morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-03-31
To: A Prelude to Speaking
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This summer, I will be speaking to several groups about my 2016 trek. Here is a piece I wrote to help promote one of those talks.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In April of 2016, I stood atop Springer Mountain in northwestern Georgia, readying to take my first step on the Appalachian Trail. Running the length of the country¢s easternmost mountain range, the AT (as it is popularly known), climbs summit upon summit, and descends valley upon valley, for 2,189 miles on its path from Georgia to Maine.Two years in the planning, and twenty years in the dreaming, my expedition on the AT would prove the importance of preparation and perseverance. It would showcase the power of setting an intention, of resolutely envisioning an outcome. Above all else, it would be the adventure of a lifetime.What brought me to the summit of Springer in my fifty-seventh year, ready to hike the AT¢s every mile? What moved me to set out on a six-month test of will during which I knew I would be cold, wet, tired, hot and hungry? What did I encounter along the way that helped reaffirm my place in this world?John Muir said of his numerous adventures in nature that, ¢Going out¢¦.is really going in.¢ I hiked by myself during the days, at times literally passing no one else from sunrise to sunset. I spent a lot of time inside myself, constantly scanning how I was feeling physically, mentally, spiritually. Other times, I lost myself in song, singing the same few numbers again and again. But what I will remember most is the insanely empowering feeling of standing at a mountain¢s base, staring upwards at its long-off summit, and thinking nothing else than, ¢All right¢¦.let¢s go.¢ With no trace of trepidation or uncertainty. Knowing that I would never again be in better physical shape for climbing. And, I will forever remember the support I received on my hike. From ¢trail angels¢ along the way who relished the opportunity to help hikers as they tackled the AT. From my wife, who steadfastly kept me in the game and allowed me to live selfishly for six months. And, from all of you who followed my on-line journal, cheered me on with words of encouragement, and walked with me every step.During my time on the trail, I encountered the many moods of Mother Nature, shared the forest with black bears, snakes and barred owls, and soaked in the friendship of fellow hikers newly met. I carried all that I needed on my back, and nothing I didn¢t need. Before I left, I knew that my life was turning, that it was to be henceforth guided by my beliefs in simplicity, community, nature and beauty. I anticipated that the AT would grandly reinforce these tenets, and I indeed returned with my life¢s direction confirmed and strengthened.
Date: 2015-09-28
To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0

In March 2015, I decided to attempt a thru-hike in 2016. Since then I have been doing small overnight or multi-day backpacking trips on the AT in Georgia and North Carolina to get conditioned for the upcoming hike. I figured what better place to train for my thru-hike than the AT itself, and since I reside in Atlanta it's not that far of a drive. My last trip I hiked the section between the NOC and Fontana Dam. This section is by far the hardest section I've done so far! The almost 8 miles up to Cheoah Bald is rough to say the least. The views from the Jump up are amazing and when you get to the bald it's so hard to leave! I wanted to stay and camp there, but I'm training so 8 miles isn't going to cut it. When I finally got to "Jacob's Ladder" I was already feeling pretty spent. All the hype I've heard about this section is true! Jacob's Ladder is no joke, and half way up I told myself I'm camping at Brown Fork Gap Shelter tonight. I'm done! After hiking almost 16 miles I camped at the shelter with two other section hikers that night. The next day I hiked the remainder 13.2 miles to the Fontana Dam visitor center. All and all it was a tough hike but my favorite so far.
