morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-20
From: Caledonia State Park, PA

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

A cold front moved through the area yesterday. This morning, the temperature was in the lower 50s with a clear, royal blue sky, the kind of deep blue sky that you see on an autumn day. The bright sunshine is really improving my mood. It's been damp and sometimes dreary over the last few days.Terrain and trail conditions: The trail starts with a steep up out of Caledonia, but its not too bad. It is very rocky for 0.3 of a mile northbound from Quary Gap shelter, and there are a few other steep ups and downs, but realy a nice pathway.   There are some troublesome rocks on the southbound side of Tom's Run Shelters for about 1/2 mile. I'm surprised . In many ways, the last two days have been somewhat easier and more level than Virginia.Quarry Gap Shelters are old, but nice and well maintained.   There is a decent, flowing box spring directly in front, of the shelters. Birch Run Shelter looks brand new. It has high ceilings, bunks for eight people and room on the glossy floor for others, if necessary. (yes, glossy, hardwood-like floor).Well, I went from one state park to another today. I was impressed with the clear springs along the way that flow over a white, sandy, creek bed. I saw my first rattlesnake along the trail.   I was well aware that I'd see the largest population of rattlesnakes along the Trail in Pennsylvania. This Timber Rattlesnake had his tail laying across the trail. I stopped suddenly and waited for a few minutes while he moved into the woods, then I continued on. A few hours later, I arrived in Pine Grove Furnace State Park. My first stop: the general store for food - lots of it. I had a huge appetite.My next stop was right next door to the Ironmasters Hostel. It is a huge mansion that was built in 1829 and is now a hostel. (American Youth Ostels or Hostelling International, WWW).More information on this park and maybe the hostel can be found at http://www.state.pa.us/In the hostel: Tree Frog (on Trailjournals), Sox (on Trailjournals), Diesel (on Trailjournals), Bluebell, Castro, A.D., Achilles, Moonstone, and Little Bit.
Date: 2004-06-21
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA

To: Alex Kennedy Shelter, PA
Miles today: 15.5

I reached the half-way point along the Appalachian Trail today. The Ironmaster¢s Mansion Hostel in the Pine Grove Furnace State Park is basically at the half-way point. What a long, difficult trip it has been, yet at the same time, the weeks and months have gone by quickly. There's not much to mention about today's hike. The walk along the trail through the park was really nice. There are ruins of the old iron making furnaces here. A little farther outside the park is a tall post signifying the half-way point of the Trail.Today was also the start of summer, the summer solstice, and "hike naked day." Yes, there were some participants.As for today's "rock report," there were quite a few sections where the trail was a moderate grade of gravel rocks, a few short boulder crossings, but overall, not too bad. Unfortunately, there is a "boulder playground" where someone thought it would be cute to have hikers crawl up and down the largest boulders on the trail. That always frustrates me.In and around the shelter: Crawl, A.D., Ponderer, Tree Frog, Sox, Bluebell, Moonstone, Castro, Little Bit, and two other hikers who arrived later in the evening.
Date: 2004-06-24
From: Duncanon, PA

To: Duncanon, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I survived a night at the Doyle Hotel, and thakfully I didn't hear any spirits walking up the stairway dragging chains behind them. I think I will move down the street to a motel that has a phone, tv, and air conditioning. I had to prop the window open at the Doyle with a trash can to get some fresh air into the room.Today is a zero mileage day. It's usually the day that I walk all over town to find the grocery store, post office, laundromat, and library, but not today.My mother and step-father are coincidentally in a nearby town for this weekend, so I will be visiting with them while they meet with some of their friends who live near Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Date: 2004-06-25
From: Duncanon, PA

To: Duncanon, PA
Miles today: 0.0

I am taking another day off to give my feet and body a rest. I plan on returning to the trail, heading towards Port Clinton, PA, Monday morning. Once I arrive in Port Clinton, five days later, I will probably find transportation into New York City and end my hike or just take some more time off. I have mixed feelings about leaving the trail, but I will post them on this journal when I decide what I am going to do.
Date: 2004-06-27
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I received a call this morning as I was preparing my pack for the next leg of my hike. Unfortunately, it was not good news. My father passed away unexpectedly Saturday night. I made arrangements for an airplane departure today (Sunday) to Florida from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This will end my hiking and journaling for an indefinite period of time until until the family matters are resolved and the grieving has ended.
Date: 2004-02-17
To: Counting the days
Miles today: 0.0

