morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Curry Creek

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 8.6

Dear reader: Thank you for your interest and for following my travels. Regrettably, I will no longer maintain this journal as it has become too cumbersome. I'm hiking 10-12 hours per day which simply doesn't leave time to write. I will continue to update photos and I hope you'll find those enjoyable.Sincerely,Woodstock
Date: 2013-01-16
To: Making Preparations
Miles today: 0.0

So a dream that has been 15 years in the making is about the become a reality. All of my gear has been purchased. Mary is working on dehydrated food recipes to see what will work and what won't for mail drops for resupply along the trail. I picked up a few flat rate USPS boxes on my day off to see how much will fit in them and found out that it's much more cost effective to ship things at a flat rate than by weight, (at least when you're shipping them across the country). Now that the reality has hit that I am actually going to get the chance to thru-hike the AT it is crazy how fast time is flying by. My biggest fear is that I won't be conditioned enough to hike at the pace that I would like to keep, in order to keep to a certain schedule. I have to remind myself that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and not to rush myself into an injury by doing too much too quickly. Better to be the tortoise than the hare I am brainstorming about a trail name today. Originally I was thinking of Bicoastal Bookworm because of being from NY and settling in OR but then someone on White Blaze suggested Dr. Seuss and I kind of like it. We will see... Next step is to get the plane tickets to Atlanta!
Date: 2013-03-21
To: 9 days left...
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I leave for Georgia in nine days. I will be taking an overnight flight from Seattle and will start hiking from Springer Mountain on Easter Sunday. Last night Mar and I sorted food, arranged dehydrated meals and vacuum sealed four days worth of food for me to take with me for the start of the hike. It still feels surreal. I have been hiking up the road that we live on and the logging hill down the road as much as possible in the last couple of weeks. There is a big difference between the 12 pounds of base weight and twenty-five pounds of fully loaded pack. I don't have the final weight yet but 25-30 pounds is what it's looking like with food and water. I changed back to my original Therma Rest Z lite sleeping pad which is basically a foam egg crate type piece that provides insulation from the cold ground and a hi of cushioning. I'm just too paranoid at this point to trust that an air mattress type sleeping pad won't pop and leave me with nothing between my sleeping bag and the ground. Haven't been sleeping well lately - probably a combination of anticipation, stress, working too much and excitement about what is to come. The four dogs and four cats might also be a factor Not everyone sleeps through the night... Okay enough rambling for now. Only nine days left!!!
Date: 2013-03-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday was the last day of work for the next two months. Originally I had thought that I would be so excited about not working for an extended period of time but I really do like my work. I am however excited to get out on the trail and start walking to see how this is all going to play out. Right now there are still a few last minute things to be arranged - sorting out maps and guidebook pages to take with me on the first part and then have mailed to me at different locations, figuring out how much food to have sent to each mail drop, cleaning out my car and getting the oil changed, setting up my water filter, etc. The final weigh in for my pack with all gear, four days worth of food, 2 liters of water, etc. was 30 lbs. 5 oz. Went out last night with a bunch of friends from work who I appreciate so much for supporting me. Now we have to see how all of this goes Will keep you posted!
Date: 2013-03-30
To: Flying
Miles today: 0.0

So I'm at the gate at the airport and on scheduled to arrive in Atlanta tomorrow morning. A million thoughts have gone through my head today but the bottom line is that this doesn't seem real. Until I set foot on the trail I don't think everything will truly sink in. Half of my gear is in a box that was checked in because there are liquids, a knife, stove, etc. that are not allowed in carry on baggage. I felt like I was leaving half of everything I own on a conveyor belt hoping it will all arrive safely. I was expecting excitement to overwhelm all other feelings but right now it just feels like I'm leaving home. Tomorrow will be a new day and I will be meeting another thru hiker when we are both picked up by AT Survivor Dave who will shuttle us to our respective starting points. I will try to write again tomorrow morning but after that reception will be hit or miss.
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Springer Mountain parking lot

