morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-11-16
To: Introduction
Miles today: 0.0

Welcome! I had an incredible experience on the trail and love to share the journey with others. The experience was everything I had hoped for and more. Each day was a gift. This journal includes a entry written each day I was on the trail and a picture for each day. I hope you enjoy reading the experiences I had and the insights I gained. An opportunity to be on the trail for an extended period of time presented itself to me in 2013. I was granted permission to be on vacation from my job for all of March and April so I was able to spend a full 8 weeks on the trail. I hiked with Hoosier, who since he was retired had the time to continue on and hike all 2,190 miles of the AT. Although Hoosier and I were physically prepared to hike, and eager to move along the trail, our goal was not to make this hike all about how many miles we do each day. Rather we both wanted to spend a lot of time interacting with other hikers. Mentally and emotionally I prepared myself with the mindset of not fighting the trail but rather of being flexible and responding to what the trail brings each day. I loved the challenge and the people I met along the way. Thanks for your interest. I hope you enjoy!!
Date: 2012-11-18
To: Reading
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

The following brief quote sums up my experience on the trail. It is edited and condensed excerpt from "Hiking Through: One Man's Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail":"As I planned this hike and counted the miles and days I would be on the trail, I questioned whether I might become bored hiking in the woods day after day. I never did. Every twist and turn brought new wonder. I remembered a quote from Benton MacKaye, the originator of the AT. He said the ultimate purpose of the AT would be to 'walk, to see and to see what you see'. How often we witness a scene of great beauty but don't comprehend what we see. A beautiful sunset, a bright full moon, brilliant stars on a cloudless night. We are too busy to see. The stresses of life blind us. Our eyes behold, but we do not grasp the greatness of what has been placed here for our enjoyment. On the trail, I was shedding not only the stresses of my business life, but also all the distractions that had kept me from seeing myself, others and this hike called Life. I was learning to see what I saw. Experiences and people that in my everyday world would have passed unnoticed now carried messages I was able to hear. I finally had time to listen and learn."Not only on the Appalachian Trail, but also on the trail of life I am determined to have my ears, ears and heart open to really see and hear, both the seen and the unseen that is all around me if I will just take time to look.
Date: 2012-11-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

My son, Tim, and I ran together and finished together the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington D.C. on October 28th, 2012. It was a lot of fun running along the mall leading up to our nation's capital, near many of the monuments and then finishing in Arlington National Cemetary at the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial.Completing my fourth marathon while preparing to hike the Appalachian Trail has caused me to think a lot about "stick-to-itiveness". That word or phrase lodged itself in my mind after getting this short note from a thru hiker with over 10,000 miles to her credit: "It is not your gear that gets you to Maine...sometimes it is not really even your feet...it is determination and what my hiker friends and I have dubbed 'stick-to-itiveness'...that is the ability to keep moving forward against the wishes of your cold hands, tired feet, and crazy head."Finishing a marathon takes some "stick-to-itiveness" since it seems like when you get to mile mark 20 you have only just reached the halfway point in terms of effort. But perhaps a greater amount of "stick-to-itiveness" is needed for the solitary training runs that are necessary before the actual marathon date. When you do the long training runs there are no cheering crowds, no aid stations and no one is waiting at the end to take your picture and put a medal around your neck. No one is watching but you must keep going.I am sure that my time on the AT will teach me more about the important trait of "stick-to-itiveness". There will be some hard days and some long nights. Perhaps the rigors of doing the same thing everyday (hiking 12-18 miles uphill and downhill with 35 pounds on my back) will present as much a challenge as the more dramatic times like trudging thru a spring snow storm.Statistically 25% of would-be thru-hikers will end their hike within the first month. Some will run out of will power as they find that hiking everyday is not what they thought it would be or they may conclude they don't have sufficient stamina. I hope to offer words of encouragement and aid (when possible) to help others conquer the urge to "quit". When we conquer our doubts, fears and weaknesses we move past them to find real personal strength. That's good because it seems to me that "stick-to-itiveness" is a necessary ingredient to be successful in life.
Date: 2012-12-08
To: Trail Name
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: snow

