morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-02-16
To: How it all began~
Miles today: 0.0

I don't think Bryan ever mentioned this, but it was kind of interesting how we decided to take on such a big challenge. Once we had decided to move and change jobs, we decided to do a "small" backpacking trip. We were thinking about doing a month long trek in Arkansas, but once we received the maps we realized it was going to be very difficult to plan re-supplies and/or mail drops. As we sat discussing our plans one evening, Bryan looked to me and said matter-of-factly, "You know? I have always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail." At which point I looked at him and asked, "Why not?" Bryan¢s reply was, "Why not?" And that is where it began.You must understand, it isn't that I had never thought about doing a big hike, or that I couldn't do it. I just never figured I would have the opportunity to do something of this magnitude. Also, after we made the decision to leave Memphis, we originally thought taking off 3-4 months in between jobs was going to be a stretch.I have grown up car-camping and loving the outdoors. I'm not very athletic when it comes to organized sports, but stick me out on a trail and I feel as if I am in my element. In high school, I did some shorter weekend backpacking trips and had a blast. So deciding to do this didn't seem like a big stretch in my mind. Others have been very surprised to find that I actually wanted to do this. It could be that because off the trail, I like to wear my make-up, have my hair done, and generally pamper myself, others might go so far as to call me Miss Priss. My response is that sure, in general I like to present myself well, but if everyone else looks unkempt on the trail, why should I be any different? I know I am getting lengthy, so I will end by saying I have many motivations and reasons for attempting a thru-hike, not the least of which is physical, emotional, and spiritual, but Bryan and I have always had a habit of finding ways to test our relationship to make it stronger, whether it is canoeing together, renovating an old home together, or spending 6 months in the woods working as a team to walk 2000+ miles. I look forward to the journey ahead!Bethany
Date: 2005-02-19
To: Meeman-Shelby Forest
Miles today: 0.0

Since our realtor had planned an open house for today, we'd planned to hike the Chickasaw Bluffs trail at Meeman-Shelby Forest state park which is about 30 minutes north from Memphis. The park is absolutely beautiful, hilly, and reminds me alot of my home in SC. Memphis is basically flat, so I always appreciate the change in scenery. The trail we were hiking was 8 miles (8.8 miles according to a sign on the trail) from Poplar Tree lake to the group camp at the north end of the park. The plan was to hike from the lake to the camp and back to the lake...16 miles roundtrip.We started hiking at 9:30am on a damp & dreary day, but it felt great to be out splashing in the puddles like a kid again. I think we were a bit nervous about hiking in the rain and how we would both react to it. I think we both surprised ourselves that we actually enjoyed it (well...as much as you can). It was drizzling at first but really started to come down about 45 minutes into hiking. The trail was 3-4 inches deep in most of the lowlying areas, but wasn't very difficult to navigate. The rain continued on and off for about 3-4 hours. We finished the 16 mile hike at 3:45pm...a pretty good pace considering that we're still not in the best shape yet. I was really surprised that we didn't see anyone else out for a Sunday afternoon hike. Gear review: Our packs (Mountainsmith Ghost) were loaded with most of our base weight (~10-15lbs...minus a few items). We didn't use a pack cover or liner, but all of our gear remained relatively dry. I think we've decided to use a liner vs. pack cover once we start the AT. Our boots performed well and our feet remained dry dispite stepping into some pretty deep puddles. Both of our feet were a little sore but no blisters. My Columbia zip-off pants kept me pretty dry, and dried quickly once it stopped raining. Priss (Bethany's new trailname) used a Marmot precip parka and was pleased with its performance. I have a Red Ledge rain jacket/parka (13 oz), and it kept me nice and dry.
Date: 2005-03-01
To: Last minute craziness!
Miles today: 0.0

