morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-02-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

YIKES!!! Where has the time gone. It seems like just yesterday that I was saying only 6 months before the start of my hike. Now I am less that a month. I have taken a couple of weeks off from training to go to Florida to visit friends and relatives and did very little hiking while there. Now that I am home I find that I have a pretty long list of things to do. Most can be accomplished with little effort so I should be able to pare it down pretty quickly. I have decided to try and raise some money with my hike for a non profit here in my home town. The charity is called R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Association of Dawson County)It promotes Literacy projects in the county. A very worth while cause. I am asking people I know to make a pledge of something per mile or just a flat amount. No pressure. I will post later how you can pledge. There was a nice article in the local newspaper last week about me and Jarhead who is also hiking for a charity, the Bowen Arts Center. I continue to do some day hikes locally and will be going back up to the Len Foote Hike Inn this weekend and maybe once more during the week.
Date: 2012-02-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Jarhead and I took the Approach trail up to the cutoff for the Len Foote Hike in and then went over to the hike in for lunch. Visited for awhile and then headed back down. I had not hiked in almost two weeks and I was surprised at how strong I felt. Three weeks to go. YEAI have been working on my todo list and it is coming along. My main concern has been my house and mail. I really didn't want to leave my home vacant for 6 months and the post office will only hold my mail for a month. Problem solved. I have a friend who I trust who has agreed to move into my home and look out after things while I am gone. She will also handle the mail and sending me a few things as I need them along the way. She has moved in and gotten settled. What a relief to have this work out. Things are really coming together.
Date: 2012-02-18
To: Volunteer Appreciation Dinner
Miles today: 0.0

Today I hiked back up to the Len Foote Hike Inn. Every year they have a volunteer appreciation night with dinner, lodging and breakfast the next morning. I got to meet some of the volunteers that I had not met before as well as visit with some old friends. The staff smoked ribs, boston butts and chicken. What a feast. More food that you can imagine and it was all great. Homemade banana pudding for desert. YUM. The forecast calls for rain overnight and tomorrow so I guess I will be hiking back in the rain. Might as well get used to it cause I know I will be doing it a lot once I start my thru hike.I got in 25 miles this week. Feel pretty good about that.
Date: 2012-02-22
To: Raven Cliff Falls Hike
Miles today: 0.0

Six days into my hike Reed is going to pick Jarhead and I up at Dicks Creek and bring us home for re-supply, showers and laundry. This will the be the last time we are close enough to home to do this so we are going to take advantage of it. Reed had never been to Dicks Creek so we decided to drive up there so she would be familiar with the route. On the way back we stopped in Helen, GA for lunch and then went to the trail head for Raven Cliff Falls. The hike up to the falls and back is not difficult and is about 5 miles round trip. I think it is the prettiest hike I have been on. The trail follows a pretty mountain stream all the way to the falls.A great day and a great hike.
Date: 2012-02-26
To: Bummer
Miles today: 0.0

A couple of days ago I came down with a bad cough and a lot of sinus drainage. It doesn't seem to be getting any better so today I went to the Doctor. He said I have an Upper Respiratory Infection. Bummer, but better today than while I am out on the trail. I am taking an antibiotic and a steroid. Hopefully will be better soon as I am supposed to work 4 days at Len Foote Hike Inn this coming week.
Date: 2012-03-02
To: Five days to go.
Miles today: 0.0