I had hoped to find a really clever trail name with a deep meaning. But none were quickly forthcoming. So I settled on SPARKS reasoning that it is short, easy to remember, perhaps has a kind of outdoorsy feel, and will not be hard for me to get used to since it is of course my actual last name. Some had suggested that my trail name be ¢Sparky¢. But that was the name of several dogs that I had as a child. And I was never very fond of being called ¢Sparky¢ by elementary school classmates.
Date: 2012-12-11
To: Stumbling
Miles today: 0.0

Today was our first significant snowfall of the year. This picture is of the trail that my dog and I walk on daily.I have read that a 5 foot 6 inch person must take approximately 5,000,000 steps to complete a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail; and that doesn't include the side trails to get water or the trips into towns to resupply. That means that if a thru-hiker gets 99.9% of their steps correct they will still have stumbled, tripped or fallen around 500 times before reaching the finish on the summit of Mt. Katahdin. That means that since I expect to hike about 37% of the AT in March and April that no matter how careful I am I will stumble or fall around 185 times. Sounds like a lot to me. I can expect to get a scraped knee or elbow, bruised shin-bone or tail-bone at some point. Knowing that I won¢t be able to prevent all falls isn't going to make me careless or foolhardy. Rather, that knowledge should cause me to not get too upset when I do fall but to respond by picking myself up, tending to my bruises while quickly getting back on the trail and to the task of hiking. I am encouraged by a Chuck Swindoll quote that I heard a longtime ago; ¢Stumblers are a dime a dozen, but stumblers who get up and go on are worth their weight in gold.¢ That seems like good trail wisdom and good wisdom for life.
Date: 2013-01-03
To: Startled
Miles today: 0.0

This past week my normal, usual, routine, every morning walk with my dog suddenly became remarkable. While walking the path along Mona Lake a bald eagle startled me as it swooped along the shoreline. I enjoy sightings of bald eagles about a dozen times a year and it always thrills me. But now with my attention focused I observed three more mature bald eagles near by. I watched them circle, perch for a bit in a nearby tree, and then fly again¢¦all right in front of me¢¦coming as close as 20 yards at one point. AWESOME!!! I may never see four mature bald eagles together for so long, so close to me again. Or maybe I will. One of the joys of being outside is that you just never know what you will see. ¢The great hurrah about wild animals is that they exist at all, and the greater hurrah is the actual moment of seeing them. When I enter the woods the sparrows flee and hush: on the banks of the creek jays scream in alarm, squirrels race for cover, tadpoles dive, frogs leap, snakes freeze, warblers vanish. Then occasionally we catch a glimpse. Just a glimpse. The wonder, after all, is not that wild animals are wary, but that they can be seen at all. I stand in stillness in the midst of the woods and stalk along banks for those moments I cannot predict."No, I didn't write that, but I wish I had. I culled it and put it together (taking great liberty) from Anne Dillard's book ¢A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek¢ and a chapter called "Stalking".I hope to maintain an ¢at any moment¢ view of the trail¢¦.knowing that at any moment the ¢dullness or monotony¢ may be broken up, and I may be startled and amazed by a view or a sighting. (Come to think of it, that would be a good way to live each day.)
Date: 2013-01-19
To: Crazy???
Miles today: 0.0

