morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-12-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

There is a full, separate story on how my trail name came to be. It is relevant to this topic because, in a way, it is describes me physically: I am white and I am stringy. According to Google, synonyms to stringy are: (of a person) tall, wiry, and thin. synonyms: lanky, gangling, gangly, rangy, wiry, bony, skinny, scrawny, thin, spare, gaunt  I¢ve always been like this; I¢m built like my dad.  When I hiked the PCT and other times of high activity, my small frame was a problem. While the number of pounds I lost was not astonishingly high, the percentage was noteworthy. At 5¢7¢, I finished the trail around 105 lbs ¢ underweight! I didn¢t menstruate during my thruhike since I quickly depleted my fats and, near Tahoe, I became so small that my hipbelt didn¢t sit on me anymore. I had to hike in my sports bra so that I could use my hiking shirt and baselayer to pad my hip belt enough to stay up. Needless to say, I don¢t want that to happen again!!! Eating better on the trail is going to be extremely crucial to prevent this from reoccurring. But what can I do now? Start with a more stout foundation! Gain weight! That¢s the plan at least J I will use this journal as a bit of an accountability practice. Through healthy diet and exercise, I hope to gain 10 pounds or more in the next 3 12 months.
Date: 2017-12-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

As I am getting settled into Durango at my mom's place with Josh, it is time to take my fitness seriously again. Josh loves the gym. He is knowledgable about all the equipment, can come up with routines on the fly, and is also incredibly strong and buff for his smaller frame; all things that I am not! He has gotten us a punch pass at the local recreation center, we have acquired their pool and exercise class schedules and we are ready to make the most of this winter. The scale in the ladies changing room read 112.5 lbs on my first gym visit. So far, we've been to the gym twice this week. We have done only arms and chest exercises followed up with abs. Josh is a terrific gym partner and has been especially helpful in choosing and determining the correct weight I should be attempt as I try these new strength-based exercises. Once we finalize our work schedules, we will set our workout slots for the rest of our time here. Any and all encouragement are much appreciated at this point as I suffer through the beginning of many sore days!
Date: 2018-01-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Life has been good. We have both had mini successes and are slowly taking steps to be ready for our upcoming thruhike. Work: While the snow is non-existent here in southwest Colorado, Josh is a salaried employee and has been making the most of the unfortunate situation. As we wait for Ullr to drop some snow on us, his employer has been giving him diverse, short-term tasks to keep him plenty busy. I have been putting 60 hours a week in at my two jobs. My primary job is working as a barista at an artisanal chocolate shop - I love it there. My secondary is working as a budtender at a local dispensary. When snow comes, I'll add ski instructor to my resume at a local hill. I am almost singularly focused on making enough money for this thruhike and I feel these are going to be good seasonal positions for me to reach that goal by April!Fitness: We have purchased a 3-month pass at the local recreation center and have been utilizing it thoroughly. Since it's just in the last week that I received my regular schedule regarding shifts, we have yet to establish our workout routines but it's coming soon. Even so, I'm growing already in mass and knowledge. Josh has taught me well and I feel comfortable working in the weight room without him now. Last time I checked the scale, I also hit 116lbs! Unlimited access to chocolate is definitely helping :)Gear: On this front, there is less to report on. Josh was told he will be receiving his requested down puffy as a holiday present. My family pooled together to get me a Wekey 2 foldable, ultralight keyboard. Pretty sure we will both go for Osprey Exos packs since they are local and economic. I have also been following Backcountry Banter- it's a site written by my friend and Triple Crowner, Apache. I expect we will get some of his gear recommendations too for things like trekking poles, etc. our AWOL guide should be shipping out this month too.All smiles on our end!
Date: 2018-01-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