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

So the first day on the trail was interesting. AT Survivor Dave picked myself and another hiker up at the North Springs MARTA station and shuttled us to the parking lot at Springer Mountain. We stopped for Starbucks along the way (ironic I know but it was a last taste of civilization for a while) and the trip took about two hours. There were a bunch of cars in the parking lot and the hike one mile south to the top of Springer was pretty straightforward. At the top I signed the register, had someone take my picture and then started hiking back down to the parking lot. From there it was northward bound. Halfway through the hike it started to rain and my rain gear got broken in. It poured for a while and then let up in time for me to make it to Hawk Mountain Shelter for the night. I pitched my tent, made dinner, refilled water at the stream there and then got into my tent for the night at 6:30 PM. The military do training exercises in the area so there was gunfire throughout the night and what sounded like cannon fire the next day while hiking. At at least three times during the night I was convinced there was a bear outside my tent. I'm 99% sure I was making that up It poured with rain all night and I didn't get up for the day until 8:30 AM. The terrain is similar to hiking trails in Oregon but there are a lot of hills. When it was raining and I was sitting on a log taking a break with another thru hiker we talked about how long we had wanted to do this and how hard it was. He said he had been dreaming of this for thirty years but right now didn't know why and I had a hard time arguing the point. We all keep trudging northward though... More soon
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Just south of Woody Gap
Miles today: 12.0

So the next shelter was only about 7 miles down the trail and it seemed too soon to stop for the day. Made it to Gooch Gap shelter in the afternoon where there were at least five guys already set up for the night. Used the privy and kept on walking to a road where I met a girl thru hiker who was also heading farther up the trail. Everyone says not to camp by roads in case of locals harassing thru hikers or weekend party animals so we camped about a mile south of Woody Gap in a spot just past Ramrock Mountain. Three guys we had met earlier also ended up camping there and one of them offered to hang my food bag with his when he saw me sorting out my bear bag line. Gotta love backcountry chivalry I very gladly accepted his offer and our food bags made it through the night without getting snagged. The guys made a campfire and we all cooked on our stoves. i headed to bed early The weather was sunny and warm and so far only minor rubbing on my pinky toes but no major blisters. More soon...
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Just south of Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up this morning to a cold wind blowing. Packed up camp as quickly as possible and headed down to Woody Gap where there were bear proof trash cans (yay! Got to throw away all the wrappers and trash that had accrued over the past few days) and a public restroom that had no water (but at least it was a restroom). Cooked breakfast (Cup o noodles with dehydrated chicken added) with my stove at a picnic table. It was still windy so once breakfast was done I packed up and moved on. The trail went up and down a bunch and came to a climax at the top of Blood Mountain at 4481 feet, the highest peak on the AT in Georgia. There is a stone shelter at the top that was built in the 1930s and there was a great view at the top. The rest of the day was downhill to Neels Gap. When we got there it was a little anticlimactic. We crossed the road and arrived at Mountain Crossings where I asked for my mail drop and was told that it had not arrived. The USPS tracking number says that it arrived on the 29th so I'm thinking something sketchy was going on there. My shuttle driver warned me that things sometimes go missing there. Luckily I had enough food to get me through until Hiawassee. I bought a couple of supplies, charged my phone at the hostel and then hemmed and hawed about whether or not to stay in the hostel or move on. Finally I decided to stay and got one of the last bunks available. A girl stayed there who had just moved to Georgia and was camping by herself about a mile away and had seen three bears walk by about 30 feet away while she was cooking her dinner. She packed up, peaced out and headed to the hostel. A Baptist church group came to the hostel and brought an amazing potluck dinner. I have never been so happy to see bread and butter! There was Mac and cheese, sausage and beans, chicken, apple pie, sweet tea and more. Spent the night on a top bunk that I could barely crawl into and Kellen slept on the bottom bunk with one of the two resident hostel cats. A shower was included with the stay (first one since 3/30/13) which was amazing and I hand washed some of my clothes and was trying to air dry them when Shenando (another thru hiker) offered to throw my clothes in with his that he was washing (in a washing machine) since it was only a few things. Awesome! It was great to actually have clean clothes. Lights went out at 10 PM and lights went on at 7 AM the next day, a rough awakening. Still not sleeping well but at least the bed was more comfortable than the ground...
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Neels Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Neels Gap at around 9:30 and wanted to make some decent mileage since the weather was supposed to get rainy the next day. Figured it would be better to hike longer on a day with good weather than longer in bad weather. It was sunny all day and I made my way the 13 or so miles to Low Gap Shelter, used the privy and decided to continue on to Blue Mountain Shelter. The rest of the hike was an additional 5 miles and I barely saw anyone until nearing the shelter. At different points I would hum and sing out loud when it felt like it was only myself and the bears in the woods. Squirrels moving around in dry leaves sound surprisingly like black bears when you are alone in the woods... The last two miles of the 18.8 miles that day were pretty intense. I was exhausted and wasn't sure when I would make it. I finally came across a camping site that I knew was supposed to be less than a mile before the shelter and a guy who was camping there was going north to get water. I joined him at the water source, filled up my bag and bottle and staggered the rest of the way to the shelter. Finally made it to the shelter at about 6 PM and was able to cook dinner and set up my tent before dark. There were a bunch of guys sitting around a campfire and one had brought a yukelele (spelling?). They were all singing Johnny Cash songs and having a great time. After eating a warm meal I felt a hundred times better than I had before. I was able to get cell service so sent a couple of texts and checked email, wrote in my journal and went to bed. I was surprisingly warm and it didn't rain much overnight. In the morning it was cold and windy and I packed up, had a pop tart and protein bar breakfast and hit the trail...I forgot to mention the amazing trail magic at Hogpen Gap in the middle of the day. Olivia and her wonderful friends/family had set up a tent on the side of the road with chairs and were serving hot dogs, beverages, had first aid supplies, candy bars and were just amazing generous people. Olivia said a prayer for me before I continued on with my hike which was both comforting and extremely meaningful. I appreciate so much that they were there and chose to help hungry tired hikers when they easily could have been doing other things with their day. Thank you!
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 3.6

