morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-08
To: Tendonitis
Miles today: 0.0

About a week before I found out about my impending unemployment, I developed a mild, nagging pain in my achilles tendon. I happened to have an appointment already set up with my orthopedic doc and by the time that came around I knew I was going to be doing my thru-hike this year. On the advice of the Doc and a physical therapist, I've been off most exercise, but doing stretches, ice massage, and taking large doses of anti-inflammatories. It is getting better, but it's still there. This past week, I was given the ok to resume some activities. This is a relief. I'm pretty fit, but to not exercise for a month means I was actually deconditioning during this crucial time before my hike. I'm now allowed to do stair climbing and such. It doesn't seem to make the pain any worse, or any better, when I do exercise. But I haven't added the pack to my climbs just yet.I believe that perhaps this tendonitis is psychologically based. My fears and concerns about this trip are manifesting themselves right where I'm most vulnerable. The fact that this condition developed before I knew about my layoff (and thus my hike) is merely a testament to the fact that we unconciously pick up signals from the people around us. My body knew before I did that my job was on the chopping block and my hike was around the corner. Considering this theory, I've decided to stick with my April 1 start date. I suspect that the condition will ease once I'm on the trail and fully engaged in that endeavor. Of course, I could be wrong. The tendonitis could get worse--much worse--once I start hiking. If that's the case, I'll bail at Neel's Gap and hole up for a few weeks or even a couple months. Time is the one thing I have plenty of. If necessary, I can wait until July and do a southbound hike (leaving from Maine and hiking to Georgia), or I could leave in late may or june and do a flip-flop (hiking from Georgia to Harpers Ferry, then flying to Maine and hiking from Katahdin back to Harpers Ferry). The one thing I need to do is GO. I just need to get started. Regardless, this is my hike year. It's now or never.To that end, I'm heading back to Campmor this week to re-assess my footwear. I want to speak with a qualified boot-fitter and see what my options are. I have an achilles tendon strap that willnot fit under a boot or high cut trail shoe. Maybe I'll switch to trail-runners (basically running shoes with a sturdy sole) or maybe it will turn out that sturdy boots are better than the strap for the long run. I'm also re-thinking my backpack. I want to try on something lighter. I have pretty much all my gear now, so I can see if I'm able to fit it into a smaller pack. The less I'm carrying on these old feet, the better.
Date: 2004-03-29
To: Almost there
Miles today: 0.0

Wow, it's almost that time. I'm leaving for Atlanta the day after tomorrow! I'm not nearly ready as I'd like to be, but I'll make do. I will have a few food maildrops, and my mother is just going to have to wing it as I didn't have enought time to set them up. She's got the general idea, anyway.This weekend I moved out of my Hoboken apartment. I will definitely miss that funky little city. I'll miss that really big city (NYC) across the river, too.   Anyway, as of yesterday, I'm technically homeless, I have almost no posessions, no debt, and nothing to hold me back. I'm free! Sounds so good, but feels VERY scary. I've given up everything for this hike.The calls and well-wishing e-mails have been pouring in. My family and friends, and even strangers, are so supportive of my adventure. I had expected most people to say "what, are you crazy???", but instead everyone seems genuinely excited for me. I've passed around the URL for my trail journal and I expect quite a few people will be following along.For those who just started reading this journal, here's some basic information to help you navigate. Up in the upper left corner there is a drop-down menu. You can jump from entry to entry by clicking on that menu and dragging to any particular entry listed. Right now, I'm doing "Prep" entries, so the list will show "Prep #1", "Prep #2", etc. This is "Prep #5". Once I'm on the trail, I'll be doing 'hiking' entries and the list in the drop-down menu will show actual dates. The date will be the date that I wrote the entry, not the date it was entered or the date you are reading it. SO, when you are reading the journal, make note of the date at the top of the entry you are reading. Next time you check in, use the drop-down menu to navigate to the entry where you left off. Then you can read that entry and click "Next" to go to the next entry, and so on. I hope this makes sense.Also, in the lower left corner, there is a link for my guest book. Please feel free to leave a message. Note that the messages there are public and viewable by anyone. Keep it clean. :-)Well, I don't know if I'll have a chance to do another entry before I hit the trail. If not, it will be about a week until my next batch of entries get posted. There should be a week's worth posted at a time, once a week or so. Keep checking back for tales of my trail adventures!
Date: 2004-03-31
From: Almost there

