morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-09-12
From: Antlers Campsite

To: Mahar Tote Road
Miles today: 5.9

I woke up in my tent this morning to a beautiful sunrise. It may not have been the most beautiful sunrise since my hike started, but we actually get to see few of them because we're generally deep in the woods. Stix, Eatmore, Sleepy and I decided to walk together this morning because we were all planning to go to White House Landing, the only outpost in the 100 miles wilderness that caters to hikers. The other three planned to have lunch and do a limited food resupply, but I intended to spend the night. I figure this will be the only time I'll be here, so I might as well stay for the "trail experience". Once we got to the .9 mile blue-blaze trail, Eatmore and Sleepy went ahead and Stix and I decided to wait on the trail for 30 minutes to see if Kumquat would come by. We were hoping she had Stix's rain jacket that he left drying out on her parent's truck yesterday at the trail magic. We figured we'd give her 30 minutes to come by before heading down the blue-blaze trail. Twenty-eight minutes later, she came bouncing down the trail with his rain jacket! Stix was a happy man again, especially since it¢s supposed to rain for the next three days. We walked the blue-blazed trail to the dock, blew the air horn to let them know we needed a lift, and about 5 minutes later, they were on their way in their boat to pick us up. Right after we arrived, Stix and I ordered the house specialty for lunch, a one pound hamburger! I washed mine down with two sodas. Stix, Eatmore and Sleepy bought some resupply items before they were shuttled by boat back to the trail. Right now, it¢s just Conan, Backwards, and me in the bunk house. Circuit Rider, Sherlock, and a section hiker are in private rooms here. For dinner, I walked over to the main lodge and had a pizza. I only ate half of it and I'll carry the other half out with me tomorrow. Not looking forward to the predicted rain tomorrow!
Date: 2013-08-07
To: What??????
Miles today: 0.0

Okay, here we go again. After chastising myself daily during my 2010 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail to ¢NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN!!!¢, I¢m off to Spain (and southern France) to hike El Camino de Santiago: a walk of approximately 500 miles from St Jean Pied de Port in the Pyrenees mountains of southern France across northern Spain to the city of Santiago de Compostela. Once there, my wife Joann and friends Rambo, and Jana will join me on a 5-day hike to Finisterre (literally, the ¢end of the earth¢) on the Atlantic Ocean in Spain. This hike represents about 14 the mileage of the Appalachian Trail. What have I gotten myself into (again)?Often referred to as ¢The Way¢, the hike is a Christian pilgrimage to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela from any of the many starting points in Europe, and has existed for centuries. Well over 100,000 ¢peregrinos¢, or pilgrims, make part or all of this hike annually. I think there were nearly 200,000 last year. The route I will be taking is often referred to as Camino Franc©s, or ¢the Way of Saint James¢ and is the most commonly traveled route today. . Why am I doing this? Heck if I know. A few years ago, my niece, Mary, gave me a book about ¢El Camino¢ written by a colleague of hers at the University of California, so I guess that planted the seed. Other than that, I really don¢t have a good answer ¢ just like the impetus for my 2010 AT thru-hike. I¢ve never been to Spain, but then again, I¢d never been on the Appalachian Trail before I started that hike either. So, I guess I¢m in for another adventure.
From: Duncannon, PA

