morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-03-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 46.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We've been back on the trail since Tuesday morning (day 10).Day 10 was a good day. We left Georgia behind as we entered North Carolina. We saw the famous old twisted tree afterward and took a pic. We camped at Muskrat Creek Shelter (MM 81.4).Day 11 was a tough day for us. We woke up to temps in the 20's. So we were slow getting started. It took us a while to hit a groove, then I had my first fall. I was so focused on walking across the slick rocks on Standing Indian Mountain...then WHAM!!!, I'm on my butt. It had to happen some time I suppose. We camped at Carter Gap Shelter (MM 93.9). Day 12 started off better than the previous day. Much better weather and location. Our big item for this day was crossing MM 100 at the top of Albert Mountain. It's weird that in all my research nobody mentioned what killer climb it was to summit this mountain. I guess everyone is so excited to see the fire tower that marks the 100 mile marker that they forget about the grueling climb to get there. It was nice to make it. So we continued hiking and it seemed like the climate changed several times (cold, warm, windy, stormy, gale force storms). We arrived at the shelter where we were planning to camp in the afternoon. However, this location wasn't good. There were no camp sites available. So we continued hiking hoping to find a site to stealth camp. After a couple of miles, we found a spot. The winds were blowing pretty strong, but we were able to get the tents up. And then it hit! It felt like hurricane force winds blowing and hard rain. We weren't able to cook dinner. We were screaming at times to communicate during the storm. Possumhead's tent feel once, but she was able to stabilize it pretty quickly. Our tents continued to bounce for several hours, but we survived.Day 13 was spent hiking to reach Wayah Gap where we were to be picked up by a hostel owner to sleep for the night. During our hike we did summit Siler Bald Mountain. The top of this mountain had a large area with no trees. It was a nice area. We made it to the gap to await our ride. There was a gentleman there offering drinks and fruit. His daughter is thru hiking and he was waiting on her to come to the gap. We were happy to take a mountain dew and banana from him. Our ride came and got us to the goal (Aquanone). It's a very nice place. They provided clean clothes to us so they could clean our hiking clothes. Also we stunk so bad that they use this method to make sure you shower as soon as you arrive. So far we're the only people here. Other folks may arrive later. Supposed to have a big dinner prepared by the owners too. I hope it's good.It feels good to be lost in the right direction.
Date: 2016-03-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.5

Day 14Today marks our second week on the AT! That's crazy. We spent the day slack packing 13.5 miles from Wayah Gap to Telico Gap. "Slack Packing" is hiking with a smaller pack just with the essentials you need for the day. We saw the Wayah Bald stone tower which is about 90 years old. The area is a location that people have been coming to since the 1800's to have Sunday lunches to look over the surrounding mountains. It's a beautiful view. On a clear day you can see Clingman's Dome in the Smoky Mountains.Later we came to an area called Rocky Bald. The views here were pretty good as well.All in all the day was very good. The slack packing with lighter bags sure is a good break from carrying the heavy backpacks. The Aquone hostel owner, Steve/Wiggy, picked us up at Telico Gap and brought us back to our room. Later his wife had fixed a very good dinner; ham, potatoes, dressing, broccoli, and strawberries with cream. A good finish to the day! They've been very nice and helpful. I don't think we will find a place better than this on the AT.It feels good to be lost in the right direction.
Date: 2016-03-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: light rain

Day 15Today was Easter Sunday so we slack packed from Telico Gap into the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) at MM 137.3. The day was rainy and foggy, but the temperature was good. At the beginning we met up with a guy we hadn't seen since Neels Gap about ten days ago. That was neat. We hiked into the NOC together. It was good to hear the update of his hiking over the last several days. It took us about an hour climb to get to an observation tower near Wesser Bald. However, the fog kept us from having good views. Even though the views were blocked the hike went well. At the NOC we purchased some necessary supplies for the next couple of days. Then we went to the restaurant next to the river for lunch. After lunch we were picked up and returned to the Aquone Hostel for the evening.It feels good to be lost in the right direction.
Date: 2016-03-30
To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 29.0

