morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2020-08-03
From: Home

To: Millinocket - NEOC Twin Pines
Miles today: 0.0

Did I tell you the time about when there was a pandemic and I finished the Appalachian Trail?Kind of sounds like the beginning of a bad joke but here it is, big as life. Planning this final trip was more difficult than any other I have had to plan. Too many uncertainties, too many changes happening beyond my control and navigating Baxter State Parks reservation process is no picnic either.I had made reservations at the NEOC back in the fall, well before any of us even heard of COVID. When the pandemic hit, I had no idea if we could even go to Maine or not. I pulled together a plan "B" and "C" (which consisted of being dropped off via float plane on Rainbow Lake and hiking NOBO) as usual, but plan "A" was to stay at the NEOC and day hike the balance of the AT, which would be far easier to include family in the completion of the trail.Greenie and I got on-line exactly 14 days to the minute prior to our arrival dates to get our parking permits for Baxter State Park. We hit their reservation site at midnight and had our permits by 12:05 AM. ALL of the permits were GONE by 12:07 AM! If we had not done so, completing the final walk would have required more (difficult) adjustments to work around the logistical challenges of not being able to drive ourselves into the park.As things turned out, Greenie and I were able to include some members of our families and Wingman in the final walk. We all had to figure out how to get Covid tested and be in Maine within 72 hours of our tests. My son Alex and his wife being from NY did not need to be tested as well as Greenie being from NH, but we all felt it in the best interest of the group to be safe and get it done - and found a way to do so. While a test was not a guarantee of safety, it was about as close as you could get to being risk-free so we could all be around each other Vs acting as we all had the virus.It was a six hour drive to Maine, and to my amazement the folks up in Millinocket did NOT wear masks in spite of a state mandate and the need for folks from out of state to be tested and comply with Maines COVID executive orders. I found this very sad and honestly insulting. We had to keep them safe, but they don't give a crap about us. I will let it go at that.The NEOC was a wonderful place to stay, and the folks there were compliant to state mandates and ran a safe and clean operation. I will gladly go there again someday.We all arrived at about the same time late in the afternoon and had an enjoyable evening with a magnificent sunset to boot. Tomorrow we begin the final walk. I cannot believe it is finally here - I just have to stay injury free!
Date: 2020-08-04
From: Abol Bridge

To: Abol Bridge to Hurd Brook (Out and back)
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Greenie, Wingman and I were up and out early. We had to take two cars to Abol Bridge so we could leave one overnight to drive home from our section hike tomorrow from Katahdin Stream. Greenie followed in his car and ate the dust of my car as we drove down the Golden Road to the parking area near Abol Bridge. This was one place where we did not need parking permits as it is just outside of Baxter State Park.After parking the cars we began our hike SOBO back to Hurd Brook Shelter where Greenie and I got off the trail in tow of the ranger last year. As always it feels so good to be following the white blazes. Greenie and I always say that following the White Blazes is like coming home.Crossing Abol Bridge, we turned into the woods heading south. The trail was easy and the temps were comfortable. In addition, the bugs were not too bad which was nice. We stopped at the trail register, recorded our passing and hiked on. This was a nice place to start - 12 miles out and back over a fairly easy treadway. Lots of pine trees, red squirrels and moss. We only passed a few hikers going NOBO but did not speak to anyone until we reached the shelter. There were two NOBO thru-hikers there trying to figure out their next steps as they needed food and did not have reservations in Baxter to camp. We spoke to them a short while, and they left just prior to us.It was strange passing the partially blocked side trail that we had taken out the night I broke my wrist. Our stop a the shelter was short, and we were on our way back to Abol Bridge with the intent of being done by no later than noon. as it ended up we finished at about 11:00 and for some reason the hike back felt shorter than the hike in.We did pass a few SOBO hikers along the way, but that was it.We stopped at Abol Bridge to take a couple of photos and had to walk on the Car Vs pedestrian part of the bridge to maintain social distancing from some folks on the bridge. As we neared the point where we had to get off of the Golden Road, we spotted my son Alex out for a long run. We slowed to say hello and met him back at the house not too long after we pulled in.We were back at the NEOC by noon. Day one in the books, and a wonderful one at that!
Date: 2020-08-05
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Abol Bridge
Miles today: 9.9