It made me so happy to see an email with the subject line "Trail Journals Guest Book Entry"! I want to first give Vicki a major shoutout for her support- it felt so incredibly good to read it. Secondly, I want to invite any and all of you to follow suit and let us know you will be with us along our journey too. While I have many reasons to motivate my continued writing, there is definitely some sort of additional incentive when I know there are people even slightly invested in this thruhike too.THANK YOU AGAIN VICKI!!Sending love and peace,String Cheese
Date: 2018-01-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

For my birthday weekend, Josh took me over to nearby Ouray to watch some amazing climbers at the Ouray Ice Climbing Festival AND THEN get our soak on at my absolute favorite private hot springs, Orris!! (He knows me so well!)One of my favorite things about the Fest is checking out all of the gear tents! Not only do I get to stock up on some sweet swag and stickers, we get to see the latest innovations coming up and we were blown away but some of the ultralight gear that is starting to hit the market. Obviously, few things are transferable between ice climbing and thru-hiking but we found the backpack that we both want to use this summer at the Osprey tent. Osprey is going to be introducing an ultralight backpack (under 2lbs.) this Spring; the models are the Levity (M) and the Lumina (W) for $250! Upon returning to town, we went to the local pro-gear shop and have special ordered ours. The packs will be coming out mid/late-March so we will hopefully snatch it up just in time.Lots of stoke right now!
Date: 2018-02-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

3 years ago I head about thru-hiking and it instantly sparked my interest. Ever since I was young I loved the outdoors and running, and thru-hiking seemed like an amazing blend of physicality and appreciation of nature. It was only a matter of time until I embarked on a thru-hike attempt and the opportunity arose for the summer of 2018, so I jumped on it like a cat to a ball of yarn. I am so excited to spend months in nature, push my body through trials and tribulations, meet the thru-hiking community I have heard so much about, and most of all experience and learn from the unexpectedness the trail throws at you. This summer will be hard, beautiful, exhausting, educational, and one of the best of my life. I can¢t wait to hike the AT and write a different paragraph of why I hiked the AT, wherever I finish.
Date: 2018-02-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

After the Ouray Ice Fest, I came down with a pretty gnarly cold -> sinus infection that took me out. Got my first days off from work in awhile but that is not how I would've liked to spend it. As I was finally starting to crawl out from my boogery darkness, Josh came down with the flu (not from me, from his other girlfriends :P haha). The sickness and the caring-for-each-other really took our momentum at the gym. Josh has bounced back well. He's now training for a 30k race he and a friend are doing together in Moab towards the end of March. My 60-70 work weeks are starting to catch to me. Plus, working at a chocolate shop heading into Valentine's Day meant many more hours and honestly, some stress. All hope is not lost though! The unreliable scale my mom has here says I'm at 113lbs. Also, we finally got a dumping of snow we so desperately. I was fortunate enough to start work at 4pm so I got to finally get my skis on and shred the deepest pow we have had yet. While I rarely made it an entire run without having to give my quads a break in ungroomed powder, I thought I was actually in pretty good skiing shape for my first day out.
Date: 2018-02-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

No turning back now.I'll be flying March 27 from Albuquerque to Memphis. I will get a couple of days with my best friend who I haven't seen since he visited me in Alaska. (He is about to finish his Masters at Ole Miss- GO FRANCIS!) We will take a road trip to Atlanta where we will pick up Josh who will be flying in from Phoenix after a couple of days with his family. The next day, Francis will leave us at Amicalola State Park for us to start our long walk :) :) :)I'm glad I was transparent with my bosses about the thru hike when I was job hunting. I have no negative feelings about leaving in a month even though my bosses at both jobs joke about me staying on for the summer. With the recent snow, Josh has stepped out of the office and finally gets to run the local ski hill like he was hired to do. We are down to our last 46 days of the normal life.
Date: 2018-03-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

