morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-01-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I can¢t believe that in a little more than 1 week I¢ll be on my way via. Amtrak down to Georgia and embarking on my big adventure! I keep going over my list of gear mentally trying to think if there¢s anything I¢ve forgotten, but I think I¢m in good shape and have everything covered. No doubt when I¢m on trail I¢ll come to the realization that ¢...I should have brought this...I don¢t need that...etc. etc....¢, but that¢s OK, it¢s not like I¢ll be that far away from civilization unable to make changes. Thankfully I¢ll have my ace support team (aka Kayanne,) back home able to mail me something along the way. I have had a few little issues come up on the homefront since I retired 2 weeks ago. First my trusty 2003 Ford Explorer with 216,000 miles finally gave up the ghost (blown engine). I can¢t complain, she served me well - guess the old gal decided to retire right along with me. Then I came down with the flu. Ugh. I was down with a fever for a couple days, but am recovering nicely thank you. I very seldom get sick, but better to get it over with now than on the trail. Finally my MP3 player that I listen to on my morning jogs also decided to call it quits. What do they say about things happening in 3¢s, oh well, nothing that can¢t be dealt with. These events did however remind me of that Rodney Dangerfield joke: ¢...I went to get the mail and the mailbox door fell off...I went to get in the car and the door handle fell off...I went to go back in the house and the doorknob fell off.....Jeez, I¢m afraid to go to the bathroom....¢.
Date: 2018-02-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Just getting back from a fantastic trip to Disney with family as part of my final ¢AT Preparations¢. Ha Ha. Kayanne and I along with daughter Amy/family and sonEric/family. 10 of us total, including 4 of our 5 grandchildren (ages 8, 6, 4 & 2). Lots of rides, meeting Disney characters, etc. etc., but the best part was being able to spend time with family. The grandkids had a blast (...¢best trip ever¢ was a recurring comment), which is what it¢s all about. We did lots of walking, which helped keep the muscles from getting totally soft, but I¢m pretty certain I gained several pounds on this trip. Oh well, just a few more pounds that I¢ll lose on the AT. I will use the remaining few days till my hike to take care of last minute details. Overall I am pretty well set, and am really anxious to get hiking!
Date: 2018-02-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Several folks have been asking me to post my gear list. I've included everything - both the gear in my pack, and what I'll be wearing. It's a long list, but here goes:Backpack (Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60)Compactor trash bag (to line pack)Carabiner (on pack)Tent, 1-person, single wall (Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo)Tent stakes (8)Groundcloth (for use under tent or under sleeping pad)10 deg down sleeping bag (Western Mountaineering)Sleeping bag compression sackSleeping bag liner (cloth, Sea-to-Summit)Neo Air sleeping padHiking poles (adjustable, 1 pole will double as a tent pole) Alcohol stove with cookpot & windscreenSmall pot scrubbyMug for beverageLong handled titanium spoonBio dish soap, small bottleFuel containers (for alcohol)Matches & lighter Base layer, top: merino woolBase layer, bottoms: polyproUnderwear (2 pr., synthetic)T-shirt, synthetic wickingFleece topDown sweaterTrail pants, zip-off legsLiner socks (2 pr.)Hiking socks (2 pr.)Down socksBuffLiner glovesWool mittsLightweight overshell mittsBandanaRain jacket w/ hoodRain pantsClothing stuff sacks (3) Hiking boots, mid-height, GTXCrocsMicrospikesDirty Girl gaiters Altimeter watchCompassMiner¢s lamp w/ extra batteriesCroakie for glassesJackknife5¢ parachute cordToilet paperHand sanitizerTowelettesToothbrush/paste/flossListerine stripsEarplugsChlorine Dioxide water purification drops (Aqua Mira)Safety pinCable ties (2)Super glue (small tube)Spare shoelaceSewing needle (use dental floss as thread)Pee bottleToe Warmers (1 pr.) Cell phone/charger/cableNote: Guthook app and The A.T, Guide loaded onto phoneBattery booster power pack for phoneSmall notebook w/ penAT Passport book Leukotape, 1 rollMoleskinBandaids, few bandages/gauzeFirst aid ointmentDEET insect repellentEucerin, small tubeVariety of pills (e.g. Ibuprofen) & vitaminsEndurolyte electrolyte supplement (pills)Doxycycline Hyclate pills (if develop symptoms of Lyme disease)Spare plastic bags (small/med) w/ twist tiesTick TweezersNail clippers Bear bag w/ cord & carabiner1 ea. water bottle (1 qt. Gatorade bottle)2 ea. water bottles (20 oz. Gatorade bottles)Scoop
Date: 2018-02-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It is finally here, the long anticipated start of my AT adventure. I am feeling a lot of emotions right now, and I¢m not even on the trail yet!  Not sure how I¢m going to fare tomorrow when God willing I¢m standing on the summit of Springer Mt. Yesterday I got myself a buzz cut and shaved off my beard. It¢s probably been 30 years since I¢ve been clean shaven. When I look at myself in the mirror post haircut/shave, I think to myself ¢...man, you are one ugly and scary looking dude...¢. I¢m thinking even the bears won¢t come near me now, HaHa!The first leg of my adventure starts with my Amtrak ride from Rochester, NY to Gainesville, GA. My good friend Bill Schweinfurth met me at the train station in Rochester to see me off bright and early at 5:30 AM, what a nice surprise that was!  I am on the train right now, doing a little reading/texting and watching the scenery go by enjoying the trip. Folks have been needling me a bit, telling me that the train ride might be the most dangerous part of my whole trip in view of the recent accidents that Amtrak has had. Whoa Nellie, we¢ll see how she goes - but let me tell you, I had to transfer trains in Penn Station in NYC and that is one crazy place! It¢ll be good to be hiking.One thing I don¢t have to worry about at least is things on the home-front. My wife Kayanne is in full support of my thru hike, and I know she will do a great job of managing things at home while I¢m away. We also have a fantastic support network of family and friends who will jump in and assist her with whatever hiccups life throws her way while I¢m gone. What a relief that is to me, I am grateful. Thank you Kayanne, family and friends!  They say that an AT thru hike is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge, so knowing that things are in order at home is huge!  Mentally I feel ready. Look out Appalachian Trail, ready or not here I come!!!
Date: 2018-02-10
From: Amicalola Falls State Park

