morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-03-01
To: Good Yuck
Miles today: 0.0

Today is just two months until we begin our hike. It's nice to be here in Florida where we can get out and be active. Every morning we go out for a two mile walk before breakfast. It won't really prepare us for the Georgia mountains, but it's than spending the rest of the winter indoors on the sofa.When it gets a little warmer, we'll also ride our bikes. Our house down here in Florida is right on a 24-mile scenic loop. In good weather we ride around the loop two or three times a week. It takes about two hours, and there's always something to see. We've seen wild boars, turkeys, a bobcat, armadillos, river otters, alligators, and lots of snakes (usually dead ones run over by cars). We've been testing some of the food item available in dollar stores and gas station convenience shops. Things like ramen noodles, mac'n'cheese, and instant mashed potatoes turned out better than we'd expected. We prepared them just as we would on the trail...just adding boiling water. Woofie says "I can eat this."We also tried making peanut butter sandwiches using soft tortilla shells as the bread. That didn't turn out so well. Using just peanut was too dry, and the tortilla shells didn't taste enough like bread. So, Woofie will be also carrying jelly for her sandwiches.   And we're going to try flat bread or bagels instead.As for me, trying a peanut butter sandwich was a brand new and once in a lifetime experience. Although peanuts are OK, I hate peanut butter. I've never eaten a peanut butter sandwich (with or without jelly) in my life. But I've read in many trails journals how peanut butter is a high-calorie, nutritious food that is not heavy and won't spoil...just right for hikers. So I gave it my best try. I got half way through the sandwich before I had to tell Woofie, "I can't do this!" So, I'll be using jelly only on my sandwiches. As Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) said in Magnum Force, "A man's got to know his limitations."WB
Date: 2014-03-23
To: Ticket to Ride
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Now it's official. We booked our tickets on Amtrak to make the trip to Georgia, and made our reservations with the hiker hostel in Dahlonega. So we'll be leaving home on Apr 29, arriving at the hiker hostel on Apr 30, and beginning out AT adventure on May 1. Just over five weeks to go and getting excited.Next week we'll be traveling back home to Maryland from Florida. With the warmer weather, we've been able to walk or ride bikes every day. When we get home we'll have just four weeks to tie up all the loose ends. We have to make arrangements to board our two cats and for someone to collect our mail. And, of course, there's tax day in mid April.After those items are taken care of, we'll have to make the really hard decisions...what clothes to pack. Actually, deciding what NOT to pack is the hard part for Woofie. Fortunately, we only have medium-sized packs instead of large ones, so the space in the pack will limit how many shirts & shorts get packed. Probably no more than two of each...but which two? That'll be the hardest part.WB
Date: 2014-04-10
To: Getting to the Home Stretch
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Three weeks from today we start hiking. Now that we've taken care of the major loose ends - bills & taxes - we can focus on the final few items we need to take care of before we leave. We have someone who will board our two cats while we're away, and we'll ask a neighbor to collect the mail for us.A couple months ago I ordered a soft copy of the Thru Hiker's Companion from ALDHA, and this week I figured out how to load it up on the iPad Mini that Woofie wants to carry on the trail. Since she's going to carry the Mini anyway, I can save the weight of the book. To make sure that we don't run out of charge, we'll also be carrying solar chargers. For my retirement gift, my co-workers gave me a Freeloader Pico solar charger. It only weighs a couple ounces and can be charged either with daylight or from an outlet while in town. Once charged, it can charge an iPhone or iPad overnight. I tried it out and liked it so well I bought another one so we can each have one to charge the electronics we'll be carrying.We're getting pretty excited. But we still haven't figured out how much and what kind of food to carry. And Woofie still hasn't decided what clothes to take or leave behind. Tomorrow she wants to make another trip to REI. If she could, she'd like to order stuff on line while we're hiking and have REI deliver it by drone to whatever shelter we happen to be near. If that were possible, I'd have food delivered that way.WB
Date: 2014-04-22
To: Counting Down
Miles today: 0.0

