morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2020-01-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It's been a few months since I've been off the trail. Overall I think I'm in good health. My knees thankfully have given me no problems, and seem to be fully healed (they were pretty messed up mid-hike).Unfortunately I developed some plantar fasciitis in mostly my left foot, which has left me hobbling around a bit. I bought some inserts for my shoes, and that has helped a bit. I still have the "hiker hobble" after waking up in the morning or getting off the couch after too much inactivity.After my hike I was skinnier than I've ever been, and I should have known better, but I bought all new clothes anyway, knowing full well most hikers gain weight after their hike. I have gained a bit too much weight, so this month I'm starting Whole 30 as a sort of way to cleanse, and I've been walking at least 10k steps every day.Interestingly, during my hike my best resting heart rate was 58 bpm. After my hike it steadily increased and went up to as high as 70bpm, thanks to my inactivity and probably bad eating. Usually these days it has hovered around 65bpm, but after starting my diet and daily walks it has thankfully plummeted back down to 60bpm!There are not many mountains around where my folks are in South Carolina, but there is a beautiful neighborhood park with some of the preserved swampland. It's crazy flat and has no real roots or obstacles of any kind, so it's a bit too easy compared to the crazy hiking I left off with in New Hampshire and southern Maine. But I'm thankful for that park, since it really reminds me of the AT.Before, during, and after my hike I resolved to find a meaningful job where it wouldn't feel like I was wasting my life or my time. I have been too picky and haven't yet found that "dream job" and I think I may need to compromise.My mom says I should use the opportunity and just complete the second half of the AT in spring, which is not far off. As I struggle to find work, that possibility becomes more and more of an option....
Date: 2019-03-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm not a deep thinker. Some might say I'm not much of a thinker. But I am aware of the enormity of the task of hiking the Appalachian Trail, and I knew that I needed some deeper understanding of its transformative power to keep in mind while hiking it to keep myself centered.My trail name, therefore, will be Legacy. A legacy is a gift, action or guidance handed down, inherited or received from a predecessor. The trail name is in memory of my father, and is also in honor of my wife and three daughters. My father, hardworking and intelligent, emphasized the importance of living a life full of quality, of "marching to a different drummer", as exemplified by running 43 marathons beginning at age 59. For my wife, Cynthia, and children, Kelsey, Bonnie and Audrey, I hope to have modeled for them a life well-lived, a life full of work and of worth. My life actions and love for them is my legacy to them.The starting date for my thru-hike, March 6, has special significance in this regard as well, in three ways. It is the date of my daughter Bonnie's birthday. It is also the date of the second anniversary of my father's death at age 97. And it is Ash Wednesday. I will be keeping these thoughts in my head and in my heart to help keep me on the trail.
Date: 2019-03-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

There are certain people I need to thank for their guidance and support for helping get me on the AT.My A-Team includes my wife, Cynthia, who will be at Command Central and holding down the fort while I am away, handling communications, questions and especially maildrops. She has been incredibly supportive of my efforts. They say the AT changes a person. (She can only hope so!) My daughters, knowing the eccentricities of their father, and who also are a source of inspiration for him, support him as well. My neighbors, Jim and Marcia, have helped - Jim with his interest in my well-being and with his technological skills for downloading Guthook and pdfs, and Marcia with her encouragement ("you're crazy!")I would be like a babe lost in the woods (literally) if it were not for what I call my A.T. Team, AT hikers, three from Rochester, NY, who have generously shared their time and knowledge with me. Brightside (NOBO, 2017) inspired me with her blog, answered my questions, and provided the blueprint for much of my gear by posting her own gear list. I attended two of Dori's presentations to learn about her SOBO thru-hike. Opa wrote a daily blog of his 2018 hike to give me a better sense of the day-to-day existence on the AT, and had lunch with me to answer my questions. I met Pokey, from CT, on my Northville Placid Trail thru-hike in the Adirondacks last August, a chance encounter that has been incredibly important to me. Pokey has been very patient with me, providing detailed answers and pictures to my many questions over months. The Genesee chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) has had monthly speakers who have expanded my knowledge of hiking in general and the AT in particular.One does not hike the AT alone. I would not be hiking at all without my A-Team and my A.T. Team.
