morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-10-18
To: katahdin
Miles today: 0.0

Today was interesting and my first cold day of training. I started in the dark and used my new headlamp. It works great. It was about 29 degrees and a windchill of 24 degrees. Tested my warm clothing and soon found that with a 32 pound pack on fairly level ground, I heated up quickly. After just 10 minutes I was down to an outer shirt, tee shirt and no gloves and doing just fine. I will rethink my clothing needs because I may be over estimating. After a little while it started to snow/rain and the rain gear heated me up even more. I did put a light glove on and found that a ballcap was all I needed except for my ears. I tested a fleece stocking hat and soon found it too warm. Going to have to find a middle ground on hats.   Interestingly, after about an hour I found that the tube for the hydration waterbag had slush in it. It was starting to freeze. Freezing water in the hydration tube may be problem and I will be happy to hear how others solved this problem.
Date: 2013-10-22
To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This is just a test to see if my phone will work for updating my journal. I am using the voice command because typing on this small phone can be a challenge. I hope to use the voice feature to update my journal as I hike the trail. I will also test uploading a photograph from my phone. The photograph I am uploading is a picture of a mushroom that I saw on the trail today.
Date: 2013-11-20
To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0

It is now 119 days until I start my hike. I hope to do the hike in 171 days averaging just under 13 miles per day. Attached is a picture of Jennifer Pharr Davis, who hiked the trail in just 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes on July 31, 2011, and set the record. She was 28 years old at the time, or less than half my age and about the same age as my youngest child. She averaged nearly 47 miles per day and hiked 16 hours a day. She slept on the trail and was supported by her husband.  My wife will support me as much as possible from Illinois (mail), otherwise I am on my own as a solo hiker. She will occasionally meet me at various points on the trail. I also hope for a good friend to hike with me for a week at one point and my son to join me for a few days at some point in the hike.   I appreciate the incredible accomplishment, even if she didn't carry a pack and had help. I was a college track and field athlete at a Big 10 school, Indiana University, and even in my prime I couldn't imagine hiking or running 47 miles in one day, let alone do it nearly 47 days in a row in rough terrain. The physical demands to do this are impressive, even in this day and age of human endurance sports. She wrote several books and is an endurance champion on other trails.I will be 59 when I start and this old body is not what it used to be. Even now my legs and feet hurt many mornings; and I am just training, eating well, sleeping in a bed every night, and my exposure to the weather is limited to my training, not 24 hours a day. I train approximately 8 miles a day with a pack weighing between 31 and 50 pounds on as hilly terrain as I can find near my house. I train with a pack heavier than I plan to carry to compensate for the minimal elevation changes in Illinois. At least cold weather is finally here and I can train in the cold to prepare. Since it is cold in the Chicago area in the winter, I expect to know my equipment and clothing cold weather boundaries well before I begin the AT, as well as having good cold weather stamina.
Date: 2014-01-02
To: Winter Challenges and new gear
Miles today: 0.0

Since mid-December my training has suffered because of poor weather, equipment problems, and injuries. The December and now early January 2014 weather has been terrible. I do some training, but not that much. The snow is not melting and is still piling up. The trails are heavily covered in ice due to the number of people using them. The cold and ice covered trails make it nearly impossible to train outdoors. Instead, I walk on an indoor track and do the best I can. I hope the weather breaks soon, but the forecast is for extremely cold weather all of the next week, a polar vortex. I anticipate another week of zero training.While at REI's garage sale just after Christmas, I spotted a 60L Granite Gear Ultralight Crown V.C. backpack for just $47. I snatched it up and managed to get one day of hiking with it on the ice trails. I love the pack. This will now be my trail pack instead of the Deuter. The Deuter is great, but this Granite Gear pack is much lighter.I also changed my hiking boots from Merrell to New Balance 1569. While I like the Merrell boots, they are too narrow in the toe box and caused problems that I could not overcome. The New Balance boots are known to have wide toe boxes, and good for high arches. So far so good with the new boots, but the New Balance are tough to break in. I am sure the cold weather is causing the boots to stay stiff and compounding the breaking in problems.   I also changed from the Deuter raincover to Sea to Summit raincover. The Deuter raincover was excessively billowy and I could not adequately tighten it to my pack. The Sea to Summit is a nicer fit, but a lot more money.
Date: 2014-01-13
To: Injuries
Miles today: 0.0

