morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2020-03-08
From: Helen, GA

To: Helen, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Hi All,Ahhh - first day off....Nice to shower, eat real food, sleep, eat real food, do laundry, eat real food, nap, eat....well, you get the idea...Since starting last Mon, 2 Mar, we've navigated about 53 mi of the AT from its Southern Terminus on Springer Mtn to Unicoi Gap in northern GA.We are "Zeroing" - not hiking - for a day of rest, maintenance, and recovery. We chose to do so on a lovely warm and sunny spring weekend (rain returns when we resume hiking tomorrow, of course...) in the remarkably Deutsch tourist town of Helen, GA; from wurst und kartoffel to dozens of types of old country bier...heck, the streets are even called 'strasse.' Intriguing - and a fun break.A couple of reflections on Week #1:1. Personalities. Remarkable camaraderie has quickly developed amongst the 15 or so folks I've been hiking with. About 50/50 men and women, many in their 20s, a number over 55, a few in between. We often walk by ourselves or perhaps with one or 2 others but when we gather around the shelter picnic table to cook our suppers, the good natured ribbing and kidding knows no bounds. I find shared hardship and experience quickly form hard and fast bonds...not unlike those forged in combat.  2. Hike Your Own Hike. We are finding that, particularly in consistently bad weather, folks will choose to take a day off trail to warm up and dry off. Very personal, very different. Occasionally, they find creative approaches...as FoxGirl and I were hiking on day, a trio of folks without packs approached us from the opposite direction. I recognized them from a recent shelter and was baffled. Turns out they took a night @ a nearby hostel to dry out and the proprietor offer to drive them forward so they could walk unencumbered back to his hostel for another night...everyone wins - hikers get their miles, hostel owner earns more profit. They call this 'slack packing.' 3. Solitude. As noted, I often find i walk by myself. When the sun is out my shadow (yup, the one in the photo who whined about the cold...) accompanies me but that's usually it. I find I have to work to calm down the repetitive Linda Ronstadt tunes, commercial ditties, cadence calls, and random noise that echo around in my head and focus instead on the remarkable surroundings and this exceptional opportunity for introspection. I've got some work to do to discipline myself.4. Balance. Sharing this hike with FoxGirl, who hikes with me every couple days and who sits across from me now typing her reflections, is most rewarding and satisfying. I found, however, that when FoxGirl came by to pick me up outside Helen I was resting at our link-up point with our steadily arriving colleagues. Departing from them to spend a day with FoxGirl was surprisingly difficult; unsure when/if I will see those hiking pals again as even a short separation and subsequent decisions can take us on our own way. Fox and I had a long talk about this over morning coffee today...another thing to contemplate and work on.OK - time to pack food for next week.More soon.
Date: 2020-03-09
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Trey Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.7

Hey, Folks - No connectivity all week - so some catch ups:This day - 9 Mar - F Girl dropped me off @ Unicoi Gap, and I hiked to top of Trey (not Tye) Mtn. Set up there on lovely evening enjoying views in valley.Pic of hammock rig accompanies this entry.About 3 am wind started to blow and rain began. I arose about 6 AM and started to pack up. I went to get my food bag, protected by hanging on "Bear Cables," but by the time I returned a huge gust had ripped all stakes from the ground and the tarp was flapping wildly.I managed to stuff everything into my pack but knew I needed a dry place to work - a big shelter....and the nearest one was over 15 miles away.Was gonna be a long day...
Date: 2020-03-10
From: Trey Mountain Shelter

To: Plumorchard Gap
Miles today: 15.7

Hi all,Well - this was worst day/night of trip so far - mostly 'cause I was forced to stay in a shelter....full of particular personalities, ceaseless talkers, blaring snorers, endless hard floor discomfort, and on and on...NEVER AGAIN!Once everyone finally left in the AM, I got to work sorting out the tarp and stakes. Not too hard...now good as new.
Date: 2020-03-11
From: Plumorchard Gap

To: Muscrat Creek Shelter (...damn song in my head all day...)
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: moderate rain

