morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-02-16
To: I Love This Stuff!
Miles today: 0.0

I don't know why these little pepsi can alcohol stoves intrigue me so. I've built a bloomin' million of them over the past several months. Each time I learn how to do it a little bit better. I can knock one out in about 20 minutes. That even includes epoxying the two halves together. Not too shabby. I use a dremel tool to drill .028" diameter holes (24 in total) for the jets. That seems to work best for open vent design stoves. Burn times vary but I can easily boil 3 cups of water and cook a cup of macaroni al dente for classic mac n'cheese using only 1 ounce of fuel. Yum Yum.The last of the dehydrated food shipment came in last week. I ordered a whole bunch of Mountain House packets online from The Ready Store. They were a little cheaper buying them in bulk plus I got free shipping. The rest of the week was spent vacuum sealing dry goods for maildrops.My winter pack weight, minus food and water, is now at 22 lbs. I need to add a couple more clothing items. Trying to gauge weather trends lately is sort of like watching the stock market- very volatile. As long as another Alberta Clipper doesn't sneak down here I should be fine. Warm thoughts.............
Date: 2009-03-07
To: YEEHAW!! Audio Bloggin' is Here!
Miles today: 0.0

I bought a new cell phone today! My old one just wouldn't hold a charge any longer. I came real close to upgrading to a complete voice and data plan along with a BlackBerry Curve. It was real tempting but in the end I stuck with my current plan and a plain old cell phone. I know- boring but practical.Hey, all this reminds me to tell you about the audio blog feature I'll be using on the hike. It's a free service through TrailPhone.net. The direct link appears below. It becomes active as soon as I get the first post online. Check in often!
Date: 2009-03-11
From: Springer Mountain - Southern Terminus

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Wed Mar 11, Day 1: It¢s official - the 2009 thru-hike has begun. The day started in Charlotte at 5:00 in the morning where my brother Mike and his wife Linda picked Kim and I up for the four hour drive down to Georgia to begin the hike. Now we had a little bit of a problem getting down here but it wasn¢t really anything to speak of, just a couple of wrong turns, but we found our way. Don't listen to ANYthing Kim tells you about "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" or how men (in the front seat) have a tendency to drive faster (around mountain curves) as we get more unsure of where we are. After all, if you are going fast enough the universe will actually shift and you will bypass all the time you may have been off course...We decided to hit Springer Mountain off Fire Service Road 42. There is a parking lot at the top of that road that is only 0.9 mile from the top of Springer Mountain. We parked at that parking lot and hiked SOUTHbound to the official Southern Terminus of the AT. My brother Mike brought the Holy Water. I'll need all the blessings I can gather for this journeySaw the plaque, signed the logbook, and took pictures. Official Plaque marking the Southern Terminus of the AT The sign in book is kept in a metal box embedded in this rock! Having made my mark in the official log, the trip can begin All that gear sure makes a person feel ready to hikeWe all hiked NORTHbound back to the parking lot, giving my support Crew 0.9 miles on the AT. We said our goodbyes and I took off Northbound on the official hike start around 1:00pm. Spokes heads into the woodsthe 2009 AT Thru-Hikehas officially begun!What a great day for hiking. It was partly cloudy, temperatures hovering, I would guess, in the seventies. There was a light breeze the entire day. Really wonderful out here on the trail. Right now I¢m at the Hawk Mountain Shelter which is at mile marker 7.8. I¢ll sleep in the shelter; I¢ve already filtered water and eaten. Met some other thru hikers, such as Hazy Stack, a 66 year old Marriage and Family Counselor from New Orleans who is on his first hike! Mark Allen is another first time hiker, he's a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel from Las Vegas. Great people. We¢re just gonna chill out tonight and see what happens in the morning. I¢m still a little bit uncertain about the mileage I¢m going to make over the next several days. The terrain is going to be a little bit iffy. There are a couple of big hills coming up that I¢m not looking forward to hiking but we¢ll get over them. If all goes well I should be in Neels Gap by Friday or Saturday. I plan to take it easy these first few weeks and get my trail legs about me and then get in the swing of things and take off. Thanks for checking in - my audio trail updates at http://trailphone.net/hiker/14593/ will most likely stay ahead of these journal entries. On my cross-country bike trip last year it was nice to update the journal daily from my Asus PC, but I coudn't find one that weighed less than 4 ounces to bring on the trail!
Date: 2009-03-12
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Stream just past Granny Top Mountain
Miles today: 15.5

