morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-17
From: Damascus, VA

To: TRAIL DAYS: FRIDAY
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up early after a very refreshing sleep. Decided to wander into town for breakfast and ending up ordering the Hikers Special from Cowboys: scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy and a coffee for $5.95.After breakfast, I walked past the Baptist church and remembered that they were offering free foot care all weekend. I saw Giggles debating on going over there as well so I walked over and we both decided we deserved it. A hot foot soak and wash followed by a massage and lotion treatment left my feet so soft and refreshed. Plus, now I can say that I have actually had my feet washed by Baptists (ed. note: did they offer Kool-Aid, too?)All of the food and product vendors were set up and running so I swung through and ended up talking to the NEMO reps who agreed to mail me a replacement clip that had popped of my tent's footprint. The rest of the afternoon was spent in Tent City relaxing, meeting other hikers and playing Frisbee and other games. Smiley and I actually finished as runners-up in a 32 team Beer Pong tournament that a large group organized.A live band was playing back uptown at the Blue Blaze Cafe, which satisfied my bluegrass craving. A bit of time around a large bonfire with a drum circle served as after hours until I was ready to head back to my tent.
Date: 2013-05-18
From: Damascus, VA

To: TRAIL DAYS: SATURDAY
Miles today: 0.0

Bittersweet day today.Lots of fun hanging out and relaxing with new friends. Glad I was able to reach out to family and let them know I was okay.Thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by the accident. Spent the evening with Yellow Shirt and we were both pleasantly surprised by fantastic karaoke performances by Dirty Rice and Zac Galifinakis, who I haven't seen since just outside of the NOC.ed. note: for those who do not know, what Arrow is referring to is the accident caused during the annual Trail Days parade, in which a driver suffered a heart episode and unintentionally drove through the parade, injuring several hikers. Needless to say, the entire family and all friends are glad KC gets to continue his journey, and most importantly, has his good health and fortune along for the ride.
Date: 2012-12-12
To: Amicalola Falls
Miles today: 0.0

Hello world, it's Rifle checking in for the first time. Good to be at trailjournals! Well the countdown is 20 days. 20 days and I'm on the approach trail to Springer. I still have much to plan, much to practice, and a lot of nerves! I kind of can't believe I'm about to do this...but I couldn't be any more excited. I have all but the last few bits and pieces of my gear. Except for snowshoes. I still can't decide if I need them. I haven't done a final weigh in yet, but my rough guess for everything I have is about 35lbs base weigh - too much. It'll be another 3 lbs if I decide on snowshoes. 7 days food + 2L h2o, and I'm looking at 55lbs. TOO MUCH, even for a winter hike. I have things I could cut, so now it's time for the shake down hikes. If I can get my base to 30lb and my total to 45-50, I'll be happy. I'm already looking forward to my warm weather gear swap and dropping 15 pounds! Anyway, just wanted to say hello. Stay posted for more. Stoked.
Date: 2012-12-31
To: Amicalola Falls
Miles today: 0.0

Hello friends! 1 hour and 38 minutes til the new year! I doubt very seriously I'll get much sleep tonight. I'm so excited! My pack is done. Heavier than I was hoping for, but still manageable. That said, as soon as I post this I'll be once again critiquing every piece of gear to see what I can leave behind. Like I said, I probably won't get much sleep I'm staying in Cleveland, GA tonight, so the trip to Amicalola is a pretty short one in the morning. I'm still gonna get an early start, though. I'll be up before 6. Saw a gorgeous rainbow a couple days ago and got a picture in front of it. I'm also posting a pic of me and my freshly shaved face/head. I want to start my mountain man appearance on a clean canvas I'll take a picture at the first of every month to track my "growth." Well, not to be rude, but this post is hardly on the top of my priority list. I'm out. Thanks for reading, and thanks for the support! Oh, and happy 2013!
Date: 2013-01-01
From: Amicalola Falls

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

Today was the first of my thru. Loved it. RAIN. It did not stop raining all day. Woke up at 5 am to rain, and I'm now writing this to the peaceful sound of raindrops on the metal roof of this VERY nice shelter
Date: 2013-01-02
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