Date: 2019-03-15
From: Amicolola State Park

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 69.2

After a 25 hour Amtrak train ride from Rochester, NY to Gainesville, GA, and a shuttle ride, I arrived "fresh" at Amicolola State Park on March 6 for the 8.8 mile approach trail just to get to Springer Mountain. I registered as a thru-hiker, AT 601. Some school kids were on the trail, one with a shirt that said "All Legacy", which I took as a good omen. At the summit, I paused for pictures at the famous "AT plaque", where I met Popps, and we headed to Springer Mountain Shelter for the night, at AT mile marker 0.2. The temperature dipped to 22 degrees that night, the coldest I have experienced on the trail so far, but except for some cold feet, I was warm that night.The following morning, Popps and I set out, with Jerry later joining us, as we made our way to Hawk Mtn campsite, where we made our dinners on top of a bear box.The next night, Sped, a thru-hiker I met on the train ride down, tented next to me, which was reassuring as we had an all-night drenching and let me know of the type of weather adversity to be faced on the trail. Sped is a good hiker with a positive attitude, which kept me centered early on.A couple nights later Westy and Tabasco joined us at a campste. Westy in particular is a character, at 71 doing his second AT after thru-hiking three years earlier. (Westy: "Tabasco thinks he's hot stuff!") We went to do a group bear hang, Westy choosing a tree. Tabasco threw the line over a branch, then gave a tug to test the limb. The branch came crashing down, narrowly missing Tabasco. "Well", said Westy nonchalantly, "let's try this tree over here."Sped and Highlander hike faster and further than me, so I let them go, but Westy, Tabasco and I ended up at Top of Georgia, a great hostel at Dick's Creek Gap. When I asked Westy how large his ultralight pack was, he said 80 liters, and we laughed, thinking that 80 liters of anything is no longer ultralight. Still, his base weight of 18 pounds is two pounds lighter than mine.Westy is a memorable guy, and one of the most gracious things he did was let me copy his itinerary. This has been a real blessing to me, because it put each day's trek in "Doug-miles" rather than in "superhiker miles" that would do me more harm than good, as well as suggesting hostel stops and maildrops.Self-assessment: my feet are definitely tired by the end of the day. Still, I have gone through some drenching rain and cold nights. The trail is beautiful, surrounded by trees, streams, mountains and sweeping vistas. The trail is work, but easier than the High Peaks in the Adirondacks: less rigor than the peaks, fewer muddy trails, and switchbacks that make the climbs more gradual. With weather that overall has been favorable, I am doing better than expected.
Date: 2019-03-25
To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Enquiring minds want to know: "Legacy, what is the stinkiest article of clothing after a week on the trail?" Now, I don't want to air my dirty laundry, mind you. We have had variable weather (cold, rain, sun), but we have not had those summertime temperatures that create the potent stench that hiker trash is known for. Nonetheless, one piece of clothing elicits more "pews" than you see in church on Easter Sunday. My underwear, which at home smells like a bed of roses - even after being worn - stinks, both the day hiking pair and the gently used nighttime pair. If my underwear had legs, it would run away. What is it about hiking that would create such a stench? It's not like I ran out of toilet paper halfway through at the privy! Apparently, my exhaust is worse than a '53 Chevy that needs a tune-up. On the positive side, it has proven to be an effective bear repellent, since I haven't encountered any bears so far. Sped, a biologist, is a proponent of Lysol spray ("kills norovirus, which hand sanitizer will not"). What am I to do? Spray Lysol on my butt (or butt-ocks, as Forrest Gump would say)? Stick some Glade air freshener in my underwear?That reminds me that the Petrasky's, the polite side of the family, would refer to having gas as "breaking wind". Hell, growing up, us Brown's did not break wind, we farted, oftentimes loudly, and with five other brothers and sisters, sometimes in competition. My mother wasn't known as The Bomber for nothing!Hiker stench has stymied climate scientists for generations, trying to find a solution to its bad odor. I don't have a solution, just a word of warning: don't stand downwind of me!