After a couple of days I was still not feeling so good so I postponed my trip to Len Foote for a couple of day. I was able to to get up there Wednesday. On my hike up my right calf started bothering me a lot. It felt like a cramp but would not go away and about half way up my left calf starting doing the same thing. By the time I got to the Inn I was hurting pretty bad and limping noticeably. It was suggested that I might be dehydrated but I am not so sure. I have never had a problem with my calfs before. On the way back today I made sure that I was well hydrated and ate an energy bar but the same thing happened. Not as bad but still bothered me. When I got home I checked on the drugs I am taking and sure enough a side effect of both is sore muscles. I will be off of one tomorrow and the other on Tuesday so I hope this all goes away before Thursday.As usual had a great time at the Hike Inn.
Date: 2012-03-03
To: Four Days to go
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a good day. I attended the Backpacking Clinic at Amicalola Falls State Park. I try to go every year and I always learn something. They had a number of vendors there and of course I had to buy something. I thought I had everything I needed (and I did) but there was this one rain jacket. UMMMMMMMMSome of the speakers included Gene Espy, Winton Porter,Bill Walker (Skywalker) and others. I had to leave a little early because some friends of mine were having a little cook out send off for me. We really had a good time and thanks to my friends for doing that.I was planning on going back to the Backpacking Clinic Sunday but have decided that I need the time to get caught up on some chores around the house as well as some prep items that still need attending too.I must say the excitement is building. Just a few days left till I start this adventure. I was kidding with some of my friends today and told them I couldn't wait to get started on the trail so I could get some rest. Things have been hectic.
Date: 2012-03-04
To: Three days to go
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a very busy day. I was going back up to the Backpacking Clinic for a couple of hours but decided my time would be better spent around the house finishing up a lot of items on the to do list. Got them all done and then some. I feel good about where I am right now in terms of leaving my home for 6 months.Yesterday I sent out an email to over 100 friends and relatives giving them information about my hike, how to contact me, the link to my journal etc. I have already heard from about a third of them.A while back I decided that I would make this hike a fund raising project for a local non-profit that deals with improving literacy here in Dawson County. The organization is R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Association or Dawson County) If you would like more information or would like to make a pledge their web site is readdawson.com We are asking people to pledge so much per mile or just a flat amount. The response has been pretty good so far.Another busy day tomorrow.
Date: 2012-03-05
To: Two Days to Go
Miles today: 0.0

Today was another very busy day. I had an appointment in the morning to get my taxes done. I wanted to get this out of the way before I left. After that I looked around for a place to get the battery changed in my watch. I didn't want it to go dead on me somewhere out on the trail.Then Jarhead and I went to Riverview Middle School to talk with 7th and 8th graders about our thru hike. The kids were very attentive and asked a lot of really good questions. I really enjoyed it.Back home to work on some more to do's and then out to dinner with friends. All in all a really full day.
Date: 2012-03-06
To: One More Day
Miles today: 0.0

Today was another day of checking things off my to do list. I am almost there. Not much left to do. Reed took me to lunch today at an all you can eat place which has really good home cooking. (the Smith House in Dahlonega)I couldn't eat that much but I bet in another month I could clean them out. Went to vote and then to get my hair cut. I opted for a buzz cut. It will be much easier to keep clean along the way and I won't have to carry a comb. Save those ounces. LOLYou can look in the photo section of my journal and see the before and after pictures. One more trip to the grocery store and I am done except for final packing. That I will do tomorrow. Then Thursday we are off. YEA
Date: 2012-03-07
To: Ready to go
Miles today: 0.0

Spent most of today going through my gear for the umpteenth time. Consolidated some things and got rid of others. Finally I loaded everything in my pack and it weighed in at 32.5 pounds. That includes food and water so I am pretty happy with that. In a couple of months when I get rid of my winter gear I should get it down under 30 pounds. Tonight I am a little bored. After staying on the go for so many days I felt at loose ends with nothing to do. Tomorrow is the big day. It looks like I will escape the rain during the day but it is supposed to rain tomorrow night. Might as well get used to it.
Date: 2012-03-08
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I am all packed and ready to go. Reed will take me over to Jarheads and Wes Wisson will pick us up at 9:00 and take us to the parking lot near Springer Mountain. We will hike South for a mile, sign the register and take the obligatory pictures and then head North. I am so ready to get going.Well everything went according to plan. Wes Wisson picked us up at Jarheads at nine and we were at the Springer Mountain trail head by ten. We had quite a welcoming commitee. There were a number of people from Jarheads charity, the Dawsonville Arts Council, there. They joined us for the South bound one mile to Springer. I signed the register as a thru hiker and then headed North. I met quite a few hikers starting today. The weather was overcast but mild. Good hiking weather. I hiked in a short sleeved shirt all day.We stopped at Long Creek Falls for lunch.and then headed to Hawk Mountain shelter for the night. Two of Jarheads friends (Fred and Don) hiked out with us and are spending the night and hiking back tomorrow. The shelter is full and there are about 10 tents set up including mine. Rain is due to move in tonigbt but I should stay nice and dry.All my chores are done and I am ready to crash. Most everyone is in their sleeping bag by hiker midnight (Dark) Just heard the first drops of rain. All in all a very good first day.
Date: 2012-03-09
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