Since January 16 I have been on vacation leave, with a few days here and there for various final work assignments before I officially retire on February 27. I am really cutting it close because I will start hiking the AT on March 2nd. My wife "Hot Chocolate" will follow me in a recreation trailer and section hike. I plan to meet up with her every week. The various stops and restocking points have already been scheduled.
Date: 2004-03-02
From: Amicalola State Park 8 miles before AT

To: Seg 1: Dick's Creek GA
Miles today: 0.0

AT Segment 1: March 2-7, 2004Starting point = Amicalola Falls State Park, GAEnding point = US 76, Dicks Creek Gap, near Hiawassee, GATotal miles in this segment = 78.8 miles (6 days @ 13.3 miles/day) Well I survived my first week on the AT, and in doing so I learned two valuable lessons. First, I need to lighten my pack and second I need to be prepared for wind and rain. In preparing for this hike we listened to lots of weather forecasts and I came fully equipped for snow and severe cold. Hence my pack was loaded down with my new backpacking crampons (Katahoola), gaiters, down parka, thermal under-ware, etc. I also thought I would need lots of fuel since I would be making hot drinks, etc., hence I brought two bottles of white gas fuel, a small one and a 33 ounce reserve. All in all my Gregory Denali Pro expedition pack weighed in at a whopping 62 pounds! When we got to Amicalola State Park, the trailhead for the 8.8-mile access trail to the AT, there was a registry for all the hikers and one of entrees was pack weight. Of the list of 20 or so hikers before me, none of their packs exceeded the mid 40¢s. I should have taken this as solid advice, but no, I was so bull headed and naively macho that I pushed ahead anyway ¢ big mistake.
Date: 2004-03-02
From: Amicalola State Park, GA

To: Day 1: Stover Creek Shelter, GA
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light rain

On AT Day 1 my wife (Hot Chocolate) and I reached Amicalola around 9:15 a.m. in a light rain with temperatures around 50 degrees and since I was in a rush to get started I decided to do nothing to lighten my pack. Big mistake. The 8.8-mile climb to the AT start at the top of Springer Mountain requires a climb of over 2000 feet, not including the intermediate ups and downs which probably add another 1000 feet, thus, when I finally reached the large plaque and sign-in registry signifying the official AT starting point, I was tired, hurting and worried. Luckily my wife had driven the back roads to Forest Road 42 whereupon she hiked south 0.9 miles to the Springer Mountain AT start point and then she hiked on for another mile or so on the trail so she could meet up with me. Boy was I glad to see her and boy did I complain about my pack weight. Following this unexpected reunion, my wife and I hiked to where our truck parked was parked at the AT junction with FR 42 and then I dumped my crampons and about 10 energy bars, but nothing else. I still thought I was tough and could handle the load if I got into better shape ¢ another mistake. In the end I never used any of the extra fuel, I never took my parka out of its stuff sack, I never put on the gaiters, I never put on the heavy weight thermal under-ware, etc. Throughout the first week I thought hard about what I could dump when I would once again meet up with my wife, this time at Dick¢s Creek Gap where the AT crosses US 76.My goal for this first day was Stover Creek Shelter, or a total hike of 11.3 miles from Amicalola. I eventually made this goal and pitched my new tent in the rain. This new tent was one of several hiking items I purchased with the retirement gift funds I received from my dear friends at the AMRIS facility in the University of Florida¢s McKnight Brain Institute. Luckily my stove worked so I was able to make a hot meal of Knorr minestrone soup and ramen noodles. I supplemented this carbohydrate-loaded meal with a high protein mild drink made with chocolate flavored GNC whey protein. To help lull myself to sleep, I listened to several chapters from one of the books my lovely ¢Trailer Angel¢ wife loaded on my iPod. I set my alarm for 5:45 a.m. (going to bed by 9 p.m. allows one to get up early!), and had a hot oatmeal breakfast and another glass of whey protein enriched milk, and then hit the trail by 8:30 a.m. Actually I was unhappy with this late start and vowed to move quicker in the future.
Date: 2004-03-03
From: Stover Creek, GA

