morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-08
From: tray mountain shelter

To: deep gap shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

Woke up at 5am this morning to break camp and beat the rain. As I left for deep gap the rain started lightly and became heavy on and off during the day. I was half a mile from the shelter and it poured but my rain gear kept me dry. I got to the shelter at 3pm. It was raining heavy until 6pm and the temp went cold but I was toasty in my sleeping bag
Date: 2010-04-17
From: wesser shelter

To: nantahala outdoor center
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: broken clouds

Got to the noc early 11:30am and got a bunk at the hostel. First thing after getting lodging was to eat then take a shower and laundry the see who else from your group was around. there is always lots of friends aroundThis is a nice place it is right along the nantahala river and the are having kayak compatitions
Date: 2010-04-24
From: double springs shelter

To: new found gap (gatlinburg tn)
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

the morning was over cast and looked like rain left early but the day was nice and clear until we were 4 miles from new found gap and it poured when we got to the gap to get picked up by the grandprix hotel shuttle we wre frozen and wet. felt good to take a nice hot shower and a cozy bed will take a zero day tomorw and be back on the trail monday morning. did i say this is the best vacation i ever took LOL
Date: 2010-04-26
From: gatlinburg TN 

To: pecks corner shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

We left gatlinburg by shuttle and the weather was clear on the way up to the trailhead (Newfoundland gap) we seen a bear along the road it was a small bear about 300lbs LoL we got to the trailhead at 9am and it was raining lightly but by the time around noon it was heavy and by the time we got to the shelter we were soaked we ate dinner and got into our sleeping bags were it was nice and warm that night it was 37 degrees and this is in the middle of the Smokey mountains burr
Date: 2010-04-27
From: pecks corner shelter

To: pecks corner shelter zero day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Well when we woke this morning it was still raining and we decided to take a zero and try to dry some of our cloths out and it maybe a nicer day tomorrow. Glad we stayed at the shelter today at 9am the rain turned to sleet the to hail and the to snow by 2pm there was 2 inches of snow on the ground. We ate and slept the day away so wedding decided tomorrow we were going to hike 20miles todavenport to get off the Smokey mountains before it go worst.
Date: 2010-04-29
From: davenport gap shelter

To: standing bear farm hostel
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: clear sky

Was a short 4miles to the hostel had a hot shower and did laundry everyone got there and it was good to see old friends and make new ones. This was a great hostel would recommend anyone to stop and stay awhile. Finally off the Smokey's and dry and warm LoL
Date: 2010-06-11
From: daleville va

To: buchanan va
Miles today: 20.0

I got to Buchanan VA at 8pm I was dead tired I got a ride to the nearest motel which was 8 miles I needed a good rest. In the morning I decided it was time to go home I had reach the brick wall LOL.   I can finish the trail at a later time. It was a good experience and I met some nice People .Thank you to all I met and good hiking to you I hope we meet again
Date: 2011-04-21
From: buchanan va

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

well it's April 21 2011 and I am all geared up for the continued hike along the AT. Last April 1, 2010 I left Georgia and Hiked 724 miles to Buchanan VA. it was a great hike and I met alot of great people, now I am ready to hike where I left off. I'll be starting June 1st at Buchanan Va. and hiking to Harpers Ferry WV. I am taking a month at a time so I plan on making it to harpers ferry by end of june.well this is my first entry , one of meny.Traveler
Date: 2011-05-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

well it's May 13th 2011 and I am all ready to get on the trail on June 2nd 20011. I will be with a fellow Hiker this trip, it will be nice sharing ths hike with someone. we plan on going from where I left off last year (last year I hike fom Springer Mt. Ga to Buchanan Va 735 miles 2.5 months) Buchnan Va and hike to Harpers Ferry. can't wait
Date: 2010-02-26
To: Preparation
Miles today: 0.0