So I woke up to rain, put on my wet clothes in the dark, packed up my pack, dismantled my tent and put my wet tent in its bag and in my pack. Got my food bag down from the bear cable, ate some trail mix and a pop tart and started hiking. I was praying to make it to Dicks Creek Gap by 9:30 in the hopes that Gary from the Blueberry Patch hostel in Hiawassee would be able to shuttle me to the hostel, saving me over three miles of extra walking. I arrived at 9:25 AM and made the shuttle It turned out to be a beautiful day and I was able to shower in the bath house they have behind the hostel (it is heated and awesome, they provide towels, soap, shampoo and conditioner!) and lay out all of my gear to dry in the sun. Gary collected my laundry and returned it later clean and fresh. I met Acorn a fellow thru hiker when I arrived and there ended up being a total of three of us that night,(usually there are more hikers there but many people had taken a zero the day before because of the bad weather). Pheromone arrived a little while after I did (we named him that because he continuously talked about his research with pheromones) and the three of us were shuttled into town by Gary to have an all you can eat buffet at Daniel's Steakhouse for $8. While we were eating, a former thru hiker approached Pheromone in the parking lot (he had been at another store getting a tarp) and offered to buy us all dinner so our buffet was graciously paid for, yet another example of trail magic It turned out to be a great day and other than what sounded like a critter in the kitchen overnight, I slept comfortably and had an amazing breakfast the next morning made by Lennie, Gary's wife. I would absolutely recommend the Blueberry Patch hostel as a must do in Hiawassee, particularly if you are not one of the party crowd. They are a Christian ministry and do not allow smoking, drinking, etc. at their home. There are also three hiker boxes full of miscellaneous gear, food, etc. left behind by other hikers where you can find useful items to take with you.
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 15.8