To: Day 2: Gooch Gap Shelter, GA
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

My goal for AT Day 2 was the new Gooch Gap Shelter, a 15.7-mile hike, where I planed to sleep in my tent again but use the shelter¢s reliable water source and bear protection food hanging set-up. There was a huge crowd at the shelter, making lots of noise so I was glad to be camping. The day began around 50 degrees with overcast and fog, but later on there was some sun and no rain, with a high temp of around 60.
Date: 2004-03-04
From: Gooch Gap, GA

To: Day 3: Bull Gap, GA
Miles today: 17.2

My original goal for AT Day 3 was Slaughter Gap (great name), but by this time I was hiking with (or rather chasing) another NOBO (north-bound) AT through hiker (The Toe) who goaded me to go further. So when I got to Slaughter Gap and it was only around 2:30 p.m., I took up his challenge and continued onward. When I got to the bottom of Blood Mountain (at 4,461 feet this is the highest spot on the AT in Georgia), there was a sign warning everyone that the shelter had no water so I loaded up ¢ adding another 10 pounds or so. My new plan was to stay at the Blood Mountain Shelter, but when I got there it looked pretty bleak with its wet and cold rock walls and floor, so I changed my stopping point goal once again. My new plan was now to go to all the way to Neels Gap (the AT actually runs right through a rather famous store at this point) where there was supposed to be some campsites. Feeling rather stupid for loading up on water at the base of Blood Mountain, I decided to not dump it and use when I camped. Unfortunately when I got to Neels Gap, despite the fact that there were lots of hikers around, there did not appear to be any campsites available. Thus, since it was getting late I quickly decided to push on to find some place to camp before dark.As I raced out of Neels Gap I was quickly caught by The Toe who told me that there was supposed to be a campsite about a half-mile up the trail (and I mean up since the AT in northern Georgia seems like it is mostly ¢up¢), but we did not find anything until we reached Bull Gap around 6:00 p.m. So all in all, this day ended up as a 17.2-mile hike ¢ I was feeling pretty ¢stoked¢ and tired. I had to work fast to put up my tent and make dinner is a really strong windstorm. Unknown to me, The Toe dumped his water at Blood Mountain so he had very little left and could not make dinner or breakfast. When I learned this later, I felt pretty bad, but then again, he should and now will be better prepared. The evening was pretty wild since the wind was probably 30-40 mph and I was very worried about falling branches ¢ another fretful night¢s sleep.
Date: 2004-03-05
From: Bull Gap, GA

To: Day 4: Cold Spring Gap, GA
Miles today: 13.3

My goal for AT Day 4 was Poplar Stamp Gap, but once again I got there early so I hiked on to Cold Spring Gap for a total day¢s hike of 13.3 miles. The day began with heavy wind, fog and a drizzle ¢ and it ended that way, actually the wind lightened up a bit, but it was still a wet, cold and hard to see anything day ¢ just what I had been expecting for my early AT days. The day also began with my right shoulder hurting real bad, I figured it was just the heavy weight of the pack, but I was wrong. When I got to Low Gap Shelter, in addition to running into several other NOBO AT through hikers including The Toe, I discovered that one of my pack suspension straps was undone. After fixing this, my pack felt 20 pounds lighter and my shoulder pain melted away (well not completely, but it was much better). I expected and got rain that night.
Date: 2004-03-06
From: Cold Spring Gap, GA