The count down begins. One week from today we depart the comfort of home and begin one trek of an adventure. We're taking the Amtrak Crescent train from Union Station, Washington, DC next Tuesday evening and arriving in Gainesville, Georgia on Wednesday morning. We'll get picked up at the train station by the nice folks at the Dahlonega Hiker Hostel and spend the day making final preparations and maybe meeting some other hikers. The next morning they'll drop us off at the trailhead nearest to Springer Mountain. After about a mile hike, we'll reach the top of Springer Mountain and the first white blaze. From there it'll be all down hill...and up hill...and so on.I've been wearing my high-top hiking boots continuously all winter to be sure they were properly broken in, hoping to avoid blisters, if possible. But to my dismay, I found that they are just too hot on my feet now that the weather has warmed up. So I bought a new pair of Merrell hiking shoes Saturday at Cabelas. They're normal height shoes with more breathable material on the uppers. Now I have to wear them for the next week to get them broken in. So far, they feel fine after three days. Gotta keep the feet happy. Feet are like wives; if they ain't happy, nobody's happy.WB
Date: 2014-04-25
To: First Backpack Trial
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday we loaded up our packs with everything we think we'll need on the trail. So this morning, when we did our normal 2-mile walk before breakfast, we did it wearing our packs just like we will be doing everyday once we start our hike.Our packs weigh in at about 35 pounds...without the water. When I put the pack on, I immediately thought of how a horse must feel the first time a person tries to ride it. It wasn't uncomfortable, but I had to assume a more forward leaning posture because the weight on my back was changing my center of gravity.As we walked, the conversation turned from "this isn't so bad" to "some of this stuff has got to go." We knew that we'd packed too much food. We can't carry it all just because we bought it, so some is staying behind. After about a mile and a half, Woofie says, "My shoes feel great." And I said "Yeah, that's the only thing that feels great. So now we're going to do a rethink of what we need to see if we can't shed about 10 pounds from each pack.
Date: 2014-04-26
To: Keeping Safe on the Trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today is not only just 5 days before we start our hike, it is our 44th wedding anniversary. So in honor of that I'm posting a photo of Woofie taken this morning after we finished our 2-mile walk. Today's walk went much better, since her pack is down to about 26 lbs, 10 lbs lighter than yesterday. To get there, we dropped about 8 lbs of food, some clothes, and the Hennessy hammock. I dropped some food from my pack, too, and also my hammock. Instead of 2 two-pound hammocks we'll be using a 2-person Big Agnes free-standing tent, weighing about 3 lbs. And the best part of that is that Woofie doesn't have to carry it.Since today was our anniversary, we had our kids over. They are both worried about their "elderly" parents wandering off into the dangerous woods. They think we should carry something for protection. Against our son's advice, we are not going to pack "heat." But to calm our daughter, we will carry pepper spray. So how effective is pepper spray and where is a good place to get it?Well earlier this week we were talking to Mike, our life insurance salesman, about our plans to hike the AT. He told us the story of his experience with pepper spray. It seems his wife bought some at the dollar store and brought it home show him. He laughed and told her that that stuff from the dollar store doesn't work. They argued about it, and he told her that to prove he was right, she should spray him with it. After more discussion, she finally agreed. They went outside, and she left him have it right in the face. That's probably the biggest mistake he's ever made. It was way worse than the gas mask training he went through in the army. But, now we all know that a good place to get pepper spray is at the dollar store, and IT WORKS!
Date: 2014-04-29
To: Leaving today
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

OK. We're all packed and dressed in the hiking clothes we'll be wearing for the next 3 months. Our daughter & son-in-law are due to arrive at the house in about a half hour. They'll be transporting us to Union Station, DC, where we'll be departing on Amtrak at 6:30 PM.The waiting is over. Time to go. Too excited to say anymore.
Date: 2014-04-30
From: Hiker Hostel