My day had been full but there were still two hours of day light left so I went on a much desired hike at Hoffmaster State Park. For training purposes I carried my new pack with 25 pounds in it and it felt great. My new hiking boots felt like the perfect size and choice so I was feeling good. I hiked up and down dune after dune and was thoroughly enjoying my time. So much so that I completely lost track of time. When I realized that it was nearly dark, I was still about 3.5 miles from home. By the time I got on to the beach for the final 2.5 mile stretch to my house it was completely dark and a fierce north wind was blowing into my face. It was cold. I thought to myself, ¢this is crazy¢, and then I found myself laughing (perhaps even out loud) because I realized that I was having a great time. I was loving it. Maybe I¢m a bit crazy, but to me this was fun. I¢m super looking forward to starting on the AT on March 2. But I am also enjoying the time I am spending now outdoors preparing. Here are a few great hiking quotes: ¢A perfect hike is when you feel a little more alive than before you started.¢¢I love that place when your hiking when you kind of get into the zone. You feel good. You feel like you could go forever. You feel like you're invincible. I love that. I love feeling strong.¢¢I hiked for 1.5 hours in the mist and it felt like ten minutes. I thought. I prayed. I breathed. The fog outside did not clear, but the fog inside certainly did.¢¢Hiking releases more than just sweat.¢¢The feeling you get from a good hike is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were hiking.¢¢As every hiker knows, hiking is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are.¢Hiking is the best therapy for me - mentally and physically. I love being in touch with nature and having all my thoughts to myself, making my own decisions in a quiet place.
Date: 2013-02-09
To: To be there
Miles today: 0.0

The picture gives you a hint as to how much fun my three hour hike was at Hoffmaster State Park today. During it I crossed paths with a lady on snow shoes. At that point we were walking through drifts of unbroken snow so it was good to stop for a two minute chat. After I commented on how beautiful a day it was she responded: ¢I took a half a day off work yesterday and was out here all afternoon¢¦and I¢m back today. I realize I've already missed too many great days like these and I don¢t want to miss them any more.¢ I thought her comment was profound and it called to mind something I read last week in Anne Dillard¢s, ¢Pilgrim at Tinker Creek¢:¢Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be there.¢Making time ¢to be there¢ seems to be to be a good way to express what I hope to experience and have happen in my life while on the trail¢¦to breathe deep and take as much of it in as I can.
Date: 2013-02-12
To: Lord Willing
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Less then three weeks from now I will be hiking on the Appalachian Trail.I will be beginning the journey with the strongest possible resolve. In my mind, there is no way I am going to quit. ¢Quitting¢ is simply not an option. Period. I think that is the mind-set you must have to be successful. However, I am aware that there is much that I cannot control. I could be in a serious accident on the way to Georgia. One of my children could have an accident or health related issues that calls for my attention. Any number of different illnesses could halt my progress. Or one fall could bring an injury and force me off. A few days ago I was blazing a trail along the side of a creek at Hoffmaster State Park. No one had been that way since a big snowfall so I was going through significant unbroken snow drifts. There is not really a trail along this section of the creek so I was going over and under quite a few fallen tree trunks. I came upon a snow drift that I was sure had two logs buried under it. I gingerly stepped onto the lower one and then kind of shimmied on to the second higher one. I took a step expecting to hit ground, but my left leg went through a thin layer of snow that covered a crevasse between that log and another log. My leg did not hit anything solid and I could feel my knee being forced to bend at an angle that it was not made to bend. Instinctively I realized that the only way to stop what for sure would be a snapped leg was to pitch face forward unto the snow. I planted my chin right into a snow drift and then wiggled around trying to extricate my leg from between the logs. After freeing myself I took some tentative steps and was thankful to still be in one piece. I hiked for another 90 minutes or so and although I felt a twinge now and then it was no big deal. It was however a poignant reminder that every day on the trail will be a gift.
Date: 2013-03-01
From: Amicalola Lodge

To: Amicalola Lodge
Miles today: 0.0

I arrived at Amicalola State Park, which is at the base of Springer Mountain, Georgia at 3:45 pm. That is 802 miles from my house in Muskegon, Michigan. That distance is significant because I hope to hike about 800 miles during the eight full weeks that I'll be on the trail. Our early afternoon arrival meant that Hoosier and I had a little time to stretch our legs and do some hiking. We signed in at the Ranger Station at the base of the approach trail to the AT (which starts at the summit of Springer Mountain) and donned our packs and after taking a lot of pictures we hiked the first 1.2 miles of the approach trail (which included 646 steps) to the Amicalola Lodge, where we are staying tonight. The trail ran alongside a spectacular waterfall that drops a total of 729 feet through a series of cascades. Seeing it was an unexpected surprise. Pretty awesome!Amicalola Lodge is a fancy Lodge/Conference Center that is owned and operated by the State of Georgia. We enjoyed a delicious dinner in the Dining Room sitting at a window with a terrific view. We are relaxing this evening. The Lodge staff tell us that an inch and a half of snow is predicted for tonight. We'll see......
Date: 2013-03-04
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: few clouds

