morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-12-11
To: No need to be coy, Roy
Miles today: 0.0

I am a man with a plan, Stan. I am unable to just saunter onto the AT and not have at least some idea of where I am going and when I will get there. I have been known to get a bit Clark Griswoldy on family road trips, scheduling gas and rest-area stops days in advance. I create charts, graphs, spreadsheets and map overlays. It got even worse when I got a GPS.So, with the aid of my trusty AT Data Book I created a spreadsheet targeting my first 30 days on the trail. Each day has a projected start- and end-point. This exercise provided me and my family with a tangible product that puts me at a certain place at a certain time. Security. Comfort. Love. This being said, I still plan on being loose and flexible. Part of the whole AT deal is to un-plug (a little). My current tag on this journal is: "There ain't no easy run." This is what my warehouse manager would say when I drove the truck around Illinois and Wisconsin. The point is not to take anything for granted, to plan for every contingency and always look down the road. My 30-day plan to get me down (up?) the trail is part of that philosophy.
Date: 2007-01-16
To: My left foot
Miles today: 0.0

Since my marathon and marathon training experience in October I have been having a nagging pain on the bottom of my left foot, along the arch, heel and front. At times it would really kill me, other times-- not so much. It would be worse in the morning, not so bad during the runs, and aching and sore afterwards. I refused to believe I had a problem, if I would ignore it surely it would go away (tough it out, suck it up, rub some dirt on it, man up, et al). In fact, I gave into the pain. I actually stopped running for a few weeks before Christmas and while the pain subsided, it did not entirely disappear. This is when I got nervous, I was not going to let this deal sink the upcoming hike.Some research revealed that my symptoms matched a common ailment called plantar fasciitis which is typical among runners when increasing weekly mileage. The plantar fascia is the tendon on the bottom of the foot. So I bought this lovely Thing to strap my foot into at night and gently stretch the tendon. I am breathing easy again because my miles are back up, my foot feels good and I don't anticipate this to slow me down.I have decided to fly to ATL and shuttle to Springer. As I contemplated a potential 30-hour bus trip the choice to book a flight was easy. I can depart Iowa early in the morning, arrive Atlanta before noon and hopefully be on the trail early in the afternoon.I am continuing my cold weather training, I was out with the dog for a 10 miler today and the temperature never rose above 5 (five). I am hoping the Smokies are not this chilly in March. Less than 50 days to go.
Date: 2007-01-23
To: Not much left to do
Miles today: 0.0

I have a plane ticket to Atlanta and a reserved shuttle to the trail. I will be arriving later in the day and will spend the night at the Hiker Hostel before starting. This puts me on the trail Saturday morning, March 10. Yee ha.I am putting together my first few mail drops now (through Damascus, VA), Ann Marie will assemble and ship the remaining ones. My main goal with the drops is to provide power bars, protein shakes and specialty items (ie books, memory cards, etc) that would be hard to find or really expensive at some of the smaller markets. Most of the drops will supplement resupply options in town. My mail drop points are also those spots that I will for sure stop at to check my mail from my adoring family and friends.
Date: 2007-02-06
To: The Waiting
Miles today: 0.0

Thirty one days until blast off.I shipped my first four food-drops this week, all of them far too heavy. Mostly they contained PowerBars, Clif Bars and batteries as I am planning to re-supply mainly in towns. I have finalized my gear list and it looks like I will be leaving Springer carrying about 22 pounds and change (including 3 days of chow). Its a few lbs. heavier than I would like but I am carrying some winter outerwear since I am leaving, well... in winter. Once it warms up I would like my pack weight to be around 18 pounds. I am not taking my heavier head-lamp, hiking poles or 'camp sandals.' When I do re-supply and have to carry lots of food (ie 5 or 6 days worth through the Smokies) I plan on sometimes just carrying part my food bag in my hands (like a purse). I've done this before and it works real swell.Despite the mind numbing cold this past month, I have still managed to log some good miles running this past month. Mostly on the treadmill though. I am also getting out at least once a day with Brinkley (my non-AT-hiking dog) to cruise the loop trail through the woods near my house. I feel in great shape and ready to go. I am preparing for a 5-mile fun run in Des Moines on the 17th (The YMCA Red Flannel Run). We can only hope that the temperatures are still in the single digits.I hit 40 last week. Alas: "The cannons don't thunder there's nothin' to plunder; I'm an over forty victim of fate..." (J.B.)
Date: 2007-02-19
To: Turn me loose, set me free
Miles today: 0.0

