morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-03-10
To: Good bye to all that
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday was my goodbye party at work. It was fabulous¢from the cake created to replicate at least a section of the AT, to the nalgene bottles hanging from the ceiling as decoration, as well at the hiking poles, pads and backpacks tastefully arranged to add to the hiking theme. And, of course, lots of gorp to snack on.   There was a song and a poem, both written especially for me, follow by an AT question and answer session (ie. where will you plug in your hair dryer!)The best part, though, was the people. I am the executive director of GLAD¢Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders. It is an amazing organization that, in the 33 years it has been around, has been changing the law and changing the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and people living with HIV/AIDS. The people who work here are incredible¢smart, passionate, committed¢and very, very funny. I have felt supported by all of them as I leave work for seven months to go on my own incredible journey.A friend of mine asked¢well, if they can do without you for seven months, do they really need you? I don¢t actually know the answer to that question. In choosing to hike the trail, I know that I am creating an opportunity to learn things about myself I don¢t yet know. And I¢m guessing my absence will create opportunities for those who are continuing their lives at home.   I don¢t know who exactly I will be on my return, nor what exactly I will return to. But I believe that, with every major life decision, one is inevitably leaping into the unknown. On Monday, away I go.
Date: 2011-03-11
To: Family and Friends
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday was my last pizza night for awhile. I have lived in my 2-family house in Cambridge for 30 years. Deb has lived in the other unit for 24. She is my friend--she is my family. She started the first round of pizza night over 10 years ago so that my son, JJ, and her partner Liz's son, Doug, would have a regular chance to spend time together. She invited my brother, Gerry (who lives a block away), to join us. She made the pizza every week. The rest of us came, ate, talked and laughed. But then the boys got older, went off the college, and pizza night went on a long hiatus.Three years ago, JJ had graduated and was back living at home. Douglas was in graduate school in the area. Deb started making pizza again, and we started coming every week. Our friends Julie and Lisa (who live 4 blocks away) came, too. Douglas finished school and has moved to California. But JJ, who now has his own apartment in Cambridge, still comes. And I do believe he enjoys spending time with us as much as we enjoy him.Our lives can be so busy, and finding time for those most important to us can often be far too challenging. But pizza night is a ritual...and a way we know that every week we will see each other. Besides my wife, that pizza night group are the people most important to me. All of them are my friends, and all of them are my family.
Date: 2011-03-12
To: Denise
Miles today: 0.0

I live in Massachusetts. This means that, in June of 2004, following the decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that same sex couples could legally marry, I was able to marry the woman I love. Denise and I had already been together for 9 years, so I did not expect that getting married would make that much of a difference in our lives. And, in most ways, it hasn't. Yet, in some very profound ways, being married to her means so much to me. The private commitment we had to each other was strengthened by the public commitments we made in front of our friends and family. When I say she is my wife, everyone knows what kind of relationship we have and what we mean to each other. I could not be leaving tomorrow to undertake this incredible adventure without her love and support. She has encouraged me throughout all the time I have been talking about and preparing to hike the AT. When I get scared about being gone for so long, she reminds me of why I wanted to hike the trail in the first place. Certainly, being outdoors and in the mountains is a big part of going. But having a chance to be with myself in a very different way is just as significant.I am looking forward to everything I will experience and learn on the trail. Knowing I will be coming back to Denise and to our home together will support and ground me every step of the way.
Date: 2011-03-13
From: The Night Before: At the Hikers Hostel

To: The Night Before: At the Hikers Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

What a day full of emotions. Feeling so much sadness as I said goodbye to my dogs, my friends and, of course, Denise. The plane ride was this strange, in between time in which I felt the heaviness of leaving while knowing I was about to begin this amazing adventure. It wasn't until I saw Karen in the Atlanta airport that I started to really feel the excitement. Then, when we arrived at the Hiker Hostel, thanks to our trail angel Harry, I think I finally started to believe that I am actually going to do this. I loved flying into Atlanta with a one way ticket. As I walked through the (very large) airport, I kept thinking--I'm not coming back here to return to Boston. Nope, I'm walking home. And tomorrow I take my first steps.
Date: 2011-03-15
To: One down and...
Miles today: 7.8