We have spent the last three days covering some good ground. We have done 29 miles, with today being a short day. I still don't have cell service, but luckily I'm picking up wi-fi from the Fontana Lodge right now. However, it's not good enough to download pics now.Day 16 had us covering from the NOC to Stecoah Gap (13.4 miles). This was a big day. We went southbound to keep from having an agonizing climb out of the NOC. However, we had a descent of over 5,000 ft to around 1,800 ft elevation in about six miles. That was rough on both of our knees, but I believe better than the climb would have been. The total miles for the day was 13.4.Day 17 we left from Stecoah Gap NB toward Fontana Dam. We went through a stretch called Jacobs Ladder... Another doosie of ups and downs. By this time the mileage from the last few days started taking it's toll on both our knees and feetsies. Possumhead has a knee hurting quite a bit, and I have my bad left knee asking me what I expect from it. I don't have a good count of the blisters, let's say a lot and move on Anyway, we went a little over 10 miles and found a good camp site overlooking Fontana lake. It was nice.Day 18 We woke up to clear skies with some wind. A little chilly but not too bad. We packed up and made our way to Fontana Dam (MM 166.3). This was a little over five miles, so it may be considered a nero day (i.e. a day with not many miles). The lake and the dam are impressive. We called for a shuttle to take us to the Fontana Lodge for a rest before starting the Great Smoky Mountains. We will probably take a zero day tomorrow to see if our wounds mend. Also, heavy rains are expected tomorrow and I don't want to start the Smokies in bad weather.It feels good to be lost in the right direction.
Date: 2016-04-09
From: Newfound Gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Well we tried getting back on the trail but the swollen knees didn't seem to want to cooperate. So after taking another few days off we have decided to end our journey.Both of us are very sad with this decision. We wanted to go much farther up the trail. However, we don't want to jeopardize permanent damage to either of us. As I had said earlier this was going to be a test to my left knee. The knee has failed the test.Possumhead and I did enjoy our time on the trail together. We appreciated everyone's comments to help us along. It was great having all the folks following us. We do have memories from our journey that we will be able to talk about in the years to come.We will see you guys down the trail. So long.It felt good to be lost in the right direction.
Date: 2015-08-24
To: Leave Granted
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

When I was thirteen years old, all I wanted to do in the world was hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. It consumed much of my thought through reading and actual hiking. Over the years, circumstance led me away from that goal. Work, marriage, and family have brought me to my 53rd year happy and healthy, but with that lifelong dream un-fulfilled. My desire to hike the A.T. has never waned and in fact, watching my close colleague and two of my students successfully make this hike, it has grown into a bit of an obsession. This summer, I have taken two ¢practice¢ trips, one for three days and one for seven.   I have become confident in my ability to be successful and as a result, am writing you to request a discretionary leave in order to hike the entire trail beginning in the spring of 2016.This is the opening paragraph in a letter I wrote to my employer requesting an unpaid leave so that I might make my thru hike beginning next March. When I submitted it, I wasnt sure if I would be more pissed if they said no, or terrified if they said yes. This evening I sit on my couch, watching the Red Sox work to lose yet another game this year, and write my first entry in this journal. They said yes! It's my intention to keep this journal to the end. To share a big time adventure with friends and family. To maybe benefit some other future hiker with a story or a tip. To learn from my trail classmates and those who have gone before me. To document highs, lows, fears, hopes, and dreams. Ill try to keep it interesting so follow along!
Date: 2015-08-24
To: 3 day trial, Vermont 6/2015
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

My nephew did 1600 miles of the trail this summer. I met him in Killington, VT and we did a three day hike over to Hanover, NH in June. This completed the AT in Vermont for me. Three days and 45 miles. Two 15 mile days and a 16.6. Not bad for the first trip!
Date: 2015-08-24
To: 7 day Trial, Massachusetts 7/2015
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

My second trial was a seven day trip from Williamstown, MA to Salisbury, CT. I covered the 95 miles in six and a half days. Short day was Day 1, 9.6mi from Rte 2 to Mark Noepel Shelter over Mt Greylock. Longest day was 18 plus from Kay Woods Shelter to Upper Goose Pond on Day 3. These were some of the hottest days of the summer to date in New England. I dont like it in the 90s, least of all when hiking with a load all day. The dip in Goose Pond was awesome! My gear worked well and other than needing to replace my old boots after the trip, I was very happy. Ive since bought a pair of trail runners that I will use next year and this fall on a couple White Mountain hikes Im planning. My pack was about 30 pounds with four days of food not counting water. I think this is a good starting place. I have lots of questions about potential winter gear as the more I read about the peach state, the more it sounds like it could be cool for awhile!
Date: 2015-08-25
To: Some background about me
Miles today: 0.0