I shipped my pack and most of my gear to Georgia today. Doing so will save me any airport hassles and I will be able to 'go light' on my travel day to the Hiker Hostel. On a whim, I threw in an extra layer of clothes just so I can mail them back home later.We all went to Des Moines this weekend to taunt the cold weather and participate in the Red Flannel Run. It was sunny and beautiful and I am very proud of the kids for doing it with me. This run was the last serious physical activity I have planned until stormin' the hills of Georgia.Of all the tough choices I face before leaving (should I leave my family, how should I resupply, when should I leave, etc) perhaps the most critical is determining the perfect mix of songs to dump onto my MP3 player. I settled this matter over the weekend. Lots of Ryan Adams, Jimmy Buffet and Gram Parsons; a bit of Merle Haggard and Willie; Dropkick Murphys for fun; the perfect trifecta of Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams; and a few rockers from Who's Next. I also have my favorite John Prine and Townes VanZandt tracks and the new records from The Killers and Oasis (sorry). This will get me started in the south. After PA I will dump the rootsy stuff for all of the Springsteen.
Date: 2007-03-04
To: Five Days
Miles today: 0.0

This is Ann Marie, Joe's wife. I have been given the important responsibility of helping keep all of us connected to Joe on his hike. He has given me all of the pertinent information and direction on how to access this journal site, and we have a plan on how and when I will update it. I plan to update his mileage and location each day. And, when we've actually been able to talk via phone, I will add details on how he is doing and his next destination.My first trail entry will be March 11th!
Date: 2007-03-09
To: Iowa to Georgia
Miles today: 0.0

A 3:00am, bleary-eyed trip to Des Moines this morning got Joe on his way. There was an eerie slience in the car from the kids as we pulled away from the airport.His flight left at 5:55am and he traveled through Milwaukie enroute to Atlanta. He called from the airport-it was cloudy and in the 60s. A bit warmer than Ames and the 8 inches of snow still on the ground. He took the MARTA (Atlanta's public transportation train) to the northern terminis and was picked up by the folks from the Hiker Hostel.He called after getting settled at the hostel to let me know his pack had arrived. He got his gear organized and into the pack in anticipation of tomorrow morning. Apparently there is quite a group of hikers at the hostel, all getting ready to start hiking tomorrow. Tonight he'll have one more night in a bed, then he'll be in his "pounder" bag for the foreseeable future. Breakfast starts at 7:00, and they like to start shuttling hikers to the trail head by 8:00am. I'll update the site tomorrow evening after I know he has started.AM
Date: 2007-03-10
From: Springer Mountain

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

After years of preparation and months of anticipation, Joe started his hike this morning He called me as he was hiking up Springer Mountain to the trail head plaque. Adrenaline made his pace a bit faster than he plans to hike the rest of the trail!He called again when he stopped for lunch at about the half-way point for the day, and again in he evening.He reported that the trail was wide and relatively flat at some points, while at other times it wound along a creek, and the understory was packed with rhododendrons. By the time he reached Gooch Gap at 3:30 he said there had been 4 climbs of about 1000 feet each. He was really pleased with his progress for the day and was getting ready to call it a night about 8:00 as the sun went down. Although there was room in the shelter at Gooch Gap he was sleeping under his tarp tonight. He is planning to get to Neel's gap tomorrow.AM
Date: 2007-03-11
From: Gooch Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: few clouds