To: off trail
Miles today: 0.0

June 23, 24, 25, 26, 2010 ¢ Days 80 to 83 ¢ Wednesday thru SaturdayOne of things I did not do in '04 was go off trail. Many hikers would leave the trail for days, some up to a week in order to go home, go to a big eastern city like Washington DC, New York, Boston, etc. So I decided to go off trail when I heard Steve and Jacob talking about going to Philly to visit relatives. I have a cousin who lives near Philly and I could visit him.The plan was to find a shuttle to Harrisburg then an Amtrak train into Philly. I said good-bye to Draggin' Tail and Sherpa. They were good hiking partners and I will miss the bantering between Sherpa and I. I left Steve and Jacob at Penn station and was picked up by Jen, cousin Ricky¢s daughter, and taken to New Jersey. I spent the next couple days visiting family.Today's modern era is fast and furious. Within minutes I was out of the wilderness, speeding in a car going 55 mph. The fastest speed I had traveled in the last 2 months was at 3 plus mph walking down hill. As I got closer to Philly, the trees disappeared and were replaced by concrete structures and pavement. The noise level also increased - engines were running, trains moving about, horns blowing, sirens blaring and street noises, all contributing to the sensory overload. When I wanted to take a leak, I could find a tree in the wilderness right away and relieve myself. In the city I had to find a public bathroom inside a building. Trees were either in parks or along streets. Many streets didn't even have space for trees, just more concrete and pavement.Don't misunderstand me, I was glad to see family, I just could not get comfortable in the city. I did enjoy the air conditioning and swimming pool. The clothes I was wearing were dry and the humidity and temps were comfortably lower than outside. I would often wonder how the pioneers survived the summer in wool clothing before cotton was discovered.One day the family took me to the Jersey Shore. We were to going to the ocean but went to a beautiful beach on the bay instead. The water had a funky stagnant smell to it. I had been spoiled by the pristine clear water of mountain streams and lakes. I respectfully declined the invitation to go in the bay¢s water. The rest was a flurry of family affairs. On my last day, all I wanted to do was sit in the air conditioning, surround myself in silence and sit or lay, whatever I chose, on a couch.Thank you so much Rick and family for taking the time to entertain me. Your love of life and family will always be carried in my heart.The reverse transition happened on my trip back to Duncannon. The concrete and pavement diminished as more green farmlands and woods appeared and finally my mountains. Tomorrow I was going back into the rocks of PA, in high humidity and temperatures and walking the ridges with birds singing and the wind blowing through the trees. If I had a mirror I would have seen a huge smile on my face, I was home.If not now, then when? Krispykritter 2010 GaMe
Date: 2010-03-29
To: The Differences
Miles today: 0.0

THE DIFFERENCESI decided one of my goals for a thru hike on the AT was not a summit on Katahdin, but to go for a long walk without a visible stop sign telling me it was time to get off. So many times on short distance hikes the journey was over and I wanted to stay with Mother Nature, not as a visitor, but as a resident. Any thru hike can be compromised by weather, injury, sickness, a call back home or just not enjoying the experience. These are not stop signs. A stop sign to me is the terminus at the other end of the trailhead that signifies completion. As I told Lady Kritter, my goal is to go for a long walk, it could be two days, two weeks, two months and, if everything works out, Katahdin ¢ the stop sign I cannot immediately see at the end of a very long green tunnel.A significant change between my GaMe 2004 (Georiga-Maine) and GaMe 2010 journey involves trail towns, money spent and mail drops. I experienced the lure of trail towns on my first thru hike. Hikers call it ¢the vortex¢ that sucks you off the trail. This time I will avoid the vortex and use trail towns as resupply points, places to take a shower and, once in awhile, if it fits into my daily hike, a bed to sleep in. In essense what this is giving me is more time to balance and harmonize with nature. I spent way to much money in 04 thinking this was going to be my only chance to experience the Appalachian Trail. My goal this trip, when I reach Katahdin is to spend a total of $2500 dollars or less. I also spent too much money on mail drops and bounce boxes (mail I sent ahead to a post office up the trail) I discovered the items I mailed to myself could be purchased along the trail. By eliminating so many mail drops I don't have to re-schedule mileage because a post office is closed half a Saturday and all day Sunday.My stop sign is 4 months, ten days at the northern terminus of the AT in Maine. This is well under the six month period I took in 04 and within the time interval I promised to Lady Kritter .Once I decided to hike the AT again, I think the second hardest thing I had to do was tell Greyhound I wanted to hike alone. We have similar beliefs about Mother Nature and man's unrecognizeable relationship with her. We share the beauty of her landscape, the colors of Father Sky and the creatures that survive in both of these worlds.The honesty and integrity of our beliefs and action as we seek the pursuits of pleasure that surround us in nature, is reminiscent of the bond created between two warriors.This makes it an honor for me to earth touch with him. When I told Greyhound my plan, that honesty and integrity came out and.he was genuinely happy for me. He understood my hiking psychic having been there himself. The hardest thing I had to do was tell Lady Kritter my plans. While we were still in Maine after summitting Katahdin, Lady Kritter asked me to promise never to be away for six months again. Enduring three hurricanes, taking care of household chores with her brother and hearing tales about how profficient Lady Kritter became working a chain saw, I agreed.
Date: 2010-03-30
To: The Chance To Do It Again
Miles today: 0.0