Date: 2019-04-09
To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 69.3

I'm taking a zero today in Erwin, a bit sooner than my others. To date, I think I've taken one nero and four zeros.Lately, trail magic has taken on more exotic fare. One evening, at a shelter no less, trail angel Bloodhound showed up with beer and ice cream on dry ice. My favorite, however, was one Sunday morning when I needed more energy and Quiet Paul was serving up freshly cooked scrambled eggs with fried potatoes that were outstanding.My trail legs did no show up on schedule as hoped. I am generally a morning person, so I was concerned when I had low energy one morning...since I had already noticed low energy during afternoons that made for lethargic progress, and I had dark thoughts about my continued existence on the AT. A couple days of more moderate terrain gave me hope, as well as talking to Up And Over, someone closer to my age who seemed to be dealing - maybe more positively - with the same issues. With our slower pace, it takes us longer to reach the shelter, giving us less recovery time to prepare for the next day. I've noticed a reduction in the number of hikers from the "retirement set" the further north we progress.My thought is that three things may increase my energy/enjoyment/hiking mileage in due course: (1) my legs and body will become better adjusted to the workload, (2) I am trying to increase my caloric intake (easier to do in trail towns than on the trail), and (3) the terrain is supposed to moderate in Virginia. I need all three at this point. (Slowing down is a possibility, but then has the consequence of me carrying more food, hence weight, as it takes more days to get to your next resupply location.)Evenings, though short, have been better as the last week I have progressed to the same shelters as General Lee and his troops, and other hikers I have gotten to know. (I have wondered if General Lee will change his name to General Grant north of Virginia.)The topics most discussed among thru-hikers are: food (what you ate, what you are eating and what you plan to eat in town), calories (as everyone is losing weight), and protein (peanut butter at the top of the list). Jazzhands found a packaged honey bun that packs 710 calories and that she believes saved her. As she told one hiker, "Dude, if you're still buying Little Debbie's honey buns, you're doing it all wrong!" General Lee is a strong hiker and relies on multiple meals frequently throughout the day and probably does it the best of anyone I've seen.I have anxious concerns about outbreaks of norovirus on the AT near me, and am trying to take more vigilant action to avoid contact with it or individuals, short of wearing one of those sumo wrestler blow-up costumes on the trail.The fluidity of hikers is becoming more natural as I meet more and more hikers, people such as Happy Dance, Raven, Swiss Miss (WI), Upstate (NY), Up And Over (CT) and Highland (CAN). I am continuing to move north.
Date: 2019-04-19
To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 126.6

With the significant effort it takes to hike the AT, it is natural for there to be times when a nadir fills your hiking head. Leaving Erwin, I had three heavy days of 17, 17 and 16 miles, much of it uphill, and it wore on me physically and mentally. And that's when the trail magic occurred, not in the form of food, but in the form of fellow hikers and friends back home. Swiss Miss accompanied me for much of those three days, providing the boost I needed. Later, I hiked with Up & Over while he dealt with a swollen shin, sharing conversation at shelters in the evenings. Back home, Wendy and Larry, both of whom are friends, fellow parishioners and health care professionals that I have visited in the past, graciously replied to my emails about issues I was having on the trail. This support was crucial to improving my mindset, and I have done better since then.Certain images are etched in my mind. Though I was dark in spirit, I enjoyed the climb down from Roan Mtn in driving winds and rain. I liked the memorial of seeing a tree in the woods dressed up in Christmas ornaments. Jones Falls and Laurel Forks Falls were both spectacular in their natural beauty. And I loved the wonderful sense of comunity when attending a Maundy Thursday service at a small church last night.The weather, though drastically variable, is warming more consistently, and with it are sights of buds on the trees and bugs on the ground, and bright orange newts, insects and a black snake. At a hostel / tavern, we enjoyed a country western couple playing a banjo and fiddle. And you know you are in the South when you see a sign that says "I love you like biscuits and gravy."Milestones reached include leaving North Carolina and Tennessee behind and entering Virginia. Since 25% of the AT is in VA, I'll be here awhile. I have hiked 470 miles to date. I set a new PR by hiking more days on this trip than I did when I hiked the Camino de Santiago three years ago with my amigo Rick.New hikers I have met include McFly, Zig (PA), British chap Cocoa, Blacksmith with his dog Hank (ME), Eagle Eyes and Milky Way with their dog Baxter (FL), and Xavier (NH).