OH.....I forgot to mention in yesterdays journal that after only two miles I had my first fall. I stepped on a wet root which was covered with leaves and rolled my right ankle causing me to hit my left knee on a rock. Tried to catch myself and sprained my left thumb and finally hit my face on rock. No major damage. The thumb is the worse. It was very sore over night and swollen today but manageable. It does make you realize how one small slip could end your hike.It seems I have picked up right where I left off last May. First one up in the mornig but last one out of camp. I have to get faster.It rained really hard last night, all night, but quit in time to pack up. All my stuff is wet and muddy except what I was able to keep inside the tent. The important things are dry - clothes, sleeping bag, food and electronics. I headed out about nine with two tough climbs ahead of me. Sassafras Mountain followed by Justis Mountain. Sassafras was a thousand foot gain in elevation in just one mile and Justis a 500 foot gain in elevation in one half mile. It took Jarhead and me an hour to do Sassafras but we did it. We are tired and somewhat humbled. We are at Gooch Mountain Shelter tenting. All the youngsters got here early and got the shelter space. I just realized I didn't take a picture today. Shame on me. Maybe I can get a shot or two before I leave in the morning.We are beginning to meet some of our fellow hikers; many have been on the same schedule as we are so we have camped together each night. Most in their twenties and none anywhere near as old as we are. We have leap frogged three young girls who are just going to Neels Gap. One of them has done the entire AT. Met "Medicine Man" tonight. He got his trail name because his mom is a nurse and she has him carrying what seems to be about 10 pounds of pills, splints, bandages etc. He was very popular with the blister crowd. Also, he wears a kilt. Not the first time I have seen a kilt wearer on the trail. They say its very comfortable and no I didn't ask him if he wore anything under neath.I didn't sleep well the first night, waking about every hour. On previous hikes I didn't sleep good the first few nights. Hopefully tonight will be better.
Date: 2012-03-10
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: clear sky

I slept a little better last night but not much. Soon I will be so tired that I will sleep all night without a problem. Well my goal today was to get up a little earlier, 6:30, and pack faster and maybe be out by 8:00. I was even slower this morning than yesterday morning. Part of the problem is that the outside of the tent is still wet as is the ground cloth under it which makes it hard to pack. Mostly it is just that I am not in a routine yet. Yesterday Jarhead was ready to go about fifteen minutes before me and today I was a little ahead of him. We will not always leave at the same time. We decided to only go to Woody Gap today and have Tina (Jarheads) wife pick us up and take us home for resupply etc. Since we live so close to Springer Mountain we had planned to do this about three times until we were too far away. Also, the forestry service has instituted a rule that from Jarrard Gap to Neels Gap you must have a Bear Canister to put your food in rather than just hanging it from tree or bear cables. That kind of messes up our schedule so we have decided to "Slack Pack" that area tomorrow. Slack packing is where you carry a light day pack and someone picks you up at the end and either brings your pack to you or takes you back to your where your back pack is. Usually it works when you are staying at a Hostel somewhere and they take you up the trail 10-15 miles and drop you off and you hike back to the Hostel for the night and then the next day they take you and your pack up to trail and drop you off and you continue your hike. Tomorrow Reed with drop us back off at Woody Gap and we will hike the 10 miles to Neels Gap. Someone will pick us up and bring us back to our homes and the next day we will go up to Neals Gap and continue on with packs.Two nights in my own bed nice and clean and dry and comfy. YEA Jarhead and I continue to be amazed at the lack of preparation of some of the hikers we have encountered. Mostly it is how much weight they carry and the type of equipment they have or don't have. One 20 something just got out of the Marines and most of his stuff is military. He is carrying over 70 pounds including a 45 pistol. He is a great guy but clueless about what he has gotten into. He has to sit down and slide up to his pack and strap it on and then stand up. I think we have talked him into doing a pack shake down at Neels Gap.They will go through your pack and tell you what you can do without and what you need that you don't need. I hope he makes it that far. He will not be on the trail long if he doesn't do something about the weight he is carrying.Another gentleman in his early fifties is not treating his water. I know a few people who don't treat their water but they are just asking for trouble. I can't imaging anything worse than having intestinal problems out on the trail and if you get Giardia (sp) it can be fatal. Enough of that. This afternoon once I was home I was able to spread out all my wet gear to dry, take a shower, eat a good lunch and take a nap. Life is good.
Date: 2012-03-11
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: scattered clouds