Here i am at Hawk Mountain Shelter, having completed my first day of hiking. The miles went by much faster than I anticipated. I woke up at the hostel at 6 am. It was dark and breakfast wasn't until seven, but there was no way I was going back to sleep. After breakfast, everyone packed up (my pack was just under 30 pounds with food and water) and we rode the shuttle to Springer mt. A mile up the trail to the summit and the mandatory picture taking. Then I turned around and started walking. It has been a spectacular day for a hike--temperature in the high 50's, with gentle trails going through rhododendron forests. Even though I started at prime time, there was a lot of solitude on the trail (lots of folks staying and camping around the shelter, though).So now I've hiked one day. It's still a bit early to feel like I am really a thruhiker. Tonight I'll see what it's like to sleep in my tent, on my pad, with my sleeping bag--all equipment new for this hike. It's supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow. Maybe, after some rain experience, I will begin to feel more like a hiker.
Date: 2011-03-16
From: Hawk Mt Shelter

To: Hooch Mt Shelter
Miles today: 7.3

Even though the forecast was ninety percent chance of rain starting around midnight, I still went to bed thinking it might hold off. But I woke up around two am to the sound of raindrops. Raindrops are pretty loud when the top of the tent is only a couple of feet overhead. It was pouring rain when I woke up. I lay in bed, hoping it would stop, but soon realized I was about to have the experience of packing up in a down pour. The best thing to do when it's raining is to start hiking, so Karen and I took off.It was a misty, drizzling day--and it was beautiful. There was an otherworldly quality to walking through the mist. The trail was a delight, some steeper ups and downs, but mostly gentle terrain. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow. It feels good to have survived my first AT rain fall.
Date: 2011-03-16
From: Gooch Mt Shelter

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Walk Slower, Go FurtherKaren and I started this hike saying we wouldn't do more than 10 miles a day for the first week. But it was almost 12 miles between shelters, so we decided to do the distance. There are several things that make shelters compelling--water nearby, a privy, a picnic table to cook at and eat on and, perhaps most importantly, bear cables for hanging food. Cables are a lot easier than the alternative--tying a rope to a stone, throwing it over a tall tree limb and then hauling up your food and trying to tie the ropes so the food is high enough that the bears can't get it. We thought the only way to go that far would be to go slower and take more breaks. So we did. The weather was wonderful. By noon the sun was out and we were able to dry our tents and other stuff. We ran onto trail magic when we crossed a road--a woman who had previously thruhiked had set up a table and had sandwiches, fruit, snacks and drinks. Even going slow, we were both tired and glad to see the sign for the shelter. We're up high and can see the mountains through the trees. Right now I'm watching the sky change colors as the sun is setting. It's a pretty amazing way to live.
Date: 2011-03-17
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Camping at Baggs Creek
Miles today: 7.9

A Visit to the Emerald CityWe started out this morning knowing we would be at Neels Gap in three miles. After only three days on the trail, Neels Gap was still talked about with an air of wonder and excitement. At Neels Gap, you could buy more food. They would look at your pack and tell you what you didn't need and should throw out or send home. You could take a shower and charge your cell phone. There were w en rumors of free burgers.As we got closer to the gap, and the Mountains Crossing outfitter and hostel that made all these thing possible, I felt like Dorothy approaching the Emerald City. I kind of expected I would get musical greeting.So it was hard not to be disappointed when I saw we were arriving at an old stone building with a camping store. Yet they were grilling burgers when we arrived. I was going to have a bum with all the fixings--and then they told me they could make me a veggie burger! The shower felt amazing. The owner of Mountain Crossing spent twenty minutes with me and my pack, helping get rid of (just a few) items and then repacking in a way that made everything fit together more compactly. He made a few fit adjustments and then it was time to leave.I realized I had, indeed, just visited the magical Emerald City. Fortunately, I was not tasked with anything as daunting as bringing back a witches broom in order to get home. I just have to keep walking.Note to all of you who are signing my guest book: It is great to get your messages. I generally don't have the battery life or the energy to respond to each of you, bit please know I read them and love them and so appreciate hearing from you.
Date: 2011-03-18
From:  Bags Creek

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: clear sky

Camping with bear and the miraclePart one: The Bear. Last night was the first night we camped alone on a ridge and not at a shelter. It wasn't something we especially wanted to do, it was just the way the shelters are located. It was so incredibly beautiful there and we were so happy to be there. After dinner we did the whole throwing a rope over a tree branch and hanging our food to keep it safe from the bears thing. It wasn't perfect but we thought it was pretty good.We were wrong. Karen woke in the middle of the night to the sound of a bear making off with one of our three food bags. We got up and rehung our remaining food higher and better. Karen woke up again and this time she saw the bear trying to get our remaining food. It didn't look like the bear could get it.We woke up to find that we had one food bag left--not close to enough for the two of us for four days.Part two: The Miracle. We hiked to the next road crossing, not knowing where we could find the nearest town. We were taking off our packs when a van drove up. Written in big letters on the side--hiker support vehicle. We met Gordon, who lives in his van and drives from place to place, helping Hikers with food, cold drinks and rides when Medes. He drove us to town, waited while we resupplied and drove us back to the trail.It's true what the say about the trail--it is a place of magic and miracles.
Date: 2011-03-19
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Camping at the old cheese factory site
Miles today: 13.0