I bought new boots and new orthopedic insoles. My Achilles Tendon is aching. I haven't been able to train now for 8 days and it looks like I am not going to train for at least another week. I just came from the doctor and he said I contracted cellulitis, a very serious bacterial infection. I just started taking penicillin. The doctor believes I should be okay long before I start the trail.I guess if there is a good time to get hurt, (and contract a serious infection) it is at this time. It seems ever since late December it has been snowing and extremely cold, so my training has been limited. Still, it is very frustrating to be so injured this close to my departure date. On the good side, I think I have finalized my equipment.Still working on some minor details. Food research is progressing nicely.      Hope to see everyone on the trail.
Date: 2014-01-20
To: recovering from injuries
Miles today: 0.0

It is only 56 days until I start my hike. I am using my cell phone to write this journal entry in an effort to improve my entries. The last time I did any serious training was January 3, 2014. Since then I have been hurt. My cellulitis is now over and the doctor said I can go back to training. I was surprised at how good I have stayed in shape during this illness. Training continues to be difficult because of the severe weather here in Chicago. Nearly finalized with all my equipment except for my phone. After shopping for a new digital camera it would appear to be cost effective to just upgrade my phone. However, I note that it is difficult to post journal entries with my phone. I cannot see the entire line of text that I am adding to my journal with my cell phone. Finally I decided to talk into my phone for the entries. Sometimes the entries and words are very funny and not close to what I said. As a result some of my entries appear to be very poorly written and contain grammar errors. Please forgive these and I will do my best to catch them and edit them as I post my journals.More people want to join me for short times on the hike. My son and I now have dates worked out, as well as another friend. I picked a trail name - Road Warrior. I traveled for 37 years off and on for my job. I referred to myself as a road warrior and decided to continue to use it as my trail name. Keep on hiking!
Date: 2014-02-03
To: update
Miles today: 0.0

I thought it was time to update my journal. 42 days left. My last entries discussed my injuries and training. Health: Doing great. My cellulitis is over and my feet are doing fine. No other health issues at the moment and I expect to start the trail strong and healthy. My strength is down some due to the non-activity but is not serious. Training: Back to training, but most of my training is now inside at the health club. The snow is just too deep and the weather too cold. A few days ago I walked nearly 11 miles on an indoor track in 3 hours. Today I did 7 miles in 2 hours. Both days I carried 31 pounds without difficulty. Sure, it is a level track, but it is all I have at the moment due to the weather. Equipment: Coming along with my equipment and nearly finished. Mostly just tweaking little things like repair kits, first aid kit, and clothing. Still looking at cellphones. Without consumables - water, food, and fuel and camp shoes, my winter pack weight should be near 18 pounds. I still cannot decided whether or not to bring camp shoes. My Granite Gear 60L Crown Vapor Current continues to impress me. However, I am already seeing some signs of wear and will need to monitor those. The material on the shoulder strap is thinning and the plastic frame wore a small hole in its pouch. As of today, I removed the plastic frame and the pack performed well without it so I will leave it at home. This should shave a few ounces off my pack weight. Other new equipment is my Vasque Breeze 2.0 boots. They seem fine so far, but I am still breaking them in. I need new rain gear. I plan to use Frogg Toggs, but the Frogg Togg rain suit I am testing is already ragged and I have only worn it about a dozen times. The pant cuffs are in shreds and the rain jacket is ripped. I consider them cheap disposable clothing. Frogg Togg for weight - 5 stars, durability - 1 star. Photos and Videos: I uploaded a few more pictures and made two Youtube videos. I plan to make at least one more Youtube video.Other: The Illinois State Museum in Lockport will promote my hike as a fundraiser. More information on this as it develops.Misc: I received my Appalachian Trail Passport and new 2014 Appalachian Trail Guide.
Date: 2014-02-16
To: getting ready to go
Miles today: 0.0

