morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-09-22
From: Last Entry

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I had written out a nice long summary to finish up my trail journal, but it seems to have found an error, and so, this will be my new ending. The new ending part is kind of ironic since this is how I might summarize my feelings after hiking up Katahdin. I decided that Katahdin would not be symbolic of an end for me, but rather the start of something new. The trail left me with an amazing outlook on life. I started out a big undertaking as a naive girl, and finished the hike as a strong, independent woman! And I learned so many lessons along the way. I learned that I could never have done this thing without the love and support of family, friends, and perfect strangers. I learned that being independent means knowing when to accept that others can help. I learned that Orb is not ALWAYS wrong! But most of all, I learned the importance of having such amazing friends. The hike up Katahdin was most memorable. It's been more than a month now since I've been up to the summit, but it's still etched in my mind quite clearly. We were blessed with beautiful weather, great company, and lots of energy. I found the hike up to the summit to be one of my favorite hikes to date. We took the pace slowly, until OLG saw The Sign and took off running the last mile up. We spent more than an hour at the top taking pictures and reflecting on the journey. People congratulated us. I had thought that taking my picture next to The Sign would make me cry. But that was when I was still naive and perceived that The Sign would be the conclusion of a life-long dream. Instead, I laughed and enjoyed the moment fully because it really wasn't a place for sadness. Since finishing the hike, I'm back in Delaware attending grad school. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about the AT and the lessons I learned. I try and apply those things to my life, but admittedly, I've gotten caught up with life and reality. But I don't care about the little things anymore like I used to. My car can break down and my computer will probably crash before I finish this journal. I'll struggle through hard classes and work out in my spare time just to keep in shape (ha!). But, I'll never forget to live every moment for the moment and remember the bigger picture. Remember, if you can, you should.
Date: 2002-12-13
To: Still Preparing...
Miles today: 0.0

Well, the time has finally come for me to start my preparations for hiking the AT this Spring. I've been wanting to thru-hike since eighth grade and now it's finally becomming a reality! I graduate from college in January and then hope to start some serious planning in order to begin hiking in March. At this point in time, I'm feeling anxious to get going! I don't really have any expectations for the next half-year of my life...but I do hope to gain new persepctive and insight while I get I get my butt-kicked on the trail! I'm lucky to have wonderfully supportive family and friends who have encouraged me throughout. I've also met new friends along the way who plan to start with me in Georgia (Tidi...it won't be the same without you, but I'll find you along the way!). Three months still seems so far away....!
Date: 2002-12-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Somone once told me that "it's you're never too young to start your life" (Thanks Matt!) I took that advice to heart and really began to think about how I wanted to live my life. So, I decided that instead of merely dreaming about all of the opportunities and experiences that are out there, I would chase after them. That's when I first started turning my dream of hiking the AT into a reality. I guess you could say that since them, it's sort of become a mild obsession! I'm graduating a semester early in order to hike this spring. I'm a little bit sad to be leaving my college roommates and friends, but at the same time, I can't wait to start a new life chapter. I officially graduate in January, at which time I will focus most of my efforts on planning my hike. I feel like I have lots to do!!
Date: 2003-04-14
From: Amicalola Falls Visitors' Center

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

A hot day. Took a taxi from Gainesville to the trail. The driver told me I should see a NASCAR race in person ¢ just talking about it gave him goose bumps, so there¢s probably something to it. Signed in at Amicalola. Weighed my pack ¢ 22 pounds without food and water, 35 pounds with them. I walked through the arch, and I was on my way. The climb up the trail past Amicalola Falls was steep and long, and it was hot. I passed a campsite where some people were helping a blind hiker whose sighted companion had gone for water and not returned. I reached Springer, signed the register, and touched all the Nepalese prayer flags someone had stretched between trees. (A friend later told me that they don't touch the flags in Nepal. Oh, well.) There was a hazy view from the summit. I walked on after lunch and began to run out of water. Made a short detour where there was supposed to be a spring but it was either dry or I couldn¢t find it. Reached Stover creek where I looked at the shelter and decided to set up my tarp near the creek.,Green apple leaves danceViolets look up at meI¢m on my way nowBlue, violet, yellow violetsYellow ClintoniaNine-petal white flowersBlack flies!
Date: 2003-04-15
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

