morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-10-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

AT JOURNAL 10/22/19I¢m not sure I can find the right words to describe how I feel right now - there¢s a host of emotions going through me ranging from happiness that I am finished with my hike, to sadness knowing that my hike is over. The fond memories that I have from my AT adventure will always be with me. I know when I was off the trail between 2018 and 2019, I thought about the trail every single day. The trail just has a way of getting into your soul, in a good way.The trail was awesome: 2,191 miles covering 14 states, with some of the most spectacular scenery that I personally have had an opportunity to experience in this great country of ours - but make no mistake: while hiking the trail is an exhilarating experience, it is also a challenge. Anyone that finishes the AT, whether as a thru hiker or section hiker, has achieved something special and has a lot to be proud of. I am happy for each and every one of you - and I am certain you each will have your own lifetime of memories.Hiking the entire AT, even though it took me 20 months spread out over 2 years, is without a doubt the hardest thing I¢ve ever done. Hard physically, mentally and emotionally. I had my share of health issues and will admit that there were a couple of times that I thought I might not finish; I¢m so glad I carried on to the end. Maybe someday when the going gets tough for one of my wonderful Grandchildren, whether it be at school, or at work, or whatever it may be, he/she will look back at old Opa¢s perseverance on the AT and maybe that will help inspire them to persevere as well.I am grateful to so many individuals that in their own way helped me along the way - starting with my wife and best friend Kayanne, who stood by me through thick and thin, and always offered her encouragement. Thank you Kayanne, you¢re a special person and I¢m grateful for all you do. Thank you to my family, who naturally were concerned about my safety but were always supportive and offered words of encouragement along the way - whether it was a quick text message, an email, a phone call or a brief FaceTime session. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family. Thank you to my friends, relatives, former colleagues, guest book responders and all those who also offered words of encouragement to me during my journey just when I needed them. Thank you to the great people I met along the way, some of whom have become my friends for life. Thank you to the total strangers who provided me with random acts of kindness along the way, you were there when I needed you and gave of yourself so freely - your kindness helped reaffirm my faith in humanity. Thank you to the countless volunteers who help maintain the trail, without whom there would not be an AT. And finally thank you to the good Lord, who watched over me and kept me safe. I have been blessed in so many ways - my cup truly runneth over!
Date: 2020-01-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hello Faithful Trail Journal Followers! Since getting off the trail in October, I've been working on a book documenting my hike of the AT. I am happy to announce that my book is finally finished and can be found on Amazon, the title is "Opa's Appalachian Trail Adventure". It is available in both an e-edition and as a paperback.My book in large part is a collection of my daily trail journal entries, which I know many of you had been reading while I was on the trail (thank you). However, I have included in my book not only some post-hike commentary to several of my entries, but also the usual "book stuff" (Dedication, Forward, Introduction, Epilogue, Acknowledgements and several Appendices). If you are so inclined to read my book and write a review, I would be very appreciative.I will be following along on trail journals and reading the entries from the 2020 class of AT hikers. Best wishes to all of you, and hope you have your own great adventure of a lifetime!
Date: 2019-03-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Gear list as pictured from left to right. (Everything is included, minus food and water) (And Dog)Worn Clothing: Baleaf shorts, Baleaf shirt, Exofficio Give and Go Mesh boxer brief, Smart Wool PhD mid-socks, Cho Pat knee braces, and Black Diamond carbon cork trekking poles (not pictured). Packed Clothing: Smart Wool 150 quarter zip base layer top, Smart Wool 250 leggings, Baleaf long sleeved t-shirt, Baleaf shorts, 1 extra pair of Smart Wool PhD's, 1 extra pair Exofficio boxers, merino wool beanie, opossum down gloves, homemade camp shoes, outdoor research helium 2 rain jacket, and enlightened equipment torrid apex puffy jacket. Cook System: Toaks 700 mL titanium pot (with lid), soda can stove, BIC lighter, Caldera cone wind screen, and 4 oz. fuel bottle. Water System: Sawyer squeeze filter with 64 oz. and 32 oz. bags, and two, 1-Liter smart water bottles.Medical Kit: Nail Clippers, Tweezers, Band-Aids, Leukotape, Neosporin, Aleve, Benadryl, alcohol wipes, and splinter remover (sanitary needle).Ditty Bag: Tenacious tape, Knife, Black Diamond storm headlamp, BIC lighter, toothbrush, toothpaste, chapstick, bug spray, and Gold Bond. Electronics: Garmin In-Reach SE, Rav Power Power Bank, Anker solar panel charger, Google Pixel (used for photo), charging cordsSleeping System: Exped Synmat, Enlightened Equipment revelation 20 degree quilt, Z-packs duplex tent, Outdoor Research Pillow.Pack: My Trail Co. UL 50. BASE WEIGHT: 16.7 lbs. Thanks so much for reading, Croc's 'N Socks and Udo
Date: 2019-04-15
From: Springer Mountain