To: Atlanta
Miles today: 0.0

I'm sitting in Newark Airport, waiting for my flight to Atlanta. Left Mom's this morning at 4:30 a.m. for my flight from Philly to Newark. Got to Philadelphia airport at 5 a.m. For readers who don't know the area, I could have DRIVEN from Philly to Newark in about an hour! Ah well, my first lesson in patience. I expect many more on the trail. When I got to my gate here in Newark, I had some time to kill, so I thought I'd write this journal entry. I pulled out my notebook and rummaged through my fanny pack for my pen. Darn! It's not there! It must be in my backpack. So I went to the terminal newsstand to buy a pen. All they had were these giant pens with I (heart) NY on the clip for $4.99! I asked the cashier if they had any regular pens and she GAVE me one from her personal stash. My first trail magic, and I'm not even on the trail! The pen is kind of low on ink, too, which is going to drive my transcriber (Mom) nuts. (Note from Mom: Yes, I'm going blind!) So, how am I feeling right now? Nervous! I'm stepping into the unknown. I'm excited, too. I look forward to the challenges that lay ahead. Mostly, though, I'm just fretting. I hope my pack made the plane change and that we both make it safely to Atlanta. I hope I can get to my shuttle meet spot on time. I hope my shuttle shows up. Ok--boarding call. Off I go!
Date: 2004-04-01
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.5

I did it! I started the Appalachian Trail! The hostel where I stayed last night was great. There was one other through-hiker staying that night. In the morning, after a big breakfast and a post office stop, we headed for the trail.The other through-hiker, Skylander, and I both agreed to skip the 8-mile "Approach Trail." That trail is supposed to be really tough, and it's not even part of the official AT. So the hostel owners shuttled us to a point on the trail that was just 0.9 miles below the summit of Springer Mountain, where the AT officially begins. That mile was hard with my 39-pound pack, but I reached the summit in about 40 minutes. Skylander wasn't far behind.At the summit, I happened to run into Leila, someone I had exchanged e-mails with during the two days prior to leaving for Georgia. I knew she was starting on the same day, but the the odds that we would meet right at the summit are pretty low.After enjoying the view and signing the register, Leila and I headed out on the trail. Skylander stayed behind and planned to stay at a different shelter for the night. I probably won't see him again as he's planning lower mile days and will remain behind me.Leila was a good hiking partner for Day 1. She and I have a similar pace. She's an interesting character, a photographer. She brought along her professional - and heavy - photo equipment. Her pack weighs about 44 pounds!Anyway, it was a beautiful day for a hike. A little chilly and breezy, but we warmed up pretty fast on the trail. Today's hike was fairly easy. After that first mile up Springer, there wasn't much steep uphill for the rest of the day.We stopped a few times for snacks and at Stover Creek Shelter for lunch. There we met through-hikers Pat and Josh, two young guys that I suspect will pass us tomorrow. We ended our day at Hawk Mountain Shelter with DOZENS of other through-hikers. The shelter was full, plus there were tents all around. We pitched our tents behind the shelter and decided we wanted coffee. Leila brought out a FULL SIZE camping percolator pot and an old-fashioned sterno stove. They must have weighed a ton! But the coffee was good, and it gave us a boost. We made dinner next. I attracted a little attention when I pulled out a clove of garlic, which I chopped and put in my pot with extra virgin olive oil. Then I added re-hydrated turkey and veggies, sauteed a bit, then water and couscous, some spices, and kosher salt. It came out yummy!We had a campfire going by the shelter and hung out with some hikers until it was dark. We were settled in our tents by 7:45 p.m.! It got cold overnight, mut my Campmor down bag kept me toasty and comfy. I slept well.
Date: 2004-04-02
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was much harder than yesterday. It started with a long descent into Horse Gap, then a long climb up Sassafras Mountain, then down again, only to go up Justus Mountain! The whole trail will be like this--up and down mountains. 256 mountains! I felt pretty good, though. My knees complained a bit on the long descents, and my shoulders are very sore, but I am holding up. It was a short day, and I got to the shelter around 2:00. I'll need the long rest today, as tomorrow is 12 miles. That's the distance to the next shelter. Luckily, I have a tent, so if it seems to be too much, I can pitch my tent anywhere along the trail.
Date: 2004-04-03
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