As mentioned before, I have been hiking and backpacking since a young age. It took me some time to come to enjoy backpacking. My folks were very supportive of this interest, letting me do section hikes alone when I was fourteen years old. Trial and error led to some modest success back then. I have never loved hiking in the rain! My AT resume includes the following sections:CT/NY border to Grafton Notch, ME in six sections.Erwin, TN to Damascus, VA in one section.I have completed the Long Trail in Vermont and also hiked to the summit of all the 4000 foot peaks in NH (48) and VT (5). I intend to bag all the Maine 4000 footers I can on the trail next year.I led 28 day trips for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School land based program in Bethel, ME in 1987.I spent four summers and two fall/winters working in the Appalachian Mountain Club hut system in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Date: 2015-08-27
To: Some more about me
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Some other stuff I like to do includes skiing and bushwacking. While I didnt start until I was almost 18, Im an avid alpine skier. Ive spent my time on Telemark skis as well but now reserve those for backcountry use only. I must admit, I dont mind the easy ride to the summit! Sugarbush is the local area and I spend most of my free winter days there. I also enjoy bushwacking with the goal of finding antler drops (sheds) from moose and deer. These are best found in the early spring and make for a great wander in the woods. I have learned a great deal about moose and seen quite a few just by wandering around their home turf. Once I got run off a hill top by a cow moose. That was an unnerving experience but a good reminder. I have been in close proximity to many moose including some sizeable bulls (for this area anyway!). While I love seeing large wildlife up close, I have no interest in snakes or ticks! Ill try to avoid those on the trail. More later.
Date: 2015-08-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Didnt do any hiking this past weekend, opting for fishing on Lake Champlain instead. Next weekend will be an overnight hike of Owl's Head in the White Mountains. In the Whites, there are 48 peaks over 4000 feet tall. Its a little badge of honor to have summited all of them. The AMC even sponsors the 4000 footer club and will give you a patch for doing it if you write an essay or something. Im satisfied knowing I did them and dont need a patch! About a year ago, Ann, my wife asked how many she had left to do. The answer was twelve and with a few days hikes last fall and a couple this summer, she is down to this one. It is a 17 mile round trip to bag a peak with no view and with no real trail to the top. So why not make it an overnight and try the trail runners with a load on!Ive settled on Salomon XA Pro 3D trail runners after trying three different pairs for size. I prefer the tread pattern on the 3D Ultra but of course, they are not available anywhere. Looks like a lot of thru hikers like these shoes. Here is one question for anyone who has done it. They say it is cold with snow and freezing rain in Georgia and Carolina in March. Do you use more traditional boots in the potential snowy season or just have at it in the low cuts? Does anyone use microspikes on trail runners? Does anyone bother with microspikes at all? These are important questions for someone from up this way.Have also been checking out sleeping bags. Those Western Mountaineering bags look real nice but are real expensive. Im in this new zone where I have a new lightweight pack, stove, tent, and pad. My older colder weather bags will not likely fit well in the new pack and are heavy by newer standards. Happy to have input on this as well as whether REI or Western Mountaineering ever has sales on three seaason bags and if so, when. Here is a little picture from the summit of Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush, VT, the local ski area. 182 days til I leave. Gonna be hard to wait!
Date: 2015-09-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