I have been preparing for my 2010 AT hike since the beginning of last October. I have been researching equipment with the goal of upgrading my hiking gear for this hike. My overall objective is to thru hike the Trail this summer. I anticipate starting on March 15th.   It will be a challenge for me especially in the area of avoiding any serious injuries. Highlander II has been my hiking mentor. He hiked the trail in 1991-92 and again in 2003. His guidance and advice have been invaluable.
Date: 2010-02-26
To: Gear - part 1
Miles today: 0.0

My mantra on gear is only carry in my pack what is necessary and to make it as light as possible. Tenth of ounces add up to ounces, ounces add up to pounds, and pounds add up to some serious weight. So I have worked very hard to minimize my pack weight. My goal has been 10 lbs not counting the consumables (food, water, and fuel) I budget 2 lbs of food/day (to make my 4000 calories), 2 liters of water and 8 oz of fuel (to cook 8 meals). So for a 3 day resupply my consumable weight will be 10.5 lbs. My pack weight budget for starting out is now 10.5 lbs without consumables and 21.0 lbs with consumables. I am hopeful that this will minimize the wear and tear on the joints and muscles, especially at the start of the hike.
Date: 2010-02-26
To: Gear ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ part 2
Miles today: 0.0

An important piece in the weight reduction program is the stove. I will be using an alcohol stove made out of aluminum soda cans, in this case orange soda cans. It will set inside a hardware cloth cylinder pot stand. A wind screen encircles the stand as shown in the photo and the pot sets on top. When I pack it up the stove fits inside the stand which fits inside the windscreen which fits inside the pot. The stove weighs 0.52 oz and the stove plus stand plus windscreen totals only 2.15 oz. The stove burns denatured alcohol that can be found at most stops along the Trail and at all hardware stores. I carry the alcohol in a green 20 oz Sprite bottle to remind me that it is alcohol and not water. It takes 1.0 oz of fuel (4 bottle caps full) to heat the water for dinner. This stove is an updated design that Highlander II found. This design (1) uses high temperature RTV for the glue instead of furnace cement and (2) expands the outer can rather than shrinking the inner can for assembly and a tighter fit. We believe this updated design will maintain a better seal and will give a longer lasting burn. I tested it today and it burned several minutes after the water came to a rolling boil.
Date: 2010-03-01
To: Gear - part 3
Miles today: 0.0

Highlander II had heard about this light weight waterproof fabric. It is called cuben fiber and is a little pricey but we wanted to try it so we did.   We (actually Highlander) made a pack cover, a number of stuff bags and a food bag. The photo shows him making the cuben fiber food bag.   It is even lighter than the Sil Ny that we had tried last time. The Sil Ny pack cover we had made earlier turned out to not be waterproof so we had to go back to a urethane pack cover which is water proof but heavier. Here are the pack cover weights: urethane 4.40 oz, Sil Ny 2.9 oz and cuben fiber 0.79 oz. So by going to cuben fiber I save more than a quarter pound in just the pack cover. The stuff bags and food bag add up to another good sized saving.
Date: 2010-03-04
To: Conditioning
Miles today: 0.0

I have been trying to get into hiking shape since last fall but it is not easy in the New England winter weather with the snow and ice and cold. Ideally we would like the hiking trails here to be similar to the AT trail in Georgia and North Carolina. One option would be to just go down there and get in hiking shape by starting out hiking the Trail. That is not my choice because of the risk of injury especially overuse injury at the start of the hike. So I have been loading up my backpack like it will be at the start of the hike at Springer Mt and hiking around here. January and most of February have seen several snow storms or 8 to 12 inches and temperatures mostly between 10F and 30F. Highlander has run a snowmobile over some woods trails behind his house which creates a solid hiking surface at these temperatures. These trails then connect to other snowmobile trails in adjoining state parks. During the cold weather these have provided some reasonable hiking surfaces when I use strap on studs to give better traction. Last week it turned warmer with the temperature reaching the 45F range which softened the snow and made the going more demanding. The photo shows the snowmobiled trail behind Highlander¢s house that I have been hiking. It has been my simulated AT training trail. But during this week I have just been hiking roads around my house because the trails are now soft snow with thawing ice and post holeing an ever present danger. I am hoping that the temperature continues to warm and the snow melts so that the trails are hike able again soon. I look forward to being able to hike on bare ground again.
Date: 2010-03-05
To: Change of Plan
Miles today: 0.0