Joe hiked about 10 hours today.Although he only planned to get to a camp site about a mile past Neel's Gap (which would have been a 15 mile day), he ended up going to the Low Gap Shelter because he was in search of water. The AT data book listed a couple of sites where he should have been able to get water, but there actually wasn't any.I last talked to him as the sun had just gone down and he was hiking in twilight. He figured he only had a few minutes left and he would be at the shleter.He called earlier in the day when he stopped for lunch on top of Bull Mountain at the shelter. Although he climbed about 1500 feet today, it was much more gradual over a longer distance than yesterday's climbs. It had rained a little in the middle of the night, but was just misty when he got started in the morning, and sunny as he hiked for the day. He was able to stop for a couple of hours at the Neel's Gap outfitter and pick up the package he had shipped to himself and a few other supplies. He also shipped home a few items he has decided he doesn't need.I'm not sure if he plans to hike less than originally planned tomorrow since he is about 10 miles ahead of schedule- if so it would be a pretty short day. I'll know more tomorrow.AM
Date: 2007-03-12
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

When I talked to Joe last night as the sun had gone down, he thought he only had about 10 minutes to go before getting to the Low Gap Shelter. The time was about right, but he hadn¢t planned on the last climb before getting into the ¢low gap¢. When he arrived, 6 other hikers were already there for the evening and had a great campfire going. Thankfully the shelter slept 7.He had a pretty good night and was ready to go in the morning. He reached Blue Mountain shelter about noon which was 7 miles away. He thought he might call it a day and take care of some business since he was ahead of schedule. But of course when he called at 6:00 he was at the Tray Mountain Shelter which was 8 miles further down the trail from Blue Mountain. He said the weather was just too good to pass up, and after resting for a couple of hours and catching a nap, he decided to leave Blue Mountain about 2:30. He arrived at Tray Mountain about 4:30 in plenty of time to get chores done and food prepped. He has met quite a number of people so far, and they have added an interesting dimension to the hike. Since he decided not to have a trailname, other hikers have offered their suggestions. So far- Joe Hiker, Bob and Professor. (Personally I am leaning toward Professor! I¢m not sure of his destination tomorrow. But, North Carolina isn¢t far away.AM
Date: 2007-03-13
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Joe here: I'm at the public library in Hiawassee. I was on trail before sunrise today with the intention of getting to town by noon. The woods are still quiet and winter-like even though temps are in the 70s. I am dealing with a bit of the sunburn on my head even. My feet feel great, I am still being cautious not to do too much too soon.So much time spent hiking leaves little time for anything else. I've yet to crack the book I've been packing and my writing journal is nearly barren. I am taking care of myself though-- I brushed my teeth this morning while hiking down Tray Mountain in the pre-dawn darkness. The mountains down here are surprising me. Not only are they 'real pretty,' they are real steep too. Its sort of like hiking in the Columbia River Gorge without the benefit of switchbacks. Tomorrow I will be in North Carolina!
Date: 2007-03-14
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Joe spent a great night and morning at the Blueberry Patch Hostel in Hiawassee, Georgia before heading out for North Carolina. The owners, Gary and Lennie, treated Joe and the other hikers to a delicious breakfast of pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup, cheesy biscuits, other delights and hot tea. All served on fine china and with cloth napkins. (Nina commented ¢That¢s not supposed to happen on the AT!¢) He¢s gone 4 days without coffee-amazing for those of you who know him well.Joe¢s world got a bit smaller yesterday. He had a chat with a guy from the grocery store and found out he was from around Normal, Illinois where we lived for a few years. He also learned one of the hikers at the hostel had gone to high school with one of Joe¢s college friend¢s brother in Idaho. (That would be you Tree.)He hiked to the Standing Indian Shelter today.-16 miles. There were a number of climbs again today, as he described in his entry yesterday. Most of the mountain ridges on this part of the trail run east and west, while the trail is more north and south. The next couple of days shouldn¢t have quite as much up and down since he is at a pretty high elevation right now (4,760 ft). I¢ve got to imagine his shins and knees will appreciate that. According to the AT Thru-Hiker Companion Joe gave me before he left (and which is available as a PDF online at the AT website in case anyone is interested in reading about more details of the trail), the cliff-top views looking south from Standing Indian Mountain gave the mountain the nickname of ¢Grandstand of the Southern Appalachians¢. The views must be spectacular.   He is planning another 15+ day tomorrow.AM
Date: 2007-03-15
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The first day I haven't actually talked to Joe on the phone. He left a message that he had made it to the Rock Gap Shelter (about 2000 feet lower in elevation than where he started the day). He had hiked 19 nmiles and got off the trail around 3:00. He also said the weather was changing and that he had stayed dry, but rain was coming. I haven't gone online yet to check the forecast for the area, but I will before I update tomorrow.According to his inital itinerary he is a little ahead of schedule (about 18 miles) but I wonder if the change in weather will slow him down.We got his return package he sent today filled with a whole range of things he has decided he doesn't need- wool shirt, waterproof Filson baseball cap, journal, tupperware of instant coffee (?!), and his $25 Smartwool underpants that he wore a hole in his first day on the trail. (He did give me a heads up that the underpants were coming!) Yes, as his lovely support system here in Iowa I have the good fortune of dealing with that piece of gear return. I guess the take home message- a $2 pair of Hanes might have worked as well.AM
Date: 2007-03-16
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: broken clouds