To: Springer Mtn
Miles today: 0.0

Last night's trip on the Amtrak train was excellent. Had a good meal and a good night's rest in a mini-private room. Got picked up immediately upon arrival at the Gainesville Station by the Hiker Hostel van. Found that there were two other hikers on the train going to the hostel, also. Spent the day at the hostel resting and meeting other hikers who are starting out tomorrow. Most of them are going to do the approach trail from Amicalola Falls State Park, which is 8.8 miles from the top of Springer Mtn and the beginning of the AT. We're taking the shuttle to the top and will only have to walk about a mile before reaching the first blaze on the trail. Since the other hikers starting tomorrow are younger, they will probably catch up to us in a couple days, so we'll see them again before they pass us for good.Tonight we'll enjoy a pizza, a shower, and a bed for the last time until we reach a town or another hostel. With nothing but our packs full of food and supplies, home will be wherever we are for the next 3 months. The weather forecast is for about a week of good weather starting tomorrow. How lucky is that!
Date: 2014-05-01
From: Springer Mtn

To: Hawk Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 7.8

Hostel shuttle dropped us off at the Springer parking lot at 9:30. We hiked a mile up to the top of Springer getting there by 10:30. It was 49 degrees. Finally started hiking the miles that count by 11:00. Woofy's pack weighed 38 lbs and WB's pack weighed 42 lbs. Found out right away that our packs are too heavy. But made to the shelter by 6:30 exhausted but happy.
Date: 2014-05-02
From: Hawk Mtn Shelter

To: Justus Creek
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We left the Hawk Mtn shelter at 10:30 with temp at 57 degrees. Climbed over Sassafras Mtn & Justus Mtn on the way to Justus Creek. Found out that we have different hiking paces. Woofie is faster going up hills, while Wooly Booly hikes faster down the hills. So Woofie leads going up, and WB leads going down. Arrived at the creek side camp at 6:30. The sack never felt so good.
Date: 2014-05-03
From: Justus Creek

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

We left camp at 9:30 with a temp of 49 degrees. Third straight day of gorgeous weather. Had some great views from the Mtn tops today, but haven't seen any wild life. Got our first trail magic today in the form of a ride to the hostel in Suches by Wayne, who we met while hiking. Restaurant food & a shower -- boy we're happy tonight.
Date: 2014-05-04
From: Woody Gap

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a short hike day. We couldn't hike to the next shelter because we'd be fined for staying there without a bear canister. So we decided we'd go only as far as Lance Creek and hike to Neel Gap tomorrow. We had a terrific breakfast (bacon, sausage, cheese, and eggs) pizza at the hostel before leaving at 10:45 with temp in the 80s. The hike up Big Cedar Mtn was real tough, but we were rewarded with a gorgeous view at the top. Hiked today with lighter packs. Sent 5 lbs of stuff home, dropped extra food and unused items in the hiker box at the hostel, and just chucked some other stuff outright. Our legs and backs thanked us for that.
Date: 2014-05-05
From: Lance Creek

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 7.4

As usual we were the slowest to pack up and the last to leave. Started walking about 9:30 and it was already 81 degrees. Climbed up 450 ft out of the valley up Burnett Field Mtn and had brunch at the top. By noon we had reached the blue blaze trail to Woods Hole shelter. On the way there we saw a wild turkey, the only wildlife we've seen so far. Blazes are marks on trees & rocks that show where the trail goes. White ones are used on the AT; blue ones are used for side trails or alternate routes around hazardous terrain.After having lunch, we refilled our water bottles for the hike over Blood Mtn since it got up to 91 degrees during the day. The climb up was an elevation gain of 850 ft, but it turned out to easier than Sassafras Mtn that we climbed on day 2. We stopped at the shelter at the top of the mountain for a rest and to take some pictures before heading down to Neels Gap, 2.5 miles farther. Climbing down the rock scrambles was the hardest hiking we've had so far. When we reached Neels Gap, we went into the outfitter at Mountain Crossings to weigh our packs. Woofie's pack was down from 38 to 25.4 lbs, and WB's was down from 42 to 33 lbs.We're spending the night at the Blood Mtn cabins and sharing a cabin with three other hikers. Can't wait for a shower, food, and a real bed. And it's amazing how under appreciated something as simple as a water faucet can be.
Date: 2014-05-06
From: Neels Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 0.0