Thu Mar 12, Day 2: Second day of the Appalachian Trail adventure. My sleep last night (in the Hawk Mountain Shelter) was interrupted around 0038 hours by the sound of rapid gunfire along with several large booms and what sounded like a helicopter hovering around. Apparently the US Army Rangers are in full maneuver mode in the woods around here. Perhaps an enemy encampment got raided last night by our illustrious Rangers. Go Rangers!It was a heck of a way to wake up. Got back to sleep then got up and got out of camp a little bit later than I had planned - it was 930am before I hit the trail. Part of the delay was helping Hazy Stack with an uncooperative sleeping bag zipper.Went up Sassafras Mountain today. It was an unbelievable climb, perhaps even in the beeyach category. Had plenty of snacks and water plus I took a few stops along the way. That made a big difference. Left MCL is hurting, but I suppose I should expect pain early in the adventure. I got to Gooch Mountain Shelter (Northbound Mile Marker 15.1) about 1300 hrs. and was deciding whether to stay there or not because I had heard the forecast called for rain later this evening then rain all day tomorrow.After looking around I just decided to eat a quick lunch, let the old puppies breathe a little bit, then put the hiking boots back on and get on the trail to see how far I could go. There was way too much daylight left to stay at Gooch Mountain. The first option was Woody Gap at mile 20.1, where there¢s a pickup point. A hostel picks up there every day at 5:00 in case you wanted to use that facility. I decided to press on to a stream that crosses the AT at Mile Marker 23.3 where there¢s a designated camping spot. I caught up with Dan and Buzz. Dan is an Ultralight hiker, a young fellow who is doing his thru hike. His pack is only 26 punds fully loaded. I dream of the day - I'll be learning a lot on this trip about how to be a minimalist on the trail. We decided to make it to the stream campsite. By the time we made it the sun was low in the West so we decided to set up camp.Quote of the day (from an older lady hiker, spoken in a slow Southern drawl): "Water's coming out of that rock, do you think I ought to treat it?" Duh...yeah!I¢ve already eaten, filtered water, and gotten everything situated. I'm getting used to the chemical water treatment, due to the time required for it to work it forces you to manage your water. That's a good thing. Getting ready to crawl into the tent and do a paper journal and hang the food bag. Should be in Neels Gap tomorrow, it¢s only 7 miles away. There I will hopefully get a nice warm shower and something good to eat. There is a supply store there so I can check out some equipment just in case I need anything different for the next section. So far I'm happy. I'm faster than some, slower than others. Hike Your Own Hike!I really appreciate everyone following along and checking out the trailjournals.com website and finding the guest book. Those guest book entries mean a lot! Click here for audio journal
Date: 2009-03-13
From: Stream just past Granny Top Mountain

To: Neels Gap - Mountain Crossings Hostel
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: clear sky