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Today officially started my journey North. I had an amazing weekend leading up to this day with some of my favorite people, my mom, my dad and Michelle. Saying bye this morning was hard to say the least. I started from Springer Mountain and am camping at Gooch Gap. 15 miles on day 1 is a bit more than I planned on. Going to force myself to have a short day tomorrow, about 8 miles or so. Udo crushed yesterday, never looked tired until camp, then he never looked awake (lololol)! While at camp I met 6 people attempting thru hikes. Unfortunately, I don't remember their names. Weather is supposed to be chilly tonight, a low of 38 with 20 mile an hour winds. All in all I'm so thankful to be out here living out a dream. -"Crocs n socks" and Udo, two happy campers.
Date: 2019-04-16
From: Gooch Gap

To: Lance Creek 
Miles today: 8.2

Today I forced myself to go slow, traveling from Gooch Mountain Shelter to Lance Creek... 8.2 miles. I arrived at Lance Creek at about 3:45pm which made for a long day at camp. I spent time chatting with a few guys my age who are also attempting a Thru hike. It was nice to hear a bit about who they are off trail. I believe we are renting a pet friendly cabin tomorrow at Neels Gap. I know there are pizza and wings at Neels Gap so I am excited to get there. So far Udo is a complete trail All-Star with way more energy than his human counter part (me). I am impressed at his route selection, he definitely picks the easiest path on trail. All in all, things are well. I'm writing this journal entry from my sleeping bag cuddled up with Udo. Life on the trail is amazing. -Crocs n Udo(Side note from Crocs: "Laundry and a shower day 3... what is this, glamping...??")
Date: 2019-04-17
From: Lance Creek 

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 7.4

Woke up early today and started hiking around 6am, led to an awesome sunrise on my way up Blood Mountain. Summited Blood before 9:30am! Decided to eat a second breakfast while enjoying the view!! Then I descended the two miles to Neels Gap and met up with the crew I have been seeing. Unfortunately, the cabin only had 3 beds and 6 people ended up invited... I bailed and cowboy camped (no tent) behind Mountain Crossings. P.S. The pizza was everything!! -"Crocs n socks" & Udo
Date: 2019-04-18
From: Neels Gap

To: Whitley Gap
Miles today: 7.0

Woke up today on the ground... this is an issue considering I carry a 3 inch inflatable exped sleeping pad. Udo's claws and the blow up pad didn't work. This was something I was expecting to happen, but not this soon. The positive side is this happened right behind Mountain Crossings Hostel, which happens to have an extensive gear shop attached to it. And the pad was also a few years old. I switched to the Thermatest Prolite. As I lay on it typing this journal I would say it's pretty darn comfortable. It's also more durable (and heavier) than my previous pad, now enough about my bed.Today was another light day, 7 trail miles and 1.2 Blue blaze (side trail) miles to Whitley Gap shelter. All starting from Neels Gap. The reason for another short day I felt some pain/fatigue in my left knee. As soon as I felt it start to bug me I slowed down and coasted into this cozy little shelter at 3353 feet above sea level. Should be a good place for Udo and I to ride out the incoming weather and rest up the knee. As of now the plan is to take another short day tomorrow to make sure we can leave this knee crap in Georgia. As they say, "No pain, no rain, no Maine".I want to say thank you so much to those of you taking time out of your day to follow along with my journey! The comments and log book signature make me smile!-"Crocs n Socks" & Udo, two happy hikers.
Date: 2019-04-19
From: Whitley Gap

