morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-01-03
To: Preparations
Miles today: 0.0

Hello, readers,We're down to 79 days now (but who's counting?) until we set off from Springer Mountain on March 23rd. Our preparations are going well. All of our equipment has been purchased and tested and we continue to get out 3-4 times per week with full packs for training hikes. It looks like my total pack weight will be about 32-35 lbs including food and water and SilverGirl's will be about 20-23 lbs. We've put together our first couple of mail drops, but before we box and label all of our mail drops, we want to be sure that post offices will be open. I called the Fontana Dam PO last week, and the woman I spoke to there informed me that they had not been notified that their post office will be closing, and even if it will, it won't be until after May 15th. The only other possible post office closing that concerns us is the Glencliff, NH PO. I haven't seen that PO on the on-line USPS master list of possible closings, but a number of hikers on various web sites have mentioned that it might be closing. We hope not, since this is where we plan to swap out our warm weather gear for our cold weather gear. We ordered AWOL's 2012 AT guide, which is scheduled to be shipped sometime this month. When we receive his guide, we will sit down and finalize our planned hiking timetable and the rest of our mail drops.For the food that we will be mailing to ourselves, we have finished dehydrating almost all of our dinners, but we still have quite a bit of fruit and beef jerky that still needs to be dehydrated. That will go quickly though, since we can dehydrate fairly large quantities of fruit and beef jerky at a time.As for physical training, we are doing quite well. We continue to get out on day hikes with fully loaded packs 3-4 times per week. Mostly, we walk around Buffumville Lake, a 7 mile loop that is only 5 minutes from our house. Yesterday, we drove out to Cheshire, MA, parked our car by the post office in the center of town, and hiked the AT from there to the summit of Mount Greylock and back (about 16.6 miles round trip). We did run into some snow flurries and a light coating of snow and ice on the trail near the top, but down at the lower elevations, there still is no snow to speak of. It's been an unusually snow-less winter here so far, which suits us just fine since we are able to continue with our day hikes. We have also been doing some skiing up in Vermont and indoor workouts at the local YMCA.All in all, we think we're just about ready. Barring an unexpected physical injury or something unexpected happening here at home while we are gone, we don't anticipate any problems along the way. As our start date gets closer and closer, we do feel our anxiety levels increasing a bit, but we suppose this is normal. Just bring it on!!
Date: 2012-01-23
To: More Preparations
Miles today: 0.0

Two months from today, SilverGirl & I set out on our adventure of a lifetime. Our preparations continue to go well. We purchased a 7" tablet computer that we plan to use for journal entries, e-mail, etc. It is WiFi only, so we'll only be able to update our journal when we're in range of a hot spot, but that's OK since WiFi is available at lots of restaurants and other public places in the many towns we'll be traveling through. Although we won't be able to update every day, we will play catch-up when we're in towns, and we will post a separate journal entry for every day of our adventure.  Yesterday, we finally received AWOL's 2012 AT Guide, which we've been very eagerly waiting for. What a great resource it is! Now that we have it, we can dig right in and start to finalize our planned hiking timetable and mail drops. Winter has finally made an appearance here in MA, with a few inches of snow on the ground now. We got out for a 7 mile training hike the other day, but the conditions were quite slippery with the snow and ice. I fell three times, but finished the hike unscathed. Unless the conditions improve, we'll probably go back to road walking for now.  Like most of our fellow thru-hikers to be, we are coming down the home stretch toward the start of our hike. We feel the full gamut of emotions - excitement, anticipation, anxiety, but most of all just the urge to simply get going. We are reading the journals of the few intrepid souls who set out on Jan 1st, and their accounts only fuel our desire to get started. To all of our fellow thru-hikers to be, we wish you  the best of luck, and may your adventure be everything that you hope it will be. We look forward to meeting many of you.
Date: 2012-02-23
To: Almost Ready!
Miles today: 0.0

