morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-03
From: home

To: home
Miles today: 0.0

Our concerns for the walk are hypothermia (lots of rain and wind at high altitude, above 4000 feet), bears (that would like to share our snacks), Rattle snakes and of course, Americans The talk between myself and Leslie at the moment is all about miles, weight, rain and food. Should we pack 2 pairs of short pants and one pair of long pants or just two pairs of short pants or just one pair of short pants and a pair of compression pants. Will I carry hiking socks or will running socks be good enough.When you are going to carry your pack 1000 miles then every gram counts.Suddenly who needs underwear?All this is complicated by watching You Tube videos and reading the blogs and experiences of other hikers. There is often a cry of "wow that¢s a good idea" and out we rush to buy a new poncho or a small Sea to Summit day bag or stuff sack or dry bag or heavy duty extra dry dry bag.We now own two brand new poncho¢s, new rain jackets and lots of new dry bags and stuff sacks.(these bears will need a degree to get our food). We even own a bear rope! (to hang your food in the tree)Today the discussion is all about how big our towel be, should we cut the towels in half or into thirds. Can we cut off half or two thirds of the toothbrush handle before we start do we really need to brush our teeth? We are raising funds for The Peninsula School Feeding Association.
Date: 2013-03-04
From: home

To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

The choices are endless and every piece of equipment is weighed and discussed. How can we make this lighter, can we leave that behind, can a cup also serve as a bowl? How many warm tops should we take? Do we need another sleeping bag? Every gram counts. We would like to carry no more than 15 Kg including food and water. The last time I weighed my pack (excluding food and water) it weighed in at 10.5 Kg. If you add 3 liters of water @3 Kg and 1.5 Kg for food, it is going to be tightHere is a semi final list of what we will be taking along on the hike:55 litre Deuter air contact lite backpack2 man Mountain Hardware tentThermal Comfort full length self inflating mattressFirst Ascent down sleeping bagMSR dragonfly stoveFirst Ascent blow up pillow1 Pr. New Balance running shorts1 Pr quick dry long pants1 Pr Asics compression Long pantsShort sleeve shirtLong sleeve shirtFirst Ascent long sleeve moisture wicking topCape Union Mart rain jacket (water and windproof)Cape union Mart PonchoPolar fleece topPolar fleece jacket2 prs thin socks2 prs hiking socksGlovesKnitted capBuff from Active incNew Balance Trail running shoesSea to Summit 10 litre folding bucket (awesome)6 Sea to Summit dry bags2 amazinglingly warm caps from GreybearEnergiser head torchMedical kitLots of pain killers, anti ¢ inflammatory tablets. plasters, blister plasters, strapping and bandage.Antiseptic cream and Voltaren gelFoodFuture Life high protein cerealPVM barsPVM Energy ReplacerLots of oatsCoffee (Nescafe cappuccino sachets)Tea (five roses and Woolworth¢s Vanilla tea)The rest we will buy along the trail but will consist mainly of noodles, pasta, tuna, chicken and anything else we can get our hands on (like M&M¢s)Biltong from the South African shop (West Virginia)
Date: 2013-03-05
From: home

To: home
Miles today: 0.0

A bruised foot or a broken foot Jumping over the neighbors wall to see why their burglar alarm is going off is not a good idea. I should have gone around and looked over the wall. The result is a very badly bruised foot that will not take my weight and is very painful. Leslie has gone off to cycle the argus and I am behaving like a man and sulking at home. We had prepared really well and were looking forward to doing the cycle tour together Now the big concern is will I be able to get the foot up and walking in time for our start of the 19 April and to do some practice walks before we fly from Cape Town in the 16 April
Date: 2013-03-07
From: home

