morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-01-30
To: 2175 Sticker Noted
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today on my way into work I passed a pickup truck with a 2175 sticker on the back window. I think that is too cool for school. Just about everyone these days has a 26.2 or a 13.1 sticker on their car. This was the first AT mileage sticker I have ever seen and it didn¢t have anything on it about the AT. No bragging, no flag waving just an acknowledgement that he had thru hiked and those in the know; know he did it and what an accomplishment it is to have made it. All this did is make me more eager, if that is even possible, to get going. I still have March 15 circled on the calendar as my go date. If the good lord is willing and the creek don¢t rise I will be walking north that morning
Date: 2013-02-15
To: All Equipped 
Miles today: 0.0

Whew, just got back into town after a 10 day trek through the Great Northwest. My buddy Paul who is a professional mountain guide, offered to go on a road / ski trip with me to all the flagship outfitting stores throughout the Northwest while doling out his vast knowledge of outdoor lore and advice.   So we loaded up the truck and the road trip commenced. First stop was Black Diamond in Salt Lake. One backpack and set of trekking poles later we were off to the Patagonia Outlet store. Talk about a score. They were in the midst of having their year end blow out sale which resembled the running of the brides at Filene¢s basement in New York, except everyone was an outdoor type. Now I am dressed for success. A little skiing and we were off to Portland and Columbia / Mountain Hardware stores. I didn¢t get very much for me however; my 12 year old niece now has a wonderful pink sleeping bag for her visit with me on the trial this summer. Danner boots was next on the list and they set me up with a good, light pair that they claim will take me all the way to Maine and then some. I hope the break-in period is quick. The Leatherman factory store provided me with a nice small knife plus six other attachments. Too bad a cork screw wasn¢t one of them.Next stop Seattle. Feathered Friends hooked me up with a new sleeping bag and had the best down booties I have ever seen. I should have gotten them for just around the house in winter. Then we went across the street to REI. Oh my, this store is huge it goes on forever and has everything imaginable yet, somehow I only ended up with a spoon. Second Ascent has a really neat store with really good deals and very knowledgeable folks. They gave me a little advice for the trail ahead. Then we cruised on over to Marmot for the last couple of items on the list. Now I think I am ready to hike. Well, equipment wise anyway.
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Springer Mtn

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.6
Weather: light rain

Day one. I got off to a slow start due to Easter bunny Obligations. Checked in at the ranger station at Amicalola Falls State Park. Then we drove up the forest road to the parking lot about 1 mile from the top of Springer Mountain. I hiked back to the top of Springer to start the hike. Just as the obligatory pictures were taken it began to rain. So the first mile of AT On my first day I got to hike in the pouring rain. Due to the rain and late start I ended up staying at the Stover Creek shelter. That was a good decision to stay since it to began to rain again about an hour after I arrived at the shelter And continued throughout the night. No rain, No pain, No Maine.
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Stover Creek

To: Cooper Gap
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: broken clouds

April 1The rains cleared out during the night and I was up and ready to go early in the morning. The trail starts off with a very gentle descent along a meandering Creek through lush rhododendron. I thought to myself that this is really going to be a nice stroll in the woods. Then we got to Sassafras Mountain. You would think with a name like Sassafras it would be a very nice and gentle mountain. Not so much. This is the steepest climb so far on the trail. I ate lunch with a young boy on the trail who said "Sassafras will kick your ass". He was right. This mountain proved that I've been sitting behind a desk way too long. After a bit of a struggle I succeeded in making it into Cooper Gap where I camped for the night.
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Cooper Gap

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

April 2The wind howled all night long. When I woke up it was 34° with at least a 30 mile an hour wind. My tent held up extremely well I was very happy. The day started with a climb over Justus mountain. This one was very easy compared to Sassafras Mountain. The day went by fairly quickly. It was beautiful, sunny. The wind laid down by 10 AM and I enjoyed my stroll through the woods to Woody Gap. Note to self, apply sunscreen on very sunny days. I got a little red in the face today.
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Woody Gap

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

Big Cedar MountainonApr 04/03/13 April 3Starting at Woody Gap, I have to make it all the way to Neels Gap because about 4 miles in you enter a no camping zone (unless you have a bear canister). Apparently the bears are very naughty on Blood Mountain and like to steal backpackers food:-(I headed up and out of Woody Gap to the top of big Cedar Mountain. On the top of the mountain there is a large exposed piece of granite called Preachers Rock which affords beautiful views of the mountains. Then it's a short downhill hike to the base of Blood Mountain. Blood Mountain is the highest point on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia With a very long ascent of over 6 miles. It's one of those times that you never think you'll reach the top. Every time you turn the corner it levels out for a short while then it's up again. Painfully Deceiving. Of course once you reach the top the views are splendid. See my photo file............Tomorrow the weather is going to turn nasty with 35° and rain/snow mix. I have lived in Georgia long enough to know that's just miserable so I will take tomorrow off in Dahlonega.
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Neel's Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: few clouds