Well, here we are only 24 days away from the start of our hike! I am so excited about it that I can hardly stay in my own skin. I am very antsy and I am not sure if that is because I am so ready to get out on the trail, because I know there is so much left to be done before we leave, or a little bit of both. Bug and I went grocery shopping for the trail this past weekend, and in all spent about $300 on food alone. We have been busy dehydrating EVERYTHING, and preparing meals for our maildrops. We have decided to do half maildrops and half resupplies. We have all of our breakfasts arranged into the maildrops (we have read up on what many people crave on the trail, and have compared that with what our own likes are to decide what to mail).Getting all of the maildrops arranged is my first concern. Then there is the matter of packing and storing away everything I own. (you must understand, I am quite the packrat, which I might add -- I come by honestly) That being said, I have tried to overcome that and truly evaluate what is really important. I know that many people come back off the trail completely changed and sell all their worldly possessions, and while it could happen to me, I don't think my changes will be quite that drastic. So therefore, I have gone about packing in this way: I make 3 piles...1. Things to be kept and packed 2. Things to trash and 3. Things I can get money for towards the hike (I have been trying to sell anything and everything I can (from cinder blocks to furniture). I have been donating items, selling things in garage sales, you name it. The close date for our house is the morning of March 21 (I know, cutting it close), and we are doing a 4 day practice hike next week, so essentially that leaves a mere 16 days to do everything we need to do.Now those were the biggest items on the agenda, this doesn't include all those little things like going-away parties, dinners, and doctor/dentist check-ups. The one thing that is keeping me sane is that I know God is in control. I felt it was in His plan for us to do the trail, and I know He will provide the time, stamina, and will to get everything done.On that note, I must go pack some more....Until next time,Ms. Priss
Date: 2005-03-07
To: Miscellaneous ramblings
Miles today: 0.0

There's still so much left to get done, so I'll be brief with this entry. Tomorrow night the pharmacy dept is planning a going-away party for us. They plan to roast me with humorous stories and dirt from my past at the hospital. There's not that much to tell in my opinion, but there has never been a lack of creativity with the Baptist crew. Not to be outdone, Priss & I have a little surprise for them also. I told everyone that we intended to take some time off, but didn't share any details. Sometimes timing is everything, and to say that I usually suffer from poor timing is an understatement. I pretty much floored everyone with the announcement that I was leaving, so I wanted to wait to announce what our future plans are. I looked at the calendar today, and I could hardly believe how quickly the days are counting down. I have less than 10 days of work left, and still so much to get done there. The stress level is high right now, so we're anxious to get all of the moving out of the way & get to the trail. We'll be getting a good dose of reality this weekend, as we have planned a 4-day section hike near Elk Park, NC. I hope it will help with the stress level, but I fear that its just more time that we could use packing. I guess the saving grace is that Priss & I usually work well under pressure. Still on track to start on March 24th at Springer. We're looking forward to meeting the class of 2005 (Jen, Redwing & Hopeful, Tank, Wiley & Meme, and so many more). See you out there...
Date: 2005-03-10
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 2.2
Weather: clear sky

After meeting Jen (aka Odyssa) around 1pm and shuttling cars around, we didn't get on the trail until 4:30pm. It was a steep climb out of unicoi gap, at several points, I thought I was done for. We reached blue mountain shelter around dusk and quickly made a meal out of the leftover Arby's roast beef sandwiches from lunch. We also boiled tea using our new AMP Classic alcohol stove. I was a bit nervous since Priss only packed 4 matches for the trip, but it worked like a charm lighting on the first try, and we had boiling water in ~7 minutes. After teatime, we went straight to bed. We shared the shelter with some college girls on spring break and three NOBO's (Greg aka Alaska, Steve from CT, a grumpy diabetic guy, and several mice).
Date: 2005-03-11
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Baggs Creek Campsite
Miles today: 13.6