THE CHANCE TO DO IT AGAINEvery time I went out with my Boy Scout Troop on a camp-out, at some point during that weekend ,we would sit by a camp fire and sing The Happy Wandering. Or, during the hike in, or out, in unison we would burst out and sing:  ¢I love to go a-wandering, Along the mountain track, And as I go, I love to sing, My knapsack on my back.¢I still sing that song every time I earth touch the earth on a long distance hike. It 's funny how things work out for me because, it's time I sing the The Happy Wandering again, this time on the Appalachian Trail (AT). The AT was not my first choice. There were more trails (Ways in the U.K.) to walk in England and Scotland with Greyhound. Another choice with Greyhound was the possibility of thru hiking the Florida Trail, or going out west in the summer and begin ¢The Summer Hike of 2010¢ starting with The Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainer in Washington State. The timing of hiking these trails were just not right for me, isolated territories across great distances of water, and a starting time too late to start, made these choices impossible. Then, I thought, ¢Why not the Appalachian Trail, again.¢ I pushed, no forced myself away from the desk. I stood in awe and looked at the computer screen and stared. Was I really thinking of doing another thru hike of the AT? Once I settled down, it seemed logical, even possible. Why Not!The number one reason most hikers on their second attempt of a thru hike get off the trail is because they went looking for the same experience, the same type of hike they had during the first. I am experienced enough to understand that each new hike, no matter how many times you have been on a particular trail, a new set of cause and effect comes into play. I already know this hike will be different from my thru hike in 04. Today, I feel I am an improved hiker since 2004. My pack weight, hiking philosophy and hiking pace has taught me to communicate better with the trail, any trail. I also realized I have a chance to complete and put into action, a thought I have had since finishing the AT. ¢What would I do differently if given the chance to hike the AT again.¢ The obstacles are many, but if all things align correctly, I can be on trail, of all days, on April 1st, April Fools Day. And, most of all, during this next journey, I'll be within two days of getting home to deal with hurricanes or family matters that can occur, for anyone, gone months at a time.
Date: 2010-03-31
From: The Chance To Do It Again

To: Murphy's Law
Miles today: 0.0

Murphy's LawThe plan was to fly out on the 31st, be on Springer Mountain by nightfall and northbound to Maine on April Fools Day. ¢APRIL FOOLS¢ to you, KrispyKritter. Murphy, my steadfast companion who is constantly changing my way of Life through his laws, did it again. Murphy's Law: ¢ You better have a Plan B because you Never rely on plan A¢. Plan A went out the window and my departure date was set back one week. Out of the negative comes the positive, I got to spend quality time with Lady Kritter, without work, getting up late in the morning and just cuddling in the nest.Plan B has me flying out in the morning, at half the price (another bonus), meeting up with Cool Breeze who will shuttle me to Springer Mountain and by noon on April 6th become a nobo (northbounder) on the AT. And, I got a voucher for the flight I canceled which gives me funds for my return flight home (another bonus). By the way, I put a 25 pound dumb bell in Murphy's backpack. I think he is going to miss the flight and have to catch up with me later on the mountain.
Date: 2010-04-06
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: clear sky

