morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-05-14
From: RPH Shelter

To: Sasquatch's house
Miles today: 17.3

Not bad mileage for all the crap that happened today!I started the day at 6:07 when I headed out of RPH Shelter as they all slept. I started hiking in upper 30's to 40 degree morning. I'm looking to do around 25 miles. Right out of the shelter I saw a few deer getting up and running away.I suspected that it wasn't going to be an easy day since I was leaving 3 great guys that I totally respect and have enjoyed their company. I have created so many memories with them and some I might not of had if I didn't run with them for as long as I did. I think it was time for me to leave if I wanted to finish the trail in a reasonable amount of time. My main goal is to get home as soon as possible to get back to the family. I don't want this trip to last longer than June 30th.Walking by myself I started thinking back to the beginning of the trip which lead me to Neels Gap where I purchased a pair of shoes which lead me to Liquid and Donk's shoe issues. Then a little while later I came across NY52 and a black Ferrari passes by and that reminded of Neels because there were some Porches and a Ferrari there.All this reflecting has slowed my pace for some reason but it is helping me to stay distracted. Well I must of been a little too distracted because I ended up rolling the left ankle pretty good today. I know I stretched some tendons on that one. So that slowed me down some. I continued to hike after I said a prayer. As the day went on the ankle got worse so I changed the game plan for the day. I am going to wait at Nuclear lake for the boys and get a ride into town from Sasquatch. I waited at the lake for 3 hours and the boys didn't show up. As hikers passed by I asked each of them if they had seen the boys and they hadn't. During those 3 hours I soaked my feet in the cold water of Nuclear lake. When I first got there a water moccasin swam by headed off to my left. It wasn't till after he swam by that I put my feet in the water. Little did I know that a second would swim by as my feet were in the water. It swam within 12"-16" from my feet. Needless to say after it swam by the feet came out of the water rather quickly. It was then I decided to start walking to the next shelter where the boys would be. I figured the 3 miles might take me awhile to hike so I started off. I then thought I should leave them a note so I did and left it in the middle of the trail under a rock since it was windy out. They showed up and we went to the road County 20 where Sasquatch picked us up.
Date: 2008-05-15
From: Sasquatch's house

To: Conn 341
Miles today: 20.7

Today was an up and down day. I started the day off by a nice warm shower at Sasquatch's and he dropped me off at the trail head after doing some shopping at the store yesterday for groceries, ace bandage, and ice cream. I headed on up the trail through some tall grass that was very wet and got my shoes and socks soaked immediately. Not good for the feet.Talked to Johnna and she has send my boots, Asolo Fugitives, to me in Kent. I am headed into Kent to pick those up and see if they work or not. If not I'll see if the outfitter has any shoes that might work if I need them in a few days.When I got to conn 341 I started hiking to town which was .8 miles away. I walked about .3 miles when Paddy-O pulls over and takes me to town. He goes into the Outfitters with me and I put the boots on that Johnna sent me. I am not sure if they will work and must of made some comment out loud for Paddy-O to hear me. I tried out some shoes but the outfitter just didn't have much. Then Paddy-O took me to the PO and then back to the trail head where he cooked dinner.I had Calzones, hot dogs, and ribs. Boy Paddy-O out did himself once again. As I was leaving he mentioned that if I needed new shoes to give him a call on his cell and gave me the number. I then proceeded across CONN 341 and went straight up and up and up. I was pretty full so I decided to put the hammock up on the side of the Mtn.I made it to CT but I wasn't over joyed with the accomplishment for some reason. CT is the 9th state out of 14 and is a pretty short one at 72ish miles.
Date: 2008-05-16
From: Conn 341