12 hours of sleep! Baby let me tell you I was tired last night! Too tired to write more than I did. So let me back track a bit. My dad hiked the 8.8 mile approach trail from Amicalola with me, and he joined me for the first mile of the AT, AND he hiked all the way back to his truck the same night. I hiked a total of 11.6 miles, and he hiked 19.6 miles, in the rain, with wet feet and tired muscles. I sure hope I'm that tough when i'm 52! He also carried a thermos full of hot soup for our lunch and several sandwiches for my dinner.After giving me my dinner and before turning to go back my dad gave me some parting words. He said two things 1) "I hope on this trip you learn that your life is not meant for yourself but for God and others", and 2) "make sure you finish this trip. I'll be proud of you when you finish." You know how most little boys want to grow up to be like their dad? Well I'm 25, and I still do.Anyway, it's almost 8am and I'll be out of daylight in about 9 hours, so I need to get moving. I want to push myself 13 miles to Gooch Mountain Shelter. I still have to pack up camp, filter some water, and make breakfast. Looks like another full day of hiking today with camp set up in the dark likely. Btw, it's about 38 degrees, raining, and extremely foggy. Hopefully my gear dried out as planned. Ok! I'm out! Thanks for reading. Cheers.
Date: 2013-01-03
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Blood Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Phenomenal day. Started and ended a little rough, but everything in the middle was perfect. I got up too late, almost 8, then I tried in vain to collect water from an almost dry creek - must've tried for 30 min. I collected some, but then I looked in the bag and saw tons of particles in the water, so I dumped it all back out. The one time I wish I had a pump filter instead of my gravity fed... So after all my shenanagans I didn't start hiking til almost 10. About 1/2 mile into the trail I hit a fork. The path to the right looked big enough to be a FS road so I took the much more AT looking left branch. Wrong move. About 20 min later I hit ANOTHER fork with no visible markings. I chose right. Wrong again. Thankfully about 1/2 mile up the trail I ran into 3 brothers, Davis, Joe, and Jake. I briefly met them last night when I saw them successfully start a fire in the rain with wet wood. Anyway, they told me I was headed back to Springer. Well THAT'S not what I wanted to do! So thankfully I turned around and followed them, passing Stover Creek Shelter about 3/4 mile later. Yep, walked in a big, 1 hour circle. But the rest of the day went great! Walked with those guys til about 2pm. Good conversation, good laughs, decent pace. Was grateful for the company. Jake is planning on doing a thru when he graduates from college. Good luck, Jake! They gave me some potatoes, I gave them some water, and I trekked on as they set up camp at Hawk Mountain Shelter. The next 8 miles gave me good weather and easy hiking, but heavy fog and darkness set in around 5 pm. I hadn't planned on hiking with my headlamp, but I was forced to use it for about an hour and a half in order to reach my goal for the night. I was very weary and ecstatic to see the shelter. Got some food, climbed in my bag...and I'm wide awake! So I've been talking to one of my shelter neighbors for about 2 hours. Blood Mt. Shelter is my goal for tomorrow - 13.5 miles. I plan to get an early start and should hopefully avoid any night hiking tomorrow. That's all for now. Good night!
Date: 2013-01-04
From: Blood Mountain Shelter

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 13.5

Today is my first day to hike low miles and spend the morning journaling and reading my new bible. Can't think of a better place to do that than on the top of a mountain. It's crystal clear this morning. I can see the mountain range for 100s of miles in all directions. I can even see past the range and can pick out a few small buildings. Gorgeous. My handwriting is really sloppy. I've got cold hands and my ink is kinda sluggish. Got down to the low 20s last night but the wind was brutal; felt much colder than that. Yesterday was a geat day. I received several nice gifts. The first was a spare headlamp, so now I have a backup. The second was due to someone's misfortune. I found an almost new, razor sharp S.O.G. knife laying on the trail! Didn't have a sheath so I spent about 20 min rigging up one out of 2 v stakes, my PVC T (normally used to drive my stakes) and paracord. The S.O.G. has found its new home I also met Juday and Cindy, two very nice ladies who seemed genuinely intrigued by thru hikers. I expect they'll both read this post at some point I camped at Blood Mountain Shelter last night. REALLY cool! Two rooms, stone structure, open windows, hand hewn trusses, built in 1934. But buddy it was cold! I had to set up my bivy inside the shelter for wind protection. In the other room were a couople of secion hikers, Jamey and his son, Nate. We exchanged stories and food and had dinner together. Grateful for the company.My ankle bothered me yesterday. I'm going to take time this morning to take care of myself. I'm also gonna stop at Neel's Gap and hopefully do some laundry. Everything I've hiked in is wet! My goal today is Whitley Gap Shelter, 9.1 miles away. Cheers!
Date: 2013-01-06
From: Hogpen Gap