We were all up early as you have to get to Baxter State Park well before 7:00 or they give your parking pass away by 7:05 AM. We left the NEOC well before 6:00 and were at the park gate at about 6:05 AM gaining entrance without issue.Alex and Alice drove with us and were going to hike from Katahdin Stream and bring the car back to the NEOC for us while Greenie, Wingman and I hiked SOBO back to Abol Bridge where we had left Greenies car the day before. We stopped at the trail register and signed in and walked on.The trail was kind and gentle and largely a long easy downhill walk the entire way. It was cool how the park left canoes at some of the ponds along the way for folks to use. Had we felt like taking a detour we could have partaken, but we were more focused on the hike and surroundings to stop.We passed near Daicey Pond campground and it looked like folks could rent cabins in the area - would be nice if I ever come back this way to partake.We stopped at Big and little Niagra Falls to take in the view and take some pictures.Near Pine Point we stopped and took in a location where my son Alex had taken a swim the time he had hiked through here with some friends when he was a senior in High School. It was cool to see the place he had enjoyed all those years ago. All day we only passed a few hikers including a thru hiking couple going NOBO and a family that was renting a cabin near ours at the NEOC. Otherwise we had the trail to ourselves all day.We passed through a burned out section from a fire that had happened earlier this year. We also had a large owl fly up the trail ahead of us and then double back to a spot just behind us. We took a few pictures and moved on.We crossed Foss and Knowlton Brook by fording it as the bridge had been severely damaged in a fire. I crossed first as I had my crocs and then tossed them back to Wingman since he did not have his with him.We finished our "10 by 12" walking off the trail to Greenies car at noon straight up. We dropped our packs and headed over to the camp store to get a celebratory ice cream (Greenies Treat!). After finishing our ice cream we got into Greenies car and headed back to the NEOC to have lunch, clean up, take a swim and a nap.Day two is in the books. One last day to finish the trail and it is going to be magnificent!
Date: 2020-03-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

The most challenging thing about writing something like this is where to start. It's sometimes called "fear of the blank page." This just feels appropriate right now. You can't know where to start until you know where you're going. And you can't know where you're going until you're already on the path.The train ride has been interesting so far. The passengers on the train seem for the most part like any random collection of people except that they might have one little thing off about them. Some quirk or quality that would cause the average Joe to look just a little sideways at them. And I am starting to believe the description fits me pretty well. Unlike other groups of people there isn't any other cohesive element about this group.On the flip side of things, this morning I watched the sun rise over a mountain with a small slow moving river in the foreground. The gentle water reflected the colors of the sky but only dimly so as not to overwhelm the scene.One of the train stops was in Cumberland, MD. Most people reading will not know that Cumberland is my mother's hometown. As I was looking out the window, I could swear I saw my great-grandparents' little brick house. Of course I hadn't been to that house in nearly 30 years so it's likely I don't remember it as well as I think I do. Just being in that city again had an air of strange nostalgia to it. Not exactly like I myself grew up there, but I did visit nearly every year (some years a couple times) throughout my childhood. I've been long time unaware that I would ever find occasion to return.DC was something else! The weather was perfect and it was a great way to break up 25 hours of train-sitting to be able to walk around that iconic city. I was particularly amused by how 2/3 of the people I passed on the street were obviously tourists or school-age kids on a field trip. But the rest of the people were government types talking about all sorts of official business from the CDC response to COVID-19 to some obscure committee procedure breach. Not sure if it was the committee or the procedure that was obscure, but I suspect it was both. Just an interesting respite amid a looong travel day.Hopefully I can get a little more sleep this evening as tomorrow is going to be long, wet, and nearly vertical.
Date: 2020-03-10
From: Amicalola Falls State Park