Hey, all,Was only going about 7 mi so a late start was in order. This day did feature crossing into NC - only 13 more - whoopee! - passing the weird Bly Tree (see pic) ...and, just past Bly Gap, climbing Courthouse Bald, which totally kicked butt - toughest climb of the trail to date.Fortunately, rest of day was fine and rolled into Muscrat Creek shelter for chats with former USAF, former Sheriff, "Lay Back." He stayed in shelter but I was happily back in my hammock - ahhh.Next day, I would link up with FoxGirl....yippee!
Date: 2020-03-12
To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Hi All,This day, Liz and I agreed to meet for lunch & hike @ Deep Gap.I arrived to find lot empty - but "LaLa" and Nick told me they had just returned from a shuttle to town and Fox and her Scamp were just down the road.I started down the twisting road only to rediscover that "just down the road" @ 20 mph is very different from 2.5 mph...long walk!Finally found Fox where she had very cleverly packed the Scamp on a side-road, rigged a rain tarp and was living very comfortably, thank you very much!We caught up, told our stories, then, with Lola, drove back up the road to Deep Gap, shoulder packs in the rapidly increasing fog and rain, and headed to Standing Indian Shelter where we shared lunch with "Owl Cat" and her pup, "PR," and "Atlas," an infantry veteran of service in Iraq.  After lunch we all headed for Carter Gap in drenching rain and thick fog. OC and A pushed ahead as Fox told me of her writing and the fascinating sci-fi trilogy she was reading - total mental immersion and rain distraction - awesome!Sadly, Fox and Lola turned around to head back after about 4 mi and I pushed on to Carter Gap arriving about 5 PM to join 4 in shelter and about 12 tenters/hammockers.It was raining and 'gustily' dreary as I ate dinner and set up hammock. But recalling my experience on Trey Mountain, I moved to a somewhat sheltered location on the leeward side of the hill.Good thing I did...
Date: 2020-03-13
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: light rain

Hi All,So...big news was that this was the day we completed our initial 100 miles.But real story was surviving the gale @ Carter Gap...As the storm began to subside about 5 AM with my tarp intact and in good shape, I decided to strap on my red-light headlamp and pack up. I knew I was heading to a long walk but then a link-up with Fox and a night in a nice, warm hotel room...so morale was good.After dealing with sopping wet everything and shouldering a now-much-heavier pack, at about 6 AM I stumbled in the fog, dark, and increasing wind and rain to the front porch of the shelter where I brewed up a life-giving - and hand warming - cup of coffee. Ahhh!  The wind suddenly howled with a new intensity and the rain became horizontal. Soon the cries of anguish came again. "Cosmo," her headlamp dimly glowing, walked into the shelter with an armful of tent, sleeping bag, and assorted gear. She dumped it on the ground thoroughly pissed and 'stormed' back out to regain the rest of her kit while I brewed her a coffee. She recovered remarkably quickly, and slowly re-stowed her pack; what a trooper!After that start, the rest of the day was fairly tame; see the first related picture for a sense of the nastiness of the clouds and rain Odin continued to deliver. We crossed 100 mi @ about 1100. Modest, but a milestone nevertheless. Stopped @ a shelter for lunch and found inscription @ 3rd related photo - very odd. We had seen similar inscriptions @ other shelters - this was most explicit. As I descended, the sun finally emerged and it warmed markedly. As I struggled, sweating for once, to the summit of Winding Stair Gap, I found Lola running toward me. She and Fox had hiked in to welcome me. We found a log on a ridge looking west over the hills and valleys toward Franklin. The leafless trees nevertheless had a particular softness to them...lovely portent of spring.  We followed a pair of fellow travelers down to the gap and headed into Franklin, NC for: showers, beer, a groaning table of unhealthy food, and, finally, SLEEP.
Date: 2020-03-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

All,Bottom line - Fox Girl (FG) and I are at home in VA.  Reasons: 1. Advice from FG, my Doctor Sister, my daughters, and our dear hiking friends. 2. Advice from Appalachian Trail Conservancy and hiking professionals3. Governmental directed closures of towns, facilities, hiking shelters, stores, etc. along the trail.  4. Blood in my left eye from hitting my head in Shelter o/a 13 March. (Have now been to ER - all well: blood receding and CAT Scan normal)Next Step:Liz is picking up Esme' from MI now.Plan:We hope to get back on trail around 1 April assuming virus begins to recede.We will update then.Thanks!
Date: 2020-07-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