April 5I started back at Neels Gap walking up into the clouds as I gained altitude. It was really weird when, I as I neared the top of the mountain, the clouds were condensing on the tree branches and causing it to rain. By the time I reached Leveland Mountain the clouds had parted and it was blue skies and sunshine. I was able to look across the gap and see Tesnatee mountain. Soon I would be standing over there which was several miles away. I hiked for a good while with Thumper and his wife reaching Low Gap Shelter around 5:30 in the evening. When I arrived it looked like the hikers convention. There were over 40 tents +7 people in the shelter. I ended up tenting near Doc, Russell, Subaru, and others. During the night some people down by the shelter spotted a black bear on the other side of the creek. The bear did not bother anyone at this site. Apparently the night before the bears had a big day with at least two different sets of campers.
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: clear sky

April 6This morning I left Low Gap and hiked most of the day with Doc. About halfway through the day Memphis and Trail Wreck ran across us while we were eating lunch. Trail wreck announced that he did not like his trail name and wanted to change it to Swift. Then promptly had to empty his backpack to find a knee brace that he had inadvertently left in his sleeping bag from the night before. We all laughed at him and told him he's just a Trail Wreck. The hiking was good: blue skies, sunshine, and a light breeze. We ended up at Unicoi Gap by mid-afternoon and called it a day.
Date: 2013-04-07
From: zero day in Hiawassee

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

April 7Today I took a zero day in Hiawassee. Helen came up and brought me resupplies along with the new head for my backpack. Black Diamond was super and sent me out a new one after the zipper broke while I was on the Trail. I am a little sore and it felt good to take a day off and rest my ankle and legs. Most of the day was spent lounging around, doing laundry, and prepping for the next push toward Franklin, North Carolina.
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

April 8The swelling in my ankle this morning was greatly reduced. I had almost full range of motion without pain. The day off yesterday definitely worked well. Doc and I slack packed today from Unicoi Gap to Dick's Creek Gap. At 16.4 miles this will be my longest day so far. About 10 miles into the hike my ankle started bothering me again. I definitely am not 25 anymore. The last 3 miles of the hike were the worst. It was a very long, steep descent which aggravates my ankle a lot more than going uphill. When I get back into town I'll decide what the game plan is for tomorrow. I really want to hike but sometimes letting your body heal is the better plan of action.
Date: 2013-04-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

April 9Today I 'Zeroed' again in Hiawassee letting my ankle rest. I did get down to the local pharmacy to get a better ankle brace, and spent most of the day lounging around the hotel with my foot up. I was quite surprised to find that there are about eight or nine hikers taking the day off today in this hotel. For entertainment a bunch of us decided to weigh our packs in the hotel's fitness center to see what we are actually carrying. My pack was 34 pounds with everything in it including 5 days worth of food and 2 Liters of water.. I was not the lightest but far from the heaviest.I have decided that tomorrow I will set off for Franklin, North Carolina slowly. Hopefully with smaller mileage days I won't aggravate my ankle too badly.
Date: 2013-04-10
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Dick's Creek To Muskrat Creek shelter. 11.8 milesApril 10Today the weather was cool and sunny starting out only to reach the Low 80s as the day progressed. This was the hottest day so far by far. I never knew that North Carolina was so much higher than Georgia. We started out at an elevation of 2675 and walk uphill all day cresting the height of 4600 feet. This was easily the longest uphill day that I've encountered so far on the hike. It was also one of the most satisfying as I crossed the North Carolina Georgia state line. One state down 13 to go. During the hike I've also noticed that spring is starting to come to the mountains. The wildflowers starting to bloom and the Redbud trees are starting to pop out. Every time I crested a ridge i was met With spectacular views of the mountains and valleys below.
Date: 2013-04-11
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

April 11This morning I had grand designs on leaving camp first thing and hitting the trail. Extremely bad weather was due to move in later in the afternoon. Alas the best laid plans of mice and muskrats often go awry. Due to the heavy cloud cover the sun didn't make it into the gap in until almost 7:15. I was late getting up and getting started since I did not set an alarm which has become my habit. I was finally packed up and on the trail by 8:30, rushing to get to Carter Gap before the rains hit later in the day.The hike itself was very pleasant. Walking along several ridges it was nice stroll in the woods until Standing Indian Mountain. At an elevation of nearly 5500 feet this is the highest point on the trail so far. Off in the distance I could see the clouds building and heading in my direction. The one lousy part of the day was about two hours before I entered camp a branch grabbed my umbrella and broke the handle. I carried it for 10 days only to have it break two hours before I needed it. C'est la vie.I made it to camp about an hour before the main rains hit. This gave me enough time to set up my tent and have dinner.
Date: 2013-04-12
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: broken clouds