I have been watching the Georgia weather and the hiking conditions on the AT. The Forum on Trail Journals has been very illuminating. Eye witness reports a foot of snow on all the elevations and snow drifts much deeper in places. In addition there are also blow downs reported on the Trail. All this translates into very slow going for those on the Trail not to mention the misery factor. In my case there would be a heightened risk of injury which I can not afford if I want to complete the hike this summer.So today I bit the bullet, pushed out my start date from March 15th to March 22nd and changed my airline reservations. The additional week here will give me a chance to do another week of training and also permit me to finish up some things on the home front that would have to have been put off otherwise.
Date: 2010-03-15
To: 50 year storm
Miles today: 0.0

One week to go and today is the end of the third day of what some folks here in Massachusetts are calling the 50 year storm. It has been raining for three days and the weather people have been reporting between 8 and 11 inches of rain. Many roads around here are closed because rivers are far above flood stage and have covered the roads, making them impassable. I am just glad it was not snow because 10 inches of rain would have been approximately 100 inches (more than 8 feet) of snow. I did go out today in the rain and do a 12 plus mile conditioning hike on the local roads and rail trail. I wore shorts, T-shirt, rain gear, liner gloves and gaiters. 39F was the starting temperature and I was warm enough at the beginning. By the end the temperature had dropped to 35F and my fingers were getting really cold. Yes that¢s the not too pretty me at the end of this hike in the photo. On the Trail this would have been the time to stop at a shelter or pitch a tent and get into my sleeping bag. Hypothermia can occur with conditions like this. Fortunately this was just practice and I was back home at that point.
Date: 2010-03-18
To: Broken Stick - Gear- part 4
Miles today: 0.0

It was Monday, February 22nd (Washington's birthday) three days after we received a foot of snow in the area. The temperature had been between 10F and 30F. The snowmobiles had been out making some reasonable surfaces to hike on. This Monday I strapped studs on my trail shoes, started out at Highlander¢s simulated AT and hiked out to Pearl Hill State Park. This day I was using a new set of hiking poles that I had ordered as backup in case I need a replacement during my hike. These are light weight aluminum with two twist lock adjustments. There have no shock absorber which I consider to be a waste of energy. The trails were solid, reasonably smooth and in good hiking shape thanks to the snowmobiles. It was sunny and warming up to the high 30s ¢ a nice hiking day. After about 3 hrs and getting close to the turn around point of my out and back hike I was crossing an open field, going down a moderate hill on the far side and BANG I was down on my butt. It is always amazing how fast things like that happen. There was no precursor and the trail surface looked fine. I was sitting in water and I realized that there was ice and water under the snow and my feet just slid our from under me. Usually my two hiking poles provide both balance and support but they failed this time. My right knee was flexed all the way and my butt was sitting on my ankle. My first reaction was to check and see it there is any body damage. In this case everything seemed fine and I straightened the leg and stood up. I looked for my sticks and one was fine but the other was what you see in the photo. I am guessing the when my feet went out from under me my leg hit the pole whose tip was fixed in the snow/ice, swung through the pole at the lower adjustment point, and the pole just broke there. I strapped the broken pole on my backpack and hiked back with one pole. I have since adjusted the section distribution so now the lower section is as short as possible and ordered another set of hiking poles for backup. I will also try to be even more careful on the hike.
Date: 2010-03-19
To: In Honor
Miles today: 0.0

In honor of the men and women who serve our country I will be wearing the patch of the 502 Air Operations Group (AOG) on my backpack. The 502 AOG was responsible for the command and control of air, space and information operations in the Pacific area of operations. This patch was given to me by a good friend, Col PJ, who was recently group commander there and previous to that for many years had strapped an F16 on his butt and flew around protecting our country and making us safer. So I will be hiking this hike in honor of all the men and women who protect and serve our country and make it a better and safer place for all of us.
Date: 2010-03-20
To: My Support Crew
Miles today: 0.0