"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time"   ~ Winston ChurchillToday was a day of mixed emotions and time travel. I said good bye to Lady Kritter, a sad moment in time for me. Board a plane in the early morning and by 9:30 am landing at the Atlanta airport, boarded the Atlanta train named MARTA and rode cross town, then driven in a car by Cool Breeze to Springer Mountain (By the way, if you ever need a good and reasonable shuttle call Mountain Crossing at Neal¢s Gap and ask for Cool Breeze). By 1:00 pm I am hiking north on the AT. What is so amazing to me in this day and age of travel, the distance it took me roughly 6 hours of mechanical travel to complete will take months for me to complete on foot.The weather today was sunny, hot and buggy. I can't believe my first day and it is already hot and buggy. The same for tomorrow.Stopped for the night at Hawk Mt. Shelter. About 20 thru hikers here mostly staying in tents. Several are previous thru hikers: Evo, Batman, Bear and I. So we sat at the picnic table talking about our hikes and helping the new hikers getting adjusted. My advice, Don't look at the big miles, take the hike one day at a time and enjoy. (I love being out here, but miss my Lady Kritter.)Tonite the army rangers are heavy into training as low flying helicopters zoom overhead with explosions and gunfire breaking the night's silence. One good thing comes out of this - I don't think many bears are in this area.One more thought. I took out my old boot inserts and forgot to put in the new ones. I had to hike 30 miles before I could get inserts at Neels Gap. I double-socked and that stopped the blisters. What was really nice was feeling the earth under my feet; I¢d like to do more of this but not on a long distance hike. This is the closest I've come to being a true "earth toucher".Gabh Ceum (Gaelic) - Take Steps Note from Lady Kritter - Journal entries will be updated every few days. Pictures will be uploaded periodically to correspond with KrispyKritters' daily journals. Thanks to all of you for your support (and condolences - LOL) The Kritter is on his way!
Date: 2010-04-07
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Lance Creek 
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

"So here I am the victim of my choices, and I'm just started." David E. KellyWoke up at 6:30 am and was on the trail by 7:15. It was nice and cool for the steep climb up Sassafras Mountain.   Had lunch at Gooch Mtn. Shelter and talked with Likely who was taking a zero because of a bad hip. He told me there is a large group of hikers just in front of me. I like being in the lull but as my mileage improves I am going to have to eventually go through the pod.Today was hot as predicted. I had my usual "Afternoon Meltdown" that lasted several hours. I've learned to drink plenty of water and that seems to help.There are so many wonderful things on the trail, besides Mother Nature. I met an 87 year old hiker who attempts to thru-hike the trail every year. He thru-hiked in 1992, but now every time he attempts another, he has to get off for one reason or another. He kept asking what my trail name was every time we pass. The very next meeting he would ask again. Now I think I know why he hikes every year. I will say this - that man can move up the mountain!Another special moment occurred when I met two deaf hikers and one of them almost blind. I tried to talk with them to let them know how inspirational they were. It kind of made my "Afternoon Meltdown" inconsequential.I was afraid I would compare this hike to my 2004 hike. Today I had one of those epiphanies. I realized when I started walking that all the squeaks and little noises my backpack made brought an instant comfort to me. Another thought entered my mind. Every day on the trail, any trail, is a new day. Therefore, there is no comparison between the 2004 hike and the 2010 hike, it is just a continuation from the last time I put the backpack on my back, another new day.Gabh Ceum (Gaelic) - Take Steps
Date: 2010-04-08
From: Lance Creek 

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: light rain

"I know the trail, if not its entirety, I know its glory, its shortcomings, its bitterness. And still I long for it." Hephzibah, AT 2003Woke up 6:30 am and heard a light piddle paddle on the roof of my tent. I knew instantly the front was here and went into fast mode. By 7:00 I was packed and on the trail, hiking with a guy from Tenn. named Mountain Camel. Within minutes we are in fog and rain.Climbed up Blood Mtn. and had a great view of the whiteout. No sense standing around looking at nothing so I continued on to Neels Gap and Mountain Crossing at Walasi Yi Inn.Made Neels Gap by 10:30 and was greeted by Bear Paw, Logan and Georganna, Dartman, Cool Breeze, Squirl, Lumpkin and Miss Janet (all hiker friends of mine and the AT). Chris from Leki is a rep for a new insole called Orthosole that everyone here is raving about. He gave me a pair to try. Thanks Chris. I¢ll let you how they feel.Murphy did it again. The weather came in with heavy rain and thunder. We were so fogged in we didn't see the lightning. Three hours later the rain is gone, the temperature is dropping, and I already paid for the night. I could have had another six miles by dark thirty. Good news is the weather is premo for the next 7 days and I get to enjoy Miss Janet's supper of Chili and peach cobbler. A hiker's life indeed!Gabh Ceum (Gaelic) - Take Steps
Date: 2010-04-09
From: Neels Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not" Ralph Waldo EmersonI skipped breakfast at the hostel to get an early start and to avoid the vortex that loves to suck hikers in. I started out in low 40 degree temperature, strong-winds and a bright morning sun.Walking up Levelland Mtn. from Neels Gap the trees would move back and forth and sometimes rub themselves creating assorted high pitch sounds. It felt like the trees were communicating to me, "Welcome to our forest¢. Then a chorus of birds chirped in with their special hospitality.The views from the mountain ridge brought into view crisp and clear rolling mountains and valleys. Tried sitting at Cowrock Mountain, a rocky overlook, to enjoy the landscape before me. Within minutes I was chased away by the biting cold winds. Spent the remainder of the day walking in glory, mainly by myself. Tree trunks stick out of the brown canopy floor. New leaves are just starting to bud green. Within the next couple of weeks I will be walking in the green tunnel.Tonite I am tenting at Blue Mountain Shelter with several thru- and section hikers. This has been a shelter I've always wanted to stay at, another check off from my list.Gabh Ceum (Gaelic) - Take Steps
Date: 2010-04-10
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