Camped last night near Stover Creek. A couple of guys were there ¢ a retired Army sergeant who talked about his several ex-wives, and a 30ish guy who boiled water in a Boy Scout mess kit on a wood fire.I hiked for a while and then pulled off on the side trail for breakfast at Long Creek Falls ¢ a pretty spot. I had lunch on the trail on Justus Mtn. At Gooch Gap Shelter I met a troop of Boy Scouts and another retired thru-hiker. Cooled my feet in Justus Creek.Sightings today included a couple of black-and-white warblers and a yellowthroat, several tiger swallowtail butterflies, turkey vultures (TVs), and lots of rhododendrons & hemlocks
Date: 2003-04-16
From: Gooch Mtn shelter

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: overcast clouds

On Big Cedar Mtn:Towhees and warblersSing in the bare spring hillsideOld vulture glides by.I got up at 5:45 ¢ slept OK in Gooch Gap shelter once the resident mouse finished work for the night. A gibbous moon was setting over the ridge as I got on the trail ¢ the sun rose during the first mile. I came to an overlook topped with flat rock ledge with a bent-over tree to provide a seat. From it I could see the sunlit valley to the south and the ridges and peaks I¢d come over. A maple tree in the foreground was bursting with red leaf buds. I walked for a while with a guy named Don, a graphic designer from Atlanta who thru-hiked in ¢94. (His blisters were giving him trouble.) He said half of those who start don¢t make it to Neels Gap. I also met an old gentleman day hiking ¢ he asked how I like the area? ¢ ¢Beautiful.¢ ¢People from New England don¢t realize there¢s so many up-and-downs here.¢ I didn¢t tell him that it was really pretty easy after being used to the White Mountains of NH. Stopped for the night at Woods Hole shelter.Sightings: White trillium blooming by a spring. Lots of bloodroot (white nine-petalled flower). Had a good look at a rufous-sided towhee and a great backlit view of black swallowtail butterfly perched on a twig ¢ like a stained glass window.My feet are mostly OK ¢ there¢s a little blister on one of my fourth toes and the little toe on my left foot still rubs a little on the inside of the boot.
Date: 2003-04-17
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Whitley Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

I got up at 6:30 and was soon on Blood Mtn. (It was quiet up there, and the cold-looking stone shelter was empty). At an overlook I could see mountains to the east, including a tall one (Standing Indian, I believe) sticking its head up through a cloud layer. I hiked down to Walasi-yi and called home. Met Marcie ¢360¢ from New Brunswick. (I¢d seen her on the trail up to Springer the first day.) Going on, I hiked up & down hills through brief sprinkles, finally reaching Tesnatee gap where I took the 1.2-mile trail to Whitley Gap shelter, arriving at 2:30. Rain started again but it didn¢t really pour until I was in my sleeping bag looking out of the shelter at the rain. Several guys showed up. Mike from CA [later known as ¢Jug¢]+ Lee from VA. Also Meredith and Chris from VA. Bluets appeared today. My body and feet feel pretty good-- I haven¢t used ibuprofen in 3 days.
Date: 2003-04-18
From: Whitley Gap Shelter

To: Blue Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

There was a bit more rain at night, and cloudy weather with trees dripping in the morning. I left at 7:15, made it back to the AT by 8, and promptly slipped on some mud and fell on my butt. No harm done. I walked a short steep section which was reportedly hiked by John Muir once upon a time. The terrain was easy for the rest of the day. There was fog early in the day which gave the trail an eerie feeling, and there were showers for a while after Low Gap. I stopped for a break by a pretty spring. The weather improved a bit by Blue Mtn shelter, where I stopped for the night. Michael from CA came by while I was washing clothes at the spring. (That is, I filled a water bottle at the spring, then made several trips to a place several yards away and used that water to rinse my shirt and socks where it wouldn¢t pollute the spring.) The last stretch of trail before blue Mtn had a novelty for the trail so far: rocks. The Georgia trails certainly have lots of ups and downs, but for the most part, the footing is soft and relatively free of things to stub your your toe or twist your ankle, but on the side of the hill there was a mini-rock slide to cross, reminding me of my stomping grounds in the White Mtns of NH. Christy, Kelly & Curley Dan from Mississippi were at the shelter. I dried out the contents of my pack, which was a bit damp. Ferns are coming out, one of the first signs of green along a trail that is mostly brown except for the evergreen rhododendrons and stands of conifers. I saw a big clump of Dutchman¢s Britches, a really neat looking wildflower well-described by its name. Here and there on the mountainsides are clusters of white blossoms ¢ serviceberry trees, which flower early. I¢m also impressed by the many fallen trees 2 to 3 feet or more in diameter ¢ we don¢t have trees that size up north where the entire area was logged bare by the turn of the 20th century. I called home on the cell phone (after walking far enough from Blue Mtn shelter to spare the other hikers from this intrusion in the wilderness), and talked to my wife Sheila and my 15-year-old son Greg, who had encouraged me to take this hike.
Date: 2003-04-19
From: Blue Mtn Shelter