On the eve of my departure for Atlanta, I wanted to introduce the three key members of my great support staff. You¢ve already been introduced to Craig, my son, as my AT mentor. He in fact has already been here tonight, reviewing the contents of the backpack with which I will kick off my hike on Monday. You will soon become acquainted with my scribe, who is also my daughter, Dawn. She did a great job scribing my 2003/2004 hike and has graciously offered to serve in that role again. Of course, technology has advanced in the past 7 years and we will now communicate more via cell phone and voice mail. I will still rely on snail mail to ship hand-written journals (for transcription) and photo cards for pictorial documentation of my hike. The third ¢ and very important¢person supporting my hike is my wife, Pat. She will be responsible for assembling and sending all-important mail drops throughout my hike: new boots (4 pair are ready to go), meds, a lighter summer pack for May, a summer sleeping bag, and other essentials that are not easily acquired near the Trail. Thank you all for helping make this hike possible.
Date: 2010-03-21
To: AT Hike Eve 
Miles today: 0.0

I guess you could call this the eve of the start of my AT hike since it is now 12:13 AM on March 21st. Everything is ready. My backpack is packed and my box with hiking stuff that might not get through security at the airport has arrived at the Holiday Inn in Gainesville where I will be staying tonight. My daughter will be driving me to Logan airport in Boston early this morning to board a flight to Atlanta. Then from there I will grab a shuttle to Gainesville for the night. On Mon AM I will get a ride to Amicalola Falls State Park which is the location of the trailhead to the AT. The Thru Hikers Guide says that it is 8.8 miles to the summit of Springer Mountain which is the start of the Appalachian Trail. It will be at that point that I will be counting the miles hiked on the AT. I am looking forward to this journey. And as they say a journey starts with the first step and Monday will be that time for me.
Date: 2010-03-21
To: Traveling
Miles today: 0.0

This morning, Dawn drove me to the airport and watched me go through security. No problems in spite of the one-way ticket. I forgot to take out the ZipLock bag (containing Gu and lip ointment) for closer security inspection. No matter - it went right through the X-ray machine as part of the backpack. The flight was uneventful and arrived on time in Atlanta at 12:30 pm. I caught a shuttle to Gainesville. Unfortunately the driver would not stop for me to get alcohol for my stove. After arriving at the hotel at 2:30 pm, I checked in and picked up the box I had shipped earlier with my hiking poles, etc. Everything was intact. The desk gave me walking directions to the nearest Home Depot and I walked there, got fuel and walked back. My estimate is a round trip hike of 4.5 mi. It would have been nice to have a zero day on day 0. Oh by the way it was 53 oF and was/is raining; I expect tomorrow¢s weather to be the same. My plan for tomorrow is to stay in the shelter at the top of Springer Mountain just past the start of the AT. To get there will require hiking up the 8.8 mile approach trail which does not count for AT miles.
Date: 2010-03-22
From: Traveling