To: Hogpen Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Let's see, where to catch up...I've had an easy past two days. After hiking 11.6, 13, and 13.5 miles the first three days my knees started acting up. I have no muscle pain, just joint. I did read somewhere that if the pain stays in one area you probably have a problem, but if the pain moves around, that's normal Thankfully the pain seems to be moving around. On the 4th I only hiked from Blood Mt. to Neel's Gap - 2.4 miles. I was going to pass through to Whitley Gap but chose instead to go ahead and eat $20 for a night's stay, laundry and most importantly, a gear shakedown.My pack has become heavier with time, which is backwards! I'm grateful, however, because the extra weight is due to the generosity of people, particularly Jamey from Blood Mt. Shelter. Man, what a blessing it was to share the shelter with him and Nate. In the morning I was having trouble (again) with my canister stove in spite of having slept with my fuel and keeping it in my shirt before use. Even with those efforts it just wouuld not perform well. Jamey let me try his liquid fuel Whisperlite, and I loved it so much that he let me borrow it for my trip! Incredibly generous. He also gave me a big bag of food. Jamey, thank you.Anyway, my shakedown resulted in losing about 4 1/2 lbs of pack weight. I'm still riding around that 50 lb. mark, though. Hey, the boys at Neel's Gap said I needed all my stuff and approved of my gear selection, so I don't feel so bad about my 50 lbs anymore. Truthfully, it's already become easy to carry. I don't even feel it on my back anymore. During my shakedown I was advised to do two gear swaps, one to lighter gear at Harper's Ferry, WV and then back to my heavy cold weather gear at Hanover, NH.Last night I finally made it to Whitley Gap Shelter, not to stay the night, just to kill time (I'll explain). I'm really glad I did! The shelter was a long 1.2 miles from the AT, and I expected to be all alone. When I got there I was surprised to meet Morgan, who had a very nice fire going. Morgan thru hiked the trail in '08 under the name "Mouth." He talks alot We shared food and drink and enjoyed the fire for a couple hours, and then a guy named Anthony came down the trail. Seems I'm not the only one who likes hiking and camping in the winter I enjoyed their company til about 9pm then packed my bag and walked 1.4 miles to Hogpen Gap where my friend Scrunch came to pick me up. I'm going to relax today with Scrunch and use my time to rest my knees, modify gear and most importantly, type all of these entries Scrunch is going to drop me back off at Hogpen Gap early in the morning (like 5:30) and I'll resume my hike with a goal of 11.9 miles to Blue Mountain Shelter. That will put me at 50.5 miles (exluding the approach trail) and about 10 miles from Helen, GA. Thank you all for your support and prayers. I can't make it to Katahdin without you.
Date: 2013-01-07
From: Hogpen Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