My dad says I'm not lucky; I work hard and deserve the good fortune that comes my way. In this case though, I feel lucky. Lucky to have parents that love Josh and I unconditionally and willing to travel to all corners of the planet to be with us and share in our experiences. For the last five years, our parents have been forced to walk big mile days, climb to over 14,000ft, face freezing temperatures and hot jungle climates, and travel remote backcountry roads and trail to find us. This year they requested Club Med. This year, Club Med ain't happening yet they are still so excited! We have done some very rough/flexible planning in regards to our parents coming to slack pack and hike with us. That took some time for sure yet we are all so glad to have that arranged now. Josh parents and my dad (Big Mac) will be coming for a week around Trail Days in Damascus, VA in May. As long as we are in the vicinity, they can grab us with a rental car. While they are flexible and it is impossible to set anything in stone, the hope is to have them join us for the Grayson Highlands State Park and maybe see some wild mini ponies! My mom will be coming to slack pack us a little farther north.Their visits will be a good motivational source for us when we are tired and our feet hurt. Looking forward to it and feeling grateful.
Date: 2018-03-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A month from today, Josh and I will be camping in Amicalola State Park about to start the next big adventure. Just writing that feels shocking!I have seen a transformation take place with us during this last week particularly. The excitement level has steadily grown. Josh is starting to obsess over gear (particularly our backpack choice) and we have both decided to read "A Walk in the Woods". We spent some time laying out our equipment and clothes on the floor to evaluate what we have and to see what we still need to get. This afternoon, we will bring our respective piles to the local pro gear shop to try out some new ultralight packs they just got in. Most importantly, we have hit our financial goals needed to make this summer happen! Anything more we make will help us get from Katahdin to our next landing spot (maybe grad school abroad?!). Some fears have also started to creep in. Josh has been struggling with some mysterious knee pain. He was planning to run a 30K right before he flew to Atlanta but has called that off so as not to stress the joint out before our long walk. I seem to have plateaued with my weight gain regardless of how much atresanal chocolate, baked goods, and protein powder I consume. All I can do is vow to indulge more in trail towns and really hope I do not get down to 100lbs like I did on the PCT.   These last few weeks will be bittersweet. The sweet part is that we are ready to bail employment-wise. Josh's ski hill has closed already due to lack of snow; today is his first day back in the office doing accounting. The chocolate shop has become stressful to say the least while the weed shop is still super chill (surprising, no?). Stepping away from those positions in a couple weeks won't be hard. The bitter part will be leaving our friends and comfortable life. Considering that we have been on the road for almost the last two years, there is a novelty with this 'normal' life. Knowing where we will sleep each night, socializing with people other than ourselves, and having access to clean drinking water, hot showers, a refrigerator, multiple changes of clothes and more, it has been fun and nice and easy. My guess is that we are both feeling recharged but it will be really hard to say goodbye to the community of people we have around us here. I also want to say thank you for reading this. It means a lot to us to know there are people like you following along on this journey with us.
Date: 2018-03-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

The backpacks we had planned on getting did not pan out. :( We were stoked for the Levity/Lumina packs to hit stores this March. After getting notified by the local pro gear shop that they were in, we were prepared to walk home that day with our new (matching) backpacks. Unfortunately, they did not fit!!! The shop employee was super helpful grabbing Small and Medium packs in a variety of brands. The Medium Lumina fit the best but I had the hip belt virtually maxed out; I could only squeeze out another 1/2" on each side. Josh had some more play in the hip belt but not much.On the PCT, I hiked for two weeks through the High Sierra shirtless because I needed to use it to pad my Gregory J53 Medium hip belt to keep it on. I was lucky to have my Dad visit me there because we were able to drive around Tahoe looking for someone with an industrial sewing machine to alter the hip belt. I DO NOT want that to happen again. Back to the drawing board. Josh, the Excel wizard, made a great spreadsheet with ~10 frequently used packs breaking them down by their features. What was most important for us that the Levity/Lumina lacked was: (1) that we could get a Small hip belt with a Medium framed pack and (2) there were hip belt pockets. Days of reading and watching youtube videos review of our top packs ensued. Ultimately, I think we are really happy with what we each have chosen.Josh went for the Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60L! He is a fan of the different side pockets on the Mariposa as well as the removable back foam pad to use as a sit pad. I went for an orange ULA Circuit 60L. I have trustworthy friends who love their Circuits plus I really appreciate the elastic H20 bottle holders on the shoulder straps and the double webbing hip belt to dial in the perfect fit.While we definitely could have gone down a size (volume), we like that we can fit a bear canister in these for future trips as well as room for extra food when we have people hike with us.
Date: 2018-03-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