To: Nowhere
Miles today: 0.0

Decided to take a zero today (no hiking). It rained a few inches last night and of and on all day. The rest was great for my legs. Udo was a bit hyper throughout the day so I threw the stick with him a bit, but I wanted him to rest as well. I am headed to Blue Mountain Shelter tomorrow which is about 13 miles away. Going to start early so I can hike slow and take breaks. Stress injuries are what take people off of this beautiful trail, and I refuse to be part of that statistic!! Stay tuned for tomorrow, I'll check in from camp!-"crocs n socks" & Udo
Date: 2019-04-20
From: Whitley Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm writing this from Blue Mountain Shelter!! 13 pain free miles later. Today was cold and wet... about 38 degrees F, it was off and on snow and rain all day, but I was smiling ear to ear because I felt great all day! I arrived here before 5 o'clock because breaks aren't really an option when it's that cold. Still raining now at 9 pm with temps dipping to about 35 degrees. Thank God for down products and the folks at Enlightened Equipment, because Udo and I are both toasty warm. So far the hardest part of this trip is missing my people. I am so comfortable and confident in the mountains, it feels like I was born to be out here. No clue where I'm headed for tomorrow, I'm just going to hike until I feel like stopping. Limited pictures today as I was freezing my ass off....lololGoodnight from just under 4,000 feet above sea level,-"crocs n socks" & Udo
Date: 2019-04-21
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Addis Gap
Miles today: 13.6

First and foremost - Happy Easter to everyone reading this. I hope you all enjoyed some quality time with your friends and family. This is my first Easter in who knows how long, I haven't been with my family, and that hurt a bit. Luckily, they understand I'm out here living out a dream. Shouts out to the family!!!Now back to why everyone is here... Udo! He is doing well, currently sleeping next to me, curled up in a ball, under his blanket, cowboy camping in Addis Gap. Today we hiked 13.6 miles and it was amazing, some spectacular views, and challenging climbs. I don't know the exacts because I'm not that kind of hiker, but plenty of thousands of feet in elevation change but up and down... lol it feels great to have my legs underneath me feeling strong! I'm currently 5.5 miles from Dicks Creek Gap and Top of Georgia Hostel, which means I'm 5.5 miles from cheeseburgers and pizza!! Plan to take a zero in Hiawwasse to check out the town, eat in multiple restuarants, and rest/ice the legs (old football ways die hard)As always, thank you for reading. -"Crocs n socks" & UdoP.S. Today I was told to change my trail name to "Trail Sage" because I "bring good vibes", I kindly declined :)
Date: 2019-04-22
From: Addis Gap

To: Hiawwasee 
Miles today: 6.0

Today was another amazing day on the trail! I did about 6 miles into Hiawassee, which is a small town located 9 miles off the trail. I split a room at the Budget Inn in Hiawassee for two nights with a friend I met hiking. The price was $100 cash...The place has an excellent location right next to a Dairy Queen (pictured) and Taco Bell. Which was lunch and dinner in the above order!I feel like I can't just announce a trail buddy without some information. He is from South Africa, and lives on a 100 acre farm back home. His brother did the AT in 2012, which put it on his radar, and how here he is. We somewhat just ended up at the same campsites for the first few days, chatting over dinner. Now it somehow it feels like I've known him my whole life, but that's just how the trail works. I believe we will be hiking together/to the same destinations for a while. Tomorrow, it's rest and more rest. If you are wondering why the second rest day so early, understand I have hiked the equivalent of Mt. Everest in elevation change. To go from a desk job to this life can be a bit of a shock to the body and joints and I want to give them time to get used to their new life!Some Udo info: Still an absolute STUD on trail. His fur is just as clean as when we started, it is amazing how the mud just dries and falls off of his coat. He still hates getting his pads waxed, even though we do it 3 times a day. I found about 4.5 lbs of dog food in a hiker box (box of free stuff left by hikers and townies). Gave Udo half of it today and he will get the other half tomorrow. He needs his town feasts as well!!! Tomorrow I am a tourist, not a hiker, I plan on checking out some of the local eateries (not fast food). Stay tuned for tomorrow's entry. P.S. This entry being late is not Michelle's fault, I sent it to her at 11:45 p.m. lolol-"crocks n socks" & Udo (and Polo)
Date: 2019-04-23
From: Hiawwasee 

To: Nowhere
Miles today: 0.0

Today was an absolutely amazing day! Started off by staying in bed until about 10 o'clock! Kicked around and wasted time until 1:30 pm when the special started at Daniels Steak House. $8.25, which includes tax and a drink for their lunch buffet. The food was excellent and the service was top notch, a true southern homestyle buffet. From their it was back to the Budget Inn to chill at my "office", that picnic table in the above picture. Some trail magic showed up in the form of brats, both spicy/non-spicy, and sodas of both the adult and children's kind. We grilled, feasted, listened to tunes, while soaking up the hot Georgia sun (today was 80 degrees). I'm in bed now and back to the trail tomorrow. I enjoyed Hiawassee, but feel like a kid before Christmas tonight, so excited to get back to my sanctuary, back to the trail! The Budget Inn has free shuttles back to the trail at 9 AM and 11 AM. I hope to be on the 9 AM, but will in all reality be headed out at 11 AM LOL! TOMORROW WE LEAVE GEORGIA AND ENTER NORTH CAROLINA!!!! -"crocs n socks" & Udo
Date: 2019-04-24
From: Hiawwasee 