My heartfelt condolences go out to Tom and Brenda. They started their hike on February 1st and on February 3rd Brenda fell and hurt herself. They had gone less than 16 miles. I wish her a speedy recovery and a quick return to the Appalachian Trail.Health: My health is good and I am over my cellulitis. My training is going very well. Over the last few weeks I have done several 15 mile hikes with a 35 pound pack and several 10 mile hikes with a 35 pound pack. I am now in maintenance mode and will only hike a few miles a day.Equipment: I believe my equipment is all finalized now. Yesterday I purchased a small hip belt for my pack. The medium hip belt fits me just fine right now but I realize I will lose weight as I continue on the trail. I will put the small hip belt on now and expect to shrink into it over time. I also purchased a new phone. I purchased a Samsung Galaxy 4. It will take some time to learn how to use it. I plan to use it to update my journal entries and to take photographs. The phone is very prone to errors in grammar and syntax. Charity: My hike has evolved into a charity hike. The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery has agreed to promote my hike as a fundraiser.
Date: 2014-02-28
To: Deodorant and winter
Miles today: 0.0

I plan to get to Amicalola Falls on March 16th and catch the end of the Trail Fest in Dahlonega. On the 17th will enjoy the park, see the falls, and scope out the trail. I leave on the 18th after having a nice breakfast at the lodge.Winter is holding on here in the Chicago area. This picture was taken February 18th, and you can see the difficulty in outdoor training. The current Polar Vortex will end today but more snow is on the way. I can't wait to go south and see the grass again. I uploaded a picture of my gear yesterday and the deodorant generated a lot more response than I anticipated. Thanks to everyone for reading my journal. I realize deodorant is a lost cause on the trail but I am sure there will be times when I can't even stand myself and will use it. My rationale for carrying the extra 1.5 oz of deodorant is somewhat similar to carrying extra clothes. Not only are the spare clothes useful for warmth in the winter but should I get really wet it gives me the option to change into something dry. They will also be used for sleeping if I need the extra warmth on the cold nights.   When going into town and other places where people are less appreciative of trail perfume, I plan to change into clean, or as clean as possible, clothes and use the deodorant. I hope it will be a gentle and kind first impression. I guess taking deodorant makes me a Renegade rather than a Road Warrior. Maybe I should change my trail name to Renegade. I searched and I didn't see anyone from the class of 2014 using the name Renegade yet.
Date: 2014-03-17
To: night before hike
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: snow

I registered at the visitor center today at Amicalola Falls. I am hiker number 507 and Freedom is 508. Made some last minute changes to my hiking equipment. I removed my fuel and cook set. I will now go completely with dry food. My pack weight with water and food at registration was 21 pounds. We leave tomorrow. Currently the weather is foggy, cool, and rainy. I found out today that the Hiking for Wounded Heroes group which is very large is leaving today. My trail name sounds like it associates me with that group. So starting from now I will use the initials R.W. R.W. will now have many meanings. For example, it will mean Road Warrior, right wing, right way,really weird,really wonderful, running water, and anything else that can go with R.W.
Date: 2014-03-18
From: Springer Mountain

To: Horse Gap
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

Freedom and I started from the parking lot near the top of Springer Mountain. We hiked the .9 miles to the start. From there we planned to hike 8.5 miles to Hawk Mountain shelter, which we did by 3:00 p.m. We filled up with water and decided to hike further so that day 2 would be easier. We hiked to Horse Gap or 10.5 official miles even though it was 11.4 counting the approach to the start.   We stopped at 5:30 p.m., put up our tents, and ate dinner.   It was about 41 degrees all day. We hiked in and out of the clouds all day. The trail had some steep climbs and lots of very large rhododendrons.   We met many nice hikers. The trail was quite crowded because so many people started today.
Date: 2014-03-19
From: Horse Gap