Joe had an eventful evening after he left his voicemail yesterday. About mid-evening a group of college students showed up and brought a few kegs to start their Spring Break. He decided to leave the shelter and pitch his tarp, and quickly realized the road into Franklin, North Carolina, was only a short distance away. Coincidently sitting on the road was a van driven by a guy who owns a couple of motels in Franklin. (All sounds a little sketchy to me!) And in the van were a couple of the hikers Joe has been hiking with off and on since he started. Since it was raining and getting colder he opted to take the van into town, eat a warm meal at the local steak house and sleep in a warm, dry bed. In the morning the motel owner took him and the few other brave hikers back to the Rock Gap Shelter trail point. It rained all day- sometimes a gentle ¢Oregon drizzle¢ and at other times a downpour- but he still made it 20 miles to the Cold Spring Shelter. He has hiked 122 miles so far. When he arrived at the shelter someone was already there and had a big mountaineering tent (kind of like the ones at the base camp of Mt. Everest) set up, complete with propane heaters and hotdogs on the grill. He said there were only a few other hikers on the trail today, and about 10 people in the tent. He was planning on sleeping there tonight.Tomorrow he plans to make it to the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Cener), which is 10 miles away to resupply until he gets to Fontana Dam. I'm hoping the temperatures warm up and the rain lets up for him tomorrow.AM
Date: 2007-03-17
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nantahhala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

March 17thJoe got an early start and made it to the NOC by about noon today. That gave him an 11 mile day. It was a cold night (20 degrees) so he was happy to be in the tent I described yesterday. He said the NOC was a nice set up. He was looking forward to a shower, doing some laundry and a bunk tonight. Apparently there is even supposed to be some Irish band at the place tonight-so he¢ll get to celebrate St. Patrick¢s Day a little. He met a Coug on the trail today. The gentleman was a forest ranger for the Wenatchee National Forest and a graduate of WSU. It is good to know we (Cougs) are populating the country. (I wonder if he knows the WSU men¢s basketball team lost in double overtime at the NCAA tournament tonight.)Joe said today the trail finally turned back north again. If you look at the map, he had been hiking south (which seems counterproductive to me) on the little blip today. It was also a good day because when he got to the top of one of the balds he could see the Smoky Mountains in the distance. Once he leaves tomorrow from the NOC it is a pretty steep climb for a few miles. He should be at Fontana Dam right on schedule.AM
Date: 2007-03-18
From: Nantahhala Outdoor Center