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: light snow

Was up at 7 am, hiking by 10 am. I hiked the 8.8 miles from Amicola State Park to the start of the AT, then started my official hike with 0.2 miles. Ascent: 3260, descent: 1260. Hiked for 5 h. It was too cold to call in tonight. I set the hotel room alarm clock for 6:45 am. It didn¢t go off and I woke at 7:00 am. Still no alarm clock luck. Took my last shower for a few days and had a hot breakfast that came with the room. That was my last good meal for a few days. I got a ride from Gainesville to Amicalola Falls. I was hiker #386 at the AT approach trail check-in. All those are starting out with the plan to thru-hike the AT. My official pack weight at check-in was 21 pounds and it should take me to Neck Gap. Most packs were around 35 pounds ¢ I and saw one that tipped the scale at 75 pounds! I started hiking at 10:00 am. They have changed the approach trail since I was last here in 2003. Now it goes up next to the falls. There were 600 steps to climb to the top of the falls. (That¢s like a 50 story building). It was a demanding way to start the hike. The rest of the hike to Springer was much milder. It was raining during the ride to Amicalola and then snowed (yes, snowed) off and on during the day. I hiked in shorts, a T-shirt, rain gear and gaiters. I was wearing enough even though at one point I measured the temperature to be 32 °F. I cooked dinner and am now in my sleeping bag. I am wearing shorts, a T-shirt, long bottoms, a long top, a down vest, rain gear, balaclava, and two pair of socks. I am not cold, but I am not warm either. I¢m glad I brought a winter sleeping bag. It is a spring wonderland with snow in the woods and on the trees here. It is 6:20 pm. I am sharing the shelter with 5 Western Michigan students on Spring Break, a 51-year old, an 82-year old George (who already has a broken backpack), and a dog Norman. I can see my breath in the air and it is not steam. Tomorrow is another day. Here¢s hoping it is warmer. On Day 1, I was lulled to sleep by a bedtime story. One of the Western Michigan students read to the whole shelter several initial chapters in Bronson¢s Walk in the Woods. I have to admit it was quite entertaining.
Date: 2010-03-23
From: Springer Mountain Shelter

To: Cooper Gap
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: few clouds

Got up at 8 am. It was COLD this morning (only 19 °F). Was hiking by 9:15 am. Today did 2490' ascent and 3490' descent. I¢m in my tent now, making this cell phone call. I was up at 8:00 am to 19 °F temperatures. It had snowed more during the night! The trail was now white, covered with an inch or more of snow. I slowly packed up, trying to stay warm and was hiking at 9:15 am with all my layers still on. The going was slow going down Springer on the snow-covered trails. I stopped at Stover Creek Shelter at 10:30 am for a break and a snack. It had warmed up some so I removed one layer. Around noon I found a rock to sit on for lunch. I stopped at Hawk Mountain Shelter (mile 7.8) to get water and cook dinner. I treat my water with AquaMiva. You mix 7 drops of Part A with 7 drops of Part B, let set for 5 min, then dump into a liter of water, let it set for another 30 min and it is ready to drink. (Transcriber can¢t resist a little sarcasm here ¢ sounds yummy). When I did this last at the Springer shelter, the Part A hardly dripped out, I thought because it was so cold. Well today the same thing happened again in 55 °F temperatures. I investigated and found that the outlet hole in the Part A top was blocked. My sewing needle punched a hole and solved that problem. I had planned to hike on and tent in the Horse Gap, giving me a 10.0 mile hike today but there were no spots left to pitch a tent so I hiked on to Cooper Gap where I am now. An advantage to this site is having a water source 0.3 mi down the road. A bunch of other hikers are here also. They have a fire going. I am going to sleep. Well, guess I spoke too soon. I laid awake in my bag listening to hiker tales for another hour ¢ but that comes with the territory.
Date: 2010-03-24
From: Cooper Gap

To: A stream at mile 23.3
Miles today: 11.5

I was up at 6:45 am this morning. The tent temperature was 41 °F. Sun and blue skies! I started hiking at 7:30 am, wearing my rain gear. It was chilly at the start but by 10:15 am I was hiking in shorts and a T-shirt. The trail was greasy in spots but all remnants of snow were gone. By the afternoon the trails were dry and the temperature was 70 °F. It was a leisurely (slow) day ¢ I didn¢t really want to go any faster. I went a little past my 10 mile plan but had to find a reasonable tent site. Here I am, in a tent beside a gurgling stream. No other hikers are near. Over the past few days I have met MDMama, JERMM (like Germ) who is featured on the cover of this year¢s Thru Hiker¢s Handbook, Nightcrawler, Superman, Rice and Beans, and others. It is now 7:50 pm and getting dark. The temperature is 63 °F and falling. It is quiet except for the gurgling brook less than 10 ft from my ¢pillow¢. That¢s what I¢ll be listening to tonight. I¢m going to sign off and just enjoy the sounds.