morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-03
From: Newfound Gap, Gatlinburg

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: light rain

I enjoyed a breakfast at some Russian pancake house, then headed into town to enjoy more of Gatlinburg. After a mile+ walking, i found out the library was cloased, so that's the reason for the long delay here between updates. I sat on a bench on the main strip of town and simply watched the people. Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" could not have been more correct in his description of Gatlinburg. Never have I seen such a concentration of very very fat people. I laughed when I read that, but it was o so true. Entire families were just huge. And Gatlinbrug was as toursity and fake as everyone said, but hey, this is America. And I'm proud to say I did nto fall victim to spending money in pointless stores. I only went in 1 store, and that was to hear "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum.Today was also my first true hitchiking experience. After not getting a ride and feeling foolish for 15 minutes, the family of Ben the Canadian picked me up. My amazing luck with rides kept on goin. They were very nice people, complete with French Canadian accents. Awesome.As soon as I got out of hte van, it started to rain. So I lined the pack with garbage bags and hiked on. Word was that Icewater Shelter was full, and it certainly was. A huge family was at the shelter, loaded with kids, so Martin and I decided to hike on. Hiking would mean 2 near death experiences:Near Death #1: It occured on Charlie's Bunion, a side trail where right off the trail there was a huge dropoff. I decided I needed to climb the 25ft rock fact and get a good view of the smoke and fog. Long story short, I climbed up with pack on (what an idiot), threw my pack down and hoped it wouldn't fall off the cliff, then slowly climbed down the wet rock praying I wouldn't fall all the way down. Had the rock been dry, it probably would have been easy fun, but I survived and it was awesome.Near Death #2: I got caught in a thunderstorm while hiking on a mile long ridgeline. As the lightning was directly over my head, I just squatted downa nd waited for it to pass. When it moved a bit away from me, I ran like hell off of that ridgeline. So I survived the lightning just fine but my o my it rained. I have been soaked before, but I was simply waterlogged, hungary, and was tired of being waterlogged. The good news is that my stuff did indeed stay dry and I made it to the shelter where there was an awesome crew of guys, one of which, Burt, will be hiking the CDC soon. And Martin, who was 10-15 minutes behind me, found my croc that I dropped, which made me a happy hobbit.
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Well after an awesome breakfast of Mountain House chocolate cheesecake, I peaced out for my last hike of this section. I trucked at a pretty good pace, but after while my wet shoes made raisens of my feet, which was very painful to walk on, so 5 miles into my hike I switched to crocs. the hike was rather uneventful until the bear. I was looking down while walking, trying to avoid stepping on sharp rocks. I looked up and 20 yards away from me was a huge bear (300lbs ish). I yelled and made noise with my poles, but he didn't budge. I think I actually heard him laughing at me. So after a minute of that I slowly backed away and thought about taking a picture. He then walked towards me and I reached for the bear-slaying knife instead of my camera, then I went crazy yelling and cussing him and walking towards him in a threatening manner, and wouldn't ya know it, it worked! It ran off the trail, but not before scaring the crap out of me.So I got to Davenport Gap, thinking that was the local of Standing Bear Farm. Actually no, it was 2.5 miles ahead. My feet were very sore and I was starving, but I did the unexpected few miles and mde it to the hostel, where I ran into Brad and splendora. The hostel was awesome. It's an old school farm, and for $15 I got a bunk, shower, Internet (slowest ever, I'm talkin 26.6 dial up, who knew that still existed?), and laundry. And they had tons of food, including frozen pizzas, which I'm proud to say I ate 3/4 of one taco style. and the 11pm shower by garage work light was nice. I set up a ride to Hot Springs with Elizabeth, the caretaker at 8am. From there I will meet Pam and Wren, who are giving me a ride to Asheville, NC and from there I'm riding a Greyhound to Knoxville, where Wash will pick me up.
Date: 2006-05-01
To: The Decision
Miles today: 0.0