When the Weather is Good...Yes, we did have pouring rain Monday night and part of Tuesday. But from Wednesday on, every day has been spectacular--sunny and temperatures in the 60's and 70's. We heard from another hiker that the forecast is more of the same. Now I know it will rain again before this hike is over, but right now this is fabulous. When the weather is good, it's hard not to think that all is right with the world.(Brief trail name side track: We now have trail names. Karen is Clutch because, among other things, she always comes through in the clutch. I am Glad Gal because of the GLAD hat I wear all the time and, maybe, because I am sometimes relentlessly upbeat.)We started the day only planning togo seven miles because of Clutch's blister problems. But she hiked in her Crocs and the trail was beautiful and gentle and we had gone the seven miles by lunch. So we decided to push on to the next shelter, another eight miles away. After our last experience camping, we have become very committed to bear cables.But two miles short of the shelter, we passed this beautiful spot to camp. Other thruhikers we know were already here. They promised to help us hang our food, our feet were tired and it was already past five. So here we are, snug in our tents, breathing the cool, clean night air and waiting to see what tomorrow will bring.In so many ways, you could say every day is like the other, and yet each one is a special, unique treasure.
Date: 2011-03-20
From: Cheese Factory Camp Site

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

And on the seventh day...We hiked! (But now we're resting.)Once again, we started the day only planning to do 9 miles to the next shelter. We got our usual 9 am start. Since it doesn't get light until after seven, it is very hard to get out of one's tent before then. It has amazed me to learn how long the simple things take. Putting my clothes on in my sleeping bag, deflating my pillow and my air mattress, stuffing my sleeping bag and rolling up my inflatables--well these are just the start of the morning chores.So, we have left every morning a little before or a little after nine. What seems to be changing--rather faster than I anticipated--is how much distance we are covering, even with all the ups and downs (and more ups and downs). We got to the shelter where we thought we would stay and it was only 2 pm. We knew if we went just three miles further we could spend the night in town. (And, as we grow into our thruhiker identities, we start saying things like "only three miles"!)Three miles and we could take showers, wash our clothes and eat restaurant food. The choice was easy and off we went. A phone call from the trail and the shuttle for the motel arrived just as we reached the parking lot. Maybe thruhikers do live in a special world.
Date: 2011-03-21
From: Hiawassee

To: Plum Orchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Town and CountryWhen we got to our room at the Hiawassee Inn yesterday, Clutch asked me what I wanted to do first. No question about it--laundry! Wearing the same clothes for a week can really only be described as disgusting. Fortunately I still had one clean shirt so I was able to sport the tshirt/rain pants look--a step above the rain pants/rain jacket alternative. Laundry was followed by a shower--a very, very long shower. Then came the most surprising choice (at least for me)...dinner at Dairy Queens. I'm quite sure I've never had dinner there before. But the onion rings and fried fish sandwich, followed by the chocoholic blizzard, were quite wonderful. I knew I would learn things about myself on this hike, but a lust for Dairy Queen is particularly unexpected. After Clutch got new boots, we got a shuttle ride (from Desert Reprobate) back to the trail head and hiked to the first shelter.   For you hiking geeks, we had a nero (near zero) day. Our packs are heavy with six days worth of food but we are back in the wilderness and it feels great.
Date: 2011-03-22
From: Plum Orchard Gap Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

A Georgia RetrospectiveA milestone today--we crossed the state line from Georgia to North Carolina! It's quite exciting to have hiked through one state. (Apparently, as we learned from listening to some guys talking in the shelter, they just instinctively feel the need to pee on both sides of the state line. It just never occurred to me or Clutch to do that!)Georgia was a wonderful state to start with. The mountains are beautiful and, since the leaves are not out yet, we had lots of great views looking through the branches. The trails, especially in the beginning, were generally gentle ups and downs and, unlike the rocks and roots of New England, were soft dirt. Great trails combined with fabulous weather has meant an amazing start to this journey. Now it is hello North Carolina. The mountains are higher here and the trails are steeper. We'll have to wait and see about the weather.   I had a question about what we are eating. Breakfast has been oatmeal, but today we switched to protein bars so we wouldn't have to cook. Lunch is peanut butter and honey (me) or cheese (Clutch) on flat bread or tortillas. Dinner is either ramen noodles and tuna fish or couscous and tuna fish or instant mashed potatoes and tuna fish or stove top stuffing and tuna fish. Snacks include cheese sticks, gorp and chocolate. Does it get any better than this?
Date: 2011-03-23
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: light rain