27 days until we leave our house and all of its comforts behind and board the Amtrac train to Gainesville, GA. A big thankyou to my good friends Moe Wilson and Fran Buffone, who will be taking a day off from work just to drive us to the train station. Also, a huge thankyou to our daughter, Molly, who will also be accompanying us to the train station and sending our mail drops to us along the trail.  Today, our excitement level reached a whole new level as we completed our final mail drop. Completing all of our mail drops was a significant undertaking for us since we have 21 of them, and now that this task is done, all we have left to do is tie up loose ends around the house before we leave. Today, like so many days this winter, was a beautiful and warm day here in Massachusetts, so after we finished our mail drops, we took advantage of the weather and went on a 14 mile training hike with full packs around Buffumville Lake.  The lake is almost ice-free now which is unheard of for this time of year. We never dreamed we'd still be hiking on bare ground at this time in the winter and the way it's looking now, we might make it all the way to our departure date without any significant snow. Hopefully, the lack of snow won't have too great an impact on the availability of good water along the trail when we get into the hot, dry days of summer.  Not really too much else to say at this time other than to wish all of our fellow thru-hikers the best. Some of you have already started and it's a lot of fun following your journals. It looks like a lot of folks will be starting during the first couple of weeks of March. We wish all of you the very best and imagine that like us, many of you are literally bouncing off the walls with excitement and anticipation as your start dates approach. See you on the trail!
Date: 2012-03-13
To: Worries, Mayflower, Friends and Family
Miles today: 0.0

I want to thank LongStride for his support during the last couple of weeks. I have had the tendency to freak-out and he has been very supportive. I injured my back a few weeks ago while working out at the gym and have been worrying far too much about it. I have been dealing with tightness and fatigue in my lower back. I have been dwelling on the reality that something like that could spoil our dream. BUT, I have been slowly adding pack weight and mileage and have been able to tolerate that fairly well so I don't see a big problem for beginning our hike later next week. LongStride is always helping me with his positive attitude, encouragement, and loving way. One reason why I chose SilverGirl as a trail name is because of the support he gives me. He sails right behind being my "bridge over troubled water" when I need it.The difficulty I faced in mentally coping with this back issue was also due to a personality trait I probably inherited (other then a tendency for being a mild hypochondriac). I am a descendent of several passengers on the Mayflower whom must have been pretty tenacious (I almost chose Mayflower as a trail name). Also, my parents and siblings don't quit when things get tough. My brother recently finished an Ultra-marathon after breaking a couple of ribs near the beginning of the race. It takes a lot for me to even think about quitting. So the thought of the possibility of needing to quit threw me for a loop.We recently said good-bye to family and some of my neighbors. Everyone was so supportive and great advice was offered. I felt that I got permission to quit (although not my intention) if I needed to and that I needed to heed the advice that I would give my own children. My neighbors also offered to come pick me up where ever I may be if needed. This was so liberating to hear. I will try to drink in as much of the experience as possible and take one day at a time. I thank friends and relatives for all their support and encouragement as well as other hikers and trail angels who we have met in person or through trail journals. These words of encouragement have instilled me with a fresh new dose of excitement and confidence. We are wishing all the hikers out there this year all the best. We hope some of our words might inspire, comfort, and support others in the same way that others have provided this for us. Happy Trails!
Date: 2012-03-20
To: Final Day Before We Leave
Miles today: 0.0

Tomorrow, SilverGirl & I leave for Georgia. Checking the weather forecast, it looks like we¢ll have a pretty decent start for our first day on the trail this Friday. We can¢t begin to describe all of the feelings and emotions that we have going on inside our heads right now ¢ anticipation, happiness, excitement, anxiety, disbelief, etc. I guess you could pick just about any adjective out of the dictionary and we¢re probably feeling it. Yesterday, to work off some steam and to get in a final training hike, we drove out to Cheshire and hiked the AT from Cheshire center to the top of Mt Greylock and back, about 16.5 miles round trip. The day was unbelievably warm for this time of year, with the temperature topping 80 degrees. Despite the summerlike temperature, there was still a considerable amount of ice and snow on the trail in the saddle between Jones¢ Nose and the summit. This stretch of trail is dominated by evergreen trees, so the snow and ice seems to stick around forever. We had to take it pretty slow through this section since we did not have microspikes with us. At the summit, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch and a quick nap in the warm sunshine before heading back down. It was a wonderful day and we¢re both feeling fit and ready to go. Today, we will concentrate on taking care of the final details to close up the house before we leave tomorrow morning.   To conclude, we want to thank all of our family and friends for the wonderful support and encouragement you have given us. This adventure will be fun, but it will also be very hard, and we sincerely appreciate all of the support you have given us. All of you will be in our hearts and minds as we walk north.
Date: 2012-03-22
From: Home