Well I did it. I finally made the decision to thru-hike the trail in 2007. Actually, I made the decision to hike the trail many years ago, but kept putting it off until a "better" time. Don't get me wrong, the time is no better now then it was back then. So why now?? I don't have an answer other than... something tells me if I don't do it now I won't. The trail has been a dream of mine ever since I knew of its existence. I had originally thought I would wait until I retired. That seemed like the logical, responsible thing to do. But as I get older, and the body parts start to wear out, the reality of it is "will I physically be able to do this when I retire?¢ So I started thinking more seriously about the near future. Most of my co-workers, family and friends think I am crazy. Maybe that¢s not too far from the truth! Is it really so insane to want to accomplish a life long goal, to pursue your dreams no matter how challenging they may be? I know that less than 10% of the hikers who attempt a thru-hike actually make it all the way. But I don't want to look back at my life, years down the road, and wonder if I could have done it. I know I will regret it for the rest of my life if I don't get the chance to try. I've had a lot of "pipe dreams" in my life, but this is different. This one is not a "phase" I am going through. I think about the trail so much, it consumes me. Every year, (who am I kidding, every day) the pull of the trail gets stronger. People ask my why I don't just do it in pieces, a little at a time. I've been doing sections over the years, but it is not the same. I know the average person won¢t understand this overwhelming urge, to set out into the woods for 5-6 months on a thru-hike of the A.T., and frankly I don't know how to explain it. All I know is some how, some way, this is the path I need to take.
Date: 2007-01-27
To: FREAKING OUT!!!
Miles today: 0.0

Why am I freaking out?? I have less then 2 months before I leave and so much to do! I'm glad to see I am not alone, as I read other people's journals there seems to be a pattern. I guess this stage is all part of the preparation!! I actually am close to being ready, as far as equipment goes. I backpack a lot, so I already have most of my gear. I needed some things for mail drops down the road and a few lighter weight things, all of which I received for Christmas...THANKS EVERYONE!!!!! I still have to purchase my Pocket Mail Composer, and figure out how to use it (that could take 2 months!). I also need to finish my mail-drop preparations. Other then that I am pretty well set. My pack weighs 33lbs, with 5 days of food and 70oz. of water. I plan to swap out my winter stuff after Mt. Rogers and that should drop my weight to 28lbs. I've been keeping my pack loaded and using it every day in my workouts. I put on my "bunkers" (firefighting gear), strap my pack on and climb staircases, walk the treadmill and use the workout equipment. Sometimes I walk around for hours wearing it, just to get use to having it a part of my daily routine. Adding the bunker gear helps add weight to my workout, as well as making me sweat more!! I am trying to hike as much as possible, but time is limited. The real reason for my "Panic Attacks" is all the things to do in preparing to be gone. That is more stressful then any of the trail preparation. I am only 3/4 of the way done building my house (I had originally planned on having it done before I left), my goal now is to at least have a Certificate of Occupancy before I leave. That alone will eat up most of my time over the next 2 months. Plus, I'm having to work a lot of extra shifts at the firehouse to get the time off to go. It all adds up to sleepless nights, stressful days, and I haven't even touched the subject of being away from my 7 year old daughter. I have been very fortunate to have the support of my family and friends. It's going to be very difficult being away... I just keep reminding myself that in the over all scheme of life, it¢s not that long. I do believe that the time I spend on the trail will make me appreciate things more, and help me become a better person. In the long run, I hope that will have more of an impact on the people in my life then the time I spent away.
Date: 2007-01-28
To: To:Francie's 2nd Grade Class
Miles today: 0.0