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a coooold and rainy night..... Actually it's not that cold.The day started with the arrival of the train being delayed by 45 minutes. When planning today out, I was excessively worried about getting started early, so I could arrive at my preferred shelter and get a spot. So not hitting the trail until 10:45 was a little disappointing.But I set out anyway as I had to do something. Even starting 2hrs later than planned I covered 11.6 miles in 7 hours and arrived at the exact time I had originally planned for anyway. Conditions weren't perfect, but they turned out to be better than you might think for 50 degrees and raining. The trail turned to a mudslide, and where once I believed I would make it 2200 miles without ever falling over... I think I made it about 8. Oof!Going to bed at 8pm, because I barely slept on the train. Hopefully today's fun will put me out quickly.
Date: 2020-03-11
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

Today was long and challenging. Got my first trail magic from a fellow thru-hiker. He gave me an apple at breakfast. Because you can't throw anything away out here and I didn't want to carry the core in my trash bag, I ate the whole thing except the stem. To be honest, I'm not sure why that's not normal, it tasted fine. It really is these little things that make this experience so different from everyday life. Because they certainly add up to a major departure from the sorts of things we become accustomed to.Another hiker (headed south) gave a hot tip about a little side trail leading to a waterfall view just north of the shelter. It was a pretty little detour, I was very grateful for the advice. I didn't ever ask the man his name.The Gooch Mountain Shelter is packed to capacity with twice as many tents set as it is meant to accommodate. They warn us about overcrowding, but I don't really know what we are supposed to do about it. One thing is for sure, I think I'd like to push a little harder than originally planned just to get out of the bubble. In the coming weeks, traffic through here will likely double.I'm looking forward to taking a "zero [mile day]" but it's looking like I should definitely keep putting miles between me and Springer. At least for a few more days.First night I was able to sleep in the wooden shelter, but tonight I'm in my tent. Certainly I will prefer the tent to a packed shelter, but I am concerned about how wet things might get. It is just now starting to rain. Hope it turns out okay.....
Date: 2020-03-12
To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Rules about food storage forced me to choose between small miles and big miles. I knock out miles pretty quickly early in the day, so I opted for the big miles when I arrived at the decision point around 11am.My decision took me up and over Blood Mountain.... Aptly named, it was brutal. I don't know if it was the highest climb so far or just the steepest. And it just didn't stop raining the whole day. But in the end I completed a bunch of miles and nearly had a breakdown moment.I was exhausted, I was soaked, and I was getting cold quickly. Luckily, the guy working at Mountain Crossing offered me a ride into town if I decided to stay in a hotel. And I was so beat down by the day that I did just that. After this day I definitely have a better understanding of why nearly 1/4 people drop out at this point.
Date: 2020-03-13
From: Neels Gap

To: Poplar Stamp Gap
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

The hotel allowed me to: take a hot shower, dry out much of my gear, eat a hot dinner, drink a BIG beer, rearrange my pack a little bit, and make a stop at a grocery store.Then I had to get a ride back to the trail... So at first I started walking out of town, because I figured the people driving out in the country would be more accepting of hitch hikers than the townies. But before I even got to a good spot to stick out my thumb a very kind "good ol' boy" whipped his pick up truck around and offered me a ride. Which I gratefully accepted.The thing with me hitch hiking is not that I'm necessarily afraid of being picked up by the wrong sort of person, rather that I'm afraid I might be a little bit intimidating to your average Good Samaritan, so I'm just not sure who is going to stop and pick me up. Well Ivan seemed like the type of guy that could handle himself if the situation got sticky, and he probably also had a gun somewhere in that truck, but he was nice as can be... He was just out buying a pack of toilet paper "before all the crazies cleaned out every store." And when he dropped me off at Mountain Crossing he got a free 20 oz. Sprite for his trouble.The hiking day was too easy! I mean there were some definite challenges a couple of strong climbs, but the weather was phenomenal and I even got a couple views out of the deal. I think the highlight of the day may have been finally meeting some hikers that were interested in getting to know new people. The first few days pretty much anytime I talked to was either (1) an empty small-talker, only talking sure to being stuck in really close quarters with others, or (2) just trying to hand out all of the advice like they need to prove they are the world's best hiker.Even though these new people are rather nice I'm not sure that I'll hang around with these 3 for very long, because I might be just a little bit faster than they are, but if it works out that way, I could do way worse.Day 4 is complete and I still have way too much food. I don't understand what's going on. I don't think I am eating enough, but I feel good, I feel strong. I'm going to try to snack more during the hike and I need to start making breakfast. So far it has been a real struggle to get up and cook, but I think tomorrow morning will be a little chilly and hot coffee and oatmeal with chia seeds might be exactly what I need....... That is if the rain holds off.
Date: 2020-03-14
From: Poplar Stamp Gap

