morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-20
From: Gooch Gap campsite

To: Lance Creek 
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: few clouds

Left Gooch Gap around 9:15. Wasn't too bad for it was downhill to Woody Gap which I arrived right at noon to a pleasant surprise of three trail angels passing out food and fresh fruit. One of them, Indiana Jones, is an acquaintance of Jeanette McKay who graduated from Sheridan High School. Small world when you're out in the mountains. We laid up short of Blood Mountain because there is no camping for a five mile stretch without a certain bear food container. So tomorrow is going to be about 7 miles again up and over Blood Mountain, the first over 4000 feet high. Morris the Cat, Stupid, Woodstock and I are thinking of getting a cabin at Neels Gap. Suppose to get in the low 30s tonight and maybe snow tomorrow night.
Date: 2013-03-21
From: Lance Creek campsite

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: few clouds

Left Lance Creek campsite about 8 in the morning. Very cold night and had some snow on the tent in the morning. The hose to my hydration water pack was froze solid all day. It was nother hard day for I went up and over Blood Mountain. It's the highest mountain in Georgia, over 4,450 feet high. About 2 miles down, we came to Neels Gap where we decided to share a cabin. I'm with Morris the Cat, Stupid and Woodstock. Check out all three of them on trailjournals.com and see what they are saying. Morris the Cat and Stupid decided to take a zero day tomorrow so I am also. Let the body heal a little and this is where I can send a few things home that I don't need. I have to lighten my pack to survive. Bought a pizza, hot odg, chimichanga, candy bar and several drinks and am enjoying them in the warmth of the cabin. Also had my first shower which felt good. Found a pack cover at Neels Gap hostel, so I didn't have to buy one. Also had all clothes washed. Feel like a refreshed guy.
Date: 2013-03-22
From: Neels Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day off. Drying things out and relaxing. Going through pack and sending home the things I haven't needed to use. Also, sending a bounce box ahead of things I may need later but not now. Some of the hikers are leaving this morning. they left some food to eat later today. Thanks Nut and Noodles. It's hard to remember all the names of hikers, but everyone is just so helpful and nice. We have TV here in the cabin and are looking at the snow storm coming our way. I know we will be walking in rain, at least.
Date: 2013-03-23
From: Neels Gap

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

Sent home over 8 pounds of extra stuff I've been carrying. Got going at 8:20 from Blood Mt. Cabins in Neels Gap. It was raining, but the temp was not bad. Had a tough morning walking in the sloppy path up and over Levelland Mt. (3942'). The wind was cold. It eventually warmed to the mid 50s and was nice walking. Ended the day with a 600' decent which was nice, but it was my longest day on the trail so far and was very tired when I finished. Low Gap shelter is close to the trail and has a stream for water about 30 yards away. It only holds 7 people thus a lot of tents are up closeby. I'm still with Woodstock, Morris the Cat and Stupid, but I'm finding it harder to stay up with them. I have a very difficult time going up hills, but am find going down. Supposed to have storms tonight.
Date: 2013-03-24
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: overcast clouds

rained through the night with high winds. it stopped long enough in the morning to pack up, but everything is all wet. got started about 8:30 withs light rain. thumped through water and mud all day along the trail both up and down hill. was very slippery in places. I am getting stronger on my uphill climbs, but not where I need to be. Going down hills I do fine, but my toes are taking a beating. At Unicoi Gap, Woodstock and I decided to get a ride into Hiawassee to get a room and dry things out. At the Gap was a couple who walked the trail last year, passing out food and drinks. Trail magic. We tried to hitch a ride, but after ten minutes the same trail angels gave us a ride to town. Feels good to have a warm shower, eat at an all you can eat buffet and got to see the end of the IU game. Go Hoosiers!
Date: 2013-03-25
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

woke up to snow coming down and windy. about 10 in the morning, decided to make this another 0 day and stay in town's hotel. Morris the Cat and Stupid showed up and said they walked through 3-4 inches of snow and cold winds. They will spend a 0 day tomorrow to dry out their sleeping bags. Woodstock and I are planning to hit the trail tomorrow. Forecast 40% snow/rain and temps down around freezing at night. food is a lot better in town, especially all you can eat. hasn't stopped snowing all day and it's 5 o'clock and snowing and blowing harder. we have to go about 1000 feet up to start of the trail and then we have another 1000 foot climb over Tray Mt. I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring.
Date: 2013-03-26
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Sassafras Gap
Miles today: 10.4

