morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-09-10
From: Katahdin Stream Campsite #24

To: Bangor, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Another cold night!  I wished my campmates an awesome climb and ceremony from the sack! I put on everything I had and cooked up oatmeal and coffee.  Then, I climbed back in the sack to keep warm and read until almost ten, struck the tent and packed up to go to the sunny parking area to wait for my rescue team!  I enjoyed reflecting on the many lessons and blessings from this incredible experience.  This trail is a gift from God and, so is my wife Robin, her parents, and my children Julie and Nikki.  The support from family and friends has been priceless and generous.  The encouragement from my now close friends and hiking buddies, Moondog, Nailgun, and Blueray has been inspiring.  Robert McMillan, a sage attorney and friend, said simply, if you just put one foot in front of the other, you can hike the trail.  Sounds simple but I repeat that simple advice constantly!  It applies to everything in life.  Likewise, when your feet hurt, stop but when they stop hurting start back and don't stop until they hurt again!  I began this hike overweight and stressed when I didn't even realize it.  Baldeagle has changed.  God is everywhere and the trail teaches you that if, you are seeking him.  Baldeagle is just Baldeagle and now listens much better.  I am humbled by how much I never noticed: in the trees and the woods and, in life.  The constant grind of climbing up and down carrying a heavy load changes you.  In a sense it is like carrying a small cross.  I have been beaten to just about my limit.  Fallen down repeatedly and suffering a sprained wrist, cracked ribs, knocked teeth loose, lost toenails, and countless blisters. I have suffered a hematoma that but for God's grace would have been if not fatal, totally debilitating.  There has been times the weather has literally sucked the will to live completely out of me.  By the end of this hike I finally have found a balance.  I am fit and healthier than I have been in decades.  The interaction with others in these circumstances is priceless.  Bad company corrupts good, conversely good company encourages.  The AT attracts really nice people from all over the world and from all walks of life who selflessly encourage one another.  The accomplishments of volunteers on this trail is something to behold.  No government organization has ever done a trail this well!  These selfless "angels" are helping hikers in the toughest places and asking nothing in return except for you to enjoy your hike.  I use to remember my life as a third before Vietnam, a third in Vietnam, and the rest since.  Memories pop back as fresh as yesterday complete with sights, smells and sounds.  Now, some that refused to leave have left and peace remains. Now, I think of my life in four parts.  It is my hope that this resource can help other veterans and without their waiting forty or fifty years.  It is my hope they find the light and love that God holds for each and every one of us.  Baldeagle
Date: 2018-02-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

If you¢re reading this, you¢re already aware that I intend to hike the entire Appalachian Trail trail this year. My launch date will be March 6th, 2018, as my parents have so generously offered to drop me off in Amicalola Falls State Park, GA. From there, I will walk 2,190.9 miles through the Appalachian Mountains to Mt Katahdin, in Baxter State Park, ME.Depending on cell phone service, I¢ll try to post an update every 1-2 weeks. My parents will have more frequent updates, so if you have any intuition I may have been mauled by a bear, they should be able to stifle your concerns.I encourage anyone to ask any questions, and I¢ll be sure to address them in future posts. Can¢t wait to get started!-Shane (stay turned for an official ¢trail name¢)¢Get busy living, or get busy dying¢-Andy Dufresne
Date: 2018-02-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