To: home
Miles today: 0.0

Bounce boxesThank you to adventure inc for our South African flag buffs (www.adventureinc.co.za)While walking the Appalachian Trail you need to re supply along the trail. One way of doing this is to buy all your supplies from stores, such as wall mart or small stores at petrol stations along the trial. They supply you with everything you need. Pasta and sauces for supper, cheese and snack breads for lunch, oats for breakfast and of course trail mix (good old peanuts, raisins, nuts and seed). On our walk we will be stopping at these stores for suppliesThe other way is to put your supplies in a box and post them to post offices in towns along the trail. You can add anything you like into the box and normally would have these home luxuries that you cannot buy in a store, such as grandma¢s best biscuits, your wife's famous dried muesli mix and perhaps some homemade hot sauce and some letters of support.Coming from South Africa we would like to put some things in our box that will remind us of home. Things that we cannot buy in America. Examples will be rusks, biltong and nick- naks
Date: 2013-03-08
From: home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Why are we walkingOne thing we must make perfectly clear. We are paying all our expenses and every cent raised will be going to the Peninsula School Feeding Association.One of the main reasons is to help raise funds to help feed school children. So on Friday we went to the Idas Valley Primary School in Stellenbosch to see how the association works.Every school, that is part of the association, is sent the daily menu and the ingredients to provide a healthy satisfying meal to the children. This may be the only food they get, so care is taken with nutrition as well as with quantity and quality.The menu for Friday was curry Soya mince with rice and butternut. There were 43 children and each child was given a plate of food that looked to me to be huge. At least half the children came back for seconds. I am told that no child that is enrolled in the scheme will ever be turned away hungry. They always cater for ¢Extra¢If it was not for this meal the majority of the children being fed would have no other food for the day. This was their one daily meal.The PFSA slogan is ¢You can¢t teach a hungry child¢ just rings true in my mind and this walk,raising funds, is the least we can do to give these children a chance to get a decent education.PSFA Fact SheetGeneral¢¢PSFA is a registered non-profit organisation, based in the Western Cape¢¢PSFA was established in March 1958, by the Rotary Club of Paarden Eiland, now called Table Bay, in response to many approaches from school principals that their children were fainting or not coming to school because of hunger¢¢PSFA is governed by a Voluntary management Committee¢¢This year is PSFA¢s 55th Anniversary¢¢More than 1.5 billion meals have been prepared and served¢¢We feed 330000 children daily in 752 primary schools, secondary schools and special-needs schools across the province.To sponsor our walk click here.www.1000atmiles.com
Date: 2013-03-26
From: Home

To: Groot winterhoek
Miles today: 0.0

A great hike to test all our ideas and we are ready to go!!!!Just three more weeks and we will be on the trail.....This week: All we will be doing is getting our back packs on and walking. We hope to do two or three 4 -5 hours walks with big climbs to strengthen the legs. There are some fantastic walks through the vineyards of Stellenbosch. Last weekend proved to be the best test ever. We hiked into Groot Winterhoek, (nature reserve near Porterville, western Cape) with family and friend and tried to do everything the way we would do on the trail. That meant carrying our clothes, sleeping bag, mattress, blow up pillows and our tent. We also had enough food for three days and all our cooking gear(including the dragon fly stove)This stove is very noisy, but wow is it quick and efficient The hike is amazing. The first day is 14 km with two fantastic swimming pools on the way. The next day it is 5 km to "die hell" with one of the largest Rock mountain pools and waterfall I have seen and then the steep climb (100 meters straight up)and then 5 km back to the tent.Day three is the easy walk back, stopping for a last swim about 7 km from the end. Awesome.Glad to report that everything worked except our pot needed to be replaced. Bought a new one this morning. I can now boil 1 liter of water in three minutes and it has a lid that can double as a frying pan. Bacon and eggs for breakfast mmm.
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Home

To: home
Miles today: 0.0

hi allcat lady woke up this morning and decided that with two weeks to go, it was time to cut her own hair.click on the video link to see a video of the hair cutting and the finished product. Now we just need to get the immigration officer to recognize Leslie and let her into the country.Her visa photo shows her with long her.see you all in two weeks
Date: 2013-04-01
To: cat lady cuts her hair
Miles today: 0.0

Two weeks to go.Click on the video link to watch cat lady cut her own hairWith just two weeks to go things are getting a little tense.1) cat lady decided today to cut her own hair2) I made sure that all our stop orders were working and all the financial plans are working and all the bills will be paid while we are away3) put a message on my cell(mobile) phone to say I will be back in August - awesome4) all the boxes are out and the contents checked to make sure the right stuff goes to the right town along the trail.And of course we need to get some good practice walks so :Wednesday will be walking up Botmanskop Stellenbosch ( 6 hours)Thursday will be Helderberg Nature Reserve Somerset west ( 5 hours)Friday will be walking up table mountain.(5 hours) I will be putting up some pictures of our walks
Date: 2013-04-03
From: home