To: Day 5: Near Sassafrass Gap, GA
Miles today: 14.5

My goal for AT Day 5 was the Tray Mountain Shelter, but when I got there it was full of Boy Scouts and all of the campsites were also full, so since it was only 4:00 p.m. I pushed on. Before climbing Tray Mountain I was blessed with my first exposure to ¢Trail Magic!¢ Next to the trail there looked to be a huge supply of soft drinks and beer, but since all of the soft drink cans were empty I was ¢forced¢ to settle on a beer which I planned to use as a celebratory drink with dinner ¢ more on this latter. On the way out of the shelter area I ran into a young female NOBO AT through hiker that I had been chasing all day. (At this point in our hike her trail name was Kat, but in a few months later she would change it to Swiss Miss.) Why was I chasing her? Well the simple truth is that she hiked much faster than I did even though she was about my size. The only way my ego could take this was to note that after going to the University of Alaska for three years, Swiss Miss was a very accomplished backpacker ¢ so much so that her pack weighed at least 20 pounds less than mine, but I¢m sure the main reason for my humbling performance was the simple fact that I was probably nearly 40 years older than she was. Anyway, Swiss Miss said she was going to camp near the shelter and I told her it was important for me to put in some more miles since I was due to meet up with Hot Chocolate the next day and I was lonely for her company. So I pushed on and eventually stopped around 6:00 p.m. probably around Sassafras Gap, giving me a total day¢s hike of around 14.5 miles. The day began with fairly heavy rain and wind, but it ended with patchy sun ¢ a good day. The night was clear and the sunset, moonrise, moon set and sunrise were all gorgeous and all captured on my new digital camera.
Date: 2004-03-07
From: Sassafras Gap, GA

To: Day 6: US 76 at Dick's Creek Gap, GA
Miles today: 7.2

My goal for AT Day 6 was to meet up with my wife at Dick¢s Creep Gap for a total hike of only 6.8 miles. The plan was, and it worked, for Hot Chocolate to hike south on the AT to meet up with me and walk the last few miles back to our big truck. It was a beautiful sunny, but cold and windy day and on the way to our campsite. It was great to see my wife again ¢ especially since I had zero luck with my new digital cell phone. On the way to our campsite we stopped off at Burger King and I ate a rather embarrassing lunch, well I guess my ¢hiker appetite¢ is starting to kick in. At our trailer, we recharged all of my electronic hardware and my wife made a great dinner. Life is great, and tomorrow I get to start the second segment of my AT hiking adventure.
Date: 2004-03-08
From: US 76 at Dick's Creek Gap near Hiawassee, GA

To: Seg 2: Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 0.0

AT Segment 2: March 8-13, 2004Starting point = US 76, Dicks Creek Gap, near Hiawassee, GAEnding point = NC 28, Fontana Dam, NCTotal miles for this segment = 95.3 (6 days @ 15.9 miles/day)Total miles to date = 174.1 (12 days @ 14.5 miles/day) Week two is now history and I learned two new lessons. First, there¢s SNOW and it gets COLD in the mountains of North Carolina in March, and second, I can hike more miles than I originally planned. The first lesson actually contributed to the second and the result was that I was able to get to my pick-up point with my wife Hot Chocolate a day early. Arriving early allowed me to take a ¢zero day¢ without getting behind schedule for my early August finish. Whoopi! If I can keep this up I may get to spend a whole day with Hot Chocolate each week to get reacquainted and restocked¢¦
Date: 2004-03-08
From: US 76 at Dick's Creek Gap near Hiawassee, GA

To: Day 7: Deep Gap, NC
Miles today: 15.6

Before beginning this segment¢s hike, my wife and I had a big breakfast at McDonalds. ¢Big mistake.¢ The food was much too greasy for my sensitive stomach. We finally made it to the trailhead around 8:30 a.m. and I headed out for a cold (32 degree) and windy, but clear sky day hike. My original goal for AT Day 7 was Muskrat Creek Shelter, but despite (or maybe because of) the fact that it never got above the mid 40¢s, with winds that often seemed to be in the 40 mph range, I had no problem beating this target. Clearly the lighter pack (mid-50¢s) made a difference as well.I crossed the border into North Carolina around noon and celebrated with a picture and a lunch break on the boundary. A few hundred yards later I came upon a tree that has gained fame in the AT hiking community because of its strange gnarled kneeling appearance and because it can also be used to mark the border. I took another picture. Since I was making good time I arrived at Muskrat Creek Shelter (lovely place) around 3:20 p.m. and decided to simply load up on water (for my dinner and breakfast) and move on. Just as I pulled into the shelter, I was caught by an ¢ultra-light¢ NOBO AT through hiker from New Hampshire, Sun Stroke. At the shelter I also met a father/daughter duo that was staying over on the second day of their six-day section hike. Even though Sun Stroke told me he was going to try and make it all the way to Standing Indian Shelter, when I got to Deep Gap (about a mile shy of the shelter) it was already getting dark, cold and windy, so I stopped and rapidly set up my tent and made dinner before hypothermia set in. My total hike for the day was 15.6 miles (four miles further than originally planned!).
Date: 2004-03-09
From: Deep Gap, NC