"All I say about Life is, Oh God, ENJOY it." Bob NewhartWoke up to a cold morning, looked out my tent door and watched a cloudless sky light up with the morning sun. A big orange ball popped up over the mountain. The show was over and it was time to pack up and hit the trail. Today was going to be a tough day of climbs. One of the reasons I picked Blue Mountain Shelter was to get a cool fresh start going out of Unicoi Gap, the first climb. The second climb was Tray Mountain but the pain was taken away by some awesome trail magic. Just before Tray Gap two Boy Scout Troops 24 and 605 had a sign posted on a tree saying there was food ahead and no one was to pass without eating. The possibility of free food to a hiker will quicken your step. I was worried it might have been left over from previous trail magic. Low and behold, at Tray Gap, several trailers and vehicles were situated, a fire going, and troop leaders cooking hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches. Oh! Did I mention the chips, cookies and drinks. I told the Scout leader ¢mission accomplished¢ as I was walking out of there full. Thanks guys!The trail magic did two great things for me. One, a full belly with energy waiting to explode propelled me up the mountain. By the time I reached Tray Mountain Shelter I needed a break to digest my food. The second thing was saving me on food so now I can by-pass the town of Hiawassee for re-supply and stay on trail until Franklin, NC. This is especially good since we are in a period of good weather. I didn't want to miss one of these days bogged down in a town.Just after Addis Gap the steep climb up Kelly Knob really kicked my butt. It didn't help that I was in my late afternoon meltdown from the heat. I thought I was finally getting my trail legs. Nope, not yet. I still have memory of tougher climbs coming up so I don't want to over do it.The one main difference between this hike and my 2004 hike: In '04 only a few had cell phones. Now when you get into camp at the shelters the first question is, "Is there reception? The other thing is watching people talking to themselves with their hand up to their ear, or banging on a keyboard way to small for their thumbs, to send home journals. I don't have blisters on my feet, just my thumbs.Gabh Ceum (Gaelic) - Take Steps
Date: 2010-04-11
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

Day 6 - Sunday"Forget about time...concentrate on timing."   ~Jonathan PasselWoke up to another beautiful sunrise. I wanted another early start to beat the heat. I heard that a hiker by the name of Diesel, who I hiked with for several hundred miles in ¢04, was at Dicks Creek Gap. He stayed in town for the morning so I missed him. I hope we catch up since he¢s thru hiking again too.Today was pretty uneventful. It was a day of more ups and heat. I had forgotten some of the ups -especially the one coming out of Bly Gap. A steep ascent along with the afternoon sun relentlessly beating down on me really kicked in my meltdown. After grabbing several trees and gasping for breath, before reaching the top, I now know why I didn't remember the ups. I WANTED TO FORGET ABOUT THEM!One good thing happened at mile 76.4. I left my first state, Georgia, and entered North Carolina (Mom you can sing the state song now, private joke). Not bad for the first week.The day was not over. There was yet another climb before reaching the shelter. Exhausted, I decided not to go any further and save the big miles into Franklin for tomorrow according to the map profile.Gabh Ceum (Gaelic) - Take Steps