Date: 2019-04-24
To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 74.8
Weather: clear sky

"Don't send any winter gear home until you get to Virginia", they told us at Amicalola State Park for the start of the AT. Maybe they need to amend it to "until after Damascus, VA." On Friday, I sent home my fleece and some merino wool gear. Then Saturday, I left Damascus, and had an all-afternoon drenching that soaked my rain gear and left me cold and wet. (I was warm and dry in my sleeping bag that night.) Then on Easter Sunday, I was greeted with...what? snow in the mountains?...that rained on me as temperatures warmed slightly. Concerns about hypothermia danced like sugarplums in my head...oops, wrong holiday image! That was on a 17 mile day with lots of rocky, uphill work where we were supposed to see the wild ponies from Grayson Highlands. Huh. I saw none. Apparently the neon sign announcing "WILD PONIES! THIS WAY, LEGACY!" was in the shop for repairs. However, on Monday I saw five ponies which were conveniently grazing near the AT. Thank you, you nice conveniently located wild ponies!On Tuesday morning, I hiked for a while with Kevin, a strong young hiker from Syracuse - together, we were a couple of good ol' boys proudly representing Upstate New York on the AT, we were - when we met Mr. Appalachia! I knew it was him because he asked us "who gave you permission to hike my trail?" We answered real respectfully (1) because he was an older man and (2) he was packing a pistol on his hip. He was a nice guy, Mr. Appalachia, and we went happily on our way (1) because he told us of his trail magic by the road and (2) because he did not shoot us - I told you he was a nice guy.I stayed Tuesday night at the Partnership Shelter, which is distinguished because (1) it has a shower and (2) you can order pizza to be delivered to the shelter. Wouldn't you know it? - the shower was turned off! Other bad news seemed imminent after some young hikers, fully informed of my desire to order pizza, showed un-AT-like behavior by ordering without me, but then another hiker from the retired set showed up and we ordered and ate together.Today was a short but beautiful day so I could shower, do laundry, resupply and eat real food before heading out again tomorrow. Toward the end of the hike today, a train passed on nearby tracks, and it reminded me of my hike and bike trips on the Great Allegheny Passage with trains frequently going by - I love the sound of trains, especially at night.My mileage has moderated with the terrain after a short talk with Lady Di one morning about having fun.Milestones include going over 500 miles so far, making this my longest multi-day hike by exceeding the miles I hiked on the Camino de Santiago three years ago.