To: Pine Swamp
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Walked along a river today and saw a bald eagle take off. Had another rock squeeze that I dubbed the back squeezer since it didn't have a name. It rained pretty much all day. It started off slow and then just poured the rest of the day.I should say that my shoes didn't make it. I needed to take Paddy-O up on his offer today. I called and he drove an hour from NY to Conn 4 and picked me up then took me to MA to a town where there was an outfitter and a couple shoe stores. I bought a pair of North Face shoes and Paddy-O then took me to the PO so I could send my Asolo's back home and then we stopped at McD's for dinner.He took me back to Conn 4 where I continued too hike in the rain. Did I mention that it rains with in 2 days of getting new shoes. I hiked on to Pine Swamp where I met a SOBO section hiker. He was out for a couple weeks and was wearing all cotton. Jeans, button down shirt, tube socks, the works. I wished him well on his hike as it might be pretty miserable for him if it rains much.
Date: 2008-05-17
From: Pine Swamp

To: Salisbury CT
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

Last day on the trail. I have decided to call it quits. I want to thank Paddy-O who tried his best to keep my spirits up and share with me all the stories of the people that made it all the way. I definitely could have made it to the end physically. I had to put up with the bad feet but I could have done it. I made it almost 1,500 miles. I write this after being home for 2 weeks and the feet are still numb. The blisters are all healed up but I don't expect the feet to regain feeling anytime soon.As far as May 17th is concerned I hiked an awesome hike today but I was pretty set on leaving the trail so I didn't really enjoy the day. It should have been a great day since it was sunny and mild. I walked past a water fall that looked very inviting and I can just image the locals and the hikers playing in the water on a hot day. I then walked passed that to a bridge that crossed the river and there were at least 20 large carp maybe 20-30 lbs. I watched them for awhile. I had an elderly lady walk by me a couple times today and I would talk briefly with her. Then I met her up on what I believe to be Rand's View and we talked about me going home and she mentioned I was seemed to be at peace with the decision. You know what I was. That was pretty much the nail in the coffin. It was amazing how I thought about leaving today and pretty much took up all my mental focus today and when I called Johnna she asked if I was sure and I told her yes. Johnna said she would let me think about it and to call her when i get to Salisbury. I had decided to go because my heart wasn't in the trail anymore. My heart was at home. I really wanted to be with my wife and kids. The trail hadn't been fun for some time. The band broke up and I was going to be alone for the next 700 miles. If I had been thinking about leaving for the last 3 states I can't image I'm going to make it all the way so why not leave now and get home earlier. I never saw myself leaving the trail early. I know my buddy Robo said that I was in a bad section and you know what when I saw Billy's view where you see Bear Mtn CT and off into Mass I almost regretted my decision. Then I started walking to Salisbury and dreaded every step I took. I knew I had enough of the trail and was making the right decision.
Date: 2008-05-18
From: Salisbury CT

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I thought I was going to get picked up by car and I would get to finish off CT and possibly MA, but the next thing I knew I was getting onto a train to NYC-DC-Chi. I really wanted to hike a few days in such a manner that it really didn't matter about mileage and I could go where I wanted and do what I wanted. Basically lallygag the AT for awhile. Sasquatch picked me up that night and I stayed with him and he took me to the train station where I got a train to NYC then took the Amtrack to DC and from there to Chi.Now if anyone out there is planning on a hike I do not recommend taking the Amtrack to get home. No fresh air, cramped quarters, and a very long ride. I would suggest getting a car or flying home. I know that all depends on where you are when you get off trail.I wish the guys the best at finishing the trail. I hope that Liquid's leg heals up. Sorry to hear about your leg man. Maybe that song wasn't a good idea after all guys. I told you I like to keep things possitive.thanks for reading my journal
Date: 2008-11-09
To: Questons people have asked me
Miles today: 0.0