Date: 2015-10-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I just finished a 3/2 from Stecoah Gap to Winding stair Gap NC yesterday. We got our first cold snap since last spring and it was chilly! I started at Stecoah gap on Saturday at around 10am and climbed to the top of Cheoah Bald to the most beautiful setting. The sun was out in full and the Autumn colors were glowing off the mountainsides! Once again I did not want to leave. On my way down from the bald I must have past at least a dozen hikers who were planning to camp on the Bald. I ended up camping in a cool little stealth spot 2 miles from the NOC. My plan was to get into the NOC early and have breakfast there.I got up early and was in the NOC in no time. I decided not to have breakfast there and instead bought some junk food at the little convenience store. I wanted to hike to Wayah Bald that day and camp on the top. The only problem with that was that it was 17.4 miles away and I had already hiked 2 miles. I decided to go for it even though it looked really hard on the map. The almost 7 mile climb to Wesser Bald was grueling. There is this great up and down ridge walk once you get past the Jump off views. On the top of Wesser Bald is an old rickety observation tower. As I climbed to the top I thought to myself "I hope this is safe". When I saw the family of twenty on the top I was reassured of the tower's sturdiness! I must have passed, and I'm not exaggerating, at least 40 people while dropping down into Telico Gap! I counted one group that had 19 people altogether. The tower's sturdiness was definitely going to get tested today! I have a problem with big groups on the trail but that is another story.By the time I got to Cold Spring Shelter it was almost 5pm I felt like I had been climbing all day long. With my slowed pace due to the hard climb and all the people I met and chatted with, I decided to stop for the day and camp up on the ridge near the shelter. The camp spot had a great view of Franklin(I think it was Franklin). I still had light until 7pm but I was beat plus I wanted to have a fire that night. I knew it was going to get cold. I had only hiked 11.7 miles out of the 17.4 I had planned.
Date: 2015-10-20
To: ColdSpring Shelter>WindingStair Gap/day3
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It got cold last night. My sleeping pad is not insulated and the cold was creeping through it, but my Marmot Sawtooth bag kept me cozy. I woke up at 7a.m. with the sun and was packed up and on the trail by 8a.m.The hike out was fairly easy until the climb up to Wayah Bald, but even that wasn't too bad. On the top of the bald is a cool looking tower with a dungeon in the bottom of it. It's not really a dungeon but it reminds me of one. I was craving candy all morning and wishing I had bought more at the NOC. I met these two couples on the top and had been talking to them for a while. When I was about to leave one of the ladies asked me if I wanted some candy. Since I had been craving candy all morning I smiled big and said "yes, that would be great!" I felt like a kid on Halloween. With my sugar rush I hiked on to Wayah Gap. The climb out of Wayah Gap up to Siler Bald is a nice little workout. There is a picnic area with parking up a little ways from Wayah Gap. From there you can leave your car and hike up to the bald. This is a popular place for day hikers and once you get to the top of Siler Bald you know why immediately! I have only hiked sections from Springer Mt. to Fontana dam so far and Siler Bald is my favorite spot. On the summit the view is almost 360 degrees except for a small clump of trees and absolutely epic! There is also this intense serenity you get as you take in the view. I did not want to leave.The hike down to Winding Stair Gap was easy and uneventful. I finished the 15.8 mile hike back to my car and headed back to the ATL.
Date: 2015-11-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I have had a busy last few weeks. I got married to my long time girlfriend Christina on October 30. We spent our honeymoon in Chattanooga, TN and had a blast! I got sick on the last day there and was down and out for the next few days after. I am back to feeling healthy and am ready to get back to obsessing over my future thru-hike. I pretty much have all my gear figured out but I'm sure I will make a few changes here and there. I have not been able to do any on trail training for a few weeks now because of all of the above mentioned. I did go trail running yesterday and I felt great considering I have been sick. I am planning to do a overnight this weekend. I wish I could get out longer but I need to work as much as possible to have money saved. I will have time off around the holidays and plan on doing multi-day treks then. The trail running seems to really keep me conditioned so I will intensify them coming up. The whole mental game really can only be tested when I start the hike so I will just try and remain as positive as can be until then.
Date: 2015-11-17
To: Deep gap<>Albert Mt
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This weekend I did an overnight trainer in North Carolina on the AT. I did a out and back starting at Deep gap and ending at Albert Mt. I arrived at Deep gap around 8am and it was freezing. All the way up Standing Indian Mt, my fingers were numb. I passed a middle aged couple finishing up their flip-flop thru-hike and going down the mountain I met four SOBOs. Meeting these SOBOs and seeing the gleam in their eyes was all I needed to know about how their thru-hike had affected them. They were almost done and they did not want it to end. A shout out to Houdini, Frostbite, Coin Toss, and Taco! This section of the AT is not that difficult except for all the roots and rocks. I ended up hiking 15 miles to the spot were I was going to camp. I got there a little early so I pitched my tent and threw my gear inside. The camp spot is at the base of Albert Mt so I decided to run to the top free of my pack. Once I got to the top and back down to my camp spot I decided I wanted to have a fire since I knew it was going to get cold. The fire ring was up next to a big boulder. Once I got the fire blazing the heat radiated off the boulder and back into my tent that was pitched about 12 feet from the fire. Needless to say I was warm and cozy all night. My camp spot also had a great view looking down on Franklin and I knew the sunrise was going to be epic, and it was!The next day I hiked back to Deep gap were I had come from the day before. I prefer to do straight sections but sometimes I have to settle on out and backs. On my way back I passed a big group of Korean hikers. I think They thought I was a SOBO coming from Maine because they all wanted to take their picture with me. I tried to tell them I wasn't but they didn't understand so I just posed with them and let them take their pictures. Every time I do these little overnight or multi-day trainers I never want to go back home. I think I will get along just fine on my up coming thru-hike and I know I'm perfectly fine being solo. I love hiking with others but I am just as comfortable by my lonesome.
Date: 2015-11-22
To: Unicoi Gap<>Wolf Laurel Top
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This weekend I did another out and back overnighter. I started out at Unicoi Gap and camped at Wolf Laurel Top and hiked back out to Unicoi Gap In North Georgia the next day. If your looking for solitude this is a good section to hike. From Unicoi Gap to Hog pen Gap(14 miles)there are no roads(therefore no parking) which means no day hikers. I met one south bounder(Hey, Gravity),one slack packer, and one other backpacker. This section has some great ridge runs on it and feels remote even though its really not. I ended up camping at Wolf Laurel Top which is a popular spot to camp because of the beautiful view. The night was cold(got down to 21 degrees)and windy but I stayed warm and cozy. All together the hike was 35.2(17.6 miles long one way). The good thing about doing an out and back is you are committed to hike the same amount of miles back the next day as you did the first day. The sunrise was beautiful and the next day back was cold and windy but nice. I plan on doing a 4/3 over the Thanksgiving holiday. All the south bounders tell me I should do a south bound hike and I have to admit I'm starting to seriously consider it, hmmmm...
Date: 2015-11-29
To: Dicks Creek Gap>Wayah Gap
Miles today: 0.0

This Thanksgiving I hiked a 3/2 from Dicks Creek Gap to Wayah Gap. From Dicks Creek Gap to Muskrat Creek Shelter is an 11 mile climb. The first 9 miles to the GA/NC(Bly Gap) isn't that bad but is still mostly all uphill. Once you get into NC the next 2 miles to the shelter are near vertical straight-up climbing. I ended up camping at the Standing Indian Mountain camping area near the shelter. It was a hard 16.7 mile day. Being that it was Thanksgiving day I saw hardly a soul. I camped next to a stream that soothed me to sleep. The next day I was out hiking around 8:30. It still takes me over an hour to pack camp and leave but I am never in a rush in the morning(my favorite time on the trail). My day started with a tough climb up Standing Indian Mountain. The only people I saw the first 14 miles were SOBOs. Most of them were in a hurry. I did end up chatting with this cool SOBO named Fire Man(he had a fire every night). It wasn't until I got to Albert mountain that I started seeing a lot of people(You can drive up and hike a half mile to the top). When I got to the top there were a few families there with huge amounts of heavy gear setting up camp at 2:30(no comment). I ended up hiking until dark and stealth camped at a spot a mile before Rock Gap Shelter. I had a nice fire and heard strange animal noises all night. At one point in the middle of the night I heard what sounded like an elephant blowing its nose. I'm not making this up. If anyone knows what that might have been please let me know.I woke up that next morning to a flooded tent. My mouth piece on my water bladder was leaking all night and filled up the bottom of my tent. No worries. I packed up camp quickly and headed for Rock Gap Shelter. While I was at the shelter I boiled some water for coffee. As I sat there and sipped on my coffee I noticed my Fosters can pot was leaking. No worries. Since I only had 11 miles to hike that day I strolled along and enjoyed the beautiful day. I decided to take the Siler Bald Shelter loop since I had never checked it out before. Siler Bald Shelter is old but it is the grounds of this shelter that makes this place an oasis. The climb from the shelter to the AT is grueling! It is basically a near vertical washed out ATV trail. Once I got to the top of Siler Bald(my special place) I hung out for a while and had nice conversations with the people there. I met another WBTH(wanna be thru-hiker) up top and he too was training for his upcoming thru-hike. after a while I raced down the mountain to Wayah Gap where I met my ride. What a great holiday weekend!
Date: 2015-12-11
To: A THRU-HIKE,A BABY,AND EL NINO
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

2016 is going to be a very eventful year for me indeed. Not only am I going to attempt a thru-hike but also my wife told me that she is pregnant and the baby is due in July of 2016. If everything works out right this will be my first child. Of course I am still going to do my thru-hike. My wife will just have to fend for herself(JUST KIDDING). We both knew this might happen so we agreed that the thru-hike would still be a go. She has lots of friends and family so it should be all good(easy for me to say).Some people might frown on this and their opinion would be that I should stay home with her. I would say to them you are entitled to your opinion. The plan is that I will leave the trail for a couple of weeks near when she is due and then return and finish. The only change I think I am going to make is leaving a little earlier(March 6). In Georgia we have been having a very mild fall. With this being a El Nino year I am a little worried about the late winter/early spring being colder, wetter, and longer. The cold doesn't bother me that much but the cold plus rain does! Let's not even talk about compounding it all with wind. I know I can just get off the trail but what's the point on leaving early. Who really knows for sure anyway. Predicting weather that far in the future is like getting into God's head(If God even has a head). Anyways, I think early March should be less crowded but trying to predict that is like...well you get the picture.
Date: 2015-12-21
To: Important only to me
Miles today: 0.0

I have come to the realization that this adventure of mine coming up is important only to me. This huge deal that I have been working out for over a year is important only to me. All the pain and sweat from the intense workouts I was doing even when my mind was constantly telling me to stop. All the hours of research on equipment and planning both in the office and on the field. All the stuffed together weeks of working long hours and using my time off to hump up and down mountains only to sleep in a tent at the days end. All the anticipation, nervousness, highs, lows, and doubts about this thru-hike of mine are important only to me. I'm not crying or looking for sympathy even though when this realization first came to me that's what I wanted. I'm writing this down as a declaration of acceptance. I started this journal so my family and friends could look me up(because what I was doing was such a huge deal)and follow me on my big adventure. None of my family or friends have looked me up once. At first this hurt me but when I looked closer I came to realize that of course this is only important to me. This is how it should be. This thru-hike attempt of mine is the most important thing in my life right now. All the time I have put into this is the most self serving(selfish)thing I have ever done. This thru-hike should and is only important to me. I guess what I'm trying to say is I felt like my family and friends should see it as important and big as I do. The truth is I can't expect them to view it the way I do or even really understand it. Even though I am probably the only one who reads my journal(except for a few of the class of 2016)that's ok. I am now writing this journal for myself. In the years ahead I might want to go back and read it.