To: Springer Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 0.2

Amtrak was about 2 hrs late, but shuttle driver Ron Brown was great and met me right as I got off the train. I was on the trail hiking at 10:30, starting at Amicalola Falls State Park. The approach trail is 8.8 miles to the summit. These miles obviously don¢t count, hence my total trail journals mileage is only 0.2. I am spending the nite in Springer Mt. shelter as opposed to my tent in view of the weather. I want to try and keep my trail journals mileage accurate in terms of where I am at the end of every day. I¢m an engineer, am kinda anal about accurate records. Sorry, it comes with the territory. Overall it was a good day to be hiking. It did rain all afternoon, but at least the rain was vertical and not sideways. The trail was wet and muddy, but it wasn¢t a creek and my boots didn¢t get sucked off my feet (which can happen on some of the trails back home in the Dacks). The rain also provided a good shakedown of my rain gear,all systems are go. Also the temps were very mild. Hiking in the rain brought to mind that song in My Fair Lady: ¢....the rain in Spain lies mainly on the plain....I think she¢s got it...I think she¢s got it...¢. Like i say, a good day for hiking. At the shelter tonite there¢s one other person (Greg) also attempting a thru hike.  I did pass 2 other NOBO thru hikers on the trail early on today coming up from Amicalola, but I haven¢t seen them since. Hope they are doing OK. The approach trail itself is a very well maintained and easy to follow trail, no issues. The only real steep area was at the falls, and there are stairs for that stretch. Amicalola Falls was spectacular to see, but the rain and fog quickly rolled in after that so there weren¢t any views. It is good to be on the trail in any event, looking forward to tomorrow. Many thanks to those of you that have left well wishes in my guest book, much appreciated - I read every entry, your support means a lot!
Date: 2018-02-11
From: Springer Mt. Shelter