As news of my planned journey became public knowledge, I have received a lot of similar questions; so here are a few of them.Q: ¢Are you crazy?¢A: Depends on your definition. The general consensus seems to be yes.Q: ¢Are you going by yourself?!¢A: Yes. About 2,000 people start the trail every year from the southern end, most between March 1st and April 15th, and most are solo hikers. So I will only be alone in the woods if I choose to be (which I very well may). A few friends will hike various sections with me. If you would like to meet me somewhere and do a day, weekend or week, follow along and we will coordinate something!Q: ¢Haven¢t you seen Deliverence??¢A: No. But recently I¢ve been told many times I have some ¢perty lips¢. Thanks! Do you watch Final Destination every time before you get on a plane? However, I do watch Wedding Crashers before I go to every wedding.Edit: My lovely coworkers did buy me a copy of this movie, as it was deemed ¢educational information¢. Terrible movie all around haha.Q: ¢Where will you sleep?¢.A: Well, since you are my only audience, and you haven¢t given me millions of dollars, a Discover Channel show, and helicopter to fly to a holiday inn express every night, I suppose I¢ll sleep in my tent or one of the many shelters along the way. (Didn¢t mean to dig on you Bear Grylls). But seriously, he¢s a badass and you should read some of his books.Q: ¢You¢re bringing a gun, right?¢A: No. I will smell bad enough that no one will want to get within a half mile of me.Q: ¢But what about bears?!¢A: My tent is made of 20D ripstop nylon. I¢m pretty sure that means it can D-efend against 20 bears at once. Or maybe not..but let¢s be honest, if I was going to get mauled by a bear, it would have happened a long time ago.Q: ¢How do you get food?¢A: I plan stalk and hunt down 1 deer every few weeks with my bare hands, then strap the body to my pack until I run out of meat. Option 2: The trail gets close to, or goes through towns every few days, so I can stock up on high calorie, light weight items like pasta, tuna packets, jerky, nuts, etc. If you are really feeling generous, you will be able to send me mail drops to different post offices along my way (master list of post offices can be found here: https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php/220-Post-Offices-along-the-Appalachian-Trail). Follow along with me on here or Facebook messenger to find out where I¢ll be, and when.Enough sarcasm for now, more to come in my next post! (Would you expect anything less?)
Date: 2018-02-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Okay, so now that you know the basics, let¢s get into more detail.Q: ¢How many miles will do average per day?¢A: I¢m planning on taking just under 6 months to hike the trail, which means I¢ll have to average about 13 miles per day. I¢m going to start slow for my first few weeks to get my body acclimated, so I¢m trying to stay around 10 miles or less. It will vary, depending on the terrain. Some days will be flat, and I¢ll be able to rock 25 miles, some days will be straight up, then straight down mountains. Even when I am conditioned, these will probably be back to 10 mile days.Q: ¢How much will your pack weigh?¢A: Right now, I¢m looking at 35 pounds, which includes 4 days of food, and 2 liters of water. This weight will go down as the weather warms up, and I ditch gear that I don¢t actually need. The more weight you carry, the more comfort and conveniences you¢ll have at camp; but you¢ll be miserable while hiking. It¢s a balancing act.Q: ¢How will you shower?¢A: When the weather is warmer, I¢ll be taking a lot of swims in the rivers and streams. But I will also be going through campgrounds, and staying at various hostels along the way where I can fully shower, and with any luck, do some laundry and charge my phone and battery pack (more on this below).I have received a lot questions about specific gear, so here¢s the basics:65 liter, Osprey pack. 18 degree, down sleeping bag. 1.5 inch thick, self inflating sleeping pad. 2 person, NEMO tent. Anker 10k battery pack (No, solar chargers do not work on the AT; too much tree coverage). Snow Peak Gita Power 2.0 camp stove for cooking (This thing is awesome! highly recommend. It fold up to about the size of a pill bottle, and screws onto a separate fuel canister).Solomon, over the ankle boots. I anticipate going through a few pairs of boots, as they will wear out (even though Solomon¢s are awesome). I might switch to lighter weight trail runners as the weather gets warmer.I think that covers the major items. As always, if you have more questions, or want to know specifically what gear I¢m using and how I like it, just let me know!Ps: Thank you all for your expert medical advise, but no, I¢m not going to shrivel up and die..
Date: 2018-03-08
From: Amicolola Falls

To: Mile 24.7
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: light snow

Hey all! Just finished my 3rd day, totaling 33.5 miles so far. I slept at shelters the first 2 nights, though I chose to sleep in my tent outside the shelter instead. Met some pretty awesome folks, but split up with them today as some were planning bigger days, and others were headed into town for a shower. SO, that means I¢m ¢stealth camping¢ for the first time tonight, which means I¢m not at a designated site or shelter. It¢s going to be a cold night; 19 degrees and 20-35 mph winds. Good thing I packed warm! Going to try to upload some photos for you all to see. (The best ones are on my GoPro and I won¢t upload those until I¢m in town).
Date: 2018-03-12
From: Mile 24.7