Date: 2019-05-27
To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 134.0

The first few days out of Daleville were quieter than usual. Trail Days, the annual bash celebrating the AT, was taking place that weekend in Damascus, and many hikers left the trail to attend.Fortunately, I moderated my mileage through this section, to 15 miles or less, because there were long uphills, hot days and fewer reliable water sources. One day I carried an extra 2.5 liters of water into a waterless shelter. That was the same day I had my third fall of the hike, as my left ankle buckled on the uneven surface. I felt my right knee start to twist, and fell rather than injure it.Brushing my teeth one morning, I saw a deer picking its way through the foliage. A couple mornings later, I was again brushing my teeth when a sparrow landed on a branch 5 feet from me, softly mewing like a kitten as it jumped from branch to branch. This is convincing evidence that wildlife is attracted by minty, fresh breath. I've also seen snakes on the trail. The problem, then, is to have minty, fresh breath to attract deer and birds while having horrid breath at other times to repel snakes and bears.I stopped overnight at a hostel in Glasgow for the essentials (shower, laundry, maildrop), and again experienced the kindness of trail towns, as the Episcopal church served a dinner to hikers that night. I usually don't find hikers watching TV at hostels, but later, they were searching for some deep intellectual fare, and found it in an Austin Powers movie.There were a couple days that I found fun because occasional F15's flew just overhead from nearby Langley Air Force Base, emitting ear-splitting sounds as they burst past. It was comforting knowing that, for those two days at least, that the AT was safe from terrorists.Notable sites I passed included the "Guillotine", two walls of rock with a boulder suspended overhead. Flowers have been bursting out everywhere, adding color to the trail. At one shelter, I found Max at work, a stone mason who during his hike has been artistically "stonescaping" some of the fire pits.Arriving early Sunday morning in Waynesboro, I attended a service at the Presbyterian church. It was a beautiful large church with a magnificent organ up front, and it felt good to be there. Today I took a zero, and had lunch with Bruce, Cynthia's cousin. Bruce has completed the AT twice, the second time as a thru-hike in 1991.Milestones included passing the 800 mile mark.New hikers met included Granite (NH) and Chai (CAN). I camped with Wicked (MA), One Way (MS) and Fruitbasket one night, and a 50+ set (Red, Colonel, Sky Pilot and Sweetwater) another. I met Iris and Tracy numerous times. Iris (NC) assisted Dori from Rochester, NY, on her SOBO thru-hike.
Date: 2019-06-10
To: Harpers Ferry, VA
Miles today: 53.1

Although only a few days have gone by, many noteworthy events have taken place since my last journal. While hiking a few days with Death March Dan (TN) and Show Me (MO), we went through the Roller Coasters. Given its name, you might have expected me to strap on my seat belt, throw my hands in the air and yell "Whee!" But, no, the Roller Coasters are 14 miles of tightly packed, steep climbs and descents. So my pace slowed, and the only sound from my mouth was "Wheeze!"Still, we stopped in the middle of the Rollers Coasters to celebrate another event, hitting the 1,000 mile mark. 1,000 miles!, representing three months of hard work on the AT. Woo hoo!The next day presented another celebration, when after "only" 544 miles in Virginia, we exited that state and entered West Virginia, which means I have completed 4 (GA, NC, TN, VA) of the 14 states that comprise the AT. It's like they're falling like dominoes!Today I am in Harpers Ferry, WV, what is traditionally thought of as the halfway point of the AT. However, because those merry makers at ATC have added miles to the AT over the years, the halfway point is actually two states away, in PA. Thank you, you fun-loving ATC folks!The last two nights I tented at the Sam Moore and David Lesser shelters, which were correctly named in my opinion, as the first was "Moore nice" and the second was the "Lesser" of the two in terms of amenity placement.I would think that the organizations most closely associated with the AT would be more aware of promoting it and catering to their target audience. So I scratch my head in wonder when I visit the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) headquarters in Harpers Ferry, and they have AT shirts, and AT hats, and AT mugs, and AT stickers...but no AT postcards, only postcards for Harpers Ferry. (Sad face.) Then there is the Bear's Den Hostel, run by PATC (Potomac AT Club), which is close to the AT and has a store with hiker snacks...but is closed from 9am-5pm, you know, during those hours when hikers would most likely stop in for a snack to fuel their hike.I now have an entertainment option at the end of a long day of hiking. In Front Royal, I called my local library back home, and they helped me download an e-reader app onto my phone and a book. Now on any given night I can be joined by Jack Reacher, the good guy protagonist in Lee Child's books. So during the day I see the beauty of nature along the AT, while at night I read about the vigor with which Jack Reacher knocks heads together. I knew something was missing in my hike - now I have that elusive balance in my life!Hiking into Harpers Ferry, the halfway point, made me reflect on the sequence of events that led me here: day hikes in the Adirondacks with my daughter Kelsey, hiking the Camino de Santiago with my amigo Rick, solo backpacking trips on the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O canal towpath, and thru-hiking the Northville Placid Trail in the Adirondacks where I met one of my AT mentors, Pokey. They were the building blocks that put me on the AT.