On April 10th I am going to begin one of the biggest journeys of my life... I'm going to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. Most people call it the A.T. for short. The A.T. is a hiking trail that starts on Springer Mountain in Georgia and goes for 2175 miles until it reaches the top of Mount Katahdin in the state of Maine. The trail goes through the woods, farmlands, up and over mountains (lots of them), across streams (sometimes in them!), through huge rock piles, and even through a couple of small towns. During my hike I will be carrying everything i need to survive on my back. I'll sleep in a sleeping bag on the ground, or in my tent, and use a tiny stove to cook my food. I will have to drink the water out of streams and ponds I pass along the way. The water has to be cleaned first with a special tool that kills the germs, which I also have to carry in my pack. My backpack weighs about 33 pounds. I can only carry about 5 days worth of food without making my backpack too heavy. So, I will be coming off the trail every 4-5 days at a road crossing and hiking into a town to resupply. Most of the towns have post offices, libraries with computers, and telephones, so i can keep in touch with my family and friends. I will be writing in this journal so everyone can follow my journey. I would love to receive letters or emails from you. They can be sent to the post offices listed under the Mail-Drop section of this journal, and I will be checking my email in town. Francie has been helping me get ready for my trip. We have been dehydrating (removing the water to make it lighter) and packaging my food for my mail-drops. We have to taste-test the dried foods to make sure they turned out o.k. I couldn't get her to try the dried tuna fish or peas( I can't imagine why?), but she sure loves the marshmallows! Francie will be coming to visit, and even hike with me, several times during my trip. So i will see her a lot. I also will be calling home every few days to keep in touch. I look forward to sharing my journey with you!!
Date: 2007-03-10
To: One Month And Counting
Miles today: 0.0

One Month And Counting03/10/07I just sat down to update my journal and realized the date today, I will be starting my journey in exactly one month. I will admit, that thought is rather scary for me. It seems as though I have done so much preparation but feel so unprepared. I think the reality is... no matter what I do to get ready, I will probably still feel this way. So, I will deal with each day as it comes and make the best of it. I am still dehydrating my food and preparing my mail drops. I know there are a lot of opinions about how much to rely on mail drops, but for me it makes sense to use them for most of my resupply. It drastically cuts down on pack weight and I prefer home cooked meals (even if they are dehydrated). I know scheduling my town stops around post office hours can be a bit of a pain, but I think it will be worth it. This is the first journal entry I am doing from my pocket mail device. I am sending it via email to my friend "Stebby" for her to post on my journal [after correcting all my errors, THANKS!!]. Hopefully this system will work out, I have been known to be "Technically Challenged". I want to thank everyone who has signed my guest book. It is great to have all the words of encouragement. For those of you who are hiking this year, Good Luck and I hope to have an opportunity to see you out there.
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Springer Mountain 

To: Long Creek Falls
Miles today: 4.9

I arrived at Amicalola Falls Visitor Center this afternoon, and did the usual routine of signing the thru-hiker register, weighed my pack...33 lbs, and posed for pictures by the A. T. sign. I decided not to do the approach trail since it is not part of the official A. T., and it is already late in the day. The forestry road, that leads up Springer Mountain, actually takes you to the trail crossing about a mile past the start. So, in order to not miss the first mile of the "official" trail, you have to hike south to start the trail, retrace your steps, and head north. I hiked to Springer's summit, found the log book stashed in a metal box, built into a rock, and then began my journey northbound. It hadn't occurred to me that by hiking the trail alone there is no one to take pictures of moments like this. So I took a picture of the southern terminus plaque and moved on. The first few miles were enjoyably uneventful. I passed a hiker who was heading back toward the start looking for his cell phone. They don't work here anyway, but he is afraid he left it in the cab on the ride up. I stopped and put duct tape (dad you'd be proud) on the hot spots (red rub spots that appear before a blister forms) on my feet, which seems to have helped. I decided on a short day since I got a late start. I've also been fighting off a cold, so my body feels drained and could use the extra rest. I found a wonderful spot near a 200' waterfall and set up camp. The sound of the falls is relaxing me, and I'm calling it a night.
Date: 2007-04-11
From: Long Creek Falls