To: Top of Georgia Hostel, mile 69
Miles today: 44.3
Weather: snow

Hey everyone! I have arrived at my first Hostel; The Top of Georgia. Had an easy 3.5 mile day through the snow and wind to get here, which was a welcome short day after 14.5, then 15.5 mile days back to back. I received the trail name ¢BEAST¢ after the 14.5 mile day in under 5 hours (which includes stops for water and food). The name also came about after scrubbing out my blister with an alcohol swab with a smile on my face. In total, I¢ve done 69 miles, plus the 8.8 mile approach trail in 6 days, and I¢ll be crossing into NC tomorrow! Everything is feeling great besides the blister, and all other systems are a go. Headed into town for a beer and maybe like 6 burgers. The hiker hunger is real.
Date: 2018-03-19
From: Top of Georgia Hostel, mile 69

To: Mile 141.2
Miles today: 72.2

Hey everyone! Lots of things to update you on over the past week. First and foremost, Mother Nature has been a little moody. In the past 5 days, I¢ve slept in/hiked through -10 degree wind chills on Standing Indian Mountain, survived a thunderstorm, rain, hail, high winds and a tornado warning on an exposed ridge in the middle of the night, and descended through burnt out forests in 80 degree heat to the Natahala Outdoors Center. I hear we have a Nor¢easter coming through as I hit the Smokies tomorrow.On a lighter note, I got to meet the one and only ¢Pappy¢. He is an 87 year old man hiking the entire trail this year! So no more excuses from you all saying you¢re too old to do this now. Oh, and I forgot to mention, he already hiked the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide trail in the mid 90s-early 2000s. Hiking these 3 trails earns you the title of ¢triple crowner¢, and I believe he is the oldest living triple crowner; and he¢s coming back for more! He is such an awesome guy; young at heart, always cracking jokes and putting us younger guys to shame.I¢m well into North Carolina now, and I¢ll be crossing into Tennessee and the Smokey Mountains tomorrow or the next day. I have been doing 14-16 miles days now with relative ease, and the monster blister has turned into a solid callus now. Feeling great and having the time of my life!¢Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up. Deal with brute nature. Be cold and hungry and weary.¢-Henry David Thoreau
Date: 2018-03-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

As I leave the state of North Carolina, I want to take the time to thank all of the trail angels that I encountered. Trail angels provide ¢trail magic¢ to us dirty, desperate hikers. Trail magic can be anything from a lift into town for a burger or grocery store, to leaving a dozen apples, grilling hotdogs, snacks, drinks, and sometimes even beers for hikers passing through. I even had the First Baptist Church in Franklin, NC run shuttles and pick up about 30 hikers to bring them I church for all you can eat pancakes and bacon! Many of these angels are former hikers repaying the magic they received, others do it for no particular reason. Quest (pictured above) is one of these angels that I ran into yesterday, and turns out he has been following my blog! He completed his thru hike in 2004 at the ripe young age of 60, and moved to an area along the trail that he fell in love with. He says he tries to get out every day this time of year to provide a little magic. Thanks again Quest! As well as all the other angels that I have met along the way so far.If you are a current, or future hiker, take the time to sit down and talk with these great people. They all have great stories and advice that can enrich your hike, and maybe even your outlook on life. Many people are great at talking, but don¢t take the time to just listen.
Date: 2018-03-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A lot of people have been asking what I eat on the trail. Now that I¢m in a cozy hotel room with WiFi for the weekend eating a large Pizza Hut pan pizza and breadsticks, I¢ll give you the skinny on how skinny people eat.So yesterday I cranked out an 18 mile day though the smokies in a foot of snow, and here is what I ate: 8am, first breakfast: Folgers instant coffee, 2 packages of apple cinnamon oatmeal with a handful of craisins and 3 scoops of protein powder. 9am, Second breakfast: dried mango slices and 3 fun sized milkeyway bars. 1030am, 3rd breakfast: nature valley bar and a smaller dose of mango slices. 12pm, 1st lunch: Knorr pasta sides with bacon/ranch flavored tuna packet and 1 scoop of protein powder. 3pm, 2nd lunch: Met Rx birthday cake flavor protein bar (freakin delicious) and a handful of craisins. 530pm, 1st dinner while 2nd dinner is cooking: 1/2 block of exxxtra sharpe cheddar cheese and 1/4 summer sausage. 6pm, 2nd dinner: 1/2 cup of quinoa with 1/2 packet of chicken, added olive oil and Tony C¢s creole, with a side of loaded cheddar bacon instant mashed potatoes.Anyone want to do the calorie count on that for me?
Date: 2018-03-26
From: Mile 141.2