To: Steeltrap Gap
Miles today: 15.7

I knocked out some good miles, though there was very little to look at the entire day. However the weather was excellent. I don't think it rained at all.For the most part a pretty uneventful day. I definitely blew past Oz, Phoenix and No Worries. I think they were planning on taking a zero in Hiawassee. I may see them again down the road, but at my current pace, I think it's unlikely.Actually had a campfire tonight and that was pleasant. I got to spend a little time with some fellow hikers. Old Chief is a fucking riot! He loves his grandbabies. He also talked a lot about food.... Delicious food that I won't be able to eat for a few more days!Shelters just aren't a thing right now. I thought they would be so convenient, but they fill up completely by 2pm... And NO WAY am I ready to stop hiking at 2pm! So I just keep pressing on. I like it though. And evidently with COVID-19 flying around, shelters may just end up being a hot bed for disease. At any rate it's working for me and things are going great.
Date: 2020-03-15
From: Steeltrap Gap

To: Random Campsite near Rich Cove Gap
Miles today: 16.0

Biggest miles to date. So close to North Carolina it's crazy! It was kind of a long day, and I saw only a few hikers after 12:30p today. I think a large number of people went into Hiawassee, GA. They would have gotten picked up at Dick's Creek Gap, which was about the halfway point of my hike today.When I got there (early afternoon) there was a bit of trail magic set up. And I got an easy refill on my water and 2 tangerines. I eyeballed the bag of Cheetos, but I was happy to have some fresh food and left it. A little ways down the road, I ran into the young couple I camped with last night... They took 8 cans of PBR from the trail magic spot. They were nice enough to offer me........... one. Emily said "... even though we hauled 'em all the way up here." Evidently, not realizing that they took all that was there and didn't give anyone else a chance to haul 'em anywhere.Even though that entitled attitude BS really did irritate me a little bit. After I cooked dinner, I sat and drank my PBR and sliced off a few chunks of my smoked cheddar. You'd have thought I was eating caviar and drinking fine wine, it certainly felt like that type of luxury.Mostly everything was just awesome today. The sky cleared up and I could actually see for miles. Although not many good photo opportunities because there was always about 20-30 yds worth of forest in the way. Definitely did have some struggles though. Had to shit in a hole on the side of a 5% grade hill. Trying to cut through roots, digging a hole, when you're in a desperate spot, digestively speaking, is not a place I want to be ever again. Sorry to everyone who didn't want to read about that just now, but that's the way it is out here and there just isn't any getting around it. Also I had a hell of a time bear-hanging my food bag tonight. Tried to toss into a tree that already had a cut line from a failed attempt. Not sure why I persisted. I didn't have to cut my line though, because I'm an engineer and I know how to do things! Haha!Tomorrow I will reach my first big milestone of completing the first state of the Appalachian Trail and the day after will be the second big milestone, crossing the 100 mile point!
Date: 2020-03-16
From: Random Campsite near Rich Cove Gap

