morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-03-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Tonite, our thru hike next year became as real as it could possibly be. This evening I presented a proposal to my Personnel Committee for a 7 month sabbatical, and with the support of my incredible boss, I got full approval! I never really thought about the emotional impact of something like this, but when the committee not only gave their blessing, but also included some very encouraging words, it was all I could do to hold back the tears. This hike is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am truly humbled to be allowed to take on this epic adventure! I owe a lot of people a great debt of gratitude.And of course the reality sets in as well...now it's time for the follow thru...or something about getting off "the pot"! It's one thing to talk about a thru hike, and it's another thing to ask for the time to give it a go...but boy, it's a whole other thing to get the green light. Now we are committed, and there is no turning back.So now that this is checked off the list, we turn our attention to the fifty other items to be attended to. I'm convinced that it will take a full year just to get ready...can't wait!Oh yeah, sabbatical begins exactly one year from today - 16 March 2018!
Date: 2017-03-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Curly and I have been trying to make some time for a little cold weather training...and with the winter snap the southeast had last week, and to celebrate our 2018 sabbatical, we packed up and headed out for Hot Springs to see about putting a few miles under our feet. In all honesty, I was not looking forward to wet and cold, but hey, if you can't hack it when you're practicing, you sure won't be able to hack it when it's real.We headed out for our 3 hour drive northwest, and the temp gauge went down further, and further, and further so that by the time we hit Hot Springs, it was 35 degrees at noon. But no rain...score! Strapped on our packs and headed north on the AT about 1230. Wonderfully, as we climbed up and out of the gap, the skies parted their clouds, the sun came out, and the temps started to rise. Hmm, I thought, maybe we dodge a bullet this time out. For the next three plus hours we dawdled as the views were so beautiful, and between overlooks, chatting with other hikers and the occasional snack, we reached our campsite at 4pm. With the weatherman predicting rain at 5, we got set up and heated some water for hot tea...and almost right on cue, at 430pm, the drops began to fall. Eventually we got into our tent and for the first time ever, we ate a cold dinner. Played a little dice and around 7 called it a nite. The rain was coming down hard by then and continued with varying levels of intensity all night and into the next morning. All night long, the thunder, the lightning, and the wind were all reminders that man really isn't in charge when he is out in nature (or anywhere else for that matter). Definitely keeps one humble!   We have had really good success with our REI tents, and this one, the Quarterdome 3, passed the rain test with flying colors! Heavy as all get out when wet, but sharing it with Curly helped a lot. All in all, a pretty good night!
Date: 2017-03-18
To: Hot Springs Spa And Resort
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We finally decided to get our butts in gear and after a hot cup of coffee and my trail breakfast (Pop Tarts), we caught a brief lull in the rain and packed up and were on the trail by 830am. Between a light rain and mist, we slogged our way back south towards town. The views were obscured by fog and rain, but there is such a fresh newness in the trail at the tail end of a good cleansing rain. Fortunately, the temps were in the 40's, so it was almost perfect hiking weather. We only had 5 miles to hike anyways, and with a 3pm appointment at the Spa for the "deluxe" hot tub...we were digging the moment.Going into town is a magical experience...it seems that you always make better time even in cruddy weather. The prospect of town food, even for section hikers is just so compelling. Two hours after stepping off we were in town, packs locked in the truck, and headed towards Smokey Mountain Diner. I love that place! Fresh, home made, gooey, hot Cinnamon Buns....do I need to continue? I'm drooling as I write this. With a full belly we walked the town,made our obligatory visit to Bluff Mtn Outfitters, and moseyed our way to the Spa. All I can say about that is...ahhhhhhhh!Sadly, all things must end as this trip did, but Curly and I continue to learn more and more each time we go out, and can't wait for our next adventure. We are hiking all of SNP in late spring, and will tackle a chunk of Vermont in the summer. Stay tuned!