This morning we bid farewell to our hiking friends Dances with Poles, Dream Weaver, and Jim the Ripper as they continued their hike north, while we stayed the day and a second night at the Beaver cabin at the Blood Mountain Cabins. It's a great place for hikers to stay, with a thu-hiker rate of $60 per night. We split it 5 ways, so it came out to just $12 each.We had the guys at Mountain Crossings go through the contents of our packs to suggest ways to lighten our load. We managed to find enough unneeded stuff to send home another 3-lb box. WB's pack is about 30 lbs now, making for more enjoyable hiking.Tomorrow we hope to hike to the next shelter about 7 miles from here. We're still enjoying record nice weather.
Date: 2014-05-07
From: Neels Gap

To: Whitley Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: clear sky

Left Neels Gap at 9 am after picking up a couple ham & cheese sandwiches to pack out for lunch. Temps ranged from 71 to 85 degrees today, but it felt a lot warmer, probably due to higher humidity.Made good time in the morning in spite of the big climb out of Neels Gap. Ate lunch on top of Wolf Laurel Mtn a little past noon. Saw about eight other hikers during the day. They all passed us going faster in the same direction -- they were all a lot younger.The hike down the mtn was surprisingly tough, and we arrived at the road at Tesnatee Gap with almost all of our water gone. We had only one pint left for the hike up the next mtn to the shelter, and we thought that would be enough until we discovered that the shelter was 1.2 miles off the trail and the water source was .3 miles further.Luckily, as we started up the hill, we spotted a small stream, so we filled our 4 water bottles with filtered water before going up.Instead of hiking the 1.2 miles to the shelter, we set up our tent just past the entrance to the side trail. We cooked our dinner and took it back down the trail to eat it away from the tent. That's when we got a nice surprise. Dreamweaver had left a note for us at the sign to the shelter. We had a Mountain House pasta primavera meal. It was soooo good.Tomorrow we plan to hike to Poplar Stamp Gap, 6.2 miles from here, where there is a place to camp and a water source.
Date: 2014-05-08
From: Whitley Shelter

To: Poplar Stamp Gap
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to 63 degrees and a beautiful sunrise on top of the mountain. Today we've been on the trail for a whole week, and we've enjoyed perfect weather. The forecast is for two more days before the chance of rain.Left the camp site at 9:30. Stopped just .2 miles later to collect water. Filled all 5 bottles today, so we're carrying 10 lbs of water between us. Found a nice place to eat a light lunch around 11:30 at White Oak Stamp. Having Cliff bars for the first time. They're really good.So far I've been blister free. Yeah! To do that, I'm wearing a light nylon socks under a thicker Wrightsock Coolmesh II socks. Woofie did have a blister, so she bought a pair of toe socks at Neels Gap. She loves them. Also, we're taking our shoes and socks off every time we stop for a break. Dry feet and socks help keep the feet and us happy.We got Low Gap Shelter around 2:30. We ate another Cliff Bar for 2nd lunch, topped off our water bottles, and signed the shelter register. Each shelter usually has a note book, called a register, and pen for the hikers to use for passing on info or leaving an interesting note for others to read. Hikers can keep tabs on other hikers who sign the register to tell how close or far apart they are.We hiked on at 3:45 and arrived at Poplar Stamp Gap, 1.5 miles, at 5:20. We set up camp and cooked Mountain House Chili Mac for supper. We're alone at the campsite tonight. Tomorrow we plan to hike to Blue Mountain Shelter, 5.9 miles from here.
Date: 2014-05-09
From: Poplar Stamp Gap

To: Unicoi Gap - Helen
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: mist