On July 24 I'll begin hiking the Great State of Maine on the Appalachian Trail.  My hiking partner, Gayle "Rainbow" Gannaway, and I will start hiking north from Rattle River Hostel in Shelburne, New Hampshire.  On day 2 of hiking we'll cross the NH/ME border.  On day 3 we'll be hiking the famous Mahoosuc Notch and Mahoosuc Arm.  By averaging 10.5 miles per hiking day, we hope to summit Mt Katahdin on August 22 after 30 days on trail.Today is July 11 so I have 11 days to get my gear together, make sure my clothes still fit, and shop for food.  I'll do an overnight at Wawayanda Shelter in New Jersey on July 13 to make sure my shelter and other camping/cooking gear are in good shape and, most importantly, that I remember how to use them!
Date: 2020-07-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Tonight I¢m sleeping in the woods. I need to camp one night before I tackle Maine to re-familiarize myself with my camping gear. Already I¢ve discovered I need clothes for camp. Like a pair of shorts so I don¢t have to socialize in my underwear. I¢m at Wawayanda Shelter on the AT in Wawayanda State Park. I hiked a good half mile to get here so this little outing is not about hiking. I figure I¢m in pretty good shape these days and I¢ll get my trail legs when I¢m hiking Maine starting next week. Later a family of four arrived. Mom & Dad and a 13-year old girl, Kaylin, and a 15-year old boy, Caden. Lovely family from south Jersey out hiking the New Jersey AT.Later on a few other hikers arrived but kept to themselves. It¢s interesting that Snow White had met zero other hikers at camp over the past three days. Must be they all heard Farfar was in town. Pitching my tarp and hanging my hammock went smoothly. I cooked a dehydrated meal from Good-2-Go which wasn¢t particularly tasty and was way too big. Too big to enjoy without a developed hiker hunger. Lying here in my hammock writing this at 8:30 I just realized I forgot to floss and brush my teeth. Guess I¢m out of practice. A week from tomorrow my hiking partner Gayle arrives from Georgia and we drive to Maine the next day.Oh, and I just received an email from Gary Frechette who will be helping us out in southern Maine. Overnighting at his home and slackpacking us. He passed along a message to me from Durwood, one of my hiking buddies from 2018. Here¢s what he has to say about southern Maine:¢BTW, I spoke with Durwood last week and he asked me to let you know that Maine isn't like any other part of the AT - more difficult and not to be underestimated. Actually, when Early Riser came through 5 years ago, he told me that the last 10 miles before Grafton Notch was the most difficult 10 miles of the entire AT. Of course, I agreed with him as I know about the Mahoosuc Notch, but most people underestimate the Mahoosuc Arm, which is a very difficult straight up climb. Not to cause any consternation, but Durwood wanted me to pass that information along to you so that you would be prepared mentally.¢I hear you, Durwood.
Date: 2020-07-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday Gayle, Kathy and Roberta arrived at our home in New Jersey after driving up from Georgia in their RV. We served our guests dinner and had a lovely evening. It was so nice to see Gayle again and I look forward to hiking Maine with her. She¢ll be hiking as Rainbow. Joan and I got up early this morning so we could do our stretches and have breakfast together before Rainbow and I left for northeastern New Hampshire for the start of our hike. We got on the road at around 8:30 and stopped at our local bagel joint to enjoy the kind of bagels not found in Georgia. We chose the more scenic route going up north to Albany and cutting across northern New England. We hit some heavy downpours on the way. Lunch was had at Molly¢s in Hanover, NH where we both chose a cob salad with grilled chicken. So here we are at Rattle River Hostel. There are other hikers here including a young man and woman from England. Odie¢s bus is here. He¢s the Hiker Yearbook guy I met on my 2018 hike along with Loner Bohner at the old one-room schoolhouse. I tell you it IS a small world out here on the AT. This is the first hostel I¢ve stayed at where they don¢t let you bring your pack into your room. I can understand in that by this point in a NOBO (northbound) thru hike, they can be very stinky. Rainbow and I split a ¢pizza bianca¢ from Mr Pizza, delivered here.Our first day of hiking tomorrow features a big long ascent in a 12 mile day. Here goes...
Date: 2020-07-24
From: Rattle River Hostel 