Fri Mar 13, Day 3: Third day on the trail and I made it into Neels Gap today. Left camp about 8:00 and took a leisurely hike up and over Blood Mountain. At 4,461 feet, it's the highest point on the AT in Georgia. Rocks, lots of rocks - things were a little bit treacherous up on the rock scrambles., especially when the rocks got wet. Don't know how you'd hike it without poles. It started to rain and drizzle and get cold so I stopped at the Blood Mountain shelter to put on some rain gear and then made it the rest of the way over Blood Mountain and down into Neels Gap, arriving around Noon. Spokes at the Blood Mountain Shelter. Click picture to see full size. Blood Mountain Shelter Sign Inside the Blood Mountain Shelter (built 1934)I checked into the Mountain Crossings Hostel which is part of the Walasi-Yi Center, the only building the AT goes through, so it's pretty hard to miss! Soon things were looking good as I finished off a plate full of 15 bean soup, salad, spaghetti, and homemade cornbread made by Pirate, a fellow who runs the hostel. Inside the Mountain Crossings Hostel Supper time at the Mountain Crossings HostelHere I got a chance to talk to the famous Winton Porter, owner of the hostel and advisor to thru hikers for many years. He did a shakedown of my pack. I changed out some stuff and sent some gear home. My pack weight now is at 25 pounds, including water and what food I have left. So we¢ll see how his system works. I¢ll try it and modify it as we go. I just have to add a little bit more food, but the total weight should still be under 30 pounds. It¢s pretty amazing when you think about carrying everything you need to survive on your back and still have the weight that low. Every day is a learning experience. Today was a lesson on trail markings. Over Blood Mountain the trail almost got lost as we scrambled over the rocks. A couple of times I ended up stopping and looking and asking myself "Which way does the trail go?" Then came the learning moment - if you looked behind you, you could usually find a white blaze. That at least gave you the indication that you weren¢t off trail. One more learning moment came when I tried to pick up the first box mailed to me by my Most Excellent Logistics Officer, Kim. She mailed it last week so I just knew it had to be here, but they couldn't find it anywhere under my name. Finally I went in the storage room and found it filed under Kim's name, not mine! Whew. Now I know to check under both names going forward.The weather has turned really wicked out here. I¢m looking out now into thick fog and it¢s supposed to rain all day tomorrow. So we'll head out in the morning, hiking in the rain and on to Hiawasee. I'm optimistic - it¢s supposed to clear up Sunday so there are good days ahead! Thanks again for checking in. Click here for audio journal
Date: 2009-03-14
From: Neels Gap - Mountain Crossings Hostel

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: moderate rain

Sat Mar 14, Day 4: I was up at 0700 and had a bagel and banana for breakfast. Left Neels Gap at 0800 and hiked in dense fog, visibility most of the day about a quarter mile, to the Low Gap Shelter, arriving around 1300. The hike in the cold rain was not fun - this was the worst day yet. As we went over Cowrock Mountain the snow and sleet started, we moved over the leeward side of the summit to try to get some relief. No huge peaks to cross, but the day was full of ups and downs. Seven high points - whether they are called "Mountain" (as in Cowrock Mountain, the high point of the day at 3,842') or "Top" (as in Wolf Laurel Top at 3,766), they all represent vertical gain from the "Gaps" (as in Low Gap, tonight's shelter at 3,040') that are in between. Climbs from gaps to tops ranged from 200 to 800+ feet. Total vertical climbing and descending for the day was over 5,500 feet...and these aren't the big mountains yet! We had a full house at Low Gap. We fit nine thru-hikers into a shelter made for seven, snug but everybody stayed warm. Those in camp (shelter and tenting) included Papa November, Long Pants, Kim, Stacey, Erin, Alice, Brad, and a British couple (Chicken Run One and Two) who reported a bear strolling through the campsite around midnight. They were tenting because they couldn¢t fit inside the shelter and heard the bear grunting outside of their tent, then saw evidence of foot tracks in the morning. One of the other thru-hikers reported that he saw a Northbound girl that he knew headed Southbound. He asked what was going on and she said that some animal or whatever had stolen her food so she was having to trudge back to Neels Gap to get a new food bag and resupply. That would not be a good thing - to lose your food out in the middle of nowhere. Luckily she was close to civilization and could make it back to a resupply point that next day. Good lesson learned. More rain Sunday...we're sure going to appreciate the sun if we ever see it again! Click here for audio journal
Date: 2009-03-15
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Sun Mar 15, Day 5: Yesterday afternoon was a welcome break, it felt so good to get to the Low Gap Shelter. Even though it was early afternoon, I was tired and really just wanted to get on some dry clothes. It rained all night long last night, but I was comfy. Couldn't help but stay warm when you stuff nine hikers in a shelter built for seven! Had a rainy start for the day today but the rain stopped around 1300 hours. Made it to the Tray Mountain Shelter which was a 15 mile hike - the longest hike to date and a real killer. Tray Mountain Shelter. Click picture to see full size.Last part of the day kicked my butt. Not so bad on the ups and downs, but we are now crossing several summits above 4000'. It¢s just hiking in the rain and cold is what sorta zaps you. Tray Mountain is a full shelter too. Others here include Spoons, Nathan, Retro, Trump, Kim, Alice, Erin, and Stacey. Erin, Tracey, and Alice at the Tray Mountain ShelterDid I mention that I'm a little tired of this rain? The weather has not let up since Neels Gap. Been rainy, drizzly, cold, fog, very thick fog over the ridgetops. I¢m kinda ticked off because there haven¢t been a whole lot of opportunities for photos. Just keep your head down and try to stay as dry as you can and trudge on to the next shelter. 'Nuff said. Trying for Hiawassee tomorrow, looking forward to the encounter with civilization (aka, a warm shower). Spokes staying warm at Tray Mountain Shelter Click here for audio journal
Date: 2009-03-16
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel, Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Mon Mar 16, Day 6: It rained last night but stopped by 0700, just in time for me to eat and pack "in the dry." Most people are heading in different directions once they get to Hiawassee, my destination for today. I have a mail drop waiting in town!It was on and off rain for the eleven mile hike to Dick's Creek Gap. I arrived by midday - the siren song of a warm dry place to spend a night kept my pace up despite the rain! The trail was muddy and slick, I fell once in a lovely muddy spot. The toughest hill to pull was a 900+ foot climb from Addis Gap (3,310') up and over Kelly Knob (4,275'). I had a couple of Jolly Ranchers to get me over the top! Here is a video taken on that climb:Not many hikers to walk with. You tend to hike alone or leapfrog each other. Solitude is good - so far. Spokes - Self Portrait on the trail past Tray MountainHighway US76 crosses the AT at Dick's Creek Gap. I made it to the road and called the Blueberry Patch Hostel. The Blueberry Patch is a Christian Ministry run by former thru-hiker Gary Poteat and his wife Lennie. Mr. Poteat came and picked me up, we made it to the hostel around 1:00 pm. He introduced me to the workings of the hostel and showed me around. I had a nice warm shower and did laundry. This hostel has medical and other small supplies plus a fully supplied kitchen and hiker boxes with extra food. Only four hikers are here tonight: me, Minnesota Smith, Kim, and Stacey. Spokes, Gary Poteat, Stacy, Kim at the Blueberry Patch HostelFood wise, I'm in good to go - I¢ve got five days worth of food now, plenty to make it into Franklin. Took the time this afternoon to get settled back and just chill out. Going to brew up a glass of hot tea, let my body absorb the warmth, and get ready for the morning¢s hike. Thanks for following along. I appreciate you checking in every now and then, especially the visits to the Guest Book. Click here for audio journal
Date: 2009-03-17
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel, Hiawassee, GA