April 12Last night we had a major thunderstorm roll through with nearly 3 inches of rain and high winds. Luckily I stayed high and dry and my tent performed extremely well. One of the weirdest things though was we were high on the ridge and the clouds settled in around us. In my headlamp I could see the water particles suspended in the air it was kind of an eerie feeling. Almost like something out of a horror movie. By morning the weather had cleared out and the trail was in extremely good shape for hiking Considering the amount of rain that we had The night before. The highlight of the day he was climbing Albert Mountain. The views were incredible and at this point I have passed 100 miles on the trail.
Date: 2013-04-15
From: Rock Gap

To: Wayah Crest
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

April 15, Today I started out in Rock Gap with clear blue sky as I climbed up the ridge the clouds started to fill the valley on one side of the mountain and the other side was basked in sunlight. On top of the mountain the clouds had a definitive line along the ridge. It was a very dramatic view of the valley and a wall of cloud. I tried for a picture but it didn¢t come out. Where is Donna when you need her? Spring has finally gotten here, the flowers are starting to come out and at the lower elevations the trees are starting to leaf out a bit. Another hiker from Wyoming commented to me today that the pollen was killing him. The forecast said the pollen count would be around 2500 today. I told him to just wait a couple of days and the count will exceed 5000 for sure. He was not as excited as one would expect about this little tidbit.   A little after lunch I crested Siler Bald. This is the first bald that I have encountered so far. I found it interesting that no one knows why the tops of some mountains are devoid of trees and shrubs. Only grass grows here. Even though it is not on the trail I took the side trip up to the top to see the view on this super clear day. I was the only person on top and could see forever.
Date: 2013-04-16
From: Wayah Crest

To: Wayah Bald
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: broken clouds

April 16, In the Cherokee language Wayah means wolf. Well, it looks like I have been bitten by the wolf as I crested Wayah Bald. About 1.5 miles from the top of the mountain I felt something pop in my calf and had to limp into the parking area on Wayah Bald. Fortunatly for me Ron Haven¢s wife was in the area and was able to pick me up and took me back to town. I can¢t say enough nice things about the Haven¢s and Pam the desk clerk at the Budget Inn. They were all very helpful while I was there. At the local doc in a box I got the bad news that I had torn the muscle in my calf and will need to be off the trail for about four to eight weeks depending on how badly I have hurt myself and healing time. Talk about a super bummer. This is it.
Date: 2013-05-16
From: Home

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Just a quick update on what I have been doing over the last four weeks. Once I got back to Atlanta my mother insisted that I go to my doctor to have my calf and ankle inspected again. Which resulted in exactly the same diagnosis that the doctor in Franklin gave me; stay off the leg, let it heal and you will be ready to hit the trail in four to eight weeks. Of course I heard two to four weeks in my ever 25 year old mind. It seems that both of the doctors were correct since I still could not walk without a limp across the living room after two weeks much less carry a pack. Now that it has been a little over four weeks and I can walk without pain and am itching to get back where I left off. Everyone that I was hiking with have all moved on a couple of hundred miles down the trail so it looks like I will be with the tail end of the thru hikers that have started later in the season. The lost time will make it a little more of a challenge, not that I need any additional challenges, to make it before the snows start in Maine without having to flip flop or skip a section to complete later. I am looking forward to meeting some new people and continuing my journey north.
Date: 2013-05-18
From: Wayah Bald

To: NOC
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

May 18I decided to try out my almost healed calf today with a slack pack from where I left off on Wayah Bald to the NOC. I hopped out of the car on the nice paved trail to the fire watchtower in a steady light rain with a cloud sitting on top of the mountain.   Why is it that both times I have started out on this hike it is in the rain? I dutifully walked to the tower, climbed it and looked at what I suppose are stunning views only to see about 50 yards and cloud. I knew that I should have limped down here when I was waiting for my ride back to town a month ago.   It was a brilliantly sunny and clear day then. The hike itself was rather normal. A little rain, a little mud, some slipping and sliding, and I did fall for my first time on the trail. Be careful where you stand the roots are slick as a whistle.   Things have changed along the trail since I have been gone. The trees now have leaves; the flowers are blooming or have already finished in the lower elevations. Grasses now line the trail growing lush with all the rain. In some places it is so thick that the trail is almost now a meadow albeit 3¢ wide. The other most notable difference is that I only saw 5 hikers today and they were all out for either the day or weekend. The mass of thru-hikers has apparently left the building.As I closed in on the NOC I was feeling a little sore and my leg was starting to bother me. While not limping the last few miles were more of a challenge than they should have been. I got back to the room, downed a few vitamin I cleaned up and hobbled down for dinner. The next morning my calf was sore to the touch. I massaged it and thought about how I could stay and hike without hurting it more. Again I felt it was in the best interest of health and safety to retreat and let my leg heal a little longer. The doctors did say 4 to 8 weeks and it has been 4 weeks and a couple of days for those of us who were counting. Besides when I come back on the trail next time maybe it won¢t be raining. LOL
Date: 2013-01-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