Date: 2017-04-20
From: Laurel Valley Trailhead

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Foothills day 1Thursday 20 April 2018It's that time of the month...Curly and I "get out of town" time that is! So we decided to head back to the Foothills and enjoy a couple of waterfalls and torture ourselves going up Heartbreak Ridge. It's been more than 6 months since we last hit this trail, and Curly had a strong itch to visit the only campsite on the trail with picnic tables and fire pits!Getting a noontime start out of town, we headed the car towards Sunset, SC and 3 hours later we hit the trailhead at Laurel Valley. Planning on two nights and just shy of three days, we were excited because Friday's stop would be on the Toxaway river and the campsites have those picnic tables Curly likes...Go figure...hiking over 13 miles for a picnic table.We were also stoked because our good friend Barb was joining us. Barb loves the outdoors probably more than us and her pace is very similar to Curly's. The 3 miles we hiked on Thursday were on pretty easy terrain and averaging about 2 mph, we hit our destination by 5pm. Set up camp, ate dinner and made it into our tents by 8. An easy day, we are grateful to be on the trail!
Date: 2017-04-21
To: Toxaway River
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Foothills day 2Friday, 21 AprilTen Mile day and Heart break RidgeWoke up around 3 am to a flat sleeping pad...epic sleeping pad fail! I have been experimenting with pads, I need some distance between me and the ground! I love my Klymate Static V but it doesn't give me enough lift. The Big Agnes Q core that I took in this trip was awesome for that purpose but it's a half pound heavier...oh the dilemmas. At any rate my choice won't be this particular Big Agnes unless I can find that stinking hole!Pad issues aside, we broke camp a bit late but were on the trail by 815am. I definitely forgot how difficult the terrain was! Easy day yesterday faded fast as the elevation changes seemed to be always up. With 10.3 miles to put in, we made the most of the morning and what a glorious morning it was. The sun broke through the bright green trees and gave us beautiful views of spring. Hiking was challenging, but the sights made step worth it. When we hit the 9 mile point we stopped for a longer than normal break. Fueling up and resting up for what lie before us, the infamous Heart Break Ridge! A total of .7 of a mile that includes step...lots of steps. To ease the pain, we counted those steps going up and down. Bottom line is that 291 + 271 equals great pain. That was the total steps we counted in both directions. Bad news is that it was hard, really hard. The good news is that the picnic tables were the pot of gold at the end of the day!Up and over the Ridge we went, huffing and puffing all the way; and wow what a great gift that met us...beautiful campsites on the Toxaway River. We pitched our tents next to the river and treated ourselves to gluten free Mac and cheese (ugh) mixed with Spam (yay). Then a nice camp fire and a great nights rest with the river singing to us all night long. A wonderful day 2 that set us up for a tough day 3 tomorrow.
Date: 2017-04-22
From: Toxaway River

To: Laurel Valley Trailhead
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Foothills day 3Saturday 21 AprilBig miles and the reward at the end!Doing heart break Ridge twice in less than 24 hours was brutal but incredibly rewarding. We were up and on the trail by 745am. Our first challenge was Heartbreak Ridge...from the other direction. I promise it wasn't any easier! But pop tarts and strong coffee work magic on this old mans body. We got up and over and off we headed to our final destination...our ride home!The sun came up over the mountain, and along with the rugged terrain, the heat was both a joy and a curse. I would much rather hike in the heat than the cold, but sweating like crazy means slugging down the water. Fortunately the water sources were in greats supply on this portion of the trail so we were able to stay hydrated. Our favorite hiking buddy Barb was an amazing trooper, hanging with us and keeping us straight. Interesting, Barb has hiked all of the Georgia section of the AT, and she hadn't seen anything like those steps, not only Heartbreak Ridge, but all of the many steps throughout this trail.Rain held out for the third day and as the day wore down, so did our energy. We had our last stop at Virginia Hawkins Falls, and with a final push, we hit the trailhead at 330pm...all in all a great ending to a great hike. I rewarded the amazing team with Red Robin burgers on the way home and with a few hundred milligrams of ibuprofen in my system, drifted off to sleep a very happy hiker...can't wait for the next adventure in late May (SNP)
Date: 2017-04-23
From: Home

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

No matter how many miles you hike, no matter how many days you are on the trail...the one constant is that there are lessons to be learned. From this past weekend, here are a few tips I picked up from the trail...1. Pace yourself - big miles and small breaks are a recipe for disaster. The body and mind needs to enjoy the journey, after all it ain't a marathon, right?2. Keep cutting...weight that is - it only increases your hiking pleasure when the weight on your back is bearable. Obviously that is in proportion to comfort, but for me, less is more (with qualifications).3. Great partners make for a great hikes - I love hiking with my wife Curly Turtle, and adding Barb made for an awesome weekend. They both hike at similar paces, and it allows me to enjoy my time without as much worry. Plus, it's always great having another person in camp...great conversations and great times.4. Breaking camp - will either make or break the day! Getting out of camp at a decent morning hour makes a huge difference in the rest of the day. Late starts make for longer, more painful days. I prefer early starts and more time on the trail to take my time.5. Food is still the wild card - with Curly Turtle being gluten free, and the fact that we share cook utensils and food, we still need to work that out. To be honest, most gluten free food is horrible (IMHO), so we need to learn some more lessons along the way for that one!All in all, a wonderful hike, and we can't wait for the next adventure, which is hiking all of Shenandoah National Park at the end of May...stay tuned!