Today I pushed myself too far. Nearly 12 miles on the trail, then another, plus another 1/2 mile on a side trail to reach the shelter. It was a beautiful day, and I felt great starting out. Leila and I hiked together. This day had the best mountain views we've seen so far. We kept stopping to enjoy the sunshine and the vista. One stop was on "Preacher Rock," a rock outcropping where the settlers used to climb up for Sunday services. Hawks and/or turkey buzzards (depends on who you ask) were flying over the valley right at our eye level. The view was magnificent. I can see why the settlers came here to feel closer to God.Anyway, we hit Woody Gap around lunchtime, and I looked in my databook and realized we'd barely gone five miles in four hours. We had 8 to go before dark. We really pushed ourselves to make it. I was exhausted when I reached the turnoff for the shelter, and that last 1/2 mile on the shelter trail nearly had me in tears. The water source was on the way to the shelter, and it was nothing but a debris-ridden trickle. I got as much as I could and headed to the shelter. The place was mobbed. About 20 tents already set up, and the shelter was full. I realized that Leila had still not arrived and began to worry about her. I left my pack and trekked back the 1/2 mile to the trail. No Leila. I asked a group of boy scouts that were camping there if they'd seen her. They thought she'd passed through to the shelter already. Could I have missed her? I trekked back to the shelter. Still no Leila. Just when I was heading back AGAIN towards the trail, she comes walking in. Apparently she had a bad blood sugar drop or something. She had gotten dizzy and shaky on the trail and had to stop and sit to eat something. That's what delayed her, but she's fine now. We set up camp in the only flat spot we could find and cooked dinner in the dark. I'm comfy in my tent and very tired. Short day tomorrow to Neel's Gap for a shower and resupply and a hostel stay. I'm looking forward to it.
Date: 2004-04-04
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 4.1
Weather: clear sky

The miles were short today, but hard. We climbed only one peak, Blood Mountain, our first peak over 4,000 feet in elevation. 4461 feet to be exact. The climb up was hard, but the descent into Neel's Gap was harder. A real knee wrecker. The descent reminded me of New England mountains, with great slabs of rock you have to sort of shuffle down. I figured out I could take some stress off my knees by traversing the rock from side to side. My knees have been hurting under the knee caps since yesterday's long hike.Anyway, we reached Neel's Gap at lunchtime. There is an outfitter there that sells all sorts of gear and food for hikers. This is the spot where most through-hikers send home the stuff they realize they don't need, and buy even newer, lighter stuff. I'm sending home a couple of things and I purchased a small titanium pot that's lighter than my old aluminum pot. Fifty dollars gone that fast!While I was in the store, along came Mike, another hiker I had met on Springer. He told me Leila was about 30 minutes behind. Mike through-hiked a few years ago, and he knows the trail well. He said he knew of a campground with cabins that would pick us up at the outfitter. The three of us split the cost of a cabin. Running water! Shower!! Flush toilet!! Even a kitchenette! This is paradise to a hiker.Tonight we're going to a restaurant with an all-you-can-eat buffet. I don't expect gourmet food, just LOTS of it.Tomorrow I have to wait for a mail delivery from Mom. I left my retainer at her house the morning I left for Georgia. She sent it to Neel's Gap by priority mail, but it has not yet arrived. The next shelter on the trail is nearly 9 miles in, so if the mail isn't early enough, I may stay here another night and take a "zero day" tomorrow. Mike is planning to stay anyway, so I'll have company.
Date: 2004-04-05
From: Neel's Gap