To: Tray Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: broken clouds

I saw the sun rise at Blue Mtn ¢ there was heavy dew on everything. It was mostly cloudy (or in the cloud) on the way over Blue Mtn, Rocky Mtn, & Tray Mtn to Tray Mtn shelter. On the way the trail crosses the intriguingly-named Indian Grave Gap and Cheese Factory Gap. If you¢re not familiar with the terrain in Georgia, the trails often run along ridge lines and then descend to saddle-points between the mountains, which are the gaps. While they are low points on the ridge line, the land often falls off steeply on both sides to the lowlands on either side of the ridge. These gaps are often nice spots for a rest, with convenient fallen trees for sitting. Some of them have side trails going down the side of the ridge to springs, where the groundwater is forced to the surface by shallow rock. Springs have been fairly abundant, and they are a choice source of water, because the spring water has been filtered and purified as it passes through the soil. (It¢s always a good idea to filter or treat it before drinking, though.) I talked for most of afternoon w/ Dale & Emily from VT (also known as 9-toes and Vermont Maid, two of the faster hikers I¢ve met, and very nice folks); also Dr. John from Idaho & his thru-hiker brother, who is a land use planner like me. The sun began to peek out around 4 in the afternoon. TVs (turkey vultures) and hawks were flying around the mountain; (Tray Mtn shelter is 200 feet below the summit.) I washed my hair and shirt with water bottle a little way from the spring. The shelter was visited by Nate Olive, Tha Wookie wookie whose GA-ME 2001 trail journal had inspired me. [See his PCT journal for April 20.] I couldn¢t believe I was talking to him ¢ I put it down as an omen of good luck. He asked me why I picked ¢Millipede¢ for trail name, and I¢m not sure I answered the question very well; I just like funny invertebrates like those, with nice colors (black with yellow and red stripes). My motto is ¢faster than a slug and better looking.¢ My boots have been squeaking, and it was either pick a name or be dubbed ¢Squeaky Boots¢ by someone.I hope the sun stays out tomorrow. It was a short day (7.5 miles) with a couple of climbs. My body seems to be OK. We had a nice camp fire with funny stories. I set up my tarp with one side pegged down to keep out the wind coming over the ridge. A mouse visited me under the tarp ¢ I woke up to the sound of its little feet coming across my Tyvek ground sheet and felt a wet little mouse nose on my cheek ¢ a mouse kiss. Thanks anyway, pal ¢ I¢d rather observe mice from a distance.
Date: 2003-04-20
From: Tray Mtn Shelter