Hoosier and I were again out of our tents at first light as we were eager to get going and warm up. We had a choice to make. We could hike 11 miles and stay in another shelter or push on 5 miles past that (including hiking Blood Mountain at 4,461 ft) and stay at Neil's Gap Hostel. The decision seemed easy: 16 miles was the goal. We were again surprised (and thrilled) by "trail magic." Fresh Ground was serving whoever came by. He loves to hike, and does large sections of the A.T. each year. But he gets more of a kick out of meeting and helping thru-hikers. He described himself as a born again Christian, and kept up a steady stream of chatter as he served us. Coffee and Campbell's chicken noodle soup never tasted so good. The sun came out and we were able to shed some layers of clothes as the day when on. The view on the top of Blood Mountain was awesome! We could see for miles on this clear day. There were huge rocks on the open summit and we were able to sit and lean back against our packs and soak up the sun. 5 other young men who identified themselves as thru-hikers were also there. They had all come by themselves, but already had formed a small group. We had fun meeting them and getting to know them. Hoosier commented that statistically under 15% of those attempting a thru-hike make it. So he told them that meant according to the law of averages 4 of them would not finish the full 2,190 mile thru-hike. He asked them who was going to "quit". That made for some lively discussion You had to be careful on the descent from Blood Mountain because the trail was over some very large steeply-slanted rocks and boulders. 30 miles from the start of the AT, and two miles past the summit of Blood Mountain is Mountain Crossings Outfitters and Hostel. It is the only place on the AT where the trail passes under a roof (between the outfitting store and a small cramped hostel that can sleep 20 hikers on wooden slab bunks.)Every year, the outfitters at Mountain Crossings provide hundreds of ¢shakedowns¢ for hikers with the goal of lightening a hiker¢s load. The experienced staff ¢inspect¢ a hiker¢s pack and tell them what they can afford to leave behind and what gear they need to be safe. Each year they box up over 9,000 pounds of unneeded gear and send it home. When we got to Neil's Gap and walked into the Mountain Crossings store the first thing we saw was an employee boxing up gear that was being sent home by a hiker who had come overloaded. It was fun to see that and also to know we didn't need to send anything home. We just needed a cup of coffee and a warm, dry place to sleep. Hoosier and I were both tired and ready to be done for the day, but the hostel was already full. The super helpful and friendly staff directed us to some cabins 0.3 miles down the road (they even called ahead and told them we were coming). Boy, did we get the better end of that deal! Tonight we are staying in a cabin with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, a shower, and a living room for just $30 each. And the owners even did our laundry.It has been a blessed day.
Date: 2013-03-05
From: Neels Gap