Well, today we woke up around 6:30. It was a little tough getting to sleep last night (when it wasn't the mice chattering it was Alaska snoring). On top of all that, the last thing I read on the wall before climbing into my bag was, 'The mice are watching you!' I finally fell asleep curled up as close to Bug as I could and Jen trying to snuggle up to me. I was fine with that because the wind was really howling. We woke up this morning to an awe-inspiring sunrise. Those of you reading this who think we are nuts, ought to try waking up to that. God's beauty is certainly worth some wind and mice! After packing up we headed out on the trail, eating a breakfast of captain crunch along the way. The temp was around -10* C this morning, so we wanted to get moving.It was fairly level terrain once we came down off Blue Mtn. and we were travelling old wagon roads. We met several nice folks along the way. Some were out for the weekend, others at the start of their NOBO thrus. Among them were Smiley, Creaky Bones, Goldilocks, Opie, and Caroline). After a distance of about 7 miles, we stopped at Low Gap Shelter for lunch and ate lipton broccoli & cheese with tuna. After a good rest we headed back out on the trail, and the terrain immediately got more difficult. While Jen and Bug were blazing on ahead I stopped to take some much needed breathers (breathing being the operative word). I trust that this will get better as the days, miles, and mtns wear on. Right now, I am wishing I had done more miles and hill climbs on the elliptical machine at the gym. We had some gorgeous views today that we stopped to enjoy on the ridge above Tesnatee Gap(or as Bryan likes to call it 'test-a-knee') and again at Cowpen Mtn. When I thought I could make it no further we arrived at camp, where I write this now. As for dinner, Snickers Marathon. No cooking at night in the cold, we like it that way. Well, the snow finally stopped after flurrying on and off throughout the day. Bug and I are zipped together so we should stay warm, and it's off to Neel's Gap tomorrow.
Date: 2005-03-12
From: Baggs Creek Campsite

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Last night we shared the campsite with a young girl alone on her thru-hike. She really seemed relieved to see us as she didn't want to spend her first night tenting by herself. She wasn't all that talkative and we didn't see her again once she got in her tent. Jenn thought she heard her crying and she was still in her tent this morning when we left around 7:15. I really felt bad for her and hope her hike gets better.We had a relatively moderate 4 mile hike down to Neel's Gap. Our first trail town. We had anticipated the possibility of a hot meal, but were a little disappointed to find that it was a gift shop/outfitter/hostel. No hot food. However, the folks there were really nice and I did buy some summer sausage and cheese. We sat outside and cooked oodles of noodles and had the best table in the house as we ate looking out across the GA mountains. There was a really sweet dog by the name of Patches that let me scratch her ears for awhile (just don't tell Petey and Pima). After that it was on up to Blood Mountain. Never any rest for the weary. That was our first true test. Blood Mountain is well over 4000' and was about a 1200' climb out of Neel's Gap over about 1.5 miles. It was a beautiful climb with hemlocks that canopied for the first 200' or so. Then there were the beautiful views sitting atop huge rocks. Bug and Jenn stayed ahead of me quite a bit. My lungs aren't quite in shape for this yet. We met some nice folks out for weekend hikes. A nice young couple were out with their dog, Belle and are anticipating the time when she will be old enough that she can carry a pack. Once at the top you could see for miles and miles. At one point I even thought I saw Katahdin. (haha) The climb down was alot less strenuous, and we met up with Jenn at a clearing at the bottom of the mountain. She continued on while we took some time to check and doctor our feet. Since the weather was nice we met lots of people out on the trail. There were several boy scout troops out, and we met some other thruhikers. We had one more big climb of the day and that was up to Big Cedar Mtn. At points, I was nearly in tears and didn't think I could walk another step. I couldn't have without God's help. I asked God to get me through those PUDS and He did. What we saw at the top really makes you stop and think how powerful God really is. After some time of rest and reflection on top of the mountain, we met up with Jenn at Woody Gap where we camped for the night. It was a calm and balmy evening, and we ate salmon mixed with mayo and essence on pita bread, and had a hot cup of tea before bed time. Until tomorrow....
Date: 2005-03-13
From: Woody Gap