Date: 2017-05-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, Curly Turtle and I, along with Barb are a little over a week away from our hike of SNP. I'm so excited I can barely stand it. We are long overdue for some extended time off, and this will be the longest distance we have hiked in one trek (110 miles). We have been tweaking our gear, and I finally pulled the trigger and bought an EE Revelation 20 degree quilt. So excited, this drops almost 2 pounds from my base weight! I've been using a North Face Furnace 20 degree mummy bag for the past 3 years, and it has been a winner...but dropping that weight is a big deal. I've slept in it 3 nights (indoors) and think I've got straps figured out. Fortunately springtime in the Shennies hopefully will have arrived by the time we get there.I'm looking forward to carrying less food in SNP with all the Waysides throughout the Park, and I can't wait to get one of those Blackberry shakes...it's great being on the trail and eating whatever you want! Our plan is to attempt averaging at least 13-14 miles per day, which should be interesting as we haven't done that kind of mileage before, at least not over 8 days. Stay tuned, the big show begins real soon!
Date: 2017-05-20
To: SNP
Miles today: 0.0

Curly and I are packed and ready to go. After packing, repacking, and repacking again, we have our weight at 20 and 22 lbs (3 days of food and 1 ltr of water) each. With all the Waysides and camp stores in SNP, we probably don't need even that much food...it's going to be a great time. We are heading out tomorrow after church services, and hope to hit Waynesboro around 630pm, drop off a vehicle, then on to Front Royal, where we will begin. I'm thinking going north to south will be fun, definitely hoping to run into some of the hikers we have been reading about this year! A selfie with them will make a great memory for 2017!
Date: 2017-05-21
To: Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

The plan was foolproof. Rock solid, impenetrable and impressive. Well, maybe not so fast buckaroo.We left the Columbia area right at 1230pm on time and according to plan. With a 6 hour drive to Rockfish Gap to drop car #1, I felt pretty good about our start. Thru Charlotte before you could shake a stick and then two hours into our trip the rain started falling.No problem at all, traffic is not too congested we shall be in good shape. That is until we hit 81 North, and as the say "the best laid plans..."Accidents, rain, horrible drivers and more horrible driving conspired against us to keep us from our destination. We still need to drop car #1 and then proceed to Front Royal for our final destination. Currently we are about an hour behind schedule and rain is forecasted thru the night. Arrrgh! Good thing Curly is behind the wheel!Postscript...we finally hit Front Royal at 930pm and after a 20 minute search for the trail to the AT, we found that! The rain held off and we night hiked to designated camp sites, finally hitting the hay at 1130pm!