To: home
Miles today: 0.0

A fantastic workout this morning. A climb of 1500 feet in just 2 miles. The sun was shining, the weather was awesome and myself (springbok) and cat lady just had to get out there and do some walking. I could not resist taking a picture of Table Mountain with Stellenbosch in the foreground. Tomorrow we will climb Table mountain as a practice session. 1200 meters (about 3600 feet) almost straight up. good for the legs. Luckily there is a great place to eat at the top.see you all in two weeks (starting 19 April)
Date: 2013-04-05
From: home

To: Table Mountain
Miles today: 0.0

Today Table Mountain South Africa -- - Friday 19 April Springer Mountain Georgia, America.What a fantastic walk up our beautiful Mountain. Along the pipe track and then up the mountain via Kasteelport and on to the cable car station. 5 hours with full (18Kg) backpacks. Now I know why all the people kept staring at us. we are slowly feeling stronger and more prepared for this epic adventure. The start of our 1000 mile walk to raise funds for the Peninsula School Feeding Association.Yes I want to contribute www.1000atmiles.com or www.psfa.org.za
Date: 2013-04-13
From: Cape town 

To: america
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Packed and ready to go.The next time we unpack our bags will be hawk mountain shelter on the Appalachian trail. That is an awesome thought . We have dreamed and planned and checked every detail. We have unpacked the boxes, re packed the boxes, we have checked the lists and then made sure that every item on the list was in the rucksack.Now all that remains is a farewell lunch with family on Sunday and then to catch the plane from Cape Town, South Africa to Washington and will be on the trail on Friday 19 April.Not sure what you say in America but here the word is "lekker"
Date: 2013-04-16
From: table mountain

To: washington
Miles today: 0.0

What a fantastic flight. We left Cape Town at 11.20 pm. I thought it would be good to settle down and sleep. KLM thought that serving supper at 1 am would keep us all awake and it gave the hostesses something to do. Went to sleep at 2 am and slept till 7- sitting up with Leslie's head on my shoulder. She snores gently. We are waiting for the flight to Washington. This is where the excitement begins. New territory and new people and customs. Thanks to Vin and Angie for taking us to the airport and to keith and Melanie for coming to at goodbyeThanks for the good laugh. We are boarding now so will complete the blog from Washington
Date: 2013-04-17
From: washington

To: gainsville Georgia 
Miles today: 0.0

First day in AmericaWe made it. It took 2 hours to get through customs. They were on full alert as a result of the senseless Boston bombing. Watching the news there have been no arrests but it is still a major story here. We went to sleep last night at 7 pm local time (1am SA time) and slept for 10 hours. Hopefully sort out the jet lag. Today we catch the train to Gainsville, Georgia This is the longest approach trail ever. Best moment today. Being welcomed to AmericaA big burger,fries and beer12 hours of sleep http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=14844
Date: 2013-04-18
From: gainsville Georgia 

To: hiker hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Train to hikers hostel What a fantastic trip. Sleeping on a train is a novel experience. Lets start at the beginning.When we arrived in Washington the first question we asked the information officer was if we had to check in our baggage. "If you like" was his answer with a shrug. After a tour of Washington we got on to the train, found our compartment and ...... The bags fit nicely. We had to be dwarfs who could put our feet behind our heads to fit. So we put the one bag on the toilet, the other bag on my bed at my feet and the third bag above my head in a tiny compartment where it threatened to escape for the rest if the trip So if we wanted to go to the toilet I would climb onto Leslie's bed,move the pack from the toilet, Use the toilet and then do it all in reverse. The hikers hostel was there to pick us up and we managed to to spend the day sorting out our packs, last minute shopping at wallmaart and having lunch. I had beer cheese soup. It was really good. So far everyone has been real friendly. Still no American SIM card so will only be posting in wifi areas Messages of support http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=14844
Date: 2013-04-19
From: springer mountain

