold went away for awhile. We met a couple more people along the way and up until the Tray Mountain Shelter - Katherine, Hemp, Cheesestake, a German girl, Links, Aaron, and SauceBoss (which we're now questioning is real or not...).It took quite a long time for the boys to get a fire started with all the wet wood laying around in the fog, but they managed to really get it going. And with how cold it was getting again, we really needed it!We decided to stay in the shelter tonight - my first time ever in a shelter! It feels nice knowing that in the morning we won't have to pack up our tent. And tonight, we'll actually be sleeping IN the clouds!Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles
Date: 2014-03-19
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

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

Woke up to our sleeping bags and shoes slightly soaked from a light shower from last night that was unexpected. Hooray...but we woke up ready to go (and cold) and ready to get out of the fog! Where are you sun?!We made it to Deep Gap Shelter today. Even though it was a 7 mile hike, it surprisingly wasn't too long of a hike. We made really good time. Guess our hiker legs have kicked in already! Although, the last climb up the mountain before the shelter was really long and seemed like it would never end. It wasn't as if it was steep and difficult either. It just took way too long to get to the top. But it was a nice day for hiking at least! Once we got a little bit away from Tray Mountain, the mist disappeared and the sun finally broke through. I actually saw my shadow for the first time in a couple of days!It's actually pretty crowded here at Deep Gap. Minus Orangutan, the whole turtle crew is still here along with Cheesestake, Squirrel, Flossy, Links, Aaron, The Goat and quite a bit more people. We even ended up meeting up with Hawk again who we actually met during our practice hike at the approach trail a month back. It's pretty cool running into people again miles down the line!Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles