morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-05-26
From: Black Rock Hut

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

Tuesday 5/26. From Black Rock Hut to Pinefield Hut, Miles today 13.2.Today was our 15th. day on the trail for a to-date mileage of 167.1. We've taken two days off from like about noon to noon, hiking a short day in and a short day out with a motel stay each night.Today we walked in a rain cloud all day. We had planned to stay tonight at Loft Mountain Campground but the campground was in the cloud too, so we hiked on to the next hut. We did stop into the camp store. They had a good selection of hiker foods. We resupplied to last us the remainder of th SNP. They sell beer in VA state parks stores. With yesterdays trail magic and the campstore's liberalism, we're getting spoiled at lunchtime.We were separated from don for a while near the campground and when we met up, he announced "Hey! I saw a bear! He was on the traik ahead of me, we saw each othe, and he took off". Don said he was a big one.,,This was the first bear he's seen while being on the trail.It rained most of the day and again, boots and outer wear were soaked. Tomorrow's weather is forecasted for the same as today but supposed to clear up Thursday. I'm packing three pair of socks and two of them are wet. I'll wear the damp ones for tomorrow's wet walk so I'll have a dry pair for tomorrow night. We need a sunny day to dry things out. Someone suggested putting damp socks inside and at the foot of my sleeping bag and they should be a bit dryer in the morning. I'll give it a try.We have another 6 days before out next town. There is another campground in a couple days where we hope to clean up and do a load of laundry. We need it.The hut is filled with many of the same folks as last night. Its raining now. Most folks are in the bag. Turning in.
Date: 2009-05-27
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Wednesday, 5/27. From Pinefield Hut to Hightop Hut, 8.2 miles only.Rained all night again and much of today. A short hike today, to go to the next hut would have been another 12 miles and we're not up for that. Mid afternnon, the skies cleared and we hung socks and wet clothes to dry. Have a nice fire going with boots and clothes laid out near by to dry out.Another full hut tonight. A lot of thru-hikers passing us by, doing their 18-24 miles a day. Met a hiker named Meesha (a guy) from Holland, thru hiking, first time in the states.Planning on 12 or so miles tomorrow with a stop at Lewis Campground to shower and do laundry then on to Bearfence Hut. We may be in for a cold afternoon beer.Looks like a nice night. Turning in.
Date: 2009-05-28
From: Hightop Hut

To: Bearfence Hut
Miles today: 12.4

Thursday: A good day on the trail today. No rain but cloudy and overcast all day.. We haven't had a decent view all week. We got an early start, 7:00 as we had plans for two long breaks. About 10:00, we stopped at South River Picnic grounds, .1 mile off the trail. We had an early lunch and enjoyed a face-wash in the rest room, and a flush toilet. Six miles up the trail, we took a two hour break at Lewis Mt. Campground. Did laundry, got a shower, had a beer, and just sat around for a while. It was good to wash off 4 days of wet trail and put on some clean clothes. Our hut for tonight was less than a mile from the campground, and down hill so we didn't break a sweat getting there. Gritty and Grommet, Zipper, Solar Spec, and a southbounder, Brown Chicken from Syracuse , are in the hut so far and almost 8:00 now.We have seen a number of deer through th park. Two have come up to the hut just 10-20' from us. We got a couple pictures of Don and me with a deer in the background, close. Tomorrow's hike is 11.5 miles. There is a "wayside" (restaurant) at the Big Meadows area where we hope to get a burger for a late lunch. Blueberry milkshakes are a popular item on the menu, especially for hikers. The SNP is unusual with all the treats along the narrow way. Rain in the forecast for tomorrow....oh well.Turning in.
Date: 2009-05-29
From: Bearfence Hut

To: Rock Springs Hut
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Today is acutally 6/2 and I'm getting up to day with the last few days entries. Since my phone battery died (I left the charger behind in a shelter... talk about Mr. Organized.. not!) I haven't made any notes on the days events but I will try to recapture what I can remember as somewhat interesting.Today we had lunch at Big Meadows Wayside (also a resort here). Had a blackberry milkshake. Was good but it somehow let us down on our expectation of one heck-of-a-milkshake. Probably would have enjoyed chocolate just as much. We ran into Gritty and Grommet, Solar Spec, and Zipper. Took a couple hour break, actually, and repacked looking for my phone charger. Not there!! Gritty said he saw it back a few shelters but didn't know to whom it belonged. My ipod charger was in the same bag. He did pick that up and gladly returned it. Anything left behind is free game. Most folks will pack it forward if they know who it belongs to.Routine evening here. There is a locked cabin just a stones throw from the hut. A family of 5 or 6 came in just before dark to occupy the cabin.Everyone is doing fine, as I recall, except Don's feet are not getting any better with inflamation and swelling. Things are bandaged up. Don's been doing quite a bit of walking along Skyline Dr (vs on the trail) to ease the foot problems.Each of the huts/shelters in the SNP have a privy and a bear pole. The bear poles are probably 12-15' high with another pole like devise to lift your bag to the numerous "bag hooks" high above. This is super convenient and necessary. We've seen a lot of bears, and more to come.Turning in.
Date: 2009-05-30
From: Rock Springs Hut

To: Bear Pass Hut
Miles today: 15.3

Another early start today as we planned and did do a late breakfast and long break at Skyland Resort, about 5 miles from the hut. Don, Jesse and I enjoyed a great breakfast of juice, Starbucks coffee, I had an omlette with potatoes. The coffee was absolutely the best cup(s) of coffee I've had in recent memory. Again, we relaxed in the sun on the grass after breakfast before getting back on the trail. I believe Don was mostly road walking again this day as his foot wasn't getting much better. The last couple days have been clear and rain free. We did at last get some marvleous views of the Shenandoah Valley as we hike along. I finally got to the hut about 5:00. Others were there an hour before me. Jesse is tall and can really move out on flat and downhill smooth trails. About a mile or two from the shelter I met a couple, day hiking up to Mary's Rock formation near a gap called Thornton Gap (road crossing). They had seen a bear and had turned back from their hike. The gal was pretty shaken. So, knowing this, and knowing we've seen bears all week, I was extra cautious from Thornton Gap to the hut. I was clicking my poles (noise scares the bears away) every now and then. The hut was .2 off the trail. There, the trail was good and the terrain was somewhat flat and thick with vegatation vs. up and down mountain sides. Half way to the hut, I saw my first bear of this trip. He was just ahead about 10-20 yards ahead of me and came bounding out of some thick brush into the woods. We looked at each other for just a couple seconds, he sat up on his haunches. I began backing off just slightly and clicking my poles and singing "go away little bear, go away little bear". He took off. Whew! As I got into the hut others said they had seem him too. Must be his territory.In the hut tongiht was Angel hiking with Yukon Cornelius. Angel had some medical experience as an EMT and some other training. She looked at Don's foot and said he probably had a staph infection and celulitus, which, if not taken care of with antibiotics, could be dangerous and require a hospital stay. Don took some of my benedryl and we would check out his condition in the morning. Turning in. This will be Don's and mine's last day in a shelter for this trip.
Date: 2009-05-31
From: Bear Pass Hut

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Continuing from last night, Don's feet were not any better looking in the morning. Don wanted to hike with us 5-6 miles up the road to Elkwallow Wayside for another great lunch. We convinced him not to, and to hike back south 1.2 miles to Thornton Gap. Angel's car was there so Angel gave Don a lift into Front Royal. During the morning, Don made it to to a hospital and Angel's diagnosis was right on. Don had two antibiotic prescriptions with direction to keep his feet dry and clean. Not gonna' happen on the trail, esp. with rain in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.So that's were Don is/was. Now for me.... About a couple miles south of Elkwallow Wayside, my right knee began giving me some discomfort. I didn't happen all at once but gradually grew into an "ow!" every step, especially down hill. I was leaning heavily on my poles to ease some of the pressure on my knee. So I hobbled into Elkwallow not knowing what was going on with myself. Took 4 ibuprofen and wrapped my knee in an ace bandage I'd been carrying around for a couple years. Felt better but still not good as Jesse and I left the wayside for Gravel Springs Hut. I was thinking about the rest of today and then 13-14 miles tomorrow to finish the Park with this painful knee. I couldn't get to the hut, just hurting too much and thinking tomorrow would be awful. Jesse was waiting for me at a parking lot called Hogwallow Gap. He was talking with some folks out for the day.... I told Jesse I needed to get off. This was 14.1 miles from the northern end of the SNP. The people with Jesse took me into Front Royal. I forget the dad's name but Audrey was the mom and Nate the son, they lived in VA near DC. Trail Angels they were, thanks again folks. They took me into Front Royal where I caught up with Don at a Quality Inn mid afternoon. He was surprised to see me as we weren't supposed to meet up until late the next day, Monday, after finishing the trail, and had planned to take a day off on Tuesday before heading out for our next destination of Harper's Ferry, WV. Will finish the story next journal entry
Date: 2009-06-01
To: Columbus, Ohio
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday evening, Don and I walked about a half mile to a local Italian eatery for a plate of spaghetti and a salad. I hobbled all the way leaning heavily on one hiking pole. We had orginally planned to get to Harpers Ferry in 4 days out of Front Royal. While at dinner, we easily adjusted those four days to five, hoping I would be ok to stay on the trail and that his feet would be responding quickly to the meds. Didn't happen. We're both done. Through the rest of Sunday night, I couldn't take a step with out leaning on something to ease the pressure on my knee. And Monday a.m., (6/1) the same way. No brace or oral medication was going to help. Jesse also came in last night as he skipped the shelter, kept going, and finally, after a 20 miles got to the hotel. So, having given into the unfortunate circumstances of foot and knee injury, we rented cars one way to get home, me to Columbus, and Don to Atlanta. We put Jesse back on the trail before heading for home so he could finish the SNP and get with his arrangement for pick-up.Today, Tuesday the 2nd., I got to the doc's and my diagnosis is bursitis caused by a bone a spur on the tip of my tibia poking into the bursa in my knee joint, I guess. Got a shot of cortizone which should relieve the pain in a couple days. The doctor said, ease up on the knee for a few weeks. After talking with a few folks, I think the only way to assure this condition doesn't return is to have the spur removed. Why it didn't bother me last year is a mystery. I'm grateful nothing more serious than this but I'm again disappointed to have to leave the trail. I think I really had it together this year with last year's experiences and backing off on huge mileage days. I did lose 14# in a very short period. My goal, and I've said this before today, is to stay at the get-off-the-trail weight I'm at now vs. fatting up as I did last year. I have plans for tomorrow back to the gym for an upper body workout.To my pals Don and Jesse, as Jesse said, "it was real, and it was fun, but not real fun"... you gotta' know Jesse a little to get it. It was real fun. Once again this year met some real nice hikers and made some new friends.Thanks to all for your encouragement and best wishes.Off the trail, for now.........Tom
Date: 2009-02-02
From: Planning to start @ Springer Mountain, GA

To: Final preparation and planning
Miles today: 0.0

Well... I have been planning for what I am about to initiate for about 6 years. It's hard to believe that I am only 8 weeks from beginning what should be an experience of a life time. It was Bill Bryson's book, "A Walk in the Woods" that got me thinking about such an adventure, but it was my experience as a volunteer serving with the Konnarock Crew near Humpback Rocks and Firescald Ridge for two weeks about 6 summers ago that really helped me see the possibilities of such an exciting challenge. Since that time, I have joined the ATC, AMC, Green Mountain Club, ALDHA, and CDTA and I have read their publications regularly as well as several books witten by thru hikers or other expert journalists. The most helpful books [from a planning perspective] for me were, "AWOL on the AT", "White Blaze Fever", and "A Season on the AT", Articles in The ATC's "AT Journeys", GMC's "The Long Trail", ALDA's "Long Distance Hiker", and AMC's "AMC Outdoors". "Backpacker Magazine" has been a great resource for me as well. My current plan is to leave the Lodge at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia on the morning of March 29, 2009, and head North for what I hope will be a great [though challenging] journey to Katahdin Mountain, Maine. It looks as though the most useful guide book for me will be "Appalachian Pages", by David Miller and Rick Towle.It's very well organized, full of detailed information, and is very user-friendly. Well... more to follow on my planning in a day or so!
Date: 2009-02-05
From: Final preparation and planning

To: Preparation and Planning
Miles today: 0.0

Here it is... February 5, 2009 and the preparation clock is ticking. I am really starting to think about the nature of my upcoming journey. I must admit that it does seem odd to be writing about myself. It's not my nature to do so; but, I suppose that's what a journal is intended to be; it just seems awkward. Whenever I share with others what I am planning to do, they are full of questions... Why are you doing this? How far did you say you were planning to go? How long will it take? Aren't you worried about... "whackos", animals, the weather, illness, injury, etc.? Are you taking a gun? What will you eat? Will you be away from towns and cities the whole way? Are you crazy? What equipment [they rarely use the term "gear"] do you have? Who is going with you? You're doing this by yourself? [and many more Q's than I thought possible]People have also been very supportive. My wife [though she may be having second thoughts as the date gets closer... just a feeling] has been supportive of my wish from the first time I discussed the possibility of a thru-hike about 6 years ago. I came back from my 2-week stint as a volunteer with Konnarock all hyped up. Other family members now have additional evidence that I always was slightly "off kilter" and see this as in keeping with other crazy things I do. [like doing triathlons, running 10 miles most every Sunday morning at 6:00 am, running marathons, etc.] My former co-workers, especially those closest to me, [and other friends], while likely questioning my sanity, have always encouraged me whenever I have discussed my wish to do this "crazy journey". They all have indulged me in my need to share my plans and most actually demonstrated a great deal of interest in those verbal ramblings. Well... that's enough for this entry. I'll have more details to share about my planning activities on the potential that they might help others with their own planning for such a journey. I know I have learned a great deal from reading varied journals on this site for the past five years. More will follow... stay tuned!
Date: 2009-02-08
From: Preparation and Planning

To: Planning
Miles today: 0.0

Seven weeks from today, I'll be headed out for my first day on the AT! Wow! People have asked me what I'm doing to prepare for the physical challenge of thru-hiking... Well, I am a runner who tries to run 10+ miles every Sunday morning as well as running shorter distances during the week and numerous competitive events of vaied distances several Saturdays during the year. I do plan to work in one or two days of hiking with a pack, on hills [yes, we do have several in Lakeland, FL] each week beginning on February 19. That will give me at least a chance to experience pack weight and shoe/boot "break-in" process as I approach March 29. Several of the many questions I have been asked by my friends and family also focus on what type of sachedule I plan to follow once I'm on the trail. Right now I have made tentative plans for only the first 10 days, and that may be planning too far out, in light of all the unknown variables that can impact daily hiking mileage on the AT. In general it's likely best to plan for 8-12 miles per day during the first two weeks and then see what happens related to weather, stamina, developing hiking partnerships, etc. Time will answer that question!Well, got to close for today. I'll pick up this conversation in a day or so and provide many details of my on-going planning activities, hopefully in such a way that you will not be totally bored to tears. Later...
Date: 2009-02-27
From: Planning

To: Planning
Miles today: 0.0

Hello Again! Only 30 days until "lift-off" @ Springer Mountain! I am really getting excited about the upcoming journey. I participated in an AT seminar at Bill Jackson's Outfitters in Pinellas Park, Florida on February 20 and the session really picked up my interest in getting things underway. Bill Jackson's is the premier outfitter on Florida's west coast. There must have been at least 150 people present that evening. Quite a surprise to see that kind of interest. The speaker highlighted his AT thru-hike experiences and those on the Pacific Crest Trail as well. I also plan to participate in an AT Clinic & Celebration at Amicalola Falls State Park scheduled for March 7 & 8. I'll be visiting my son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons on March 5-6 in Hampton Cove, AL and it's about a 3.5 hour drive to the Park in GA. Great timing! I'll let you know how that went later. When I update my journal next time, I will have added information about my gear, as well as my methodology for planning just what to put in my pack for March 29. It may be a challenge to keep it to 30 lbs. [I need to account for an additional 8 lbs of food added to that.] My goal pack weight is 38-40 pounds max. We'll see if I am successful! I am really looking forward to this adventure, more so with each passing day. It seems like everything I am reading lately mentions something about the AT. The latest edition of Blue Ridge Country Magazine [That's one of my favorite magazines.] references several AT-related activities of places. Check it out if you are interested. I'd also like to hear from anyone who might be planning a March 29 start from Springer [I'll actually be starting that day from the Lodge @ Amicaola Falls and it's 8.8 miles from there to Springer Mountain.] Dependent on the weather, I hope to spend the evening of March 29 at either the Stover Creek or Hawk Mtn. shelter. Time will tell. Stay tuned!
Date: 2009-03-10
From: Planning

To: Planning
Miles today: 0.0

Hello Again. I had the best experience this past week-end [March 7-8] when I participated in the AT Clinic and Celebration at Amicalola Falls Lodge in Georgia. The clinic was very well organized and the various presentations were all quite informative. I am so glad I participated. It's not everday that you get to hear directly from the second thru-hiker in AT history, the oldest female thru-hiker in AT history, a current AT Ridgerunner, two past thru-hikers, one from the 1970's and the other since 2000, and a host of vendors who very appropriately avoided "hawking their wares" during sessions [that took place between sessions]and provided great tips and advice for thru-hikers [as well as for those who may be section hiking or the day or week-ender]on a variety of topics.The ranger staff who facilitated the activities were really helpful and supportive and the Lodge provided a great environment for the event. I understand that this AT Clinic is an annual event, held the first week-end in March. I highly recommend it for thse interested in hiking the AT [by any method]in the future.One thing I really gained from my participation is a renewed sense of confidence and belief that I have chosen a very worthy endeavor. I can hardly wait to get started! I am getting more excited about getting things underway with each passing day. I plan to get with my gear [I have too much, no doubt!] later this week and will carry-out a "3-pile" process- 1 pile= Definitely NOT taking... 1 pile = Perhaps taking... and... 1 pile = Definitely taking. Then I will review items in the "Perhaps taking" pile and put them with either the "NOT taking" or "Definitely taking" piles. Finally, I will review the "Definitely taking" pile and try to put items [as appropriate] in the "NOT taking" pile. All this to get my pack weight to 38-40 pounds, Max. While the theme of the Amicalola Falls AT Clinic seemed to focus on "light weight backpacking", there were several comments made by the presenters that personal desires, needs and situations should drive pack weight, not necessarily the new ultralight craze! Personally, I want to go as light as is feasible, but tempered by my preferences that I do not want to give up certain comforts. I plan to "hike my own hike" in every way, including carrying a little more weight if it fits my needs and desires. 50-60 pounds in a pack would not be appropriate for me; however, 15-22 pounds would not be appropriate either, given my hiking needs and wants. Well...I will close now and pick up the conversation in a day or so. For now...pwfofvbwp!