To: Woody gap
Miles today: 10.5

It started to rain about 2:00 a.m. We got up about 7:00 am and it was dark, foggy, raining.   Last night was about 38 degrees and my sleeping bag kept me very warm all night and the tent kept me dry. We started about 8:00 a.m. with wet tents and headed up a steep trail to the top of Sassafras mountain.   About 3/4 of the way to the top Freedom had physical problems and turned around and found a ride to a hostel.   Good luck Freedom and hope you continue on after a short rest. I hiked alone nearly all day and only saw other hikers as I neared my destination.   Not many hiked today because of the bad weather. I passed people in tents many times. Today was hard. I climbed several steep mountains. It rained till about 11:00 which turned the trail to mud. Some places it was like walking in a stream as the water flowed down the trail. Not only was it wet and muddy but it was 40 degrees and I hiked in thick clouds all day. I couldn't see much more than 50 yards most of the time. At my destination I met my first trail angels.   They had hot food, drinks and snacks.   It was a wonderful end to a cold, wet, hard day. My wife met me and I checked into a nice cabin for the night.
Date: 2014-03-20
From: Woody gap

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 10.7

Today was a day of many firsts. The sun shown brightly all day, the views were spectacular, it was warm, the trail was dry, and I slack packed. Slack packing means I didn't carry my pack today. I woke up sore and tired and I am very happy I didn't carry the pack. The trail took me up and over Blood Mountain, which at 4,461 feet is the highest mountain I have climbed so far. It was a difficult climb and the hike down was exceptionally steep and boulder-strewn. For the first time in my life my knees hurt. Blood Mountain is the second most popular mountain on the AT so there were lots of day hikers. Blood Mountain got its name from a very bloody battle between the Creek and Cherokee Indians.   Given that this mountain ends so many thru-hiker dreams, it is aptly named. I met Bags and his dog Yeager. I saw them yesterday.   I also saw Rose and 5 other thru-hikers but we didn't talk and I didn't get their names.When I got to the top of the mountain there was some trail magic in the shelter, lots of cold bottled water. It was perfect because I was out of water and thought there was a well at the top. Without the trail magic I would've been in a world of hurt. The picture is a tree with hundreds of discarded hiking boots by hikers who either quit or found their boots to be inadequate.
Date: 2014-03-21
From: Neels Gap

To: mile 46
Miles today: 14.3

Today is a day of more firsts. I wore sunglasses, hiked in a tee shirt, got a little sunburned, just stopped and pitched my tent by the trail, and did more miles than any day yet. The day was great with spectacular views. At lunch I ran into a trail angel named Sherpa. He gave me lots of fruit and water. In the afternoon I hiked with a guy from Pittsburgh named Kory. In the evening, I and a couple from Switzerland camped along the trail. They quit there jobs to come hike the AT. During the day I also met a young couple from Germany and a couple from Canada.   All were thru-hikers.
Date: 2014-03-22
From: mile 46

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I had hoped to do more miles today but the trail was hard. I saw sunrise this morning while hiking. I had a lot of trail magic today. At Unicoi Gap Mary Poppins gave me hot dogs, candy, water and fruit. Then at Tray Gap a guy was handing out baked potatoes, pop, and candy.   I ate well today and didn't touch my trail food. I have a lot of food, too much.I had hoped to sleep in the shelter tonight because it is suppose to rain tonight, but the shelter was overcrowded when I got here.Feeling good and at least a half day ahead of schedule.
Date: 2014-03-23
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0