To: Mile 243.3
Miles today: 102.1
Weather: clear sky

The past 5 days of hiking have certainly been the most challenging yet. I dare say most parts were hard to enjoy, given the winter storm. Summiting from the southern terminus of the park in the heat of the nor¢easter, then 3 more days trudging though deep snow; some drifts waist deep. Every step takes twice the effort as your planted foot slides half way back down the mountain. But freezing temperatures and high winds make it impossible to stop and rest, for fear of hypothermia. A days rest in Gatlinburg was much needed. While in town, another major rain storm moved through, which turned all of the snow into ankle deep slush. Where there wasn¢t slush, the over flowing springs turned the trail to a river in most spots. After a day and a half of that mess, the sun came out today as we descended almost 5,000 feet to the northern terminus of the park. Things finally started to warm up this afternoon and life is good again. We saw a few great views, but most were shielded by the snow storm or the fog. I¢m happy I¢ll be living below 6,000 feet for a while now. As I left the smokies and trekked on a few more miles to my current camp site, I realize that by doing so, I¢ve done something that roughly 3,500 hikers will not do this year; make it past the Smokey Mountains. About 50% of the hikers attempting to hike the entire trail will not make it to this point. Of the hikers that remain, about another 50% will not make it to Harpers Ferry, WV, the unofficial half way point. I feel like I¢ve survived some of the worst conditions I will encounter on this trip, and am feeling confident.
Date: 2018-04-03
From: Mile 243.3

To: Curly Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 104.8
Weather: light rain

Made it to the 300 mile mark! Get it now? Actually, I¢ll be nearing the 400 mile mark by Friday. However, I won¢t cross that line until after a stellar weekend in Asheville with Wertz and Colleen, who are coming from Greensboro, and Jason and Korey flying down from Pittsburgh! The trail has been much more kind as of late in regards to elevation changes, terrain and weather; especially north of Hot Springs. Speaking of north, this brings me to the only bone I¢ve had to pick recently. I hiked a 16 mile section of trail yesterday, heading ¢northbound¢ on the trail, but I was actually traveling SOUTH. Way to go trail-makers. So even though I¢ve hiked 63 miles the past 3 days, some of that mileage actually got me further from Maine.When I was looking at places to be picked up for this weekend, I had not predicted I would be this far along yet. Those pick up spots have gotten further and further away almost every day. Then on Saturday night I picked 3 more spots. One would allow me to average 9 miles per day for 6 days. The next was 13 miles, and the final spot would take an average of 18.1 miles for 6 straight days. After 22 mile, 20 mile, and 21 mile days back-to-back-to-back, I¢m sittin¢ pretty.Animal spottings have been on the increase with it getting into the 60s most days now. I saw my first bear early this morning! Heard it turn around and run the other direction long before I saw is rear end go down over the hill. I¢ve seen 1 deer, 2 snakes (none venomous), I¢ve heard owls close by the last 2 nights and I can heard coyotes a long ways away as I write this tonight.Also want to make a shoutout to some more awesome trail angels I met the past 2 days. Both thru hiked the entire trail in 2007, but they didn¢t know each other. ¢Silent Paul¢, awesome hash browns and cookies! And ¢Yonder¢, those hot dogs and doughnuts hit the spot!One final thing; some of you had expressed an interest in sending me care packages. Now that I have gotten a feel for how many miles per week I can do, I can start planning my trips into town further in advance. The next major town I¢ll be in will be Damascus, VA, probably near the weekend of April 12th. Text me or Facebook message me if you want to scrap together a package and I can tell you where to send it, or if you want to inquire about a later date. Excellent care package items include high calorie foods, bars, jerky, that kind of stuff. Ramen and oatmeal are pretty much on the menu in some form every day, but those are pretty easy to get anywhere around the trail. Also, things that are harder to get out here on the trail like fresh cookies, tiny liquor bottles or a cigar or two. Surprise me! If you send too much, there are plenty of other hikers who stiff around other peoples boxes when they open them (guilty).
Date: 2018-04-06
From: Curly Maple Gap Shelter