It was hard leaving the warmth of the hotel, but at 8:30 we left for Unicoi Gap where we had gotten off the trail. After 3 different rides we finally made it. So with the temps 31 degrees, at 9:30 I was off again. It was a hard difficult day. The winds were blowing 30-40mph. Temps dropped as I went over Rocky Mt (4017') and Tray Mt (4430'). As I ended the day about 4:45 in Sassafras Gap, the temps were dropping. It was a very, very cold night.
Date: 2013-03-27
From: Sassafras Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 6.3

the temp dropped to mid 20s with wind chill in the teens. needless to say, all I did last night was pitch the tent, eat supper and climb in the sack. Wrote yesterday's journal today. Had a short day to Dick's Creek Gap where the Blueberry Patch Hostel is. It is run by Gary and Lennie Poteat. This is my first mail drop. If you look at my mail drops on trailjournals.com, forget that because I'm really behind the schedule I set up. Have I ever mentioned how hard this trail is? Got to get a shower here and all my clothes washed. The hostel has a large kitchen area, room with bunk beds, and bath and shower out back. I have been taking some pictures, but haven't been into a town to have a disc made to be sent. Fighting blisters on my toes. Don't know if I should rest them or bandage them up and go on. I'm here with Woodstock and Wrong Way, a 21 year old resting with blisters on her heels. Others behind us are: Morris the Cat, Stupid, Knutt, Noodle and G-Man. Others I've met are further up the trail: Physical Ed, Ryan.
Date: 2013-03-28
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 9.0

The Blueberry Patch Hostel was very nice. They served scrambled eggs, potato cakes, sausage, pancakes with blueberry syrup, rolls, coffee and juice. They rang a bell at 8:30 for breakfast. There were five of us at the hostel which was a small group. At 9:30, Gary drove us back to Dick's Creek Gap. Morris the Cat and Stupid had spent the night there with the hostel only 3.5 miles away, but could not get any phone reception. So as we got out, they got in to ride back to the hostel for their mail drop. Today's hike was mostly uphill. One was fairly steep and the rest were just steep. Woodstock seemed to have picked up speed. I walked today mostly with Captain Dan, whom I met a few days ago in town. We reached Bly Gap around 3:30. Woodstock had pushed on another couple miles to the next shelter. Captain Dan and I pitched our tents. We were the second ones here. There must be at least 20 tents here now. Stupid and Morris the Cat caught a ride back to the trail and they came into camp. Now for the BIG accomplishment of the day. I walked out of Georgia and into North Carolina. One state down.
Date: 2013-03-29
From: Bly Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

The night at Bly Gap was not too bad. We tented down in a bowl type area that blocked the winds. Temps got down to the mid 30s. Today's journey was about all uphill, as I started around 8:30. Morris the Cat and Stupid both passed me, so I don't know if I'll see them again unless up the trail somewhere. Never saw Woodstock today so I imagine he's pushing up the trail. A lot of hikers are pushing toward Franklin, NC in two days. It will take me at least three days to get there. Blisters on my feet make for low mileage. Got a big climb in the morning then down hill. Indian Standing Shelter is at 4760' and it is snowing hard. Captain Dan tried to get a fire going.
Date: 2013-03-30
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light rain

The morning was cool and one of the things I have to decide each morning is how to dress. As I left at 8:45, I had on long pants, two shirt layers and my rain coat, mostly to block the wind. As the day went on, the rain jacket came off and the weather was not bad. We stayed at the shelter at 4760' and climbed to the top at 5498'. I was going to stop at the first shelter I came to, but it was too early in the day. So I pushed on another 3 miles to Betty Creek Gap and set up tent there. There, about eight other people including Captain Dan and Tye Dye, whom I've stayed with the past couple of days. Some are talking a 16 mile day tomorrow to hitch into Franklin, NC. I know I can't do that many miles, so I'll break it up into two days.
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: light rain