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Neel's Gap - Goose Creek Cabins.Taking a zero today. The mail came on time, and my package was there, but I had already decided to take today off and give my knees a break.Last night we went to the all-you-can-eat buffet. It was as expected. Piles of fried chicken, cornbread, chicken-fried steak. Salad bar with only iceburg for lettuce. I filled my plate twice!Through-hiking is a major calorie burning activity. It's not possible to carry enough food to replenish what you burn, so you try to make up for it in towns. I'm eating stuff I would NEVER eat in my normal life. Fried foods, fatty foods, ice cream. My system isn't used to this much fat. I got a major case of the poops this morning. I was in and out of the bathroom five or six times!We also hit a supermarket last night for re-supply of trail food. My staples on the trail are oatmeal, tuna, whole wheat bread, couscous, rice, chicken, and balance bars. I'm doing my best to ensure I get enough protein throughout the hiking day to preserve my hard-earned muscle. Then I add in fat and carbohydrate to give me energy for the miles. Still, it appears I've dropped some of the pounds I put on before the trip. My hip bones are visible again. Tonight we hit the buffet again, and in the morning we hike out. It's a 9-mile day tomorrow, and I feel refreshed and ready to hit the hills.
Date: 2004-04-06
From: Neel's Gap

To: Sheep Rock Top
Miles today: 10.0

Felt great today after yesterday's day off. The hiking was easy, with the trail running flat for a few miles. That's a change. Usually we're going up or down--never flat.My knees and my achilles tendon are holding on just fine. The descents still hurt, but my knee straps do minimize the pain. The achilles is aching tonight for the first time in days. It must be due to the weight of my pack--loaded with food from the supermarket. I'll wear the achilles strap tomorrow to support it.Tonight is the first time I'm camping away from a shelter. I'm with Leila and Mike. Mike hung our food bags high in a tree to keep the bears from stealing them. He's really been teaching us a lot about thru-hiking. He seems to like having us around, too.We're shooting for 13 miles tomorrow. I'm not sure I'm up to it. We'll see how I feel in the morning.
Date: 2004-04-13
From: Sheep Rock Top

To: Wallace Gap, NC
Miles today: 63.4

I haven't written in my journal in a week. The daily miles I've done since my last entry are 11.3, 11.3, 3.5 (stop in town), 11.6, 12.5, 13.2. I've hit a few milestones in that time. I crossed out of Georgia and into North Carolina on 4/10, and yesterday I marked 100 miles on the trail. I'm taking a much-needed day off today to rest my legs. The past week was great. I'm getting stronger every day. My knees still ache, but much less than they did at the start. I've climbed lots of peaks, several over 4000 feet, and two over 5000 feet. I've hiked in blazing sun and cold rain, and all my equipment and clothing is working well.I've watched sunsets and sunrises over mountaintops, seen some deer, and camped under the full moon. Spring is starting to show in the mountains. There are little flowers poking up through the ground, and lots of birds, and, of course, bugs. Here in North Carolina, a lot of the hills are covered with tall rhododendrons. They grow right over the trail, so it's like walking through a long green tunnel. It will be beautiful when they flower.I also experienced the phenomenon known as "Trail Magic." People who love the trail and like to help hikers sometimes bring food or drinks out to the trail to give to whoever comes by. These people are known as "Trail Angels." On Easter Sunday, I walked right into a big trail magic setup. These trail angels were cooking up omelettes - made to order - for hikers. They gave us hot Chai tea and even sandwiches to go. Yum! In was an amazing Easter treat.Tomorrow is supposed to be cold but dry. I'm looking forward to the adventures ahead.
Date: 2004-04-21
From: Wallace Gap, NC