now that the new year is here I should start posting more. l retired from teaching from Sheridan h high school after 39 years, last   May. I'm 62, live in Noblesville, IN. and have been wanting to walk the appalachain trail for over 20 years. I've worked in the summer time for Hamilton co. parks dept. for 33 years. After retiring I'm still working part time until my journey. my reservations are made at amicola falls state park and I will be beginning on March 17th. more later about my gear and preparations later.
Date: 2013-01-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Before I post about my gear and preparation, I must first make a couple of thank you. First to my wife,Betty. She will be mailing all my food to my mail drop locations which are posted on my page. She is very supportive but will be sad to see me leave. Next a thank you to my youngest son, Chris. He will be posting my journals to this site.So by the time you read a journal it my be a week old and I will be a week further down the trail. Hopefully we will figure out how to post pictures to the site also. Lastly, thanks to all that have signed my guest book and the words of encouragement.
Date: 2013-02-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

gear on. instead of listing my gear on the gear page, I decided to list it here. My pack is an Osprey aether 70.   tent is a microlite fs from ll bean. boots 2pair goretex /leather cresta hikerfrom ll bean. also, from ll bean I have a crestline 200 fleece jacket. rain gear pants from rein and jacket from mountain hard wear.   sleeping bag is a cloudbreak 20 from marmot and a thermorest sleeping pad. 2 pair sierra design nylon pants, 2 t-shirts , and 2long sleeve shirts by under armour. cook stove is a jetboil sol . walking poles are from rei . headlamp is blackdiamond cosmo. that is most of my gear. For food I'm planning on oatmeal and pop tarts for breakfast. bagels and nuttella for lunch. freeze dried meals 2servingfor supper. snacks morning and afternoon will be grandly bars and home made jerky.      since I had surgery yesterday on my trigger finger I haven't been able to get out to walk like I should. I'm trying to exercise more inside with what I can do. can't believe only 25 days to my starting date.
Date: 2013-03-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

got started around 9 for Amicalola Falls State Park. arrived arround 6:00. was a good trip down with my wife Betty and daughter April. Could tell the weather got warmer as we drove south, as it made it into the 70s. The cabin we stayed in was nice. We also ate at the lodge and got to see the sunset over the mountains. very beautiful.
Date: 2013-03-17
From: Amicalola Falls State Park

To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: overcast clouds

arrived at the check in station in Amicalola Falls State Park at 9:00. Weighed my pack (way too heavy) at 50 pounds. I am the 450th person to leave on the trail this year. I invisioned the approach trail to Spring Mountain in my mind, and boy was I wrong. It was one of the hardest days of my life. First, I had to climb 675 steps up around the waterfalls. Next, the climb itself was difficult and strenuous. I had to stop about 2.5 miles before I intended to. I'm camping at Springer Mt. Shelter in my tent on my first night. Temps were in the 60s today, but as the sun goes down, it's getting cooler. Hearing rain tomorrow.
Date: 2013-03-18
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: light snow

woke up this morning to rain on the tent. broke camp about 8:30. First 2.5 miles was any easy downhill off of Springer Mountain to Stover Shelter. Then ups and downs the rest of the day. It did rain most of the day and is calling for severe storms later, so a lot of people got off the trail early to get a spot in a shelter. Stopped around 2 and was the last to get a spot in the loft. Temps are dropping. Saw some hail while sitting in the shelter. Glad to be inside. Some of the people I've met are: Woodstock, Morris the Cat, Slim, Goose. Everyone has been really nice. It's still early, but I'm off to bed. The trail is rougher than I imagined and my legs are sore.
Date: 2013-03-19
From: Hawk Shelter

To: Gooch Gap 
Miles today: 9.2

Was glad to be in a shelter last night. There was thunder, lightning, with winds and lots of rain. Got packed up and left around 8:30. Started out in the low 50s and it warmed through the day to the mid 60s. I left my pack cover hanging at Hawk Shelter, so first chance I get, I will have to buy another. Have I mentioned how hard the trail is? Not only the ups and downs, but you have to watch your footing for rocks and tree roots. I made 9.2 miles today and am 17.3 miles from Springer Mountain. Made camp at Gooch Gap campsite. I'm still with Woodstock, Morris the Cat, Stupid and Bubblegum. Of course the rookies don't realize the wind blows through the gaps, for it is very windy here. Was about 1/4 mile walk down to get water, but there was a nice stream, so I cleaned up a little. Had a nice supper and visited some, and off to bed before 8.