It poured rain all last night at Betty Creek Gap. Wanted to just stay in the tent, but the rain had stopped by morning. So you pack up all your wet gear and hike on. Temps were in the 40s, low 50s, but no rain. Most of the group I camped with want to go 11.8 miles to hitch a ride into Franklin, NC. I only made it 8.4 because it was a very, very rough day going up and over Albert Mountain, 5250'. The ascent was like rock climbing. So i decided to stay at the shelter right before the road to Franklin. I'll go the short distance in the morning, then catch a ride. I'll probably spend two nights to get things dried out, wash clothes, resupply food and whatever I need to get done. At the top of Albert Mountain was a fire tower, which I did not climb because it was so foggy and you couldn't see anything. Also, there was the number 100 made of wood to mark 100 miles done on the trail. When I got to the shelter, 2 south bounders were there and said another 200 yards down the trail were some trail angels passing out food. After laying down my mat and sleeping bag in the shelter, I walked down to get something to eat. They gave you a menu and you marked what you wanted. I had an omelet with the works- onions, peppers, ham and cheese, hot tea, home made breads, fruit, all the cookies and cakes. Then they made sandwiches to go with chips. What a way to end Easter Day. Thank God for all those kind people.
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.0

After another rainy night, this time in a shelter, I caught a shuttle into Franklin. Again, I got to dry out everything, get a warm shower and had my clothes washed. What a surprise to find Morris the Cat, Stupid and Woodstock all here at the motel. They will be leaving in the morning and I will be taking a 0 day. Had to go to the Med Clinic to have my blisters looked at. One with a little infection so I was put on an antibiotic and was told to watch it so the infection doesn't spread. Stupid's girlfriend drove down and the whole gang went out to eat Mexican. In the morning at 7, a church group stops by and picks up whomever wants to go for a free breakfast at the church. So if I am up, I will be going. Went to Wal-mart and bought a new pair of gloves. Once the old pair got wet, they stayed wet forever. Bought a few snacks for tomorrow which will be spent taking it easy. I'll reorganize my pack and buy food to last the next 4-5 days.
Date: 2013-04-10
From: franklin,nc.,

To: noblesville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

On April 2 I went to the Med check and was put on an antibiotic.   I decided I needed to take several days off to let the blisers heal,so I paid for 2 more days at the motel. By the time I returned to my room my wife, BETTY, called to check on me. She mentioned that LYNN, Dion and family were vacationing in gatlinburg and were coming home the next day. I knew then my thruhike would be over. I called Dion, and he was kind enough to drive from gatlinburg TN. to Franklin NC to pick me up. The main road thru the smokies was closed due to 2 feet of snow. Dion, had to drive around the Norther end of the smokies to get here. It was a two hour 15minute drive back to gatlinburg where I spent the night, in the cabin they had rented. About 11 am the next morning we left gatlinburg for noblesville. I left my extra 2 days at the hotel for some thruhiker who may need a place to stay. Thought I would go out as a trailangel, myself.   As the sore on my little toe heals, it is still swollen. Tomorrow I have an appointment with my family doctor. Even though thruhike is over I still want to go back, when my feet heals and the weather warms. I saw my friend from elkhart, Bruce, who still would like. to hike a week with me. We will probably go over to Virginia where the mountains are not as rough as they were in the south. So as of now, this will be my last post until I decide to go back Rodolfo's some section hikes.. Again I would like to thank my son, Chris for posting all my journals. Just to let you know how happy I made my wife BETTY when I decided to come home.
Date: 2013-04-10
From: franklin,nc.,