To: Blueberry Patch hostel
Miles today: 10.6

No view,      but stretchingI saw intricate lichengarden on tree bark.Third cold and wet day.Glasses fogged, and the sound of      droplets on hat brimI¢m writing this entry from paradise ¢ a lawn chair next to Dick¢s Creek behind the Blueberry Patch, a lovely hiker hostel run by Gary Poteet (Trail Chef ¢91). It is a mild, almost clear, evening, but I can see distant clouds around some of the mountain tops. Ox (GA-ME ¢97) was here doing trail magic. (I got ride to BB Patch from another former thru-hiker). We talked trail for a while, then Ox took me, Jim (¢Leaf¢), Todd (¢Tie¢), & Brian from Brooklyn to an excellent AYCE buffet and shopping in Hiawassee. There was no alcohol at the convenience store, just STP, which isn¢t usable as fuel and seems to displace Heet on lots of store shelves, probably due to the efforts of the STP sales rep; however, Geoff (the stoker of last night¢s fire at Tray Mtn shelter) had lost his stove and gave me 5 ounces of alcohol he isn¢t able to use until he can replace it. Also at the Blueberry Patch were Jim & Janet, and Nature Boy. The BBP is a neat place ¢ 8 bunks, free cokes, fuel 5 cents per ounce, phone, breakfast, a great bathroom/shower house with clean towels, soap & shampoo ¢ and Gary does the laundry for us. It used to cost $17 ¢ now by donation. Gary¢s a bit like my friend and fellow planner Gordon Brigham. The pleasant evening is in contrast with the wet, cool, muddy experience of this morning. See poems above.
Date: 2003-04-21
From: Blueberry Patch hostel

To: Muskrat Creek shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

We left Dick¢s Creek at 10:30 in Gary¢s truck and trailer after an excellent breakfast and Christian fellowship. (I¢m a non-churchgoer with Buddhist beliefs but I have the greatest respect for Christians who follow the teachings of Jesus, and I was touched by Gary¢s gentle ministry.) I put up my umbrella and started hiking. The rain lifted after a couple of hours. I trudged on through the damp woods. There were some sunny breaks near Plumorchard Gap and actual clearing as I walked over the hills past Bly Gap, where I stopped to photograph the famous twisted tree, which was quite lovely. Today¢s hike took me over the state line, and I whooped it up as I crossed the little state line marker into North Carolina. I soon made it to Muskrat Creek shelter, where the weather continued nice. At the shelter I met Tipperary, a gentleman from that part of Ireland who resembles Santa Claus but wears an Irish football jersey instead of a red suit, and Mountain Momma, doctor who just finished her tour in the Army and is hiking for a while before joining a private practice. Geoff, Leaf, & Brian soon arrived, as did Todd, who was just ahead of me all day. Todd¢s knee is bothering him and I learned about Mtn Momma¢s background as she checked it out for him. I pitched my tarp in a little grove of rhododendrons and fell asleep soon after dark.
Date: 2003-04-22
From: Muskrat Creek shelter

To: Carter gap shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

It was quite cold and also foggy in the morning when I got up. The sun began to show by 9:30, but it took 45 minutes for my hands to warm up. Standing Indian was an easy climb despite its nearly 5500 feet of elevation, and there were great views from the top. It was a longish push to Carter Gap, but there was beautiful sun-dappled trail often passing through rhododendron tunnels. I saw the year¢s first open Clintonia lily (also known as bluebead for its late-season fruit); also beech trees and lots of bluets. I played tag with Mountain Momma and Tipperary, who are hiking together. At lunch time I sat astride a log sharing a rest break with MM, who told me about her husband and kids; she¢s hoping to hike about half the trail before returning to work. I had dinner with them, Todd & Brian; Leaf arrived late. Another cold clear night coming.
Date: 2003-04-23
From: Carter gap shelter

To: Rock Gap shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

As expected, it was cold (36 degrees?) but clear and remained sunny all day. I left Carter Gap at 7:15, passed through Betty Creek Gap and Mooney Gap and along the foot of some rocky cliffs. The climb up Albert Mtn was reminiscent of the Whites of NH and a nice change of pace; (I had to use my hands once to get up a steep scramble). On top, I had a bowl of granola and checked the view from the old fire tower; I also talked to a former thru-hiker named Mother Nature. I continued on through a verdant hemlock-filled gorge to Glassmine Gap ¢ where I met four folks from the UNC admissions office and stopped for a snack. Jim & Brian were at Rock Gap shelter along with Nova and her dog Bosco. I had a long chat with Mr. Algonkin Buffalo (real name) on a variety of subjects ¢ he¢s an intellectual of wide interests who has recently been running a food pantry in Stonybrook L.I. I did a little ¢laundry¢ with a water bottle filled at the spring, made dinner and took my third dump of the day; (I¢ve been packing it in and it has to go someplace). We expect another cold night. I¢m getting low on fuel and will try to reach Nahantahala Outdoor Center a day early. Mtn Momma and Tip went on to the campsite in Wallace Gap.
Date: 2003-04-24
From: Rock Gap shelter