To: hawk mountain sheltet
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: very heavy rain

Day 1 19 AprilWoke up to rain. After a great breakfast it was load up and off to the trail. The ride up to the trail was twist and turn and turn and twist dirt road in heavy rain. Everyone feeling a bit green. Off course the moment we stopped and offloaded the rain came bucketing down. No problem- on with the poncho's and off we wentTo get to the start off the trail was 1 mile walk back up the trail, get to springer mountain take the required picture and turn around and start the trail proper.It rained the whole day. After 10 minutes we no longer tried to avoid the puddles, like children we just splashed through. We got to hawk mountain shelter (1.45 pm) just as the rain stopped. Up went the tent, all cosy, warm and dry. We are camping with about 10 hikers and there are a few in the shelter (shelter full of mice). Supper was bobotjie and then off to bed Today walked 10.1 miles (17 km) in 3,5 hours Springbok and cat lady
Date: 2013-04-20
From: hawk mountain shelter

To: lance creek
Miles today: 11.2

DAy 2 20 AprilBoy was it cold last night. It got down to freezing. We felt it. In the early hours leslie woke up shivering and could not get warm. Then you hear strange noises of the wind in the trees or was it a bear around our tent. After early morning coffee and breakfast we hit the trail (9am) it was a warm sunny day so it was walk up sassafras mountain and gown and walk justice mountain and then down and walk up and walk down and walk up you get the idea. Lunch was at Gooch shelter and then more ups and downs. We got to dicks gap and there were a couple of tins of can food on the rocks. We took some meatballs and vienna's and left the rest for the other hikers. Then the last big mountain ( big cedar ) and down to lance creek where we are camping Today we walked 16 miles Started at 9 and finished at 6 So far so good we are having an awesome time
Date: 2013-04-21
From: lance creek

To: swaim gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 3 21 AprilLance creek to swaim gapStarted bright and early. Today was blood mountain day. The highest mountain in Georgia. It was high and after three hours of climbing we got to the top and we could see all of Georgia well almost. Them down to Neels gap on the way we passed a man turning 50 - he had a balloon. He was taking his family to the top. Only problem was his family did not want to go and they complained every step of the way. Neil's gap - we bought lunch and bought supplies for the next three days. Macaroni and cheese for supper was goodWe are camped high on a mountain top with 2 woman hikers who are raising money to prevent bullying. She had the new wood burning stove that also charges your cell phone real coolToday we walked 11 miles Www.1000atmiles.com
Date: 2013-04-23
From: swaim gap

To: camp site just before blue mountain shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 4 22 April   total miles 49.9 Swaim gap to camping site another 16 mile day Another beautiful day on the trail. Sunny skies and a cool breeze nothing really interested in the morning but we had lunch with catfish (from Alabama - his trail name is his hobby).In the afternoon met Tracy and Amy from Atlanta. They are doing a section hike. There was no water at the camp site and they kindly shared with us. To say hank you I boiled there water on my stove List of wildlife seen so far. EagleWood pecker smallWood pecker large pileated Deer wire tailChipmunksSquirrel Red salamander To date no snakes or bearsMissing you all at homeThank you for all the messages of support
Date: 2013-04-24
From: camp site just before blue mountain shelter

To: haiwasse 
Miles today: 4.3

Day 5 5 milesWhat a day. The first day in a town. We walked just 5 mikes and then hitched(yes we stuck out our thumb) to hiawasse. Thanks Willie got picking us up and dropping us at the Holliday inn First thing was a shower then off to the shops to restock and a burger for lunch. All our clothes needed washing so that was the afternoon job. Supper was real southern fried chicken, mash,vegetables and dessert. Now with full tummies and sleepy eyelids its time for bed tomorrow we head out again for 4 days. It is going to rain and storm tomorrow so we test our rain gear again Thanks again for all your messages and prayersSpringbok and cat lady still having a ball Today 5 miles
Date: 2013-04-25
From: haiwasse 