To: Hog Pen Gap
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

It seemed prudent for Hoosier and I to schedule a "nero day" to give our bodies time to adjust to the rigors of the trail. A zero day is when you don't hike at all (zero miles). A nero day is a near-zero day. So we hiked seven miles in the fog, clouds, and a light rain. We saw gray. We took a quick and chilly break on a rocky ledge and looked out on an abyss of gray nothingness. Still I thought the woods had an eerie kind of beauty. We wanted to spend time with Keith who we had met on Saturday. He had told us how he coordinates and leads 26 different groups that serve a free meal each evening to thru-hikers at the Neels Gap Mountain Crossing Hostel. I call them "Jesus Burgers" because when we first arrived at the hostel yesterday we asked the staff if a meal would be served that night. The staff member yelled across the store to another of the staff and said, "Is the Jesus burger man here tonight?" Keith ("the Jesus burger man") had told us that he'd be glad to help us in any way he could as we hiked through Georgia, so we called him and asked if he could pick us up at Hog Pen Gap so that we could help with the "Jesus burger" feast; find a place for us to stay at night; and take us back to the trail at Hog Pen Gap in the morning. He has done all of that and more. Thanks Keith! Mountain Crossing Outfitters and Hostel are iconic in the A.T. hiking community. Every employee in the store has thru-hiked the A.T., several of them, multiple times. It's owner, Winton Porter, wrote a very popular book called, "Just Passin' Through". In it he tells his story, describes the characters who work there, and shares some memorable thru-hikers and incidents that have occurred. Hoosier and I were really glad to be able to meet Winton, and to be able to hang out with Pirate, Baltimore Jack, and Lumpy, all of whom were featured in Winton's book. They each look like, and are, one-of-a-kind characters. They enjoy talking with thru-hikers, sharing their stories and advice.The hostel is small, quaint, old, cramped, and perfect! It has nine bunk beds, a small "lounge," and a tiny bathroom. It was again full of hikers, as it has been all week. Try to imagine the clutter and smell in the cramped quarters as each hiker has their gear hung everywhere to try to give things a chance to dry and air out. Yet everyone is smiling and getting along.Because Hoosier and I had done 16 miles the day before, when we arrived we were greeted by hikers we had just been with two nights earlier, but who were just now reaching Neels Gap. It has only been four days, but they treated us (and we treated them) like long time friends. It was good to see Joe the Hiker, Moxie and others. As we rubbed shoulders in the tiny space, and were warm and well fed, we talked. Hoosier and I both had terrific one-on-one conversations, as hikers shared some of their backgrounds including why they are on the trail. These are likable, fun people who I enjoy being with. The A.T. hiking community and its characters are proving to be all that I imagined they would be and more.
Date: 2013-03-10
From: Deep Gap

To: Mooney Gap
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today we hiked.We were up at first light, and, without rushing, we were soon on the trail. A while later Hoosier said to me that we had gotten a late start. I was confused. He went on to say that we started an hour later than the other days. I was still confused. Hoosier had to remind me that today clocks were moved ahead one hour. This served as a lesson, that where the big and small hand are on the dial of my watch is of little consequence out here.Early in the day, we summitted Standing Indian Mountain (5498 feet), our first peak over 5,000. The rest of the day, the terrain was very forgiving. We were simply taking an all day walk in the woods. At times today, as on other days, we hiked through a tunnel of green, leafy, rhododendrons. We enjoy the contrasts as we move along. Hoosier and I have developed a nice hiking rhythm. We like to walk steady, and rarely pause, even on lengthy uphills. But we do take off our packs to sit down for nice breaks at places that strike our fancy, like a scenic vista, a spot in the sun, or next to a creek or stream. It is very early in our journey. We have not yet completed even the first two weeks, which is how long they say it takes to get your trail legs. But at this point our bodies are holding up very well, no blisters or significant aches and pains. We are both very grateful.The first couple hiking days, I was concerned about whether my knee would hold up, whether I could handle the next climb, or about how tired I would be at the end of the day, etc., etc. Now, I'm just relaxing and hiking. Hoosier and I use the small and simple A.T. data book. In very condensed form it tells you the miles between water sources, landmarks such as peaks, road crossings or shelters, and where you can re-supply. We are not carrying fancy charts and maps that plot all of the elevation changes. The trail is easy to follow, and we have a general idea of what is ahead. But we don't want to fret about or dread the next climb. We'll take it as it comes.Several of the hikers we have hiked with, and stayed with at the Blueberry Patch Hostel told us they thought that Hoosier and I had already completed a thru-hike. They said we just seem confident and comfortable. That was a nice compliment. (We did overhear one person talking on the phone with people back home, who when describing who was at the hostel said, "there are two old men in our group." Today I am writing this next to a nice fire, a great end to a day in the woods.