Last night was a lot of fun. Someone brought a guitar and played for a couple hours around a campfire. I slept with my tent on the edge of a steep drop off and had a clear view of the entire valley. The lights at night were awesome. I slept warm again and this morning the temperature was 50 degrees. I packed up early and was on the trail by 7:00 AM. I wanted to pack up before the rain started. It started to rain about 9:00 and rained off and on until 11:30 AM. I hiked in and out of clouds all morning. Once the rain started the temperature dropped a lot, and because I was sweating I got cold when I stopped hiking. The forest is very quiet. At night I only hear owls and in the daytime woodpeckers. Today for the first time I saw a squirrel and heard a songbird. The forest is still and doesn't have leaves, so it seems empty.It is amazing hiking this trail. I feel completely alone, but as soon as I stop for a minute someone passes me, and I pass others who are snacking or breaking all the time. Yet, because the trail is so narrow and curvy, you don't see anyone until you are nearly on top of them. It is spooky sometimes.Tonight I am in the Top of Georgia Hostel near Dicks Creek Gap, Hiawassee, GA. I got to the gap about 12:30 and they picked me up. Soon they will drive me to town, but I don't plan to buy anything. Because of all of the trail angels, I still have lots of food, and I was able to get food from other hikers who didn't want to carry it anymore. I paid for dinner and breakfast at the Hostel and expect to be on the trail by 9:00. I had a shower and feel like a new person. I have been pushing the last few days and I am a little sore. A half day break will do me good.The next few days are expected to be cold with snow possible. The next few days are going to be a real test.Tonight the dinner was great.   We had ham, mashed potatoes, all the sides, ice cream and brownies.   All we could eat and I am stuffed. I sat next to a guy from Germany whose trail name is Confused and his English is marginal.   He is hiking with a massive dog, an Irish Wolf Hound. He was told that within the next 20 miles the trail is so steep that dogs can't make the climb unless they can climb ladders. He has arranged for someone to take care of the dog when he hikes the Smokies.
Date: 2014-03-28
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a dark and rainy day. We all slept late. During the night I went to the privy and saw a mouse staring at me. I tried to shoo it away, but it just sat and looked at me. I put a finger to its face and flicked its nose. It ran a few inches and then just looked at me again.Walking North and I packed up and prepared to leave at 8:30. I was exhausted. As I lifted my pack, water started pouring on to my back. Walking North left and I stayed to unpack my equipment. I found my hydration bag was leaking and about a liter of water was in my pack. I think the freezing during the storm damaged it. Fortunately my gear was in a plastic bag and stayed dry. I repacked and left about 9:30 with a very wet pack. Most everyone else was gone already. Mom said RW now stood for Red and Wet. Most of this rainy day I hiked with Paul and Tortoise. Paul had hiked the trail in 1985. His daughter Tortoise said she was hiking because she had PTS syndrome, which she artfully avoided explaining while she told me her life story. All four of us gathered at Cold Spring Shelter to eat lunch together at 4,945 feet. A little old man in the shelter named Phil said he was a thru-hiker. He has some of the best equipment I've seen so far, but he was the most miserable person I've met so far. Every other word was a curse word. He complained that people wouldn't let him in the shelters and equipment manufactures needed to make better equipment. His plan was to sleep in shelters, and he only carried a bivy-sack for shelter - basically a plastic bag. We all left him as quickly as possible so he could be alone with his misery. I soon pulled ahead as the rain and clouds moved in. The forest was a rain forest and thick with moss, lichen, and fungus. The fog and clouds obscured visibility to only a few yards. As I neared Wesser Bald Shelter at 4,280 feet, I caught up to Walking North. We got to the shelter at 3:15 and I said I was staying because I was exhausted. He said he was fine and left, determined to push to Nantahala River Crossing, a total of 16.5 miles that day. Too much for me. Later, Guy-On-A-Buffalo, Mom, Paul, and Tortoise arrived. I later learned Guy-On-A-Buffalo and Mom were from Olympia, Washington. We went to bed by 8:00 and I had the best sleep yet on the trail. It rained all night. At about 2:00 AM I woke to go to the privy and found it was dark as a cave and the fog had saturated my sleeping bag. My headlamp barely cut through the fog, but enough to reveal several beady eyes of mice in the shelter. I shooed them away.The morning started late and rainy. As we all roused, Guy-On-A-Buffalo discovered lots of evidence that the mice had a party in his equipment. He spent half an hour cleaning it. Despite this, he laughed and joked more than anyone else about the mice. What a guy and what a contrast to Phil from the day before.