Would I hike the AT again? Yes, the day I left I said no, but time heals all pain.What would I do differently? I would not have bought boots, Montrails all the way!! Keen boots suck. I would have purchased my big agnus instead of the Z-rest...worth the extra weight. Something like the Outdoor Research Exped DownMat 7 DLX is nice. The stuff sack doubles as a pump. Once you loose the weight your hips start hurting if you are a side sleeper like myself. Frog Toggs are nice but they don't compact. I'd spend the extra money and get a nice rain jacket with zippers in the armpit. Rain pants are worthless. Darn Tough socks rock!! I had a pair last over 1,000 miles w/o holes and I still wear them today. Poles pay the extra and get titanium. Much lighter!! Hammock worked best when I got the agnus under me. If you are going to hike fast and leave early. A tarp tent will work just fine. Donkey Legs had a tarptent from tarptent.com that worked very well for him. Osprey Atmos 65 is the pack for me and many others on the trail. The mesh back panel and hip belt pockets are AWESOME.Advice for someone who is able to hike because their spouse is willing to stay home with the kids while they hike? Make sure you can leave your family behind for 3-6 months before you leave. It gets tough on you the farther North you get. I only know of 3 people that have attempted a thru with a family at home. Bone-Pac, Joe from Iowa, and Myself. The only one to finish was Bone-Pac and I think it had a lot to do with him living in MD. His wife came to visit quite often around the MD area. Which is awesome and I'm glad he had the opportunity to visit with the family What did I learn from this? Have a realistic finish date and then have a back up plan if it doesn't work out. Slow down at times and listen to your hiking partners. Sometimes you don't know whats best or "We're not going to make it!"See ya on the trailTrailfoot
Date: 2007-12-08
To: From work to home
Miles today: 0.0

Hello everyone,The Unknown Hiker here. When I saw that both Sgt. Rock and Stumpknocker are starting in January, I had to down half a bottle of Jack Daniels (did you know Jack was the drink of choice for Janis Joplin?) and consider hiking in their honored presence. In all honesty, they both would be leaving me in their dust (or snow) - but what the hell. So, I'll be off from Springer sometime in mid or late January.
Date: 2007-12-09
To: Nowhere worth mentioning
Miles today: 0.0

Prep Entry #2Going through all my gear from years past. I have made a vow not to spend a single penny on new gear. What I currently own is all I will carry.Many of my friends ask me: "Hey, Unknown Hiker, why are you planning to walk so far in the middle of winter?" I've had to ponder that same question myself for quite a bit. Best I can figure is I have enough past experience to believe I can do it. I hate planning for a hike. I'd like to just "get out there" and see what happens. I am going to use maildrops this time, though. My wife has been my logistical support boss for quite a while now. Resupply is one less thing to worry about during this journey.
Date: 2007-12-10
To: I haven't even started yet
Miles today: 0.0

The Unknown Hiker here, again: 3rd day of prepping for my thru-hikeToday I was sitting in my cubicle with only a few weeks of work to do. Then I will be "free at last, free at last, thank God, I am free at last." There isn't much time left to figure out how I will get to Springer Mountain. Working out all the details, taking care of business back in the "real world" before the hike starts.
Date: 2007-12-11
To: I know where I'm Going
Miles today: 0.0

Hey fellow hikers,Still a few decisions to be made. Currently, I've toyed with the idea of bringing my dog on the hike. But in all honesty I can remember the other dogs in the past I have run into on the trail - many of which were not on a leash. Not the best of experiences. On a rainy night, in a jam-packed shelter, a hiker shows up with his dog. I would be the first to make more room for the hiker - but not a wet dog. Sorry, that's the way I feel. Yet I know those people with dogs love them dearly and are set in their ways. Just hope they keep them under control. So my dog is staying home. It's for the best. Tomorrow I'll bring up the subject of how to deal with all of those mice in the shelters. Guaranteed to work.
Date: 2007-12-12
To: Thoughts & Ideas # 1
Miles today: 0.0