To: Wine Spring campsite
Miles today: 11.9

I left Rock Gap at 7:15. The night was not too cold, and I was snuggled up with Nova¢s dog Bosco, with whom I now feel bonded. I took a detour at the gap to see the giant ¢poplar¢ (what we call a ¢tulip tree¢ up north.) Had breakfast at the footbridge over the falls in Winding Stair Gap. I caught up to Mtn Momma & Tipperary at Siler Bald. Tagged the summit ¢ there were nice views. We pushed on to Wine Spring Gap campsite, where rain started just after dinner. On the way we shared water from my reservoir until we came to a spring near Wine Spring. We sat in Tip¢s tent for idle chatter after dinner, very pleasant. I¢m now writing this entry under my tarp. The rain stopped before I went to bed, a red sun visible near the horizon.
Date: 2003-04-25
From: Wine Spring campsite

To: Cold Spring shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: light rain

There was a bit of rain before 7AM, then it stopped. I walked through the cool cloudy weather over Wayah Bald where there were lovely panoramic views from the observation tower of hills sticking up through the clouds below. On to Cold Spring shelter. I donned all my layers for warmth while talking with a group of men and boys from South Carolina. Along came Mtn Momma, Tip, and later Todd. The shelter was rather full, so we walked up to a series of campsites on the ridge next to the shelter. The sun came out after dinner. We hung our food bags out of the reach of bears and (more likely) rodents by tossing lines over two trees, tying on the bags where they joined, and pulling both ends until the bags had risen perhaps 12 feet in the air. This system is more secure than a single line and also provides mechanical advantage that makes it easier to raise the bags. I¢m writing this by the light of our campfire. P.S. By 10PM, vigorous thundershowers passed through for an hour or so ¢ I pegged down the windward side of my tarp and was cozy and dry all night.
Date: 2003-04-26
From: Cold Spring shelter

To: Nahantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Up at 6:30, out by 7:10. It was cool and cloudy, with brief showers and no views. I used my umbrella for 15 minutes. Then, a little view opened up to the valley:Tutti fruiti green        patches visible belowClouds starting to liftThe sun was out by the time I reached Tellico Gap, where I met two trail runners. I climbed Wesser bald ¢ and was back in the clouds. Then, descending (fast, because I wanted a cheeseburger for lunch at NOC) tremendous views opened up toward Cheoah Bald. At lower elevations it got very green and warm. There were wild blue iris clusters and wild geraniums & lots of ferns. At Nahantahala Outdoor Center I checked in for a night in a room with four bunks. In the parking lot, I met a fellow named Gene Harvey ¢ a retired doctor from Bermuda, who gave me a beer and asked me about the trail. I had lunch with him, Mtn Momma, and Tipperary. I had a shower, did my laundry, and walked around NOC during the afternoon, taking in the scenic views of the Nahantahala River from the footbridge and watching kayakers play in the rips just downstream. Mtn Momma¢s two little boys arrived around dinnertime, driven by their nanny. I had dinner with them and Gene and Tip at a long table. My food drop hadn¢t arrived, but I supplemented my food supply with freebies and a couple of purchases from the NOC store. After dinner, Mtn Momma¢s boys raced back and forth on the long footbridge. Tip and I then bid them goodbye as they left for a motel on their way home.
Date: 2003-04-27
From: Nahantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

I listened to birds at NOC while waiting for the breakfast buffet to open and got a good view of a Northern Parula warbler. It was a clear, warm day that ultimately reached the 70s. I wished Gene good luck on his bird-watching hike and hit the trail at 9:30.Red pine: big bark scales2-pronged needles underfoot.Yesterday, friends left.At NOC, thru hikers looked at the map and profile for the next day and boggled at the first really big climb of our thru-hikes: the trail rises from a low point of 1700 feet at the Nahantahala River to Swim Bald, elevation 4700 feet. It was indeed a long steady climb, but on a pretty trail. I stopped at Swim Bald for lunch, and then went down to Sassafras Gap shelter with Tip, where we stopped for the night. I had a long chat with Ken and Tony, section hikers from SC, who are headed to Fontana with three other friends.