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Tue Mar 17, Day 7: Wow, what a difference good weather makes when you are hiking the Appalachian Trail. The rain finally broke here for Tuesday, Day Seven. This morning Mr. and Mrs. Poteat fed all the hikers a full breakfast at 0830 including pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits, coffee, juice. It was yummy in the tummy. The meal made all the difference, I tell you. It beat cold oatmeal, that¢s for sure. All of this food and the lodging is by donation only. I left a good one for these Angels, the Poteats are tremendously good people. I forgot to mention in yesterday's journal - Mr. Poteat let Minnesota Smith, Kim, and Stacey take his truck to town for resupply. I stayed since I had a food drop here and have plenty to eat. After breakfast Mr. Poteat shuttled everyone except Minnesota Smith back to the trail head. The price for the yummy breakfast was a late start for hiking - it was 10:30 am before I actually hit the trail. Good hiking and it got warm fast. Aaaahhh! The Sun! Finally! I stopped at the Plumorchard Gap Shelter for lunch and water and quickly moved on.The milestone for today was crossing into North Carolina. There was a sign there designating the GA/NC border and of course I got a couple of pictures of that. It felt like a big milestone for me. One state down, thirteen to go. Yeehah, Advance North! Georgia/North Carolina Border, mile Mile 76.4 Northbound. Click picture to see full size.Right off the bat North Carolina put the "beat down" on me. There were some pretty steep climbs, but I made almost twelve miles in the sunshine - all the way to the Muskrat Creek Shelter. Arrived about 1630 hours, with plenty of time to set up, get situated, and scope out the area. No one was around at first, then Charlie and Jeff showed up along with the Section Hikers from Mississippi. Closed out a good day with a short walk back to a little vista and saw a stunning sunset over the mountains into Tennessee. Remarkable, here are a couple of pictures. Sunset from Muskrat Creek Shelter vista Sunset from Muskrat Creek Shelter - view into TN Click here for audio journal
Date: 2009-03-18
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: broken clouds