To: Three forks campsite
Miles today: 15.9

What a wonderful night's sleep doest Benadryl make. Woke up to a wonderful morning..last night wasn't too cold. It was such a beautiful morning that we decided to start the day with a good 'ole southern breakfast of grits and reheated some of the tea from last night. We used this opportunity to test the alumalite stove from AMP. In my practice attempts at home I found that the stove burned what seemed like forever, but was a little difficult to get started. I now realize that it was probably because I didn't use enough fuel, but getting the alcohol in the tiny hole wasn't easy. Anyhow I digress, the Alumalite stove worked without any difficulties. I mentioned before that this stove burned a long time, and in this case I was able to boil 2 cups of water and reheat the tea on ~1 oz of alcohol.After breakfast we set out after Jenn over Ramrock mountain. We had a pretty easy hike for the first half of the day. Priss and I met several hikers today who had been keeping up with our TJ. Its nice to know there are others who are following our journey. We talked for a good while with Missing Kink, Vitamin, and Tim and got a brief lesson on 'tuckerizing' our packs. We ended up stopping after Gooch shelter at the creek crossing and took a moment to soak our feet in the refreshing stream. After a snack, it was back to work climbing mountains. What had started as a relatively good day quickly began to turn into a nightmare just after Justus creek. I (Bug) was in the zone after the footbridge at Justus creek, and I ended up missing the turn and following another footpath for ~0.25 miles before I realized something wasn't right. I finally got back on trail, and heard from a group of hikers that there was a pretty young lady up the mountain that was worried about me. Despite my best efforts, I never managed to catch up with that lady, but I did find a relieved Priss sitting on a log catching her breath (a familiar scene). During my search to catch up with Priss, I passed Vapor, a friend of Jen. We talked for a few minutes, and hope to see each other again further north.The remainder of the day was met with difficult climbs over not so pretty views. After pausing at Hawk mountain shelter to chat with 2 guys from Canada & checking with others to see if they'd seen Jen, we continued onward. The trail from Hawk mtn wasn't too difficult, but Priss and I were fatigued and my feet had begun to hurt. We headlamped for about 1 mile before reaching Three forks campsite. We saw another tent setup, and thought it might be our hiking partner. After getting our tent up & settled in, we realized it wasn't Jen and we were too exhausted to go looking.
Date: 2005-03-14
From: Three forks campsite

To: Springer mountain
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was a good test of what it might be like when we begin our thru-hike on 3/24. About 2 hours after falling asleep I awoke to the sound of a light rain. Our tarptent did pretty well at keeping the rain out, but our bags were a little moist from brushing against the condensation inside the tent. When we awoke this morning, I noticed that we had inadvertently pitched our tent so that the runoff was being channeled under our tarptent. Now knowing this I feel better about a little dampness that would be easily cured by air drying our gear at lunch or after stopping early for the day. As it was we were in for a short day since we had the remaining 4.1 miles to Springer before heading back to Memphis. Earlier we had talked about the practice hike and whether to start at Springer or Unicoi gap. After weighing the pros & cons, we have decided to restart at Unicoi gap which isn't too far from Helen, GA. Since our families will be seeing us off on our journey, its more conducive to meeting up with friends/family who want to visit with us before heading up the trail.After a quick bite of food, we headed out and saw Jen's tent set up about 100 yards from our tentsite. The trail from Three forks to Springer is relatively easy, if anything about the AT could be considered easy. We covered the last four miles in about 1.5-2 hours.Overall, I think we had a successful section hike and learned a few things about ourselves & our gear.* hike smart, not strong - if we didn't have to be at a certain location by a designated time, we would've taken more time to rest and enjoy the scenery. Its a marathon, not a sprint.* We'll be sheding a few items from our packs that we didn't use/need.
Date: 2005-03-24
From: none