Okay, in my last journal entry I promised you some techniques on getting rid or controlling the mice that are such a pain during a hike. But before I get into that, let me speak briefly about ideas and thoughts.I know I come across as a joker who doesn't take the Trail seriously. Totally wrong! I like to make light of certain Trail situations up to a point. But I also like to converse about ideas and thoughts that I have thought about, or that others have passed on.For that reason, I'd like to share some thoughts about the mice on the Trail.Mice - I've heard others say to leave the mice alone - that they are in their habitat and we (the hikers) are not. If you follow that logic it would seem that we shouldn't even be out on the Trail in the first place. So I reject that.I remember one hiker saying the mice could be poisoned (by whom?) and there would be fewer at the shelters (at least for a while). But wouldn't all of those dead mice become stationary disease carriers? And wouldn't they attract any snakes in the area? So I reject that, also.Here's something that makes sense - yet so many others seem to ignore. Get your food out of the shelter at night. Use the cables or bear bag it. How many hikers keep a "midnight snack" with them in their bag? Consider cooking AND EATING outside and away from the shelter. I know they are designed for such, but cooking on one of those wooden shelfs attached to the side of a shelter can just as easily attract mice. So I accept the idea of food discipline.Before going to sleep in your shelter, I've heard that you ought to leave your pack open and unzipped. Also, any other bags you have in the shelter. Why? Because the mice can and will chew through most materials to get inside. It makes more sense to leave things open and not wake up to a damaged piece of gear. This logic is based upon the previous idea that all food and "smelly" items are stored outside the shelter. This idea works for me.Finally on my mice thoughts - if you want to totally avoid the mice, use a tent instead of a shelter. And pitch the tent a good distance from any shelter. If you do use a tent, consider preparing your food away from your tent. There may not be many mice around, but who knows about bears or other, bigger critters. As mentioned earlier - ALWAYS hang your food.Anyway, these are just some thoughts and ideas that I had. I've tried to follow them in the past, and sometimes I failed when I was tired, lazy, or had bad weather. Backward and Downward!
Date: 2007-12-13
To: Thoughts & Ideas # 2
Miles today: 0.0

Some other folks in the past have talked about how new hikers starting at Springer will begin dumping their unneeded, heavier gear within the first few miles. And that some packs can weigh 70 or more pounds. At the same time there has been this concept about hiking ultra-light and how light a pack can be gotten down to. If a hiker has not "lightened his load" by the time he gets to Neals Gap, there are folks there at the hostel who will be glad to tell him/her what to get rid of.So I began to think about both of these extremes - heavy, starting pack weight and lightweight pack weight. It took me a while to think this up, but let me throw out some ideas to you:First, those INEXPERIENCED hikers who start with monster loads. Of course they are carrying too much. But what do they know about what they need/do not need? Give them a break. It's all a learning experience. Here's a suggestion - why not start hiking with the items you really think you will need (or that more experienced hikers have suggested). Let's say you keep your pack weight in the area of 40 lbs. That's not light, but it sure beats 70 lbs. Starting with a 40 lb pack, and carrying those items you THINK you will need allows you to spend the first few days or maybe a week experiencing what works for you, and what you really need. Those items that YOU opt to discard - don't dump them on the trail. You can take a quick break to Sueches and mail them home. Same at Neals Gap or Hiawassee. You will quickly learn to balance what you don't need with what you want to carry (and the associated weight). Just my thoughts.An idea about light-weight backpacking - it's great if you have the experience to know what you are doing, the right gear, and how best to use it. It seems to me that going "light" involves trade-offs. A lot of the lightweight gear can be expensive or require you to make it yourself (again, requiring some experience). You don't have to carry the expensive items and you can opt for less expensive equivalents - that often will weigh more. You can only put so much weight and so many items into a pack if you plan on keeping it at 20 or less lbs.A good friend told me she used to be a die-hard lightweight hiker. Had her pack weight down to 15 lbs when she started from Springer on April 1st. But she got tired of the compromises/sacrifices that she had to make. To save weight, she carried a 32-degree bag. Others carried 20-degree bags and there were a number of nights she slept cold. She only carried a closed-cell sleeping pad - and wound up not sleeping that comfortably at night. She didn't carry a tent - just a silnylon tarp. Although she had practiced setting up the tarp, she found in the blowing rain it wasn't so easy. Bottom line was that she just couldn't justify being a lightweight pack person. It wasn't worth it to her and she wasn't enjoying what she was doing. So she made some gear changes, got a larger pack, and learned to handle a load of 30 lbs. She says she never regretted it. Everyone is different. Everyone has their own priorities.
Date: 2007-12-14
To: Thoughts about rain
Miles today: 0.0