To: Fontana Dam Resort Inn
Miles today: 59.0
Weather: broken clouds

Note from transcriber: No, she didn't hike 59 miles in a day. That was a week's effort. Also, this set of journal notes says it starts at Rainbow Springs Campground, not Wallace Gap, NC. I have no idea if they're the same place or she lost a day's notes, or what. I'm just doing the best I can! Here's her journal:The week since my last entry started with SNOW!!! Hiker buddy Mike woke me at midnight to go out of the bunkhouse to watch the snow coming down. In April. In North Carolina. It was still snowing and bitter cold in the morning, so we decided to wait it out and do a second "zero day." I was glad we made that decision when the hikers started straggling in from the trail with frozen everything. Frozen food bags, water bottles, even clothes. Everything had been wet from the previous day's rain, and the temperature drop made it all freeze. I was glad to be warm in the rainbow springs campground bunkhouse.The next day was sunny and warm and when we hit the trail the snow was all melted. The days since have been beautiful, too. I hiked my longest day - 15 miles - that first day out. The terrain was easy enough, and my energy was good after two days off. But I paid for those miles and was achy and slow the following day. I kept it to 10 miles, though, and my energy came back. The rest of the week was great, but we had one really tough climb. On 4/17 we went from an elevation of about 1,700 feet up to the top of Cheoah Bald, an elevation of more than 5,000 feet, in just eight miles. It took all day, and I was spent when we reached the peak of Cheoah. But it was SO worth it. The view from the top was amazing. We could see for miles. A bunch of us camped up there under the stars. We woke up to see the sun rise over the mountains.Today was a zero day in a resort just outside the Smoky Mountains. The next 7 days (in the Smokies) promise some challenging hikes and amazing views. Might even see a bear or two!I'm going to start writing daily entries again. I'm feeling stronger and more energetic, and I think shorter daily journal entries will help me to preserve my memory better. Feel free to skim through the boring parts.Off to bed now.
Date: 2004-04-22
From: Fontana Dam Resort Inn

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: scattered clouds

As always, when hiking out from a "town stop," the day was long and mostly uphill. Towns are always in the valleys, so it's a hard return to the mountains, especially with a pack that's heavy with fresh supplies.Fellow hiker, Loon, told me this morning that two-thirds of the people who attempt this hike don't make it across Fontana Dam. It feels good to know I've beat those odds anyway.While hiking today, I had a great encounter with a deer. She was walking right on the trail, nibbling on leaves as she went along. I followed her for about a quarter mile, staying about 50 feet behind. Luckily, I had finally purchased a disposable camera yesterday, so I took several pics of the deer while we walked the trail.Tonight I'm sleeping in a shelter for the first time. In the Smoky Mountains, they don't like people to use tents, so we have to use the shelter. I prefer my tent, but it should be an interesting night.
Date: 2004-04-23
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

Today was a bad day. I haven't had too many bad days so far, so I can't really complain. It started off bad when I was preparing to hike out this morning. I put on my ankle strap and my achilles tendon was very tender. I walked a few miles with it on, then tried walking a few miles without it. Either way, it hurt. This really brought my mood down, and my energy went way down, too. I wasn't hiking, I was trudging.There were lots of ups and downs and the day just dragged on forever. The last four miles took me nearly four hours. It seemed like I would never reach the shelter. I felt like crying, I was so tired. I finally reached the shelter after 6 p.m. I was happy to see that several hikers decided to break the rules and set up their tents. I followed suit, and then had some dinner and a cup of hot chocolate. I feel better now, but I'm very worried about the achilles tendon. It's never hurt this bad before.I hope that a good night's sleep will make it better. Tomorrow is a big climb up Clingman's Dome, the highest peak on the AT.
Date: 2004-04-24
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was much better. Achilles tendon held up fine, even over Clingman's Dome. That climb was not too bad, really. We're finally starting to see clusters of evergreens, which provide a nice cool refuge from the relentless sun.Staying in the shelter tonight are: Phoenix and Morningstar, Radio Flyer, Bean, Casey, and a couple section hikers (I think) that were already asleep when I rolled in around 7 p.m.Very tired. Sleep now. Gatlinburg tomorrow.
Date: 2004-04-25
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap and Gatlinburg
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Very easy hike out to the road this morning. Passed hiker "ladybug" on the way out. She had been a no-show at the shelter last night, and her hiking partners were a little worried. Turns out she had bailed off the trail and hitched to town. Now she was hiking up to meet her partners with two dozen Crispy Creme donuts. She gave me two, plus a diet Mountain Dew. Yum!I'm in Gatlinburg, TN now. Today was supposed to be a "nero" day. A "nero" is a nearly-zero day, when you just hike a few miles and then hit a town by lunchtime. But tonight we are having heavy rain that is supposed to continue through tomorrow. Might have to take a zero.