Date: 2017-05-22
To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 2 - Tom Floyd Shelter to Gravel Springs Hut. 11.5 miles Hallelujah for daylight in the swamp! Morning comes early in this beck of the woods, which meant everyone was up and ready to go by 715am! This never happens people and I was thrilled. It rained all night long and we were expecting more of the same...but a little break in the weather appeared and we broke camp and got on the trail. The rain actually held off all day and we ended up having a spectacular day of hiking. The terrain is a bit rocky in places but you can't beat the amazing views. We were on the trail from 715am until 230pm and that included 3 decent breaks and a bunch of pictures with all the views. I'm sure after 8 days we will be tired of them but not now.We arrived at Gravel Springs Hut at 3pm and setup camp, hikers trickling in throughout the afternoon. While everyone was congregated at the hut enjoying stories from the day a bear rambled they the tent section tearing up Vago's and Barbs tents and sleeping pads! We had a Ridge runner on site and next thing you know everyone was spending the night in the shelter! Sweet dreams for all!
Date: 2017-05-23
To: Byrd's Nest #3
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 3 - Byrd's Nest #3 - 17.5 milesAfter yesterday's bear raid on the tent sites, everybody was jammed into the shelter. Curly, Barb, and I were in the loft and the mice stayed home, wish the same was true about the snorers!We were up, packed and on the trail by 7...another world record. We headed south and made tracks, arriving at our first Wayside (Elk Wallow) by 10am. A delicious egg sandwich and cup of coffee and a Cinnabon! Glorious carbs!Originally our plan was to do 13 and stop at Pass Mtn Hut but we decided to do 17+ and stop at Birds Nest #3, so off we went. The day was cloudy and overcast but rain held off. Temps were probably low 60's so it was great hiking weather and the miles flew by. That is until we hit our last mountain of the day Mt Mary. She kicked our butts! 2.5 miles of ascending elevation, and the trail reminded me of the Whites, only the rocks were considerably smaller. The three of us went into "plod" mode and simply put one foot in front of the other. It was brutal and the weather got wetter and wetter. Temps dropped further and we kept hoping to finally reach the Hut. We did at 515pm, over ten hours of hiking today. And of course fetching water was brutal as it always is...downhill and over .3 of  a mile one way. For the first time ever, I did not eat dinner, instead drinking a hot cup of tea, ate some gorp and crawled into the sack.  Very proud of Curly Turtle and Barb.  They crushed the miles!  Also I go to meet 2 more trailjournal 2017 hikers, Daddy Long Legs and C Biscuit. That's 3 so far this week and looking forward to the rest of the week and hopefully meeting a couple more. Tomorrow more Wayside food and great views...supposed to be a nice day!
Date: 2017-05-24
To: Big Meadows Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 4 - Big Meadows Lodge14.6 miles2 nights in a row in a shelter were certainly entertaining. I had a section hiker next to me who warned me that he snored and was a restless sleeper...boy was that ever an understatement! Honest to goodness he ended up ON my pad and snored in 3 keys. I went to bed dehydrated from not enough water and ended with nausea and cramps all night....I hit the jackpot for sure.Once again the weather was horrible with rain in varying degrees of intensity pretty much non stop. We hit the trail at 730am and made our first stop at Skyland at 11 for lunch...naturally the dining room closed at 1030 and wouldn't reopen till 1230. Hiker luck?The rain was a consistent mist which sent chills down your body with the winds and low temps. We decided to head for Big Meadows and grab a camp site and with about 8 miles to go, we moved. Fortunately the ups were not as severe as the day before, but I was feeling the miles...the weather got worse and I decided no way were we going to camp tonite! The lodge had a cabin for the three of us and I'm headed to the dining room to eat some portion of a cow. Praying for some sunshine and dry clouds tomorrow .
Date: 2017-05-25
To: Stealth Site 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 5 - South River Picnic Area13.5 milesWaking up in a warm bed with clean sheets certainly brings perspective to the hiking experience. I think I understand now the incredibly important role that hostels play in thru hikers world. I know that I for one will frequent them and express my appreciation for their good work. Spending the night out of the rain after 3 straight nights was such a blessing.With another day of rain to look forward to, we shoved ourselves out the door by 7am...another world record. With 7.5 miles to Lewis Mtn Campground and lunch on our minds we stepped out quickly. The rain held off for the first 2 hours and then like we expected down it came. We did encounter a deer on the trail and I think it was looking for a treat. It walked toward us and we walked toward it, the deer never spooked until we were no more than 10 feet away. I think the animals in SNP know that there is no hunting and that dumb humans come here to try and domesticate them...not smart on our part.After lunch we had another 6 miles to this picnic area and had to make a decision to hunker down or hike six more miles. We opted for stealth camping and I'm praying that our location is stealthy enough to get us through the night!