My first fire on the trail It's incredibly relaxing writing a journal next to a fire. I've had a great day. Scrunch dropped me back off at Hogpen Gap at 6:30 this morning and I hiked like a fool. My pace was almost 2.5 mph which is a full 1 mph faster than my current average. For a while I was contemplating pulling a 20 mile day and camping at Tray Mountain Shelter. I reached Blue Mountain Shelter, my goal, at exactly 12:00 noon! WAY ahead of schedule. I would've continued, but the shelter looked very inviting with a great view and a nice fire pit. The deciding factor for me was not wanting to stress my joints too much too soon. I'll pull big miles when I know I'm ready. I'm glad I stayed. Not long after my arrival Cooper and his dog Jo Jo came in. They're about to finish their SOBO thru. I've really enjoyed his stories and advice. Cooper has a book he's writing and about to publish.I'll be getting another early start in the morning. That's the way to go. If my legs feel good I'll shoot for 15.5 miles to Deep Gap Shelter. Cheers.
Date: 2013-01-08
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Deep Gap Shelter is appropriately named. I'm in the deepest valley I've been in so far. No, I'm not depressed I let out a yell earlier, and no joke, it echoed for a solid 3 or 4 seconds. Pretty cool. No one else is here. It got a it lonely today as I didn't see a soul. It is certainly peaceful. Oh, I take it back, there IS someone else here. I can't see him, but I very clearly hear a squirrel eating nuts in the roof of the shelter. I'm sleeping in the loft so his munching is quite loud Today was my biggest yet - 15.5 miles. I feel good. I feel strong. My knees are better. I realized today that the way I've been descending was the problem, so after an adjustment to my body mechanics I noticed a vast and instant improvement. There were a lot of hills today. I got a funny picture of rock with the words "Found Top" that someone had scratched in it. Funny because it was at the top of a 2 mile climb.I made the decision today to skip Hiawasee and push to Franklin, NC for my next resupply. I have 4-5 days of food on me thanks to the generosity of Cooper, my small resupply in Cleveland, and food I keep finding in the shelters. I keep finding canned soup, and since I don't want to carry it any more than the person who left it, I just pop the top, drink it cold and pack out the empty can. Nice free boost of calories I should be able to make the 44 miles to Franklin in 3 days, putting me there Friday night or Saturday morning. I'm running out of stove fuel, but I cooked pasta over my camp fire tonight & will continue doing so whenever possible.It feels like low 40s tonight - super warm! I'm in a t shirt with my sleeping bag fully unzipped. My weather radio is predicting rain tomorrow night into Thursday. I should hit the NC border tomorrow afternoon (12.5 miles away). I was told by many experienced hikers that if I started on the 1st I probably wouldn't make it out of GA and would quit within 2 weeks. Oh really?I'm feeling confident and am planning on 15.4 tomorrow to Muskrat Creek Shelter. Thank you all for the prayers and support. I'm going to read Ecclesiastes and then get some sleep for my 5:30 start in the morning. Peace!
Date: 2013-01-10
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday was easily the hardest day yet, a true test of my will. Within the first hour of my hiking my left boot busted a seam - I'm talking like a 3 inch gaping hole. It is currently held together by safety pins, duct tape, and some thread. Hopefully it will get me to Franklin, but it sure as heck ain't waterproof anymore. Then I discovered holes - 20 or more - in my wool base layer. Something had definitely been eating my shirt. I blame mice, especially since I found a gaping hole in one of my handkerchiefs this morning. Maybe they're after the salt from my sweat? Very annoying... I'm seriously considering hanging my hiking shirt with my food bag from now on.Physically yesterday was extremely more draining than the previous day even though my mileage was about the same. I'm not sure why, but those last 5 miles were brutal. I was certain I had huge blisters on the balls of both my feet because each step hurt. When I finally arrived at the shelter at 5pm I tried in vain to start a fire. Everything was wet and I couldn't get anything to catch.All in all not a terrible day, just mentally and physically draining. I did run into Hacksaw and Scoota who were headed into Hiawasee for the night. They're only about 80 miles from completing their SOBO thru! They were nice and shared some tips and encouragement.My stove fuel and food and dwindling. I've rationed everything and have right at 2 days of everything left. I have no choice but to be in Franklin by Fri night or Sat morning. While I'm there I'll figure out what to do with this silly boot situation. I'll resupply, charge my phone, and then press on. I've made a commitment to summit Katahdin, whatever it takes. Oh, did I mention I'm in NC?
Date: 2013-01-10
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I've got a lot to learn. I made a poor decision 2 days ago when I chose to skip Hiawasee. My planning was careful and well thought out. I rationed my food per meal per day and organized it in several zip loc bags. I carefully gauged my remaining stove fuel level. I thought for sure I'd have enough....I'm so hungry! I've been told several times that in the early stages thru hikers don't eat as much as they think they will and therefore pack too much food. I have overcompensated and failed to bring enough food. I have three small meals and a couple piddly snacks remaining to get me through tomorrow's hike, but I know that it's not enough calories to properly feel me. I'll have to make sure to not burn too much energy.I'm 15.9 miles from Winding Stair Gap on US 64 which will take me into Franklin. I'm either going to hitch a ride into town late tomorrow evening or wait 'til Saturday morning. I'm leaning toward Saturday because that will give me a full day to resupply and get out of town before I'm tempted by a hotel...I forgot to mention that somehow I miraculously don't have any blisters. Just very red, dry, and slightly swollen feet. I spent time this morning applying lotion and moleskin. I'll do the same in the morning. I'm going to read Ecclesiastes 5-12 now. Peace!
Date: 2013-01-14
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