The overnight in the Whites went very well. I used my Salomon XA Pro 3D trail runners with a pack that weighed in at 25 pounds including 2 quarts of water. Hope I can keep it to that weight next spring! The shoes were great, light, cooler than my leather boots and supported my feet very well. I added the orange superfeet and my feet are in great shape after 22 miles in a day and a half of hiking. No blistering or other significant pains. It wasnt the most rigorous of hikes. Much of the trail followed old logging railroad beds. Between the late 1800s and the 1940s, much of the White Mountains were heavily logged. The area we were in, the Pemigewasset Wilderness, fell prey to the lumber profiteers in a bad way. Today, you can see bands on the peaks where logging grades existed and many of the old railroad beds still have ties and spikes from the past. At a riverside stop, we met a young couple, Kendra and Tyson from Maine. They happened to mention that they would be starting the trail next spring on March 4. When I mentioned that I would be leaving March 2, much conversation ensued! Kendra is going to be a blogger for Appalachian Trials. I look forward to reading her stuff. Here is a picture of Ann and I on the summit of Owl's Head, the last of her 48 4000 footers in the Whites.
Date: 2015-09-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I mentioned that I have wanted to hike the AT since I was 12 years old. That a few people I know have done it recently and it is now on my mind like never before. My close work colleague is one of those. Lady Grey, my friend Deb, thru hiked the trail in 2013. We have worked together at a rural public school in Bristol, Vermont for the past 16 years. The other day in a faculty meeting, another teacher gave her this monthly Sharing is Caring award that we pass among staff members, recognizing eachother for qualities that we have, or things we do to benefit the school. If you work in public education you already know that positive recognition is rare so it is a nice honor to receive this, especially from one of your colleagues. Teri, the math teacher who gave it to Deb, cited her as being an inspiration to others to follow their dreams. While she certainly meant Deb's students (Deb and I are the High School Guidance Counselors), Teri also meant her colleagues. She couldnt have said it any better. Deb is a great colleague, always motivating me to go beyond the bounds of our small local community. Also, for covering me while I go for my walk in the woods. Well, I guess she is really just returning a favor! The picture is of she and I in the Whites when she came through. Unfortunately for her, most of the clear skies she saw in NH that June happened on that day.Speaking of A Walk in the Woods, my wife Ann and I went to see the movie today. The movie wasnt bad but it just sort of stopped in the middle. While I realize that Bryson didnt finish, the movie leaves you with no closure at all, unless of course admitting to coming from Iowa was the whole point. The movie made the hiking look easy with mellow grades and trails that revealed little root or rock. (If that is southern hiking, please let me know as that will alleviate a few concerns!) I have no idea if the movie will increase traffic next summer but if people think that hiking the trail will be like the movie, I imagine quite a few will also jump the Greyhound home part way up.My burning question for all of you who have gone before me at this point is whether I should start in a pair of more traditional boots in Georgia? It certainly sounds like I can expect to walk in snow and have frozen shoes in the morning if Im not careful. I really dont like the idea of hiking in the snow in a pair of sneakers, especially if it is slushy snow like I anticipate it would be down south. Also, what about those microspikes? I cant envision putting them on trail runners. Opinions are welcome!
Date: 2015-09-26
To: The Best time of year to Hike!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I have become a skunk trapper. The stinking things have been tearing up my lawn throughout the summer. I have successfully trapped and released four of them and hope that theyre finally all gone. Yesterday I drove close to ten miles from home down along the ridge that goes through the Breadloaf Wilderness section of the Long Trail. Had I been thinking, I would have waited until today as I had Ann take me right back down that road to Middlebury Gap so I could do the 17.5 miles on the Long Trail north to Lincoln Gap. I hadnt done that section in a long time. The last time I did it in five hours with a day pack (that was 23 years ago!). Today, it took me a little less than eight but I did stop and chat with some other hikers, and bushwacked a little looking for mountain treasure (more on that later). It was a gorgeous day, bright sun, temp about 40 when I started and got close to 55 by afternoon. I carried about 15 pounds to start as a moderate weight with the increased miles. The hike was uneventful but beautiful. The air was very dry which was comfortable and didnt leave me feeling sticky by days end. I rolled into Lincoln Gap, after running across a friend along the way, at about 5pm.Im lucky to call this my backyard. I can walk out my back door and into the Green Mountain National Forest in ten minutes. This is a great training ground for the AT and a great place to live. I dont have to go very far to find elevation, rock, or treeline.The trail runners were great on the longer day hike. Next purchase has to be a sleeping bag. Im looking at Western Mountaineering Alpinlite, Ultralight, Feathered Friends Swift UL 20, and a Montbell Downhugger 800. Any input on these is welcome. Any input on whether treated down is important/worth it is also welcome!
Date: 2015-10-06
To: Winter weather on its way!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Winter weather is making its way south from Canada and we are beginning to feel it. Several recent mornings have registered as low as 32 degrees. That prompted me to harvest the basil plants last Friday and put the garden to bed for the season. Saturday dawned bright in the valley and foggy on the ridge. I opted for a day hike on a nice 12.5 mile loop just a bit down the road from here. My house sits at 1300 feet elevation so it is a nice start on any local hike. The loop I took brought me up the Cooley Glen Trail, south on the long trail for six miles, and down the Emily Procter trail. This hike peaks at about 3500 feet on Mt. Wilson. I call this section of the LT the little presidentials as there is a Mt. Grant, Cleveland, Wilson, and Roosevelt. Mt. Abraham is a bit north of here as is Lincoln Peak (Check out my photos for a nice picture of Mt Abe last Saturday).When I crested the ridge, the clouds were kissing the trees and there was noticeable rime ice on the east side. Pretty, cool, and pretty cool! I always like the first signs of winter. It holds promise of hunting, skiing and new adventures! As I progressed down the ridge, the sun came out and that rime quickly fell from the trees. While the picture just shows a little ice, the rime that dropped from the higher branches was actually half an inch thick!I am trying to wrap my head around being cold a lot at the beginning of my AT hike. Sounds like the potential for that is great. I have high hopes that all the El Nino talk will result in little to no snow and more moderate temperatures in the south in early March. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, right? With that in mind, I decided to purchase another pair of Salomons that are mid height and gore-tex for the first few weeks. My microspikes will also fit on them if I choose to take them. When I hike in the winter, I typically wear my Lacrosse insulated hunting boots. I take great pleasure in being out in the winter when I have all the right gear to stay warm and dry. The AT will force me to compromise on that. Im optimistic that these shoes will be part of that answer! More later.