We headed out from Woody Gap at about 9:20 this morning to slack pack the 10.5 miles to Neel Gap. What a difference a light pack makes. It was a cool day but not cold. Good weather for hiking. When I was on the leeward side of a mountain I was a little too warm in a long sleeve base layer but when I was in the wind I was a little too cool. The climb up Big Cedar Mountain was not too bad and the views were great. From Big Cedar Mountain it was downhill or level all the way to Jarrard Gap where we ate lunch. 5 miles in about 2 3/4 hours. Not bad. After lunch we started the climb to Blood Mountain. Blood Mountain is the highest point in Georgia on the AT. It was not really that steep a climb for the first hour but it was continuous uphill. Then for another 30 minutes it was steep with a lot of switch backs. Every time the trail switched back you were sure you had arrived but there was more to come. I thought I would never get there. I was drenched in sweat by the time I arrived and then of course got chilled at the summit. The views made it all worth while. I didn't linger at the summit as I knew I had another 2.4 miles to go to get to Neel Gap. The first mile was all rocks and I mean big rocks and very steep downhill. You had to pick your way around or over the rocks. It was slow going and you had to be very careful not to slip and fall. After about a mile it was a little easier and then we arrived at Neel Gap around 4:30. We are staying at our respective homes again and will be able to stay at home and resupply one more time and then we will be too far along to come back. I wanted to mention a couple of things. One, I have posted more pictures in my picture section. There are more pictures than the ones that are on each journal page. Two, I wanted to give a shout out to "misplaced moose" a hiker that Jarhead and I met on the way down from Springer and then saw again at Hawk Mountain Shelter Where she celebrated her 32nd birthday with a snicker bar complete with candle (Ok maybe it was a match). She is heavy set and carrying a large pack and has the best attitude of anyone I have met on the trail so far. She is an inspiration for sure. We saw her again today just before Jarrard Gap. She is amazing.We also met a fellow named Steve who is older. Maybe in his 50's and is attempting a thru hike. His pack is heavy and he is looking forward to shedding some weight at Neel Gap. A nice guy and I hope to run into him again along the way. Also met and hiked with "Frenchy" a 20 something from California. He is carrying the lightest pack of anyone I have met so far. 25 lbs including water and food. WOW. Jarhead is having problems with his little toe. A blister has formed and is giving him a lot of trouble. It is in a spot that is hard to protect. He is concerned about it and his ability to continue. Stay tuned.
Date: 2012-03-12
From: Neels Gap