A little rain and fourteen milesWe woke up to overcast skies. One of the guys at the shelter said it was supposed to rain hard, so we quickly packed up. If it's going to rain, about the best place to be is on the trail with your rain gear on. We had a choice between a seven mile day or a fourteen mile day. Seven seemed too short and the trail looked relatively gentle with it's ups and downs, so we decided to go for the fourteen. We hiked through misty forests with an ethereal, other-worldly air to them. The heavy rain didn't happen--just light, intermittent drizzle. As we walked, it was easy to think we were the only ones on the planet. Even on the AT in peak season, one still finds peace and solitude.
Date: 2011-03-24
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Sillar Bald Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

Pizza Surprise Although there had only been light rain yesterday, the sky was threatening when we got to the shelter. We decided to sleep in the shelter instead of pitching our tents nearby, as we had every other night. The skies opened up an hour or so later, with the wind howling through. As we both lay awake, listening to the wind and rain, we felt very good about our decision. By morning the rain had stopped, the skies had cleared and the weather was cold. Our thruhiker buddies staying at the shelter decided to get up and out early so they would have time to hike to the next gap, catch a ride to Franklin for all you can ear pizza and get back to the trail to finish a 12 mile day. We decided to stay snuggled in our sleeping bags a little bit longer.When we got to Winding Stair Gap around noon, there was a van and the offer of a ride to town for pizza for us. Although briefly tempted, we were both into the hiking rhythm and decided to keep going. By the time we got to Silar Bald Shelter, our friends were already there--with pizza they brought for us to have. We gave them some of our Godiva chocolate and, I am pretty sure, we all went to bed happy.
Date: 2011-03-25
From: Sillar Bald Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

So cold, so steep, so fineI woke up this morning to frost on my tent-- enough to throw a snowball at Clutch. The water in my container was partially frozen. One of the guys in the shelter had a thermometer--25 degrees in the shelter with the warm bodies, so colder for us tenters outside. We were both so nice and warm on our sleeping bags--tempting to longer much longer.But we're thruhikers and had miles to walk so we made it up and out. Fortunately, the trail started with a climb--a great way to warm up. It was the first of several climbs today. The trails up these North Carolina mountains are definitely longer and steeper than those in Georgia. And they will be higher still as we come into the Smokies next week.By midday, the sun was out, the weather was warm and the scenery was spectacular--not just the magnificent views from the tops of the Balds, but the subtle differences in the trees and bushes growing along the trail. So much wonder to experience and take in.
Date: 2011-03-26
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: moderate rain

Rain, rain stay all dayIt started raining last night. I could hear it hitting the roof of my tent. Tents are pretty amazing though--it's pouring rain outside yet in the tent I am completely warm and dry. We did have to do the dreaded pack up in the rain. It is actually possible to pack up and keep you and your stuff dry--until it comes to the to the tent.   So off the trail we went, with our rain gear on and our very wet tents.Our goal today was the hostel at NOC. As much as I love living outdoors, after six nights in the woods a shower and clean clothes are simply heavenly.It rained all day, surrounding us with the beauty of mist rising from the valleys. However, along with the beauty came muddy, leaf covered slippery trails. I had several slips and falls--all merely embarrassing, not damaging. But they all happened when i was day dreaming and were a reminder, or perhaps a warning, to pay attention and stay focused on the moment--which is, after all, one of the reasons I am here.
Date: 2011-03-27
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and awayThe Nantahala Outdoor Center is a quite a scene. They are on a river and specialize in white water rafting and kayaking. There was a competition going on while we were there. The comes includes a hostel, a couple of restaurants, an outfitters and a small store. After a day of hiking in the rain, sleeping inside in a dry room was delightful. Although not as delightful as the restaurant. We were particularly looking forward to breakfast, and both went for the Big Laurel--two eggs, a short stack of sweet potato pancakes and bacon or home fries. I think the food helped for the hiking part of the day. The trails especially diverse today. At times we would be hiking on ridges, with incredible views through the bare lim s of the branches. At other times, we were hugged in by the rhododendron forest with only bits of sunlight making it's way through the branches. Sometimes the path was co deed in leaves, but then there would be long rocky sections. There were a number of large fallen trees to climb over (or, for Clutch, to crawl under). But the consistent theme was up. We started at about 1700 feet. We climbed up to 4700 feet before coming down a bit to the shelter. We were among the last thruhikers to leave NOC today and were concerned that the shelter we were all going to would be full and the tent sites taken. The shelter was, indeed, full. But there was a lovely site for us to camp. Once again, the trail took care of us.