Wed Mar 18, Day 8: On this beautiful but chilly morning I got up and left the Muskrat Creek Shelter around 0830 and hiked up and up and up - until (6.4 miles after starting) I was at the summit of Standing Indian Mountain, elevation 5,498 feet. It wasn¢t that bad of a climb. Very gradual elevation gain. Wonderful day today, lots of stream crossings. I took a lot of breaks and just enjoyed the day. I hike alone during most of the day, Everyone gathers at lunch or the end of the day in the shelters. The solitude is fine during the day. Warning sign entering Nantahala National ForestGot to the Carter Gap Shelter in early afternoon. There are two shelters here. One is kinda decrepit and the floor¢s falling out of it. But that¢s where the water source is, so you have to go to that side first to check that out. There¢s a new shelter that¢s almost like the last one at Muskrat Creek, everything is under cover and it¢s got plenty of room. Decided to stay here tonight instead of pressing on. There are always surprises on the trail ¢ last night the thru-hiker that was sleeping next to me had a mouse fall on her head. I have yet to feel, hear, or see any mice in the shelters. When lights out arrives, I am out like a light!EQUIPMENT REVIEW TIME: As far as equipment goes, virtually everyone is using Aqua Mira chemical treatment drops to sanitize their water. I only met one person, and that was today,Papa Jack, who had a hand pump filter. The footwear of preference this year are the Keen Targhee IIs, just like the boots I¢ve got. I¢ve been very pleased with the performance, no blisters yet. Most hikers are wearing those. I've seen a couple of people wearing Trail Runners, but I haven't noticed what brand they are. As far as packs go, Gregory and Osprey seem to be the two pack brands of interest. Those companies have been around a long time, their reputation is well deserved. I should be in Franklin within the next couple of days. From there (coverage permitting) I will call in another audio update. By the way, I called Kim this afternoon and she read me some of the guest book entries. Wow. I really appreciate EVERYONE taking the time to sign the guest book and leave your comments and good vibes. It means a lot. As always, thanks for checking in. Click here for audio journal
Date: 2009-03-19
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Thu, Mar 19, Day 9: Brrr...it's cold! Several hikers who tented awoke to frozen tents and frozen water bottles. Thank goodness I got a spot inside the shelter. Got up this morning and left Carter Gap, elevation 4640', at 0800 hours. A brisk start for the hiking day. Seven miles later I was on the approach to Albert Mountain which is at 5,220'. It was a bitch of a climb, probably the most vertical rock face climbing on the AT as of to date. I¢m talking hands over your head, grab onto a rock or root, and pull yourself up kind of climbing. The effort was worth it as a beautiful panoramic view at the top of Albert Mountain was there waiting for me. There¢s a fire tower on top of Albert and the views are just stunning. I was able to catch a breather and take a few pictures before moving on. View from Albert Mountain summit - click picture to see full size Spokes enjoying the view from Albert MountainHad lunch at Big Spring Shelter with Papa Jack. He was interested in my bike ride across the Trans-America Trail last year. I then pushed on to the Rock Gap Shelter (back down at 3,760'). Yeah! First one here! We're only four miles from Franklin, NC.In camp tonight are Papa Jack, Two Pounds, urnaround, The Crazy Kiwis, Wicked Wahenee, and Mike and Roxanne The Maryland Girls showed up but they decided to pitch a tarp down in the valley a little bit away from the shelter. Bow Willow, Jeffrey, and Trump came in and got a hitch into Franklin. We may see them later on.Rock Gap was a good shelter. The rodents were robust at the very least. This was the first time I felt mice running over the sleeping bag during the night. I guess they are tired and hungry, looking for a warm place to sleep just like thru-hikers are... I am slowly getting the hang of trail life. I must find a way to limit or eliminate mail drops. Kim has done a fantastic job with them so far, I am one fortunate man!Headed to Franklin - it's a short hike to Winding Stair Gap and a shuttle to a warm shower! Click here for audio journal