To: Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We're in Georgia! After a very long, and basically sleepless train ride, we arrived here at the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega. What a nice place! We arrived here at about 8:30 this morning and got to meet some of the other thru-hikers that are starting today. They were all so excited. As for us, we are in a state of disbelief that we are actually and finally here. We picked up our first mail drop box here at the hostel and got it all packed into our food bags for tomorrow. My brother, Jon, who lives about an hour south of here, is driving up to visit us this afternoon. It will be nice to see him. Tonight, we'll catch the hostel shuttle over to Walmart for some dinner. The weather forecast for tomorrow shows an 80% chance of showers, so we could very well be in for a wet start. That's OK though. We know there will be many beautiful days as well. We met two other guys, Ed and Ken, who will also be starting their hikes tomorrow. That's about it for now. Time to begin walking north!
Date: 2012-03-23
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 1:I wake up at 2:00 this morning and start to think of the days upcoming hike. As I lay awake, I hear rain beginning to patter on the hostel roof. Finally, I fall back into a deep sleep until abou 6:00. SilverGirl and I rise and begin to pack up our stuff before heading downstairs for breakfast with all of the other hikers who will be starting today - Mr Breeze from MA, Old Tyme Ed from CT, Shoe from TN, Lindsay from WI, and Jay from KY. After breakfast, we all gather in front of the hostel for our shuttle to the trail head. Josh, from the Hiker Hostel loads us into his van and we're on our way, winding up a long gravel forest service road for several miles to the parking lot. Josh is a fast driver, and I feel my breakfast sloshing back and forth in my stomach as he speeds around each sharp bend. We arrive at the Springer Mt parking lot at 9:30 and after a few rounds of picture taking, we are on our way. What a wonderful feeling to have a lifelong dream such as this come to fruition. Mr Breeze, SilverGirl, and I hike the 0.9 mi section to the summit of Springer, the official starting point for our journey. It is a foggy start, with on and off rain showers, but the temperature is nice - mid 60s. The rhododendron leaves along the sides of the trail shine a bright green, making for a very pretty effect. The first shoots of green grass line the sides of the trail, creating a natural border. The hike over to Hawk Mt Shelter is an easy one, 8.1 mi of mostly level walking. It is the perfect way for us to start our journey. We feel strong and revel in the moment of just being here. We arrive at the shelter at 1:30 and set up our tent before it starts to rain again. We wait out the rain inside our cozy, dry tent until about 5:00, when we venture over to the shelter to cook our dinner of Zucchini Casserole and cookies. While we eat inside the shelter, the sky opens up big time. The rain doesnt last long though, and we are soon able to go back over to our tent, where we are now settling in for the night. While we hike, we will assume nature's sleep cycle - which means pretty much going to sleep at dusk and rising at dawn. In summary, a fantastic first day! We feel great and look forward to tomorrow.
Date: 2012-03-24
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Lance Creek Campsite
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: few clouds

Day 2: At 4:30 this morning, we are jarred awake as a severe thunderstorm rakes the campsite. There is Boy Scout troop camped close to us, and we hear them scurrying around in the deluge. Something has collapsed and flooded their campsite and another scout is shouting that someone has hypothermia. As for us, we stay warm and dry in our Big Agnes Copper Spur tent. Surprisingly, we sleep quite well for our first night out. We rise at about 7:15 to see a hazy sun rising over the eastern horizon. What a welcome sight. After a quick breakfast, we get all of our morning camp chores done and are on the trail at 9:00. As we start out, the sun comes out in all its glory. We are still in a state of giddiness about being on the trail, and the warm sunshine only adds to our excitement. We are especially enjoying the ever awakening spring flora along the trail. Many different types of wildflowers are blooming, and as we walk along the sides of mountains, we can see down into the distant valleys, where everthing is turning green. The trail is wonderful today, with easy footing, although there are a few steep ascents and descents. By noontime, we arrive at Gooch Mountain Shelter, where we stop for lunch along with a few other thru-hikers. Moving on, we climb up over Ramrock Mt and down into the parking lot at Woody Gap. Another thru-hiker there approaches us immediately and warns us that there is a guy on the other side of the lot who will come over and try to sell us various ointments and treatments for blisters and sore feet. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later he comes over to us and gives us his best sales picth. We assure him that we are fine and that we don't need anything. Moving on, we climb the 1 mile to the top of Big Cedar Mt, our destination for the day. Once we arrive, however, we soon realize that there is no water nearby, despite what our guide book says, so we decide to continue on for another couple of miles to Lance Creek, where we know there are campsites and water. As we decend, it starts to rain, and then it starts to hail. Thankfully, this only lasts for several minutes before blowing over. We pull into the campsite at about 4:45. There a quite a few other thru-hikers here. Soon after we get our tent set up, it starts to hail again. What crazy weather! Again, it only lasts for several minutes. We share our tent site with 4 other thru-hikers, 3 whom we don't know, and Jay, who also hiked here today from Hawk Mt Shelter. As I write, it has begun to rain again, but our spirits remain high and our bodies are holding up well. On to Neals Gap
Date: 2012-03-25
From: Lance Creek Campsite