To: Iron Mountain Gap
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, I survived my first month of living out in the woods! Not being able to keep any food or liquids down for the past 2 days really put a hitch in my giddy up. Feeling better as of today though, so time to refuel and rehydrate in Asheville, then hit the trail again on Sunday. So here is the statistical break down of my hike so far:1 month of hiking360.9 miles (no longer counting the approach trail or extra side trails in my total)Total elevation gain: 88,366.5 feet!Max temp: 79 degrees and sunnyMin temp: 9 degrees, wind chill -20Nights in my tent: 18Nights in a shelter: 7Nights in a hostel bunk room: 4Nights in a hotel: 2¢Zero¢ days (no miles hiked): 2¢Narrow¢ days (minimal miles hiked, less than 7 miles): 720+ miles days: 4Max distance in 1 day: 22 milesMax elevation: 6,658 (Clingman¢s dome, highest point on the entire trail)Deer sightings: 1Bear sightings: 1Snake sightings: 2Number of things mice have chewed through: 1Times I¢ve fallen: 1 (kinda sorta saved it)Blisters: 3, only 1 major, all healed upPinches nerves: 1 (All better now, thanks Sarah!)Other injuries: 0Well, there you have it! I¢ve almost met my average daily mileage to get Katahdin before Labor Day weekend despite the unexpected weather and illness related zero and narrow days. Also, I have already gone through some of the most difficult terrain on the trail until New Hampshire/southern Maine. Should be smooth sailing for the next few months!
Date: 2018-04-11
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Boots Off Hostel, mile 428
Miles today: 64.1
Weather: clear sky

WOW! What am I more pumped about?! My first marathon on Tuesday? Or the Penguins 7-0 victory over the Flyers in game 1 on Wednesday?? Hard to choose; but both euphoric! So let¢s take it back a few days... On Sunday afternoon, the Wertz¢s dropped me off at Iron Mountain, where I ended my hike on Friday. After an awesome weekend in Asheville, NC; sleeping in a warm bed, freshly washed clothes, all the showers I desired and a bunch of ¢real food¢, it was time to dip back into my ¢reality¢. They were kind enough to drive me right back into the base of the snow line at 3,500 feet (thanks so much). After climbing to 6,100 feet and 3 more days of freezing rain, snow, frost, freezing temps, and 40 mph winds of ¢freezing fog¢, I made it through another winter blast. Tuesday started off as any other day on the trail this year; pull my water filter, water bottles, fuel canister, electronics, and hiking clothes out of my sleeping bag (in order to keep them warm so they can function) and head off into the frozen abyss. The first few miles were straight uphill, on a bald, with no trees for cover the freezing wind (wind chill close to 0). After I started down the other side, it started to warm up, and I was feeling good and refreshed. I looked at my map, and thought... Is today the day? Bam! Decided doing my first marathon day was feasible. I did 26.2 miles in 9 hours, 58 minutes, and 4 seconds. That time may not seem like an impressive time, but I was also toting a 38# pack, 2.5# boots, climbed 5,426.2 feet of elevation, clambered over very uneven terrain, and stopped several times for great pictures and water/food/bathroom breaks. I even walked another 0.2 miles in search of my commemorative ¢26.2¢ bumper sticker, but it was nowhere to be found. The next day, as you would expect, was a bit slower, but warmer yet and was beautiful through Laurel Fork. 16 miles found me to the best hostel I¢ve been to yet, ¢boots off hostel¢ in Hampton, TN. I VERY much enjoyed watching the Penguins pile up a 7-0 victory over the Flyers in game 1 while chilling by the fire; though I didn¢t actually get to watch anything but the live updates and game recap. Great week overall, and I¢ll be moving into Virginia by the weekend!