So today started with an amazing breakfast at the Blueberry Patch hostel. Gary then dropped Acorn and myself off at the trailhead at Dicks Creek Gap. Acorn took off and as usual, multiple hikers passed me going uphill. I am slow on uphills and downhills are harder on my knees, feet, etc. so unless the terrain is flat there seems to always be some degree of difficulty. The hike was a struggle today. I had been tagging along with Clutch and Logos today and felt totally spent by the time we got to Muskrat Creek Shelter. Clutch said that the rest of the hike to Standing Indian shelter should be much easier so at 4:45 we took off to try to make it the 4.9 miles to the next shelter. The remainder of the hike that day ended up being the most enjoyable. We met some SOBOs (southbounders) who said there was trail magic at Deep Gap which was a mile from the shelter. When we got there a group of people from Georgia were hosting Green Truck/Red Truck's 11th annual feed the thru hikers weekend. There were multiple former thru hikers in the group and they were incredibly welcoming. I had stew and a hot dog and still ended up eating my trail dinner for the night. It was getting dark and the group was camping at Deep Gap for the night so we decided to stay too.
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Deep Gap

To: Long Branch Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: scattered clouds

So today was a big day! Passed the 100 mile mark at the top of Albert Mountain. The climb was steep and I had to put my trekking poles away for the first time during the hike to scramble over the rocks and pull myself up. The view at the top was amazing. Four miles into the hike I felt a burning sensation on one of the toes on my left foot so I took a break, removed my boot and sock and found a blister developing on the fourth digit of my left foot. I bandaged it with moleskin and moved on. It was a long day and felt great to finally make it to the shelter which was constructed in 2012. There weren't many flat spots for tents but we made it work and fit about five around the back and side of the shelter. I treated myself to dehydrated angel food cake and chocolate sauce that Mary made me after a full dinner. During the night I heard someone roll over in their sleepig bag in the shelter and heard multiple mice squeak! They sounded pretty perturbed. I've been told not to sleep with your head against the wall or by a side wall because the mice run the perimeters. Oh I almost forgot, yesterday I finished the portion of the trail in Georgia and entered North Carolina! The trail weaves between NC and TN for the next section.
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Long Branch Shelter

To: Campsite in a "meadow" at mile 118
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Things that I appreciate more after a week on the trail: family, friends, sitting in a chair, sleeping in a bed, deodorant, free access to potable water, toilets, electricity, clean clothing. Today felt like a long day with my blisters and I wanted so badly to make it all the way to Wayah Bald Shelter with Clutch and Logos but toward the end of the day my feet were hurting so badly I just couldn't keep going the extra three miles to the shelter. Acorn and I ended up camping in a campsite labeled as "meadow" in AWOL's AT guide but it wasn't really a meadow. There was a beautiful grassy bald/meadow after Silers Bald shelter but we went to mile mark 118 and happily found Timberwolf, a section hiker already camped there with his coonhound. He didn't mind us camping there as well and we all sat around the campfire he had made and ate dinner. He "cowboy camped" with no shelter of any kind and spent the night under the stars by a stream with his dog. I pitched my tent and Acorn hung her hammock. Before bed Timberwolf helped us hang our food bags and taught me a trick of how to keep the bear bag line snug around the tree without tying any knots. Once again, chivalry on the trail. All of the people I have met so far have been amazing. It turned out to be an excellent campsite just a bit off the trail so in the morning I was back on the trail in no time. My feet still hurt.
Date: 2013-04-09
From: Campsite in a 