To: Gooch Mtn Shelter Campsite
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Wow, the sound of the falls last night put me right to sleep. I woke a couple times during the night, but for the most part was down for the count! I awoke at 6 am feeling pretty awful, with a swollen throat and headache. I took some medicine and decided my body needed more rest. I didn't wake until 10 am. So needless to say I had a very late start.It rained off and on all day, hard at times but mostly just that annoying constant drizzle. It was pretty foggy, so there wasn't much in the way of sights.I had a rather interesting experience today as I was hiking through the fog. I kept hearing movement along side of me, about 20 yards into the woods. I figured it was an animal, but every now and then I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a human figure moving through the trees.Now, I have always felt safe in the woods, but must admit I was getting a bit nervous. I came around a sharp bend in the trail and was startled by a man standing there in Army camouflage. He said "so you're not alarmed ma'am, there is a whole platoon of army ranger students coming through any minute." Within moments about 25 of them passed through with automatic weapons in hand. It was definitely a strange feeling. After seeing them, I remembered reading that they practice in an area along the AT. Later in the evening the gun fire started, it sounded like a war zone.I saw a couple of other thru-hikers today and had lunch, under a rock overhang, with a section hiker by the name of Gypsy. She was a nice lady. We talked for a while and then I set off in the rain.I hiked until about 8 pm and set up my tent near Gooch Mtn Shelter. Even with my late start today, I still managed to get in 9 hours of hiking. There are 7 or 8 hikers staying at the shelter tonight, but by the time I hiked down the hill for water, and cooked my dinner, I was too tired to socialize. They probably think I am rude, but I am too tired right now to care. Well it's off to sleep for me. Good Night John Boy!
Date: 2007-04-12
From: Gooch Mtn Shelter Campsite

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

I Slept in again today. I'm feeling better then yesterday, but I am still a little under the weather. I didn't get on the trail until about 10 am, so I guess I will be hiking into the night again. Today was a great hiking day. The temperature was in the 70's and I was in shorts. It was awesome. I wasn't thinking about carrying sunscreen this early in the season, so I got sunburned on one side of my body. Although I'm not complaining, the sunshine felt great. I crossed over Ramrock, Big Cedar, Granny Top, Burnett Field, and Turkey Stamp Mountains today. There were a lot of nice views, especially on Big Cedar. I spent an hour or so on the lookout resting my feet and eating a snack. Earlier today, I came down into Woody Gap, where there was a great picnic area with several families having lunch. I refrained from Yogi-ing. Another week or so of eating trail food, that might not be the case! While I was having lunch, I was joined by Sudoko, Gypsy, and Dave (no trail name yet, but is being referred to as "the dude with the umbrella" by some of the other thru-hikers). After a brief lunch, I was on my way as the others were talking about catching a ride to the nearest hostel for the night. I generally prefer to stay in my tent, but there weren't any flat spots for the past mile or so, and it was getting dark, so I settled on a shelter a half mile off the trail. By the time I arrived, it was after 9:00 and the other hikers were already asleep. I hung my bear bag from the cables, ate a granola bar, and quietly crawled in my sleeping bag. Overall, the terrain has been better then I thought and the miles have passed easily. Although I am beginning to have more trouble with my feet, so I try to stop often and take my boots off whenever I do. Hopefully this is short lived and my feet toughen up.
Date: 2007-04-13
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Campsite Near Whitley Gap Turn Off 
Miles today: 10.0

Brrr...28 degrees this morning, and to think I was in shorts yesterday! Last night was the only night I have slept in a shelter and I was regretting it all night. I would've been much warmer in my tent, not to mention I was next to a snorer. I forgot to pack earplugs, guess I'll be picking some up in the next town. Today¢s hike was moderate, climbing up toward Blood Mtn shortly after leaving the shelter. The climb was well worth the views at the top! I was taking a photo off one of the lookouts when a lady day hiking asked if I wanted in the picture. I thought that was nice of her, we chatted a few minutes and I moved on. The shelter was the first stone one I've come across so far.I didn¢t hang around the summit long. I was looking forward to getting to Neels Gap a few miles away to pick up my mail-drop, and get a REAL cup of coffee!The stop at Walasi-si Center was good for me. I was able to make some phone calls, eat a cheeseburger {although it was a frozen, microwavable one, it was still good}, and get some more moleskin for my feet. I am having issues with my toes and blisters. I checked with the boot fit specialist at the center and he said it is not a fit problem, it's a foot problem and I should see a podiatrist to have custom toe spacers and insoles made. So I guess I will have to deal with it for now.The trail went up and over Blood, Levelland, Cowrock and Wildcat Mountains today. There was a pretty cool rock I took a picture of. It's called Balance Rock because of the way it sits.The last couple miles today I had to hike in my crocs, my feet were hurting so bad. It's a bit difficult to get through the rocky up hills in crocs! I was planning on staying close to the shelter, to be near a water source, but realized it was 1.2m off the trail {and another .3m to the spring!}. So I had to make a tough decision, camp here with no water for coffee, or add 3m round trip to my already aching feet. I chose to stop here. That is how bad I hurt, no coffee!!!I will put my pan outside my tent in hopes that it rains tonight. All I ask for is enough rain for swallow of water. So, I am off to sleep with a dry mouth and only granola bars in my belly. I will be dreaming of the pepper steak my mom is making for me tomorrow night!!!!
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Campsite Near Whitley Gap Turn Off 