Date: 2017-05-26
To: Loft Mountain 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 6 - Loft Mtn stealth site 20 miles and then someIt's funny how something always happens after I post the previous entry, and I have to go backwards before I go forward!Last nite we had just hunkered down in our tents for the nite. I was definitely jittery because of my fear of being too close to the trail for stealth camping, but we were out of options, so into the tent we went...I'll let Curly Turtle tell you: So, last night we saw our first bear. Real close. Too close really. I am kicking myself for not snapping a picture but at the time we were focused on getting it to move on. We heard a branch snap and un-zipped our fly to see this medium size bear sauntering by about 10 feet away! Thankfully all our smelly's and food was hung long before and we ate at the picnic area so there was nothing attractive about us. Forceflex kept yelling something like, "get away bear" and I threw a stick at him. (Lol) The bear didn't even look our way! (Thankfully). We woke Heart-E up from a dead sleep and needless to say, all of us had a tough time getting back to sleep. Go figure after that I wasn't getting much sleep but we did manage to have our best day in terms of weather (sunny and dry), mileage (20+), and food (burgers, fries and blackberry shake at Loft Mtn Wayside). Two more days of miles and this hike is in the books!
Date: 2017-05-27
To: Calf Mountain
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 7 - Calf Mountain Stealth Site20+ milesWith about 27 miles remaining in this journey, we woke up to a beautiful morning and probably the best sleep of the week. Amazing how well you sleep when you're exhausted! The big issue to deal with was how far do we go on this next to last day? We just figured we would see how the day played out, so off we went bright and early. By lunch time we were at Blackrock Hut and with Curlys knees squawking at her, it was time for a little break. This was also the last water available southbound for over 11 miles. Following a break and some vitamin I, we were back at it, not sure how long and far we'd hike given the forecast for bad weather.The weather held out and the miles started accumulating and at 5, with thunder rolling in, we hit water...at just the right time! We filled up and by now, with 17 miles hiked, we were looking hard for a place to pitch camp. One mile led to another and as they added up, so did my patience. We were SOL as far as stealth sites go, and 6 extra pounds of water were dragging me down. We decided to try for the shelter and at 7pm made it...only to discover about 40-50 people there! The place was overrun with people and party central was just getting started.  Once more we headed south and finally at 745pm we found a suitable site on Calf Mtn.  With only 7 miles left in our hike, We pitched our tents and cooked up some Black Bart Chili, calling it a night...our last night in SNP!
Date: 2017-05-28
To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 8 - Rockfish Gap7 milesHard to believe this trip was just about in the books...only 7 miles to the vehicle we had left just a week ago. In spite of the difficult miles we hiked yesterday, those made  us that much closer to being done.We broke camp and took off at a very leisurely pace around 8am. Rain wasn't projected to start until noon or so and I figured we'd be long back by then. Little did I know that the girls would be in "picture taking" mode, which isn't leisurely...it's touristly!The views were so much different than the entire previous week, we found ourselves walking through meadows and open areas. It really wasn't till we were in the last two miles that the Shennies reminded us that they were indeed mountains. The last one, Bear Den Mtn had probably the severest "up" of the week...it was straight up and no switchbacks! I was huffing and puffing to get up that beast, and then just like that it was crested.Then just like we started, we had to finish...with rain! The buckets came down our last mile, and this time I didn't bother putting on the rain gear. To heck with it...I started wet and I'd finish wet! Just like that, we came off the mountain and there was the vehicle we had left just a week earlier...it was surreal because it happened so fast.We dried ourselves off as best we could, donned our hiker town clothes and made a beeline for the hiker world famous Mings Garden AYCE buffet in Waynesboro. They gladly seated us all by ourselves in the hikers section of the establishment and we ate ourselves into a good coma. A fitting end to a fitting journey.One more entry with lessons learned in the next day or so.