To: Hawk Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 7.9

One thing I forgot to mention in yesterday¢s entry was that when I registered at Amicalola I was hiker number 62. Of course bear in mind that not all NOBOs register, as many begin the trail at the parking lot 1 mile from the summit of Springer. Oh, i also signed the log book (which is inside a stainless steel box set into a big rock) at the summit of Springer, but the log book was pretty darn wet when I pulled it out.Last nite I was glad to stay in the shelter because let me tell you it rained cats and dogs! The only bad thing about the shelters is the darn mice, I had one son of a gun pestering me all nite. It¢s too bad that some of the cats that came down in the rain didn¢t come into the shelter,they would have had a field day with the mice Ha Ha. Anyway at least it was a warm nite, but damp - nothing wants to dry. Another late start this AM because the heavy rain didn¢t let up till 10. Once Greg and I were hiking the trail wasn¢t in bad shape considering all the rain. At the Springer parking lot we hooked up with another guy, younger fella goes by the trail name Big Load (he is carrying a behemoth pack), so it was the 3 of us on the trail. Somewhere along the way Greg dropped behind, not sure where he is but he¢s an experienced guy so we¢re not worried about him. Heavy rain started in again about 3 and the radar didn¢t look good (another flash flood warning is in effect till 7 AM tomorrow morning), so Big Load and I elected to stay at Hawk Mt. Shelter for the nite. Kinda a bummer because I am feeling good and could have easily hiked another 7 miles or so, but nobody likes hiking in a torrential downpour - we made the right call. Hoping to do a big mileage day tomorrow. I am happy to report that my gear is all working well, and I am safe, warm and dry for the nite.
Date: 2018-02-12
From: Hawk Mt. Shelter

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: moderate rain

Today was a long day but a great day. Big Load and I got a 6 AM start, with our headlamps on.  No rain for a change but misty/foggy all morning. The afternoon turned out to be sunny and comfortably cool, a perfect afternoon for hiking. Really able to pound out the miles, 19.4 today. Nothing steep, but lots of ups and downs. Total climbing elevation for the day according to Guthooks was  4,585 ft. I must say that the trail so far has been in great shape, very nicely maintained, and minimal muddy patches even with all the rain we¢ve been having.  Thanks to all the trail crews and volunteers for your hard work!Decided to sleep in the tent tonite as opposed to the shelter, if for no other reason than to avoid the mice. I also find a tent to be a tad warmer than a 3-sided shelter. I am the only one here right now, not sure where Big Load is - he may be along later as we agreed this would be the rendezvous point. I came across 4 day hikers, but no other hikers. At Gooch Gap I came across a group of perhaps 12 Army soldiers, talked to the Master Sergeant briefly and they are from Camp Merrill on mountaineering training exercises. Told him that last nite I heard some rat-a-tat-tat fire and what sounded like mortars while staying at Hawks Mt. shelter and he noded agreement  - said I might hear more of the same tonite.I did do something stupid today and missed a trail turn at Justus Creek, ended up following an old abandoned trail for about a half mile before realizing my mistake. Round trip it cost us a mile. I had a conversation with myself afterwards, it went something like this:  ¢PAY ATTENTION DUMMY....THE AT IS 2,191 MILES LONG....THERE¢S NO GREAT HONOR IN NEEDLESSLY MAKING IT LONGER!!!!¢It just started to rain again, but I am safe, warm and dry in my tent.
Date: 2018-02-13
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

Hiking today in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Light rain this AM, but overcast and foggy all day. I¢m sure the views would be spectacular, if only we could see them. Mountains climbed today included Blood (4,457 ft), Levellland, Cowrock, Wildcat and Poor. Very few level areas on the trail so far, you are either going uphill or downhill.Stopped at Mountain Crossings in Neels Gap today to pick up the maildrop that I had sent to myself (yummy, more food), and killed a couple of hours. Originally I was planning on spending the nite in their bunkhouse, but I arrived so early (11ish) that I didn¢t want to burn the daylight just hanging out. I did take a shower, even though I wasn¢t that stinky/dirty (HaHa) - it did feel good to be clean again. Of course then I proceeded to put back on my stinky/dirty hiking clothes, which somewhat neutralized the cleansing effects of the shower. While at Mountain Crossings I hammered down a couple of pepperoni Hot Pockets (mmm) and 3 twinkees to tide me over for a couple hours.  As far as meals are concerned, my routine is a cold breakfast (poptarts, granola, fruit jells, etc) snacks during the day (trail mix, peanut butter, sausage, cheese, chocolate, etc), and a hot dinner. I have an alcohol stove and normally make a freeze dried meal, perhaps supplemented with some tuna. I do miss fresh fruits, vegetables & salads, but will survive. I am not a fussy eater, in fact in my family I am referred to as the garbage can because I will eat (and enjoy)pretty much anything you put in front of me. Am in my tent again tonite after a good day on the trail. Have been sleeping well, no issues. I am warm, dry & safe, all is good.
Date: 2018-02-14
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 15.4