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8

Unlike most of my previous AT experiences, today was 12 miles of strenuous climbs and descents. There was very little in the way of flat hiking. It took nearly ten hours.  And for our first day out, it was challenging. I fell twice, though minor events with no damage to self. The weather was fine, though a bit warm. I was soaked through with sweat. My hiking clothes are hanging on branches, though experience tells me they¢ll still be wet come morning. This last little stretch of New Hampshire is beautiful. Very remote. Never any traffic sounds. Coniferous trees rule the day in these parts. Though it seemed it would never end, Rainbow and I agreed it was a fun day.Not expecting to see anyone we knew, we were surprised to see Ray who ran last night¢s hostel pass us midway heading southbound. I asked if he¢d been helicoptered in. Turns out there¢s a shorter way up here. He¢d been given a ride to that trailhead. I¢m concerned that hiking Maine with a hammock and no gear to support sleeping in a shelter may have been a bad choice. Spots to hang our hammocks are scarce here at this shelter. Pine forests tend to be dense and come with lots of spiky branches.  I may need to pick up a sleeping pad to keep the shelters as an option. Usually on my first few days hiking I get leg cramps and tonight is no exception. I had to jump out of my hammock and walk around until they subsided. I made sure I drank enough water and added electrolytes to keep them at bay. Let¢s see how it goes tonight after I dare get back into the hammock. Interesting that a long section of today¢s hike was without white blazes. Instead there was an orange ribbon tied around the occasional tree. We lost the trail at one point and took about ten minutes to locate it. Also interesting was that the trail is in a state of wildness as I¢ve never seen before. Probably due to Covid-19 restrictions on trail maintainers. Vegetation was so thick at times you couldn¢t see the trail beneath your feet. It all made for an interesting day on the AT. Tomorrow¢s hike is two miles shorter than today¢s and the big climb up Mt Success happens in the morning when I have the most energy. All in all I was very happy with my hiking today. I attribute this to the daily stretching routine Joan and I do every morning for the past year and a half.
Date: 2020-07-25
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Full Goose Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: few clouds

Big day today. We crossed the NH/ME border. And now Rainbow has officially completed New Hampshire. This was, no doubt, my most difficult day of hiking ever. They say southern Maine is the most difficult section on the Appalachian Trail. And they¢re not just whistling Dixey, or Yankee Doodle for that matter. This will help to illustrate the point. We reached the Maine border at noon and had 4.9 more miles to go. We pulled into camp at 8:00 PM, eight hours later. That¢s an average of 0.6 MPH. That¢s how hard it was. And it didn¢t help that water sources were scarce and I became dehydrated.Bonked and honked?  Bonked because that¢s what I experienced in the afternoon when we passed by a shelter with the only water source in the area. It was 0.3 miles down a rocky path. After I collected my water it took me forever to get back. I had to stop many times on the way. Then we dug out some lunch from our packs. I had a pouch of tuna salad on a tortilla. As much in need of food and water as I was, I had no appetite l, was feeling somewhat nauseous, and was slurring my words.  That¢s being bonked. As for honked, it¢s to acknowledge the name of tonight¢s shelter, Full Goose Shelter. We hiked through alpine bogs with wooden planks called puncheons to both protect the alpine vegetation and keep hikers from falling into the quicksand-like mud. At one patch of exposed mud the puncheons had become submerged. I bushwhacked around the mess but Rainbow walked across the sunken planks until all of a sudden there was no plank and she went down to her knee and face planted in the mud. After she was able to pull her leg out and saw that her shoe was still on her foot, she started laughing. I had to get a picture of her bowing to the mud gods. At the shelter was Groovy, a young northbound thru hiker. I recognized him as the hiker I glanced at while maneuvering a particularly difficult rock ledge. The look on his face said, ¢I¢m about to watch an old man die¢.  He¢d like to write a book about his hike during the Covid-19 pandemic. I should mention that my biggest injury so far was sustained not during hiking, but at mealtime in camp. I had decided to move my dinner prep to be nearer to Rainbow. In so doing I tripped and fell, causing an inch wide scrape from my ankle nearly to my knee, twisting my knee in the process. I tried my best to avoid toppling onto Rainbow but managed to tip over her cook pot full of dinner. (Two days later on day 4, my knee still hurts, particularly on long descents.). This is a hiking war story I¢ll likely keep to myself. Tomorrow brings the Mahoosuc Notch. I¢m both nervous and excited.
Date: 2020-07-26
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: broken clouds