Got packed up early and started hiking by 7:55. Starting temp was 66 degrees. Stopped for a breakfast break at 9:30.It started to rain lightly on us for the first time since we started our hike. We put on our pack covers and hiked on, heading up to Blue Mtn Shelter. We picked up our hiking pace to get to the shelter before it rained harder, but it stopped. We made it to the shelter by 12:10.We had planned to stay at the shelter and head to Helen the next day, but with thunder storms coming in the afternoon and more rain forecast for Saturday, we decided to hike the 2.4 miles to the road at Unicoi Gap and get a ride into town.With town food on her mind, Woofie flew down the trail, and we reached the road by 2:15. As soon as we crossed the road, a pickup truck with a "Shuttle" sign in the windshield pulled up to us. John the driver loaded us and our gear into the truck, and by 2:45 we were checking into the Super 8 motel in Helen.Right next door is a Huddle House, so we headed right over (after a shower, of course). We're staying 2 nights so we can avoid Saturday's rain and to restock the food supplies in our pack. Second zero day and lots of town food!
Date: 2014-05-10
From: Unicoi Gap - Helen

To: Unicoi Gap - Helen
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We finally have Wi-Fi, so I can upload our journal entries and all of the photos. On the trail cell service is spotty, so there may be a few days at a time without any new posts. To save on cell phone power, we keep our phones on airplane mode, and I write journal entries in the notepad when we take breaks. I uploaded lots of photos today for your viewing pleasure.The town of Helen is a wonderful little town with lots of places to shop and eat. We spent the day exploring the town -- when it wasn't raining. Since the late sixties, Helen has been renovating all of the buildings into the Bavarian Alpine style to make it attractive to tourists. From just two places to eat and a handful of businesses in the sixties, there are now over a hundred businesses including loads of hotels and restaurants.Since we're not hiking today, I'll talk about something on the trail I learned about since we started -- privies. Many of the shelters have a privy. That I knew from reading other hikers' journals. But privies on the trail are not like typical outhouses. Instead of being fully enclosed and smelly, they are raised structures with a roof and partial walls that provide both privacy and open air freshness. There is no water. Instead, there are buckets of dry mulch provided by volunteer trail maintainers. After using the toilet, flushing is done by grabbing a handful of mulch and tossing it in to cover the latest "addition." This promotes composting and reduces the odor.Tomorrow we plan to get back on the trail and hike 5.5 miles to Tray Mtn Shelter. It'll be a shorter hiking day since we'll be getting a later start than normal thanks to getting in one last town food breakfast before returning to the trail.
Date: 2014-05-11
From: Unicoi Gap - Helen

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

Got a shuttle ride from the motel at 9:30. We rode from an elevation in Helen of 1236 ft to an elevation of 2949 ft at Unicoi Gap. Back on the trail by 10:00, our hike started with a climb of more than 1000 ft to the top of Rocky Mtn, 4017 ft. We made it to the top by 11:15 and stopped for a rest. It wasn't the hardest climb we've had, but it was the longest -- 1.4 miles of continuous climbing.The trail was wet today for the first time in our hike making the ground a bit softer. The leaves have come fully out, closing off the woods to many views.After the break we went back down the other side of the mountain for 1.3 miles and descending over 800 ft. The trail going down was mostly smooth with stone or log steps built into the steep places by the local volunteer trail maintenance club. We thank them for those nice steps. But in spite of the steps, Woofie is not a fan of the downs. It's harder on her legs than the upsWe stopped for lunch at 1:15 and then Woofie took a 10-minute nap in the sun to recharge for the hike up Tray Mtn. I think her new knees must be solar-powered.We started up Tray Mtn about 2:15 to climb up another 1200 ft. We felt the temp drop about 10 degrees as we gained elevation, which was a welcome relief. We arrived at the top at 4:50 totally exhausted, but glad to make it. It's the highest mtn we've climbed so far at 4430 ft. We took a couple pictures to document the achievement and headed back down the other side .5 miles to Tray Mtn Shelter, where we're camping tonight.Today wasn't the hardest day, but it was the most strenuous. We both ate double meal portions for supper. Tomorrow we plan to hike 7.4 miles to Deep Gap Shelter. I'll have to carry more water than today because there are fewer water sources between here and the next shelter.