To: noblesville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

On April 2 I went to the Med check and was put on an antibiotic.   I decided I needed to take several days off to let the blisers heal,so I paid for 2 more days at the motel. By the time I returned to my room my wife, BETTY, called to check on me. She mentioned that LYNN, Dion and family were vacationing in gatlinburg and were coming home the next day. I knew then my thruhike would be over. I called Dion, and he was kind enough to drive from gatlinburg TN. to Franklin NC to pick me up. The main road thru the smokies was closed due to 2 feet of snow. Dion, had to drive around the Norther end of the smokies to get here. It was a two hour 15minute drive back to gatlinburg where I spent the night, in the cabin they had rented. About 11 am the next morning we left gatlinburg for noblesville. I left my extra 2 days at the hotel for some thruhiker who may need a place to stay. Thought I would go out as a trailangel, myself.   As the sore on my little toe heals, it is still swollen. Tomorrow I have an appointment with my family doctor. Even though thruhike is over I still want to go back, when my feet heals and the weather warms. I saw my friend from elkhart, Bruce, who still would like. to hike a week with me. We will probably go over to Virginia where the mountains are not as rough as they were in the south. So as of now, this will be my last post until I decide to go back Rodolfo's some section hikes.. Again I would like to thank my son, Chris for posting all my journals. Just to let you know how happy I made my wife BETTY when I decided to come home.   Cook-in
Date: 2013-05-21
To: Eleven Days to Go!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Hello Friends!Thanks for checking out my trail journal and for following me along on this big adventure!I just graduated from Sweet Briar College in central Virginia with a BA in Environmental Science, and I am ready to take some time off, relax, and reconnect with the world around me.I will be keeping a hand-written journal and then mailing the completed entries every week or so to my brother, Chris Macklin, in Oakland, CA, so he can type them up and post them here.I will begin my hike on Mount Katahdin on June 1st and heading south from there, so check back every few weeks for updates on my adventures and to see where I am!
Date: 2013-05-29
To: I can see the trail from here!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Only 3 days until I begin my hike! I have spent the past 4 days at my uncle's house near Allentown, PA and from the house I can see a ridge line in the plainly named "State Game Lands No. 168" which the AT runs along. It is really exciting to be so close to the trail again and know that in a few short months I will be passing by this point, except in a much more smelly state than I am now.There has been some cold, snowy weather in Vermont this week, but based on the Baxter State Park trail updates the park and Katahdin are still clear so my June 1st start date is still the target. I have been packing, re-packing, and planning for the past few days. As badly as I want to bring as little as possible, the fact that there is still snow in Vermont makes me remember that cold weather is still a possibility, and bringing that slightly thicker fleece will make me happier in the long-run until it warms up for good. One of the hardest things I have run into thus far has been trying to predict how much food I will eat. I know I will want more than usual, and I eat a lot when backpacking, but how much is too much? I don't want to bring more than I will eat because that will weigh more, and too little food has obvious drawbacks. The other issue is that the first section of trail after Katahdin is a 100-mile stretch with no towns to resupply in.The solution I have settled on is to bring food for most of the nights I will be out and then resupply at White House Landing, a cool (but expensive) hostel in the middle of the woods that you have to take a boat to get to. This way I will be able to either buy enough to make it the few extra days that I didn't bring food for or buy a lot more if I have eaten up more of my supplies than expected.I will be dropped off at Baxter State Park in northern Maine and hiking Katahdin on my first day and from there I will hike south and meet my mum in Monson, ME a week or so later after having finished the 100-mile wilderness. To Maine we go!
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Brunswick, ME

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Made it to Katahdin!We arrived at Baxter State Park today! After passing through a brief thundershower in Millinocket and grabbing a pizza, the sun came out and it got hot - and buggy. Mom and I camped at Katahdin Stream Campground - Diane slept in a tent, thus marking the first time we have been camping together since I was only a few months old and therefore have no recollection of it occurring. She will drive South tomorrow and I will climb Katahdin![Ed. note: Brother checking in here. Kate's handwriting is so much more legible than mine! I'll be trying to fill in the daily miles hiked using the pages Kate is tearing out from her trail guidebook as she hikes.]
Date: 2013-06-01
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Northbounder for a day
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