With the big decisions made, it is just the final details we have left to suss out. Some of those include:Josh has decided to go with a long handled spork. I found an MP3 player that Big Mac loaded up with audio books for my PCT hike. A new batch of audiobooks have been rented from the library and are on being loaded onto Josh's laptop to put on our electronics. Which nail clippers do we take? Bandana or Buff? Setting aside gear for Josh's mom to use when she comes backpacking with us. I'll take the rain pants for beginning and our family can bring the rain skirt when they join us mid-May. Starting the crucial conversations: how to deal with our potential hangry fights over sharing food; how to politely propose that we sleep in our separate sleeping bags due to stinkiness; what situations are appropriate to hike separately during the day; more shelters or more stealth camping; what is the total duration are we aiming for; what if someone wants or needs to stop this journey... Some of these are big topics and the answers to them will probably shift as we start this big undertaking. It is still beneficial to address these possible scenarios now while we are well-fed, well-rested, and not trail-weary.Needless to say, the AT is always on our minds now. We stay up late talking in the darkness about the most random things. We joke about what Josh's trail name will be. We cannot hang out with friends without bringing it up at least once. Even with the little details still to do, CAN WE JUST START ALREADY?!
Date: 2018-03-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It is Friday. I leave Monday. AAAAHHHHHH! I want to yell; I want to run. This is probably all normal, right??It feels that so much needs to be done and so many people need to given their final goodbyes (as we do not plan on returning to Durango). Today I work a double from 6AM to 11PM which includes my last shift at the pot shop. Tomorrow is my last shift at the artisanal chocolate shop. Then there are friends from out of town visiting, getting my last ski turns in, hosting a going-away BBQ, traveling to Santa Fe for an early Tuesday flight and all while being on my moon. Where did all the time go because it feels like I have none left? I think this pre-trail anxiety is normal. The excitement is too much to handle. I scour the AT Class of 2018 Facebook page often and am incredibly eager and even envious at times of the hikers already going after it. It still calms my nerves. The Smokies have been hit hard with snow again this week but I bet it will all be melted by the time we reach the National Park.
Date: 2018-03-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The stress has melted away as I left Colorado and flew to Mississippi and I am all smiles now.Josh and Mama Mac were incredibly helpful with getting me out of the house smoothly and well-prepared. My ULA backpack survived the flights even with the trekking poles sticking out of the top of the pack. Francis as been a marvelous host spoiling me with good eats and friendship. His faith in us is so reassuring and he has already helped me make connections with people who may be able to deliver some cheeseburgers along the way. After a fun week together here at Ole Miss and exploring Chattanooga this weekend, he will help us start next week. Tonight is Josh's last night in Colorado. He seems much more relaxed than I was. Tomorrow, he will travel to Arizona to get some much-deserved family time and get organized for his flights next week.
Date: 2018-04-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Life is great! The food for the first section has been purchased. Our first aid kit has been built.Big Mac has kindly reserved Josh, Francis, and me a cabin near Springer Mountain.Josh is furiously tying up his loose ends and thoroughly enjoying time with his family in Arizona. Sounds like most of them may even go to the airport in Phoenix to send him off.I am relaxing- something I haven't done in a couple of months. I ate a whole plate of chocolate chip cookies in the last 24 hours. I am trying to get a head start on my thruhiker stomach.Weather is not looking miraculous but not terrible.I couldn't feel more ready now!
Date: 2018-04-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The preparation is done. The butterflies are in our stomaches. Tomorrow we can start!Here is to hoping that the gear holds out, so do our bodies as we try to track a tackle the original Great American scenic Trail. Both Josh and I have made the long journey from Mississippi and Arizona respectively. The biggest surprise today has been the arrival of Big Mac in Atlanta to help send us off in style tomorrow at Amicalola. So grateful! We are in an amazing room at the Barefoot Hill Lodge. Our last meal was sesame crusted salmon with green beans and quinoa with beer. We laid out all the gear and food. Would be surprised if our packs I have a base weight of over 15 pounds. I'm eager to check our packs out with the scale at the visitor center in the state park tomorrow.Even with the butterflies, we cannot wait to start at the arch tomorrow, April 5 on the first day of our Appalachian Trail thruhike!
Date: 2018-04-05
From: Amicalola Arch