Here's a subject that impacts everyone (at least those who are hiking out of doors - which I'd assume is everyone who reads this) - rain.How do we deal with rain while hiking? How about when we arrive at our end-of-day camping spot? What if there isn't a shelter available? Hiking in the rain. It seems to me, at first thought, that using a pack cover makes excellent sense when it is raining. God knows there are plenty of hikers who have them. Some even leave their covers on whether it is raining or sunny. I'm sure there's a great reason for keeping the rain cover on when the sun is out, but I haven't figured it out. My luck would be to snag the cover on a bush or branch or something. Then it's torn and useless unless I can sew it up (by the way, have you ever tried using dental floss as your sewing thread? Works pretty well).But I've seen hikers who don't use a rain cover (when it is raining). At first glance I thought they were "doing without" and their pack contents must be getting really wet. Then one of them told me their "secret." They use heavy-duty plastic trash bags (like those compactor bags) to hold their bag and clothes and anything else that needs to stay dry. Yes, using a plastic bag inside your pack does nothing to keep your pack, itself, dry. But think about something: if you do use a pack cover, you still are going to get your shouldar straps and hip belt wet. Even more, you probably are going to get rain falling between the pack cover and your back. Thus, a pack that only partially remains dry.I've tried the plastic bag technique - seems to work pretty well. Tell you something else I came up with. If you use a pack cover, your goal is to keep your pack dry, right? What happens if you tent at night and your tent does not have enough room for you to fit in your pack? Then the pack has to stay outside, in the rain, and is going to get more wet even with the pack cover. On the other hand, if you use the plastic bags and let your pack get wet, you don't have to worry about getting it into the tent. It's already wet so what does it matter if it is left outside in the rain?I'd be interested in seeing one of those customized ponchos that fits over both hiker and pack. If the poncho part doesn't fly up in the wind, and if the poncho material does not get snagged and torn - might be worth a try. One last thing I'd like to ask about? What if you have one of the very common tents that has a mesh inner wall and a waterproof outer wall. You have to pitch the mesh part of the tent first, then cover it with the outer wall. Well, if it's raining, is there any way to put up the mesh without rain getting inside before you cover it with outer wall? I haven't figured out a way. The best I can do is to quickly set up the tent and then get inside and use a pack towell to wipe up any water that got inside. Maybe there is a better way?
Date: 2007-12-18
To: Helpful web sites
Miles today: 0.0

For those of you who want to stay updated on the current draught in Georgia, Tenn. and NC, here are some good links. You can find most of them by using Google - but this may save you some time.There is a graphical draught map that is updated every few days. It is a graphical presentation of the severity of the draught in northern Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Covers the Damascus area, also. http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.htmlThe link below shows the current snow conditions, including the depth of any snow pack, amount of recent fall, etc. in the Appalachian Mountain area:    http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/index.html?year=2007&month=12&day=17&units=e®ion=Southern_AppalachiaWhiteblaze info on AT drought conditions: this link appears to be the most active with reports from southbound and local hikers passing through the drought area: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27312Here are the current conditions regarding water draught in the Smoky Mountain National Park. Pay close attention to the info on the stretch from Fontana through the first 23 miles in SMNP - there is currently NO WATER in that area. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htmA good, general weather site for checking conditions along the trail is below. Keep in mind though that a lot of the temp and precip reports come from nearby towns that may not reflect actual weather on the Trail http://www.weather.gov/Several other things worth mentioning: there are some/many trail angels who are leaving containers of water along roads that cross the Trail, and in some of the shelters. I'd imagine the current southbounders have taking good advantage of that water. I recently spoke to Wes Wisson who is a AT Shuttler in the Springer Mtn area. He said there was available water between Springer and Dicks Creek Gap, but that you might have to hunt a bit off the Trail for it.For water conditions further north, a great source is Jeff & Nancy Hoch at Hike Inn, near Fontana. Their phone number is 828-479-3677Finally, the Forest Service has announced their campfire ban between Springer Mtn and Roan Mtn will be continued through 4/30/08. That means only backpacker stoves are legal to use.