I¢ve come across several NOBO thru hikers today, quite a cross section of society. There are I believe 9 of us staying at Tray Mt. Shelter, either in the shelter or in tents. I have elected to sleep in my tent in view of tonite¢s weather forecast (more rain naturally with wind gusts of 25 mph).  I arrived at the shelter at 2, so I at least had a chance to air dry my sleeping bag and tent before setting up. Lots of condensation in my tent the last two nites, the air is just loaded with moisture. Everybody is in the same boat. It rained again today off and on. No sooner did it stop raining and I¢d take my rain gear off, that it would start again. Mother Nature is messing with me. One good thing is that there¢s plenty of water around, creeks and streams are all flowing full. I purify my water with chlorine dioxide (Aqua Mira), you absolutely have to either treat or filter or you take a chance of getting something nasty like Giardia. The plan for tomorrow is a relatively easy 11 mile hike to Dick¢s Creep Gap, I will be spending the nite at Top of Georgia hostel. They have showers and laundry thank God - my clothes are quite disgusting by now, and were in all out revolt when I put them on this morning.I am warm, dry and safe. Enjoying the hike immensely!!!
Date: 2018-02-15
From: Tray Mt. Shelter

To: DickÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0

Tray Mt. Shelter is at elev. 4193. We had intermittent rain, with significant wind gusts. I need to do a better job orienting my tent properly, so that the vestibule/door is downwind. The way the tent is designed there¢s maybe a 10¢ gap between the bottom of the vestibule and the ground. I¢m certain this is to improve ventilation, but in a driving rain moisture gets into the vestibule and thru the rain screen, leading to moisture issues inside the tent. Nothing major, more of a nuisance. I was on the trail hiking at 4:30 today. It was pretty foggy, but I had no trouble making out the well defined trail in my headlamp. It¢s about 7 before there¢s enough daylight to see w/o the headlamp. At least the days are progressively getting longer. I was at Dick¢s Creep Gap by 9:45, and at Top of Georgia Hostel by 10. This is a planned stop, spending the nite here, showering, doing laundry. An 11 mile day is my ideal definition of a NERO. A ZERO is a day with no miles. A NERO is a day with only a few miles. Have met several NOBOs so far, all seem to be great folks. A NOBO is a thru hiker heading northbound from Springer to Katahdin. I am a NOBO. Not everybody has a trail name yet, but here¢s a few of folks that I¢ve encountered:  Jeep, Captain Blackbeard, Vagabond Jack, Reese, Weeds and Zin Master. Top of Georgia is a great hostel, very clean, friendly staff, good place to take a break. A triple crowner by the trail name of Sir Packs a Lot runs the place, and has a wealth of information. A triple crowner is someone that has thru hiked the AT, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail. Quite a feat to say the least! They really cater to thru hikers here, e. g. giving you hospital scrubs to wear while doing your laundry. Sir Packs a Lot says that 25% of thru hikers call it quits by the time they reach Dick¢s Creek Gap, so the odds are starting to improve. Several of us caught a shuttle into Hiawassee, ate at an AYCE buffet called Daniel¢s Steak House. $8. They lost money on us thru hikers. We are all now hoping that we don¢t come down with Montezumas Revenge on the trail tomorrow, but I will be carrying extra TP just in case.
Date: 2018-02-16
From: DickÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Creek Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: moderate rain

Another rainy day today. In the AM it was just cloudy, but then a front moved in and raining by 1. But my spirits are good and I had a good hiking day. Staying in the shelter tonite. Big milestone today crossing the GA/NC state line. 1 state down, only 13 to go. Excepting the weather I thought the AT in GA was great. Well maintained, well signed/marked, no super steep sections (lots of switcbacks), privys and shelters in good shape. Sir Packs A Lot says Georgia is the 4th hardest state along the AT. Not sure what metrics he uses, but he knows more about the AT and hiking than I¢ll ever know so who am I to question.Saw a big old black snake laying on the trail today. Not sure what kind of snake it was, but I gave it a wide berth. Other than squirrels and birds I haven¢t seen much other wildlife. I can hear coyotes howling at nite off in the distance. I am hiking right now with 3 great guys that I hooked up with on the trail. We have a good group going. Everybody hikes at their own pace during the day so we are scattered up and down along the trail, but have been rendezvousing the last 3 nites. We call ourselves the 4 horsemen. The guys have told me that my trail name needs to be modified, they¢ve suggested Pusher Opa and Lightning Opa. Ha Ha. Probably because I¢m always suggesting we go some extra miles. I told them I¢m going to stick with just plain Opa. Thanks again to all those folks offering encouragement via your guest book entries, very much appreciated. And thanks also to my family, friends, former colleagues and coworkers, my hiking buds from  RWMS and ADK GVC, for your supporting comments and texts - this means a lot. I am safe, warm and dry, all is good!
Date: 2018-02-17
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 23.5