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 19.3

Today was my biggest mileage day yet - 19.3 miles! I didn't know if I would be able to do it but I just kept going and made it to NOC at 7:30 that night. There was a lot of downhill into NOC and by the time I got there I was absolutely exhausted. My feet hurt badly and I stumbled off of the trail into the community of NOC. The general store was closed but they had left an envelope with my room key outside, (I had made a reservation earlier that day which kept me motivated during the day). I then had to walk across the whole campus to the farthest building (Kephart in Base Camp), where I shared a room with another thru hiker. The room resembled a cell with two bunk beds. I dropped my stuff off and made my way to the shower which felt great. I then made my way back across the campus in the falling darkness to the coin operated laundry. The restaurant was closed but they gave me change for the machines and I sat alone in the laundry room across a road doing my laundry and talked to Mary on the phone. I saw Logos and Clutch along the way to do laundry and Logos lent me his headlamp so I would have light on the way back to the bunk house. I brought my laundry back wet and dried it in my room so I wouldn't have to stay alone any longer in the laundry room. The experience wasn't the best but if you are into kayaking or rafting it is definitely a cool place. The Nantahala River runs right through the complex and there are restaurants, an outfitter and a general store.
Date: 2013-04-10
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)

To: Cheoah Bald
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: few clouds

This morning I got up, went to the outfitter to get some first aid stuff for blisters, a belt since the elastic on my pants is getting a bit loose and a "Freshette." Okay friends and family this is probably too much information and I apologize in advance but for those of you reading this journal who are women and are thinking of thru hiking a Freshette or P style is a worthwhile investment! They are devices that allow a woman to pee while standing up. It takes a bit of practice but I am telling you it is so much easier than squatting after walking forever with a heavy pack and having people possibly catch you with your pants down. I had considered getting one before the hike and didn't but then several girls on the trail told me about them and I decided to go for it. So enough about that, I then had breakfast and picked up my mail drop with my dehydrated food made by Mary and letters from my mom and had to get everything sorted and packed up before 10:00 AM. I was out of the room by ten but didn't hit the trail until shortly after 10:30. The hike out of NOC was intense. It was steep and the sun was blazing. There was no shade and I had to take lots of breaks. I met Momma and Shepherd and their two Goldendoodles Jack and Lewis on the way up the trail. They passed me and I didn't see them again until the end of the day when I ended up on the top of Cheoah Bald. I originally planned on camping at Sassafrass Gap Shelter but there were tons of bugs, not much flat ground for tenting and a bunch of guys in the shelter smoking pot so I decided to move on. I am so glad I did! Cheoah Bald was beautiful and there was a group of six people camping there and Momma and Shepherd were eating dinner up there with the dogs. They ended up camping a few miles farther north that night. Although beautiful the bald was definitely windy but there was a great sunrise the next morning.
Date: 2013-04-11
From: Cheoah Bald

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 5.5

So my big plan for today was to make up for mileage lost yesterday and to make it to Cable Gap Shelter. I ended up hiking 5.5 miles and stopping at Stecoah Gap for a break. The group that had camped on Cheoah Bald the night before had called for a shuttle to take them to the Cabin in the Woods and I spontaneously decided to see if they had any availability for me. They did! Although I felt guilty about not hiking much I really needed a break. I felt like quitting the hike altogether after only being on the trail for a little bit. I missed home, felt out of shape, my feet hurt, every muscle hurt, I wasn't sleeping and it all felt like too much. The cabin in the woods was just the break I needed. Mary made the point that I was making the hike into more of a punishment than an adventure and that it was okay to not stick to my original plan exactly. Donna and her husband are great people who have three cabins on their property and she serves an amazing dinner (and breakfast but I did not partake). I ended up staying two nights. The first night I stayed by myself in the loft and just showered, rested and Donna did my laundry. Dinner was 1/4 of a chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, biscuits and gravy. Delicious! I planned on just staying the night but instead ended up booking a cabin for the next night ($15 a night!) and slack packing the next day. I finally slept well that night.