Date: 2015-12-28
To: Springer>Dicks Creek Gap/ test run
Miles today: 0.0

I am leaving tomorrow to Springer. I am going to do a 5 day test run from Springer to Dicks Creek Gap( the last road before the NC/GA border). It is a 69.6 mile stretch. I have hiked this section before but it has been over a year. I want to be familiar with the trail for my first couple of weeks of my thru-hike. It will be crowded(especially in Georgia) and I want to know exactly where the best places for water and camping are ahead of time. I spent the summer and fall hiking sections from Dicks Creek Gap to Fontana Dam so I am really familiar with that stretch already and have noted interest points on my guides. I am going to carry all the equipment I will be using on my thru-hike. My pack weight with 5 days of food and a liter and a half of water is at 27 lbs.(not bad). It is supposed to rain 2 out of the 5 days so I will get a good mix of the elements. Also it will start out real mild(70 degrees) on Tuesday and cool down significantly by Friday for a high of 45 degrees(27 for the low). I have hiked sections of North GA during the holiday breaks before and there is always a good bit of backpackers out so I should have some company. Some of my friends have commented to me that since I am already hiking this section I should just start where I finish in March. I have thought about this and to me it doesn't sit well and plus I would miss all the excited energy in Georgia in March. I am not hiking the approach trail this time or on my thru-hike. The reason for this is because it is not the AT. I have hiked it before and it is blazed in blue and there is nothing to see. I just don't see the point in it when you can drive to Big Stamp Gap and slack pack a mile up to Springer and back down. I also feel that if someone feels that the approach trail should be a part of their thru-hike they should do it by all means. I am a true believer in the "hike your own hike" philosophy. Anyways, I will write in my journal about the trip when I get back. Happy New Year!
Date: 2016-01-17
To: Limbo
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I feel like I have been stuck in a time vortex since the New Year. Time has definitely slowed down for me. The anticipation for my upcoming hike is overwhelming at times. I find it hard to concentrate on anything for long periods of time with out daydreaming about my hike. Even my sleep has been affected. I lay in bed thinking about the hike until late at night. When I do fall asleep I dream of scenarios of being on my thru-hike. I still have 55 days until my departure. If it is this bad now how bad is it going to be in 2 weeks. 1 week!Since my 5 day trek during the holidays I have been trying to gain weight like crazy. The biggest thing I noticed during that hike was how much weight I lost in such a short time. I also noticed that when I came back home my body devoured calories for 3 or 4 days after. I have never tried to fatten up in my life. In fact I have always tried my best to avoid it. So I have been eating anything I feel like anytime I want. My belt fits a little tighter and my shirts are starting to snug on my stomach. I hardly ever weigh myself and have always gauged my weight on how my clothes fit. So I can't exactly say how much weight I have gained. I have been training hard trail running and step climbing so gaining the weight has not been as easy as I thought it would be. Hopefully by March 12 I will have a nice layer of fat for my body to snack on. I am not planning on doing any more training on the AT.I might do a over night or two on the Benton Mackaye or Duncan Ridge trails but I'm not sure. Right now I just want to be at home and spend as much time with my wife as possible before I leave. I am going to miss her most of all and that could be my Kryptonite. Mind over matter will have to be well practiced. I finally got to meet my past thru-hiker advisor in person last night. We had dinner and talked about his thru-hike. I sat there and listened in awe. I could have talked and asked questions with him all night! Thanks Bamboops(Andrew)!In ending this journal entry I would like to acknowledge the late and great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tomorrow is MLK day and I would like to ask everyone to live that day in his honor. In my opinion Martin Luther King Jr. is a saint. His spirit, light and love lives on and can never be put out. God bless.
Date: 2016-01-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have been meaning to write this in my journal for some time now but I keep forgetting to include it. Since there is only about a month until I leave to Amicalola Falls to start my hike I figured I should do it now while I am thinking about it. If any one planning a thru hike is arriving into Atlanta and needs a free ride to Amicalola Falls on March 3rd I can give you one. My wife is driving me up from Atlanta on that day and we have room for 3 more people. If you are interested just contact me on my guestbook. Serial killers and all around shady people need not apply.