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 3:The day dawns with clear skies and temperatures in the 40s. Feels like back home. We are one of the first to break camp this morning, leaving at about 8:30. Today's destination is Neels Gap, where we plan to stay in the hostel at Mountain Crossings. The air is so cool and crisp toay, with almost unlimited  views. The Georgia mountains are just gorgeous. By 11:00, we have reached the summit of Blood Mt. We are in awe of the 360 degree views that surround us there. We don't linger too long on the summit because we want to get down to Neels Gap and secure our spots in the bunk house. We arrive in Neels Gap at 11:45, and check into the bunk room. It will be a full house tonight. After showering, we have our lunch and dry out our tent in the breeze that blows through the gap. Grabbing a few snacks in the store, we watch as other hikers arrive.  This is a pretty cool hostel, with just about eveything a hiker could possibly need. Later in the afternoon, someone drops off a huge load of "trail magic", which consists of sodas, grapes, candy bars, cookies, cupcakes, and brownies. I guess we don't have to worry about starving out here. Today turns out to be our best day yet.
Date: 2012-03-26
From: Neels Gap

To: Stealth Site North of Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Day 4: Not a good sleeping night last night. We settle into our bunks at about 10:00pm along with the 14 other hikers who are here with us. It's a full house. During the entire night, there are 3 snorers who keep us awake most of the night. I try using my ear plugs, but to no avail. Morning finally arrives, and we rise for a breakfast of various fruits, donuts, and snacks, compliments of Pirate, our hostel host. Packing up, we are on the trail by 7:45. It is a gorgeous day today, with no clouds, low humidity, light breezes, and unlimited visibility. We are rewarded with many spectacular views during the day, most notably from Wolf Laurel Top and Cowrock Mountain. We take a mid-morning break on top of Cowrock Mt and just soak in the views and the incredible awesomene of just being here and being fortunate enough to live this adventure. During the day, we play leapfrog along the trail with other hikers -Jay, Joe from Perth, Australia, Lindsay, Firewalker, and Juice. After hiking up and over Wildcat Mt, the hiking becomes easier and very enjoyable. The trail is soft, mostly rock-free, and lined with many pretty flowers and small green shoots that are heralding the arrival of spring. We are literally walking north with the advancing stages of spring growth. At noon, we stop at Sheep Rock Top for lunch and a short rest before moving on to Low Gap Shelter about a mile further to replenish our water supply. After, about another 1.5 miles, we come to a pretty campsite alongside the trail and decide to stop here for the day. It is only 1:45pm, which gives us the rest of the afternoon to just relax. We have been reading The Hunger Games to eachother whenever we can and our hope is that in a couple of days, when we take a day off in Hiawassee, we can go to the local theatre to see the movie.  We are feeling great and having the times of our lives. There is nothing like this to make one feel so alive. On we go!
Date: 2012-03-27
From: Stealth Site North of Low Gap Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Campsite
Miles today: 18.1

Day 5: A long, but beautiful day today. We crawl out of our tent at 7:00 this morning to be greeted by the sun rising over the eastern horizon. The leaves are not out yet, so we are treated to almost continuous views of the surrounding mountains and valleys below as we walk. Our initial destination for today is the old Cheese Factory campsite, about 11.5 miles north of where we are camped, but we decide to push on later in the day to Sassafrass Gap, making it an 18.1 mile day. We do this because we want to catch the free shuttle to Ron Haven's Budget Inn in Hiawassee at 11:15 tomorrow morning, and camping here tonight leaves us with only a 6.3 mile hike tomorrow morning to Dicks Creek Gap. We are tired after today, but the next 2 days will be full of R &R and lots of food. Can't wait. As we walk through Unicoi Gap this morning, we meet another thru-hiker who has blown his knee out. He is sitting on a rock waiting for his ride home. Even though we have only hiked about 63 total miles so far, at least 20% of the thru-hikers who started have already dropped off the trail for one reason or another. After hiking up and out of Unicoi Gap, we pass the Cheese Factory campsite, climb Rocky Mt, decend into Indian Grave Gap, and then climb Tray Mountain. We stop to get water at the Tray Mt Shelter, where we once again see Jay, Aussie Joe, and Juice. We continue on for the final 3 miles to Sasafrass Gap, meeting up with FireWalker along the way. At last, we arrive at the campsite. We do our typical camp chores - set up the tent, get water, wash up, make dinner, and hang our food bags before settling into the tent for the night. This adventure has been everything we've hoped it would be so far, and we look forward to each new day. On to Hiawassee!