Big day today, a bit unexpected. We were initially planning on staying at Long Branch Shelter but there were folks there,  then at Rock Gap Shelter but that was full and there weren¢t any good spots to pitch tents, so we elected to move on and hike all the way to Winding Stair Gap. Called for the shuttle from Gooder Grove AT Hostel and will be spending 2 nites there in Franklin, NC.  A ZERO day is planned for tomorrow, Sunday, my body needs time to recover.   The hiking today was pleasant enough (one big climb up Mt. Albert (elev. 5250, our first 5,000 footer on the trail), but once again we had rain. I¢ve been on the trail now 8 days when the approach trail is included, and it has rained every single day. Not necessarily all day, but rain nonetheless. One statistic I heard was that for an AT thru hike, statistically you should figure 3 non-rain days for every rainy day. By my math Mother Nature owes me 24 nice, rain free days. If you want to give them all to me when I¢m in New England , I¢m cool with that.  I received my fIrst trail magic today, some Pay Day candy bars that were left along the side of the trail at Rock Gap. Trail magic is when some kind individual, sometimes a former thru hiker, leaves or offers food/snacks/drinks for AT hikers. The Pay Day candy bars were much appreciated, thank you!As I mentioned in an earlier post I am hiking right now with 3 other NOBOs, we all started on/about the same date and just so happened to meet up on the trail. We are all early risers, and like pushing the miles. There is Nite Train, a 47 year old ex-Marine and Army vet recently retired. Nite Train saw action in Desert Storm and 3 tours of duty in Afghanistan and was highly decorated. He strikes me as the kind of person you¢d want in your foxhole. There is also Jeep, a 48 year old resident of North Carolina. Jeep is a much in demand automotive painting tech for the largest such company in the US. Jeep is very knowledgeable about hiking and gear, and is easy to talk to. Then we have Captain Blackbeard, at 25 the young buck in our group. The Captain hails from Ocean City, New Jersey and has done some interesting things. He captains a pirate ship for tourists, runs a parasailing boat, and takes folks on fishing charters. These are all great guys, we get along well, like getting an eatly start and hiking long miles, and we have dubbed ourselves the Four Horsemen. I am safe, warm and dry tonite at Gooder Grove Hostel, looking forward to a nice relaxing day tomorrow checking out Franklin, North Carolina.
Date: 2018-02-18
From: Gooder Grove AT Hostel

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A nice ZERO today in Franklin, NC. The sun was shining all day, would have been a spectacular day on the trail. Either a case of poor planning by me, or Mother Nature is just plain messing with me once again!Went to 9:00 AM Sunday Mass at the local Catholic church,St Francis of Assisi, about a 15 minute walk from Gooder Grove Hostel. Next up was a hearty breakfast at a diner called Huddles. I sat next to a nice elderly (elderly, just like me) couple at the counter, we got to talking, and when I got up to leave they wished me well and said they would pray for me and for success on my AT adventure. Total strangers mind you. Brought tears to my eyes.Spent most of the rest of the day doing a little resupply shopping, chillin out and eating. Lots of eating. The hearth breakfast as I mentioned, a sub/chips for lunch, and al all you can eat (AYCE) Asian buffet for dinner. Trying to cram as many calories as I can into this body of mine to get ready for the trail again tomorrow. Also got go facetime today with Kayanne and several other family members, caught up with text messages from them, which was great. Miss all you guys, love you, and know you are all always with me in my heart when I am on the trail.  As fas as Gooder Grove is concerned, it is a great place. Plenty of room, and the owner Zen is a cool dude, very accommodating with shuttle rides, etc.  I am safe, warm and dry tonite at the hostel!