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Joe had a good evening at the NOC. Enjoyed a ruben to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a couple of hikers and then got a really sound nights sleep in the bunkhouse. (The night before the wind had been blowing pretty hard in the tent which had made it difficult to get a very deep sleep.)He made it to the Brown Fork Gap Shelter today (16 miles). The hike leaving from the NOC started with a long steep climb for a couple of hours. He only has 12 miles into Fontana Dam tomorrow to resupply and get ready for his 6 day hike through the Smoky Mountains. He said from one of the balds he climbed to the top of today it was a beautiful view north and he could see Fontana Dam.It was cold this morning (mid-20s) but dry, and it warmed up pretty quickly. He also said he wind wasn't blowing much today.AM
Date: 2007-03-19
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Joe Here: Made it to the dam. Hitched into Fontana Village where I met White Crow (from Kentucky) for lunch at a nifty hotel restaurant. We were quite the sight among the crystal glasses and white tablecloths. I picked up my resupply and tomorrow will plunge into the Smokies.Everything is good. Last night was cold again, it was cool all day in fact. I slept in all my outerwear and slipped the Pounder into the bivvy. I ate a whole pot of TVP (textured veg. protien) before bed and must say that I was quite gassy all night. I plan to let the Pounder air out a bit before crawling in tonight. The trail in NC has been a lot less traveled than the AT in GA. It is like I alone in the woods, finally. Still no coffee or pop-- I am like a machine.
Date: 2007-03-20
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Joe started into the Smoky Mountains this morning. He got an early start (just because he could) and got going just before the sun came up. He sent a picture message this morning with the mountains in the background, and once I fugure out how to get it off my phone I will post it. He certainly looks like a mountain man!! He hiked 13 miles to the Russell Field Shelter today and said most of the hike was an uphill grind. It was rainy most of the day, but had started to clear when I talked to him about 7:30 EST. He expected a 20% chance of more rain tomorrow, but then it should clear for a while.He is spending the night with about 8 other guys- a few he knows already from time on the trail and 4 graduate students from Cornell who were at the shelter when he got there. (He had a good time reminiscing about time spent in Ithaca.)AM
Date: 2007-03-21
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

I'm updating this a day late since I didn't talk to Joe yesterday (3/21) or know where he was at the end of the day. He hiked another 16 miles, and seems to be hiking regularly with White Crow and another guy I can't remember the name of. I'm glad he has got some company.
Date: 2007-03-22
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

Joe called three times today. I think to make up for yesterday! Actually, I think it was because he finally had cell reception. He hiked 14 miles today. Since in the Smokies you have to stay in the shelters, it was either 14 miles or 22 miles, and they opted for the first one.He has been having some pain in the lower part of his left leg. He thinks he bruised it on something. But it has bothered him enough that he was favoring that leg and then wiped out on some wet leaves, racked his knee on a slab of granite and fell on his rear pretty hard. Other than that things are going fine. He has been able to elevate his leg and do some other first aid (?) and he said it is feeling pretty good today. He is planning to take a zero day when he gets out of the Smokies to rest it for a day.When he called this morning he was just reaching Clingman's Dome (6,643 ft) which is the highest point on the AT. As we were talking he was walking through a low cloud. Unfortunately he didn't have much of a view becuase of the cloud cover. He is at 207 miles from the starting point at Springer Mountain now! Less than 2000 more to go.AM
Date: 2007-03-23
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: clear sky

He had a huge day today- 27 miles and made it to the eastern boundary of the Smoky Mountain Park. I talked to him this afternoon when he had about 3 miles to go. He said the weather was great and it had been downhill for the last 10+ miles...so he decided to get to the edge of the park. His leg was feeling much better, but he is still planning to take a zero day in Hot Springs.When he called the kids and I were just finishing up some Coldstone Ice Cream, so of course I had to let him know how tasty it was. He said he was really looking forward to his pouch of Stovetop Stuffin'- just add hot water.My graduate student helped me get the photo Joe sent on Monday off my cell phone and I uploaded it to the entry from 3/20. (Thanks Tigon!)He looks every bit the Mountain Man.Two days to Hot Springs, NC and then a rest. He should receive a package with letters from 23 second graders when he picks up his mail there. I know a number of family and friends have also sent him mail to that location (and further up the trail.) He really appreciated the mail he picked up at Fontana Dam. Keep it coming!AM