To: Day 8: Big Spring Shelter, NC
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

My original goal for AT Day 8 was Carter Gap Shelter, but with the extra miles of the day before, I was easily able to beat this for an evening camp at Big Spring Shelter. Before starting on the AT, I had this na ve notion of never staying in a shelter, but that was before I experience rapidly falling snow and getting turned around. Let me explain what happened. The day began with hiking in 25 degree overcast weather and shortly after passing the Standing Indian Shelter I ran into Swiss Miss who was sitting on the ground in a relatively sheltered spot trying to make breakfast with her alcohol stove. She was complaining that even though it was very light it was much less efficient than her white gas stove. Shortly thereafter it began to snow and of course I took lots of pictures to commemorate this event. Near the end of the day I was challenged with climbing (hand over hand) to the fire tower atop Mount Albert in the now heavy snowfall. After reaching the summit I slogged into Big Spring Shelter around 4:30 pm where I met five other hikers taking refuge from the storm.I must have been quite a site as they told me they were amazed by how much snow was piled up on my large brim hat and my pack. Feeling ¢macho¢ (and foolish) I told them that I was not going to stay, only pick up some water and move on. This plan might have worked if I had turned the right way when I rejoined the AT, but no I ended up summating Mount Albert for a second time! Trust me in the still falling snow the path looked different enough that I had no clue I was going the wrong direction (yes, I know, I have a compass and I could have checked, but ¢¦.) until I saw the fire watchtower again. Realizing my mistake, I turned around and descended the mountain ¢ a very slippery ordeal. By the time I got back to Big Spring Shelter (which, by the way, is a misnomer since the spring is puny), it was after 5:00 p.m. and rapidly getting dark. All of the other hikers had a good laugh at my expense before they expressed relief that I had safely returned. Given my lack of experience with hiking in heavy snow, and the fact that the other hikers already thought I was a little nuts, I swallowed my misguided pride and decided to spend the night in the shelter. Good choice. I was able to cook a hot meal and get to meet five new friends ¢ at least one of which Northern Harrier was a NOBO AT through hiker (he began the AT 3 days before I did, so he was going slower while he was being coached by his section hiking, but much more experienced friend). Total hike for the day (NOT counting the extra up and back to the top of Mount Albert) was 15.7 miles.
Date: 2004-03-10
From: Big Spring Shelter, NC

To: Day 9: north Wayah Bald, NC
Miles today: 19.6

My original goal for AT Day 9 was Swinging Lick Gap, but once again I beat this target ¢ in a big way¢¦ When I started out at 8:00 a.m. it was 22 degrees and the snow was heavy, but not falling. The hiking seemed as though it was a bit slow because of the snow, but I never stopped for breaks because of the ever-present fear of hypothermia. Along the way, I ran into a group of perhaps a dozen undergraduates from my former place of employment, the University of Florida, including one who worked in one of the labs in the large brain institute I used to direct. Quite a coincidence. The students told me that the campsite I was seeking was just up ahead, but somehow I never saw it so I was forced to keep on hiking. I then came across a large watchtower constructed out of rock (on Wayah Bald), but due to the late hour I was unable to investigate. I kept moving fast and eventually came across a relatively flat spot where about 10 other groups of hikers had set up tents on the snow. Realizing that I had already hiked 19.6 miles for the day, I did not need much encouragement to stop and join the group. Working as quickly as I could I was still forced to purify water and cook dinner in the dark. Many of the other hikers were gathered around a fire making lots of happy talk, but I was too busy to join in ¢ bummer. In any event, as usual I tried and failed to reach my wife by cell phone. This lack of contact, besides feeding my sense of guilt and loneliness, was also adding to my anxiety because it was becoming clear that I was going to finish this week¢s hike early and I did not want to have to camp out at the pick-up point and wait when I could instead spend it with Hot Chocolate.