With just 5.1 miles today, we gave ourselves plenty of time to hike the Mahoosuc Notch and Mahoosuc Arm. Still it took nearly 11 hours. Mahoosuc Notch is known as the most difficult mile on the AT. It¢s 1.1 miles of huge boulders that over time have fallen from the sheer walls of granite on either side. So little sunlight hits the Notch that there¢s snow and ice all year. It felt like a giant air conditioner. Despite it being but 1.1 miles, it took us nearly four hours to traverse. One must jump from one huge boulder to the next. We spent a good amount of time studying which way might be safest. There were two spots where we needed to remove our packs and slither under a pile of boulders. Not realizing just how slowly we were progressing, we shared celebratory fist bumps when we had thought we¢d made it through the Notch, only to learn we¢d complete merely one quarter. Then came the Mahoosuc Arm, 1.1 miles just about straight up. Much of which were long slabs of rock. Good thing our hiking shoes are super grippy. At the summit we found ourselves in a lush alpine area. We were very happy to have been Notched and Armed. I¢m of the impression that the rest of Maine, though plenty challenging, won¢t be as difficult as what we¢ve experienced in these first two days in Maine.
Date: 2020-07-27
From: Speck Pond Shelter

To: Grafton Not h, ME 26
Miles today: 4.6

We were to meet our trail angel Gary at noon. We started hiking at 7:50 and arrived around 12:40. The climb up and down Old Speck was punishing. Lots of grabbing roots and small trees to pull me up and climbing crab style up giant granite slabs. The wind was fierce atop the mountain. Then a long descent to the Grafton Notch parking area where we were met by Gary. Gary and his wife Cathy have been helping hikers for about five years by taking them into their homes, feeding them and supporting slackpacking.  They are lovely people. I remarked to Rainbow that there¢s one thing we¢ve yet to experience and that¢s to be pleasantly surprised by our progress.
Date: 2020-07-28
From: Grafton Not h, ME 26

To: East B Hill Rd
Miles today: 10.3

Had a great day of hiking up and over West and East Bald Pate. The top of East Bald Pate was a huge dome of granite that we had to hike over.  We had to crab walk for portions and the trail was marked by cairns. More granite and cairns would appear as we gradually ascended the huge dome. It was a lot of fun. Gary had told us about the fantastic views we¢d get atop the mountain but alas we were socked in with wind and fog. The only downer for me was that my left knee started hurting again during the climb down and because of that and the granite being wet from the fog, it was very slow going. I am a very risk averse hiker normally, but with my knee hurting I was even more so, choosing to slide down on my butt when it looked too steep and slippery. Then I encountered a southbounder hiking up. We chatted for a minute. He asked me how it was going and I told him just fine but that my knee was giving me trouble on the downhills. He reached into his pocket and gave me two Aleve. Soon enough I was pretty much pain free. Yes, the trail provides what you need when you really need it.I had felt a bit rushed in the morning and left for the trail feeling like I¢d forgotten something. Normally you¢ve got everything in your pack, but with slackpacking you¢re carrying a little day pack so you need to be sure you¢re carrying what you need for the day. In my case I¢d forgotten my knee brace, my prescription anti-inflammatory and my collapsible water bottle. (I need a wide mouth container for my SteriPen UV light to work.). I told myself that as soon as we get back to Gary¢s, I would create a slackpacking checklist. While my left knee was my primary discomfort, the top of my right foot felt like the shoe had something poking me. This was happening yesterday too so I told myself that as soon as I got back to Gary¢s I¢d inspect the shoe and try to resolve it. But then Rainbow suggested that I stop hiking and check out the shoe situation now. Good idea. So I sat on a rock, removed my shoe and immediately saw the issue. The tongue had a fold on its side that was folded dow. I simply made sure it was pointed up, away from my foot, and that fixed the issue. Thank you Gayle. After getting down the Bald Pates, the going got much easier and now pain free. We got to stretch out and cruise on relatively level ground for the first time on this trip. It felt really good and it put me in a happy mood.
Date: 2020-07-29
From: East B Hill Rd

To: South Arm Rd
Miles today: 10.6

Today was our second double digit day. It all went well until it didn¢t. It was my left knee again. I had taken one of my old Meloxipan prescription anti-inflammatory pills but it didn¢t seem to work. Once I started the long descent off of Wymann Mountain the pain flared up causing me to walk at a snail¢s pace. So I popped two Aleve which eventually helped but it took the better part of an hour to provide relief. I need to get this knee pain under control or this hike ain¢t happening. (This entry cut short due to exhaustion.)