This morning I woke up at 6 and packed up camp, said goodbye to Mom (who proceeded to go back to sleep) and headed for the ranger station. There I borrowed a daypack and transferred some things for the day then left my pack there.If you have never climbed Mount Katahdin, I urge you to do so as soon as possible. The trail is 5.2 miles up (almost vertical at a few points) [4000 feet of elevation gain...], and frankly kind of a pain, but worth every step. The sweeping views of mountains and lakes are truly breathtaking. After walking/climbing uphill for about 4 hours I reached the top and officially started my Southbound hike (after hiking NOBO for half a day). [Gotta hike the whole thing... I would've done the same.] At the top I met 3 other SOBOs beginning their hikes also!On the way down I definitely started to feel my knees and toes. But some well deserved short breaks along the way helped ease the ache. I finished my hike in almost exactly 8 hours and ended my day by soaking my feet in the chilly Katahdin stream. It was probably one of the most challenging hikes I have done, but as long as you keep on putting one foot (or hand) in front of the other you will eventually climb the mountain. And what a mountain she is!The weather was very hot today and luckily the rain held off until I was cozy in my tent, but then it started thunderstorming and boy does that thunder rumble! Tomorrow I will head to Hurd Brook Lean-to with about 10 other SOBOs!
Date: 2013-06-02
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Hurd Brook Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

RainstormI woke up this morning to a wet tent - but I was dry inside! Unfortunately I had to pack a soggy tent all day so that was a bit of a bummer. I started out hiking alone but after about 3.5 miles I ran into Colin from Athens, Georgia, who I had met the previous day, and just in time to have a buddy for the two river crossings of the day. The first one was easily up to my waist and I temporarily lost a croc, good thing they float and I was able to retrieve it as it came up to the surface. The second ford had a less direct route but also a little slower velocity. The water was very refreshing and felt great on my sore feet. Thank goodness for quick-dry running shoes!I hiked with Colin for most of the day and we met up with 3 other SOBOs - David, Ed, and Kieton for about 4 miles including our first section of road hiking (hot, hard, and boring) and a nice lunch break on the Baxter State Park boundary. My peanut butter and cheese roll-up proved stickier than expected but quite yummy. [Recipe, please!]We all spaced out for the last 3 miles which were particularly brutal on my shoulders and feet. They were probably the longest 3 miles of my life and I ran into the shelter just as a massive thunderstorm hit. There were 6 of us (Aaron was already there) just sitting in the lean-to watching the hour-long downpour, with thunder, lightning, and hail, pass by.Some other ladies joined us later in the evening as a second storm passed by. 12 more miles tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Hurd Brook Shelter

To: Rainbow Stream Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: few clouds

Walking on Cloud NineFirst off I have some shoutouts (even if they aren't reading):Dave Kessman - Thank goodness I took that swift water training class, my river crossing skills are quite tuned.Leslie from Rise Up - Those fast-track courses I took have made me so sure-footed. Each step is intentional.Tasha - Thanks for the warning about the slip-and-slide tree roots, they certainly are as you described. And thank you for "The Alchemist", I finished it in 3 days and certainly learned a lot.Today was the most fun day so far. The rainstorm last night turned most of the trail into a river and the rest was pretty muddy so I hiked in my crocs for 9 miles and it was the best decision I could have made. My crocs rubbed my feet in different areas than my boots so those spots got a rest, and it felt awesome to walk on an inch or so of foam all day and to be able to walk right down the middle of the trail and not worry about soggy boots or socks.The trail took me by Rainbow Lake today and while there was no actual rainbow there were loons and other waterfowl calling across the lake. It was so pretty!I ended the day covered in mud up to my thighs, as did most of the people who did that section of trail today and we all went for a dip in Rainbow Stream. We also met a new friend, Joey, from Tennessee, and made a nice little fire by the stream. This place is absolutely beautiful and I don't think my pictures will do it justice.I also got a haircut today, 100-mile-wilderness-style, with a machete! [I damn well expect pictures of this in the next mailing!]