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

Jarhead called last night and said he thought he could make it today but I could tell he was not 100% committed. His toe was still giving him a problem. I didn't want him to get out too early and mess his toe up where he might need to get off the trail for several days or more. We talked about it and decided to take a "0" today and strike out again tomorrow. I got my first good nights sleep in four nights last night. Woke up really rested. I had a few things I needed to do this morning and I decided to go ahead and get my next resupply together. We will be coming back home on Friday for our last resupply from home and that will save me some time then. I called some friends to see if they were available for lunch and they were. It was nice to see them again and they were shocked to hear from me.After lunch I was at loose ends. I didn't have anything to do and I was all ready packed to go tomorrow. I felt like I did last May when I took a double "0". Just sitting around with nothing to do. The weather for the next 5 days is going to be very spring like even summer like. High in the 70's and lows in the 50's. Somehow I think we are going to pay for this good weather somewhere down the line.As nice as it has been to be able to resupply from home I am looking forward to being too far up to trail to do it. It is a little too easy.
Date: 2012-03-13
From: Neels Gap

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

We started today at Neel Gap around 9:50 with plans to go 11.5 miles to Low Gap Shelter. It was raining when we left home but sunny when we started hiking. A few miles from the start a day hiker saw us and said you must be Jarhead and Granbob. We asked him how he knew and he said we were all over the internet. Thanks Hap you made our day.The next exciting thing that happened occured at Tesnatee Gap. Our first trail magic. Paster Rich (King Tut) was there with food and drink as well as chairs to sit in. The timing was great. Thanks much.Got to Low Gap at 5:30. Our longest day yet. 11.5 miles 7.6 hours. We decided to stay in the shelter instead of tenting to see if it will allow us to get out a little faster in the morning. After getting situated Jarhead sat at the picnic table and started boiling water for his dinner. There were several seated at the table and another sat down and the table tipped and spilled the hot water scalding his hand and arm. He has a pretty good burn and is in a lot of pain. He will decide what to do tomorrow. Jarhead can't seem to catch a break.
Date: 2012-03-14
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: clear sky

As usual I did not sleep very well last night. Seems like I woke up about every hour. The good news is that when I wake up I don't stay awake. I just look at the time and go back to sleep. When Jarhead woke up the burning on his hand and arm had subsided but he did have two blisters from the scalding. We had breakfast, packed up and headed out. We still are not getting out early but we are getting better. It was a beautiful day. Sunny with a high in the low 70's. Almost a hot day for hiking. I like it when it is in the 50's but still a pretty day.We were looking forward to a pretty easy hike today because the guide showed pretty level terrain all day. That can be deceiving. True there were not any really big climbs until the end but there were countless PUD's (Pointless ups and downs) So it was not as easy a day as we had hoped but not bad. We stopped at Rocky Knob and had lunch with two other hikers Wes and Bryan and Lynn, a hiker we had met previously, came through but didn't stay long. All nice people.After lunch we headed to Unicoi Gap outside of Helen. On the way we passed Blue Mountain shelter but didn't stop. The trail from Blue Mountain to Unicoi Gap was about 1.5 miles or very rocky downhill(over 1000 feet)These long downhills are tough on the feet and knees. Your toes get crammed up against the front of your shoe and if you don't have the proper fit can cause blisters and loss of toenails. It is not uncommon for a hiker to lose all his/her toenails over the course of a thru hike.When we got to Uniocoi Gap we took a little break and then headed up a 1000 foot climb in 1.5 miles to where we would camp for the night. I noticed that Jarhead was having a tough time, having to stop every few feet. I asked him if he was alright and he said he was so I moved on ahead. At about the half way point I stopped to rest and wait on him. He was about 15 minutes behind so I knew something was wrong. We stopped to get water and he told me his toe was just killing him. I could tell he was in a lot of pain. I didn't see how he could continue. We discussed it and decided to go back down to Unicoi Gap and call his wife to pick us up. I am sure he will be off the trail for awhile and he hates it as do I but it is what it is and you have to live with it. He will go to the Dr tomorrow. I will stay home tomorrow to resupply and plan the next few days so I will be back on the trail on Friday by myself. This will be my last trip home until the end. I have done most of my backpacking by myself so that is not a problem except that I will miss Jarhead. He is a good hiking companion.