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today we had planned to begin our big adventure, but Bethany & family didn't make it to Helen until 3:30 AM. The last 2 weeks have been stressful trying to sell our house & organize for the trip. But we received great news late yesterday that the buyers had signed the closing papers...woohoo!! Since today is our 4th anniversary, we decided to take time to celebrate & relax. We'll restart our journey to Katahdin in the AM from Unicoi gap.
Date: 2005-03-25
From: Unicoi gap

To: Sassafras gap
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a tough day. Not so much from the physical challenge of climbing big "hills", but rather today was an emotionally challenging day saying goodbye to family, friends, and our babies (Pima & Petey). Before we hit the trail, I received a voicemail from my brother. One of his good friends from high school was shot and killed by a drug dealer after telling the dealer to quit selling drugs in front of his house. This scenario felt all too familar to me...my high school teammate and good friend was senselessly gunned down after trying to breakup a fight. I long for the day when we as a human race can all live together peacefully. We ended the day at sassafras gap with several other hikers. Someone had started a campfire and we sat around and swapped stories. Bramble (and his dog Chase) entertained us all with songs and stories. He is hiking the trail to honor his aunt and support others who have cancer. We also met Ninja, Red, Yappi, Tomato-head, and Dead animal.
Date: 2005-03-26
From: Sassafras gap

To: Plumorchard gap shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: few clouds

Today has been a gorgeous day out on the trail. They had talked of rain this afternoon but as of 3pm it was still beautiful. In fairness to the terrain it was pretty smooth, however, I (Ms. Priss) was dealing with a pretty bad heel blister, and felt it all the way up the mountains. I'm still building lung capacity, but the Lord is answering my prayers and I feel my body getting stronger. We hiked along with Tomato-head for awhile and spotted a Gardener snake off to the side of the trail. We've also seen numerous little grey/blue birds that hop along the ground and sing beautifully. Mr. Clean had referred to them as (blank blank) juncos. Can't remember exactly. We were soon joined by Bramble, Packrat, Amy, Popeye, and Mr. Clean. We hiked with them into Dick's Creek Gap where they all rode into Hiawassee. Bug and I stopped for a lunch of pasta salad, and pb in pita at a picnic table. We headed back on the trail about 1:15, and met Cam and Miracle Mike. We talked for awhile and had a great time hearing about some of their adventures, they were out sectioning for the weekend. Ninja caught up with us (I thought he was staying in town, but apparently just stopped to get a couple of subs). Just a little further and we made it to Plumorchard Gap shelter. It was a little off the trail, but well worth the side trip. This is a gorgeous shelter with 2 lofts, and a nice stream. We also have had great company and are spending the night with Tomcat, Sowega, Train, Raindrop, Houdini, Ninja, Kip Dynamite, Courtney, Dave from RI, and Walt. Hasn't rained yet...we shall see. Until tomorrow.
Date: 2005-03-27
From: Plumorchard gap shelter

To: Standing Indian shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We got a good early start out of the shelter on this Easter Sunday. Today was a walk in the clouds, literally, as we were engulfed in fog all day. The fog would collect on the tree limbs & leaves and drop on us as we walked under. Today was colder & more windy than we've experienced thus far.Ms. Priss had an epiphany just before the stateline. She'd been having pains in her thigh yesterday and this morning. She had been thinking that her pack was cinched too tight and that it was cutting off circulation. Kept going back and forth burning and feeling numb. All the sudden it occured to her that it wasn't the pack, but the feel of lactic acid as her legs adjust to the terrain and constant walking.We crossed the GA-NC border today, and we were quickly greeted with the toughest climb we've had between Bly & Sassafras Gaps. We made it to Standing Indian shelter just before the bottom fell out. The shelter only sleeps 8, and Priss & I made it 9. We all squeezed in and weathered the storms together, but Ninja had to sleep on the gravel. Sowega, Houdini, Red, Raindrop & Train, Marcello, and some other dude were our sheltermates for the evening. Keep looking at Ninja and wondering how he will fair sleeping on the ground with no protection from the elements. We made it in right before the bottom dropped out, and someone said they had heard there would be tornadoes.