To: carters creek camp sitr
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 7 25 April Today we understood that pack weight really made a difference. Two days ago we shopped in haiwasse on empty stomachs and bought everything our eyes could see. Then we stuffed in our packs and carried all that stuff up the mountain. Yesterday our bags were heavy, today they weighed a ton . Lesson learnt carry only what you needWe are really struggling with the cold. Most nights it drops to zero and being in a tent is a challenge. we just can't seem to stay warm during the night. The days are warm. Today we climbed standing Indian mountain (over 5000 feet - 1650 meters. That sure warmed us up Lost my one croc today so will have to buy new camp shoes in Franklin this weekend. Walked 15 miles today and our feet are sore Tomorrow will be a short day
Date: 2013-04-26
From: carters creek camp sitr

To: View Entry
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 8 26 April Another lesson learnt. Don't leave peanuts in your rucksack inside your tent. The mice will find them and chew through your bag. So from now in we bear bag everything Today we slayed the dragon called Albert mountain. What a climb and what a view. Jacobs ladder 400 feet 133 meters straight up climbing steps and jumping rocks I will post a video later Today we are staying in a shelter close to the road and waiting for the rain which is coming tomorrow The walking is getting easier and the muscles are not quite as sore Today we did 12 miles 20 km
Date: 2013-04-27
From: rock gap

To: winding stair gap
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: few clouds

Day 9 27 April Did it rain. Wow. It rained buckets We walked from rock gap shelter to winding stair gap ( a gap is where the feet of two mountains meet. Sometimes there is a road you cross , and a pick up point to get into town ) we waited for train wreck and her husband to fetch us to take us to their cabin. In the rain we waited for 1.5 hours. We surely tested our rain gear and shivered away the time ( it was 10 degrees at 12 pm.)Kaye(train wreck) has hiked a large part of the trail with her husband and they treated us. First an outfitter store for a new stove,hat,crocs and a hat for leslie. Oh and a new knife - I lost the old one. Then to Burger King for hamburger and chocolate milkshake. After a shower and doing our washing it was off to a wine farm for a tasting(nice light white wines and good red wines), into town for re supply and then a great big steak on the barbecue. It was great to sleep in a bed and not have to pack up our tentWe are still feeling strong with no real injuries just the expected sore feet and stiff muscles Tomorrow will be a zero mile day Doing nothing yea
Date: 2013-04-28
From: winding stair gap

To: winding stair gap 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 10 28 AprilToday was a zero day. A day of waking up at 8.30, a shower in a real bathroom, a great breakfast and lunch. Then Jim and Kaye left and left the house to us for the nightThank you you are true trail angels.
Date: 2013-04-29
From: winding stair gap 

To: cold spring shelter 
Miles today: 17.0

Day 11 kicho Day Why Kicho day. Well we arrived at winding stair gap just before 9 ( thank you Jackie )We started walking and it was uphill all the way. As we got to the top just after 2.30 there was Kicho with a table full of goodies and ice water. Some more trail magic. It sure puts a spring in your stepTo walk the trail you follow white blazes ( marks). Today we got lost and ended up on another trail. We were following yellow blazes. It took about 10 minutes before we realised we were lost. Sometimes it is good to keep quite, turnaround and find the trail Today we walked 16 miles and we are camped at cold springs shelter 9 o clock time for bed Tommorow we go to the noc and collect our parcels
Date: 2013-04-30
From: cold spring shelter 

To: NOC
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 12 30 April There are some things that mark your journey on the trail. The first is when you get to the top of springer mountain and take that first step, the second is when you get to Neil's gap and the outfitter there and then the next is the Nantahala outdoor centre or noc. Today we reached the noc. A soft bed, a place to buy a new sleeping mattress ( one has a valve issue) pizza and beer. It is almost a perfect hiker stopToday we got our box and our purchase of biltong real tasty. It is like your birthday and carrying your box out of the shop and finding a place to open it is exciting Vaughn(the giver) has been with us since day 3 and he will walk on and not take a rest day. We gave him some of our extra to get him to Fontana ( 2 days away). Happy trails The Giver That's the way of the trail. Everyday you meet new people, walk and talk with people you have met and often say goodbye to people who walk slower or faster. It has been a fanatic social experience with lots of laughs and talks around the fire or supper or half way up a steep mountain. Today we walked from cold creek to noc 12 miles