To: Plum Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 5.0

Today was the first day of real heat we faced and it whooped our butts. Got the 11 o'clock shuttle and found another conveniently placed office. (Picnic table) we hung out and started hiking around 1 PM... Perfect timing for the sun.. lololol we did 5 miles to plum orchard shelter and  called it quits for the day. So tomorrow it's officially into NC. The highlight of our quick 5 mile day was seeing a wild pig! It was huge and immediately made me think of Bacon!Crocs n socks & Udo(Editors note: no new pics for this entry, no service last night for Crocs to send any)
Date: 2019-04-25
From: Plum Orchard Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter 
Miles today: 12.2

Today was 12.2 miles from plum orchard gap shelter to standing Indian shelter! We crossed the border from Georgia into North Carolina!! It was an awesome feeling checking one state off the list! Highlights of Georgia would be Tray Mt, Neels Gap Mountain  crossings, Blood Mt, seeing a Pig, and for the majority of the time the weather!! I slipped and fell one time in Georgia going around a blow down.(a fallen tree across the trail) North Carolina's Sharp Top mountain was a challenging climb, but rewarded us with a spectacular view! Hoping for another double digit day tomorrow, as long as the weather cooperates a little bit it shouldn't be a problem!  Legs are feeling stronger and stronger! Still sticking to the statement that the hardest part is missing my people.. love y'all!!"Crocs n socks" & UdoPS: Still happily accompanied by Polo!!
Date: 2019-04-26
From: Standing Indian Shelter 

To: Stealth Camo Site
Miles today: 14.3

I didn't start hiking today until about noon due to the weather this morning, which was some serious downpours! By noon the Storms were gone and it was great hiking weather. Total milage for the day was 14.3 miles from standing Indian shelter to a stealth Camo site. .5 after the submit of Albert Mt, the plan was to sleep on the submit but 40° temps with 35 mile an hour winds talked us out of it. Today's miles officially put me over 100 miles hiked! As I sleep tonight, I will be 5.5 miles from Rock Gap which is the access point to Franklin NC. I have a mail drop at the Gooder Grove Hostel, I will probably spend the night in town and then back to the trail Sunday. North Carolina so far has been noticeably easier than Georgia, at least so far. My stomach wasn't feeling the best tonight at camp. I'm hopeful it will feel better in the morning."Cocs n socks" & Udo
Date: 2019-04-28
From: Stealth Camo Site

To: Gooder Grove Hostel
Miles today: 15.0

Saturday 4/27: Today was a short hiking day into Franklin, did 5 miles and got a ride to Gooder Grove Hostel from the owner, Zen. The place is an awesome hiker hostel with a full kitchen, laundry, and just about anything else you can ever need. Polo, Udo and I got a private room, split between polo and I... Udo said he forgot his wallet. Unfortunately, Udo was involved in a minor dog scuffle. Udo ended up with a small puncture wound on his leg. I didn't notice this until about 2 hours later when he started to limp on the way  home from lunch (which was phenomenal from the Motor Co Grill in Franklin). Zen, the owner of Gooder Grove, drove into town to pick Udo and I up and took us back to the Hostel for the rest of the day. Sunday 4/28: Zero day today as Udo is still not too happy to put weight on his foot. He has clearly made great progress over night, but I have been keeping it covered and using Neosporin on the cut to prevent him from licking it for hours and causing an infection. Monday 4/29: Udo is looking great today. The leg wound is all closed up and no more limp!! The Hostel owner suggested that I give him one more day of rest, so Polo and I decided we would do the 10 miles from Rock Gap to Wyaha Gap while Udo was resting in the room at the hostel. With some shuttling from Zen we made it happen. Tomorrow it's back to the trail for all of us and we are pushing for the Nanthahala Outdoor Center in a day and a half.~"Crocs n socks" & Udo (and special thanks to Zen of Gooder Grove, he has shown hospitality and generosity I will never forget!!)(P.S. Sorry for the delay with these Journals but for the first day and a half after the fight, I was thinking Udo was done hiking 120 miles in.)
Date: 2019-04-30
From: Gooder Grove Hostel