To: Unicoi Gap 
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

WHERE'S THE COFFEE??? 4.4 miles and 2 mountains away, and only a splash of water left to get me there. I can tell I am dehydrated, I didn¢t have to get up to go to the bathroom during the night (it seems odd to use that term out here}.The hike wasn't too bad, however, the no water issue was really slowing me down. I remembered I had some cough drops and sucked on those to try to quench my thirst. It helped a little but I NEEDED water. I kept hoping another hiker would come along that I could mug. No luck. I thought about a story I had heard about a women trapped in a wrecked vehicle who sucked on a dime to produce saliva to wet her mouth. I checked my pockets and realized I had gotten rid of all my change {it weighed too much!}.I finally made it to Low Gap Shelter where there was a stream crossing. I stopped and cooked a late breakfast and drank lots of coffee. There was a high school group out backpacking for the weekend, who informed me that a bad storm was moving in this afternoon. I finished my meal and moved on.I am being picked up in Unicoi Gap to have a night off the trail at my parents house. They live about 45-50 minutes from where the trail crosses the gap. I hope to make it there before the thunderstorms hit. I am moving rather slow due to severe foot pain. At this point every step is painful. I have figured out that if I take bigger steps my feet don't come in contact with the ground as many times. If I wasn't being picked up tonight, I would have stayed back at the shelter and taken the day off to rest my feet. But, my Pepper Steak is calling {not to mention a warm bed and hot shower}. As I hiked today I was leap frogging a hiker from Australia. We talked several times, but he moves faster then me so I will be behind him after today.   I've had to start stopping every hour to take off my boots and let my feet out. My dawgs are screamin'!!! The thought of a night off and the storm swelling up behind me pushes me on.One more mountain to climb and then it is down hill to the gap! I hope I make it before the storm; it is starting to rain already.
Date: 2007-04-15
From: Parents House, Ga 

To: Parents House, Ga 
Miles today: 0.0

I took the day off at my parents house to allow my feet to rest. They were too swollen to fit back in my boots. I spent the day eating good food and enjoying good company. Thanks Mom, Jason, Karly, Chandler, Drew and Ken. They all spoiled me!!! Back to dehydrated food and sore feet tomorrow.Oh I forgot to mention I was met at the trailhead with Pizza, Hot Coffee, Rice Krispy Treats and Soda. I have a wonderful family!!! And yes, the Pepper Steak was worth the 14 mile walk to get it!
Date: 2007-04-16
From: Unicoi Gap 

To: Deep Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

I got on the trail about 8am in the middle of a wind storm. The trail up the mountain was covered in snow and ice. The sun actually came out as the day went on and the temp. got up in the 70's. It would have been a great day if it weren't for the wind. I didn't see much in the way of sights, the wind was so strong all day, I kept my head down. There was a lot of ridge walking today which left the trail exposed to the wind. Several times I scrambled to keep my balance. The trail made a few dips down into a Gap and the was a short break from the gusts. I leap-frogged four other hikers today, one of which is from upstate Ny. They stayed down in Addis Gap and I took a short break and pushed on. I was glad I did. The shelter I camped near was down in a valley and out of the wind!!!It was a long day, but my feet are starting to feel a little beter. I hear tomorrow is suppose to be tougher as far as ups and downs. I almost forgot...One of the hikers I was with part of the day went down to the stream for water, he finished filtering, picked up his pack and started to walk. A tree crashed down right where he had been standing!!! Someone was on his side today!