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: clear sky

The day was finally here!!! I put on my thruhiker clothes and felt I was dressing for battle. After our final showers and a great continental breakfast at Barefoot Hills, Big Mac drove us to Amicalola State Park where we got an awesome rundown (tips and tricks) by Ridgerunner Master Splinter. There were about 12 thruhikers listening in with us and most people had packs that looked medium to large in size.We signed in and got our hiker numbers: I am 1949; Josh got 1950! They said they have 4000 hikers registered online so far, crazy!! They have a scale out front and our base weights are 14 and 15lbs respectively. :) hooray!! I was hoping it would be a little lighter but I am still satisfied since I do have a paperback in there that will hopefully be finished shortly. With food and water, we were going to hit the trail with just over 20lbs. Big Mac was great and helped us slackpack the 8.8 mikes to Springer. He met us at the top f the falls and again at the summit where we took our food for the next three days from him. After a tearful goodbye at the top, Josh and I busted out the last couple miles to Stover Creek Shelter. There were about 10 tents set up in the vicinity and only 1 person in the shelter so we joined her.Our first experience in shelter culture was good. There was a lot of socializing and laughs amongst all the new hikers. They were from all over the country and two foreigners too. Kids, retirees, vets, single people, couples, and friends.So far so good. We are feeling really confident right now. I do notice a difference between us and the other new thruhikers. I think a lot of people have room to minimize their pack weights mainly. While it is tempting to guess who might drop out, it's impossible. This first section or two is going to be a steeeep, learning curve for many. I am curious to see how the packs thins out.
Date: 2018-04-06
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light snow

Woke up feeling fresh! Since we are going for low mileage days in the beginning, we took our time getting up and out. We were the last thruhikers to leave the shelter.Encountered our first people deciding to drop out. They were going to hike the three miles back towards Springer to hitch out. It broke my heart. They needed a shakedown. Even with the most beautiful cubren fiber tarp tent and backpack, their packs were about 40lbs. I encouraged them to ask the Amicalola rangers to go through their packs with them before completely throwing in the towel but who knows. We wish them all the best.The hiking day was jovial. It was a little overcast which helped keep the temperature comfortable. Slowly we started catching people from our shelter, them some really late starters from Hawk Mountain. By the time we got within 2 miles of Gooch, people were everywhere! In all we passed about 30.There were lots of people already at the shelter by the time we got there. With more coming in behind us, we grabbed some of the last spots in the shelter. I quickly latched onto some young girls on their first backpacking trip with their dad. I could notice that there was lots of posturing by the older male thruhikers and I stayed out of those conversations.We saw some behavior that went directly against what the rangers told us to do back at the arch that was disheartening (ex: washing dirty bowl out at water source). They didn't respond well to polite suggestions about alternative methods.Weather is coming in. Undecided as whether to push it to Niels Gap (15mi) or stop short at Jarrard Gap (<10mi) right before the required bear canister section starts. We will see how we feel when we get there!