I'm not able to check my guestbook very often, but I've been informed that many of you were offended and even insulted by my graffiti on one of the shelters. PLEASE accept my public apology. I assumed that leaving your trail name and year was an acceptable practice based off what I saw all around me. My assumption was incorrect. Please know that it hasn't and won't happen again, and please accept my humble apologies for my poor trail etiquette.
Date: 2013-01-15
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

At the risk of sounding like a broken record and sounding like I alrady forgot my life lesson, did I ever tell you how much I hate mice? Well let me tell you about their latest charms...I discovered holes all over my merino wool tights, which I only use for sleeping and have never sweat in. So there goes the theory of them being after the salt from my sweat. They apparently just like wool. Do you know what else they like? Man-made synthetics. And goose feathers. Those just happen to be the materials of my outrageously expensive down coat. Nylon. And feathers. I've got a gaping hole in it with feathers pouring out. There isn't any practical sense or explanation for it. I truly, honestly believe God is testing my will and teaching mne a lesson. Countless hours of research and planning, thousands of dollars spent on gear, training, practice...I was ready for everything. Except mice. And there isn't much I can do about it besides sigh, chuckle, complain to you, my dear reader, stitch up the holes with my trusty needle and thread and GET OVER IT. You know how God sent a plague of locusts to the Egyptians? Well I think he sent me a plague of mice.IN OTHER NEWS, it's 3am and I'm already up and at em, having gone to bed tired at 6pm. It has been raining non stop for the past 2 days and all my gear is soaked (except, of course, my sleeping bag, camp clothes, and other essentials stored in my dry bags). I've got my biggest day yet planned for today - 18.4 WITH a stop at the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center)this afternoon. I'll be hiking from about 4:30am to, if all goes well, about 3pm. My friends are no longer picking me up at Stecoah Gap, but Fontana Dam instead. I'll spend the weekend with them in Robinsville, and then I'm in the Smokies next week Just passed my two week mark. I'm flying steady, feeling strong, and I'm determined to summit Katahdin even if a mouse chews my legs off! Thank you all for reading, caring, and praying. Pray for patience, motivation, safety, and above all else, my spiritual journey. Oh, I almost forgot. I met Will Call today, another NOBO thru hiker who started on the 5th. When he saw me he said, "I thought I was the only nut out in the woods today!" Haha, well this nut is signing out.
Date: 2013-01-16
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday was my new biggest day - 18.4. It rained hard all day, and it's raining still this morning with no signs of change. The mountains have developed new waterfalls and streams because they can't contain the water. In many places the trail itself has become a stream with water flowing so fast there are small rapids. The rocks are slippery, the leaves are slippery, the mud is slippery...no falls yet, but my trekking ples have saved my skin numerous times. I stopped in at the NOC yesterday. It's nothing real special in the off season, but they did have batteries! I was surprised when my headlamp batteries went out yesterday. I guess I've been using it more than I thought. I'm pacing myself to Fontana Dam for my Friday meet up with friends. Only 9.1 planned for today to get me to Brown Fork Gap Shelter.I expect all this rain to turn into freezing rain/sleet, ice and possibly snow next week in the Smokies. I will pick up my crampons and an extra pair of gloves from my friends this weekend. I know many of you are worried about me in the Smokies. I know it will be freezing, slow progress, and possibly no fun, but I WILL make it through, and I will stay safe. I've got my wits about me, I've got excellent winter gear and I've got many people praying for me. Well it looks like another wet and soggy day! I'm going to sew up the holes in my coat pack up, and go brave the rain. Oh, and my mouse rig for my food bag seems to be working like a champ Cheers!