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 14.4

Finished Georgia in 5 days 23 hours!! Pretty good time; I'm way ahead of where I thought I'd be by now. Also hit a new high today. Climbed my first mountain with higher than one mile elevation. But alas got the same view up there that I have been getting everywhere else.... Fog.Today was literally 14 miles of fog. It was still good hiking, but nothing much to look at... Even the trees that I CAN see are mostly bare. So it was just rocks, mud, dead leaves and grey skies. I'm meeting more people actually worth talking to. It's much nicer to find people that aren't trying to puff up their chests about knowing the most about outdoorsmanship or being able to hike the most miles. I'm finally finding the people that are out here just to be out here. I prefer these people way better, but I just haven't found anyone to hike with. No one so far is able to keep up with my distances. However as I am planning on taking my first "zero" on Wednesday I'm eager to see if there is some sort of regrouping that happens and if I will run into anyone I've already passed once I get back on the trail.People back home have been giving me small bits of COVID-19 mania going on, but because I haven't had very consistent mobile service I am having a hard time piecing it all together. I'm trying to head into town tomorrow, and I don't really know what to expect at this point.
Date: 2020-03-17
From: Beech Gap

To: Rock Gap
Miles today: 15.4

Tried to get up and out of camp early today, because I needed to hike 16 miles to get to Rock Gap before 3:45p to catch a shuttle into Franklin, NC. The morning started off pretty terribly when I woke up with a puddle in my tent. Luckily my inflatable mattress pad kept me out of the water during the night. It was still raining as I tore down camp, so pretty much everything went into my pack wet.After I began hiking, only about a half mile in, the hand strap to one of my trekking poles just fell out. May not sound like a big deal, but the strap is where all the weight goes, without it the pole is basically just a stick to carry. I spent about 20 minutes trying to fix it in the middle of the trail until I finally gave up and just jury-rigged it with a couple of knots.The rain persisted for a few hours and I was feeling a little stressed to have the trekking pole delay due to my deadline for the day. As I began to ascend Albert Mountain the sky was clearing up and the sun even peeked out as soon as I got to the top of Albert Tower. The first time I got a real good view of the landscape and it was breathtaking.Immediately after Albert Tower, I crossed the 100 mile marker (and for some reason a 2nd 100 mile marker 75 yards down the trail). I felt all the stress and worry drift away and began to just really enjoy the hike.I ended up making it to Rock Gap with 45 minutes to kill, and with the best stroke of luck ran into a bit of trail magic. I was fed 3 corn dogs, 2 blocks of fried cheese, 2 slices of pizza and a Smithwick's beer ( for St. Patrick's Day) all by a family (of 8) whose thru-hike I watched on YouTube last year. Added bonus - they are also from Ohio!
Date: 2020-03-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I took the day off, after hiking 115 miles in 8 days, to give myself a little recovery time. I got a hot shower, a couple hot meals, plenty of beer and my laundry done. My timing was pretty shitty because I took this rest day the day after NC closed all restaurants for everything other than takeout.The place was clean, the bed was more comfortable than the ground, and my body definitely got plenty of rest. However, my mind did not. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is now suggesting that all hikers postpone or cancel their thru hikes due to precautions over spreading COVID-19. They aren't forcing anyone off of the trail, but there is a real decision to be made here. I think it still makes sense for me to continue to hike. There is no information on how hiking will pose any greater a danger than attempting to return home.
Date: 2020-03-19
From: Rock Gap

To: Licklog Gap
Miles today: 16.1

Upon returning to Rock Gap, the family providing the trail magic was still their serving breakfast, so I had coffee, eggs, pancakes, sausage and a chocolate chip scone. I saw a few familiar faces also having some breakfast. No Worries, Phoenix, and Bilbo have all decided to end their hikes. Rhett and Emily are going to continue on, but they are taking 2 days off because Rhett is having knee pain.The hike today was pretty quiet, but the weather was phenomenal. I summited Siler Bald to some extraordinary views and three annoying college aged girls gossiping about their professors. Just before I got to Wayah Bald, more trail magic! I had a cold can of Coca-Cola and more awesome views atop The Wayah Bald tower.A good warm campfire capped the day off right. Off to bed with no rain in the forecast!