To: Wayah Bald Shelter Tower
Miles today: 4.0

The three of us got back on trail today! Udo looked great hiking as usual! We only did 4 miles to Wayah Bald Observation Tower, we planned on another mile to Wayah Bald Shelter, but the view was just too nice to walk by. The sunset picture attached is from the tower. Tomorrow is 10 plus miles, to get as close as possible to the NOC. Excited to see how Udo does on a slighty longer day. I had my first true locals experience last night, 3 cool guys came up to hangout at the observation tower. We chatted for awhile, they told me a little bit about life in Franklin, NC. I appreciated hanging out and chatting with them for a bit. ~"Crocs n Socks" & Udo
Date: 2019-05-01
From: Wayah Bald Shelter Tower

To: Nanthahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 17.0

Today was an absolutely excellent day to hike! The temperature was perfect, not hot, but also not cold. We did 17 miles from Wyaha bald observation tower to Rufus Morgan shelter. We started at 10:30 and took two 45 minute breaks, one for lunch, and one for an amazing view. We were still able to get to camp just as the last bit of usable light was disappearing. Ended up crashing in the shelter where there was the drunkest man I've ever seen on trail. He was a happy drunk, but a loud one and continued to make "jokes" until about midnight. Some of his content was:"What if Neo ate the red pill instead of the blue pill" "If homeless people live under Bridges where do the trolls live"The rest of the crew in the shelter is polo, Bones, (who is a Surgeon) Kevin, (who is wasted) and no name. (who is somehow asleep) Tomorrow it's .9 miles to the Nanthahala Outdoor Center, which means hot breakfast awaits us. An update on Udo is he is still a super star out here! Never showed any signs of being in pain. He can be seen in the above picture looking like a darn model. "Crocs n socks" & Udo
Date: 2019-05-03
From: Nanthahala Outdoor Center

To: Bryson City
Miles today: 7.0

May 2 - Today's miles got screwed up by the post office...but as usual, the trail has a cool way of fixing things. Bones offered to get Polo and I a room at the Sleep Inn in Bryson City, NC. They had a pool and we (Udo included) took advantage!! They also had a full, hot breakfast...we took advantage of that as well. May 3 - After breakfast, we printed out Smokey Mountain National Park permits, and were hiking by noon. We did 7 miles of continuous uphill, 2,600 feet of elevation gain, and if I'm being honest it wasn't all that hard. We got to camp around 5:30 pm and was perfect. We claimed our spot in the shelter, and had a fire. We packed some stuff to have campfire pizzas, and my God they were good. Today's shelter has a crew of about 20 people, which is nice, but also kind of a lot. Tomorrow, there is a shelter 15 miles away, and come hell or high water, we will be there! Both Polo and I agree that it is time to pick up the miles. It will be continuous 15's through the Smokies. UDO IS EXCITED THAT WE ARE DONE BEING LAZY! The dog could be back to PA by now if it wasn't for me.~"crocs n socks" & Udo
Date: 2019-05-04
From: Sassafrass Gap Shelter

To: Yellowcreek Road
Miles today: 14.7

Today was another magical day on the trail, we woke up and got hiking the earliest we have yet... 9:30 AM on trail. (Impressive I know). This was nice because it allowed us to leave camp dry. That would be about the only time we were Dry for the rest of the day. We walked through complete downpours and thunderstorms all day. We did 14.7 miles from Sassafras Gap shelter to Yellowcreek road. From Yellow Creek road we (Bones, Polo, and I) got a shuttle to Creekside Paradise, because I had a box to pick-up there. Creekside Paradise has been an amazing experience so far, complete with a hot tub and a hot breakfast tomorrow morning. Tomorrow we are kind of stuck between doing 8 or 18 miles and 18 in the second day of heavy rain doesn't sound like any fun, so the plan is to head for the Fontana Dam shelter, then it is into the Smokies Monday morning! The Smokies somewhat force you to do 15 mile days which is awesome. The Smokies are supposed to be one of the most beautiful sections of the trail so stay tuned, all pics will be uploaded on my Facebook (Richard Karb) and one per entry on here. PS: Once again thank you all for following my adventure!! Post in the logbook pleaasee, it's awesome motivation! Pss: I apologize about the gaps in between post, I promise I'm trying, sometimes though after everything is done and I crawl into my sleeping bag I just pass out!! "Crocs n socks" & Udo