morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-09-21
From: Abol Bridge

To: Katahdin Stream Campsite
Miles today: 10.0

This morning I tied back my vestibule to watch the early morning rise on Katahdin. Mainers love this mountain and rightfully so - she is beautiful and ever changing. Last night she snagged a cloud and held it all evening while the rest of the sky was clear.I was pretty nostalgic as I hiked the remaining 10 miles into Baxter State Park this morning. I've been out here 6 months and yet it seems like yesterday I was just starting out. The mood wore off however when I came to the first of my two fords. Darn - not another ford! It isn't over until it's over.It looked like you could rock hop but the second rock was slippery and I chose to ford rather than take a chance of falling in. It was deeper than expected. At one point it came to just below my waist. I had taken off my socks and insoles and the next one was only a mile away so I hiked on in wet shoes. This one was easier but still a wet ford. Last one! Yeah!This final walk gave a bit of everything we've had in Maine - roots, rocks, a pond, rock face, fording, wildlife (a deer) and nice trail. I took my time and made it to Katahdin Stream around noon. I met Angus's parents who are from the Cleveland, OH area. We talked until Angus returned from his summit. He's hiking with Toes and Sprouts (from Switzerland). I also met Veto from Westerville, OH area and And Stuff from NC. Nice guys and always just behind me. Sometimes it is good to stop and smell the roses.And speaking of people just behind me - I ran into some that I hadn't seen since Virginia. Toast and Rusty were last seen in Shenandoah and Sparky and Orange Peel (father/daughter team) at Trent's grocery when Aunt Sand was hiking with me. They are all summiting Monday. Don and I will be in good company.The shuttle was late and we didn't get to the hostel until after 6. I ordered a pizza and hate to admit I ate a 14 inch pizza all by myself. And then had two pieces of baklava. I really need to turn off the eating machine. I figure I have until after Monday....
Date: 2013-09-23
From: Katahdin Stream Campsite

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: clear sky

I finished! My summit photo is not what I envisioned but I'm satisfied with my trip - what an adventure, right to the end! Monday was to be the best day of the week for climbing Katahdin and 20+ hikers signed the register at the start of the Hunt Trail. However, the weather forecast changed overnight, which is not uncommon up here ( we didn't have service and didn't know until later). It was raining lightly as Don and I started out at 7:30. You have about two miles below tree line and then hit an area of huge boulders, many the size of cars, which is above tree line and exposed. After that part you have a mile and a half of what they call The Tablelands, leading to the summit. This area is also open and exposed.When we hit the boulder field, the winds hit us. They were incredibly strong, up to 60 mph, even stronger than those on Osgood Ridge in the Whites. We still forged on with some of the toughest climbing I've encountered on this trail. I was so happy to have Don with me. It would have been fun if the weather was better. Then the rain turned into sleet. Ice started forming on the few stunted trees around. About this time, we ran into Sparky and Orange Peel. They had started at 5 AM and were coming down. Sparky said it was bad at the summit and conditions were deteriorating. I guess we needed to see for ourselves because we still went on. We were just starting the final climb to the Tablelands when the rocks started icing. I knew it would take at least an hour and a half to get to the summit and back to where we stood. And then we still had another mile of descending the boulder field. I just had the strong feeling that this was it - my summit was here. To continue was too dangerous, not to mention that conditions were perfect for hypothermia. As Saunders expedition leader, I made the decision to turn back.We ran into other parties on the way down - including Indigo and her Dad, and Stori and her boyfriend. They were pretty much like Don and I - they had to see for themselves - but they also turned back. I'm happy to say all are safe. Don and I built a big fire at our lean to and they stopped by to warm up.It has been an incredible journey and, as you all know, it is never about the destination but the journey. I have enjoyed every minute, even those darn fords (after I was safely across). I have met so many wonderful people. The time has just flown by.It's been an honor to have all of my Trail Journal readers join me on this adventure. I appreciated all your kind words and encouragement. I will be following up with my gear review and final thoughts on doing an AT thru hike after I return home.Trails end....         Little SAS
Date: 2013-04-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

4/2/13 It's hard to believe,but I finally left home and started heading down to Georgia to start my thru hike on the AT. My Grandfather is being super kind and driving me down with my pup Flicka of course. We are currently spending the night in Harrisburg, PA in a hotel~ one of the last beds and showers I¢ll be seeing for a while. So far, it has still been pretty cold and windy, but the sun was out all day and the grass is green in some parts. It's getting me very excited for spring. I¢m definitely feeling very nervous and anxious. But more excited if anything. Flicka rode very well in the car today. Over 10 hr of driving is a lot for an 11 month old pup. Praying that her behavior stays good throughout the night. Right now I¢m outside the hotel writing this as Flicka investigates the outside. My pack is officially 30 lbs, including food for 6 days and 2 liters of water. Flicka's pack is 10 with 15 days of food. I know both are too heavy. I already miss my family and friends. However, I¢m so happy to finally start my adventure. My good friend Alyson helped me pack my gear last night. Thank you Alyson!
Date: 2013-04-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

4/3/13 Another full day of driving. Sunny and brisk outside, but overall a beautiful day. It¢s so awesome seeing green grass after having such a long, cold winter. We even saw some pretty wild flowers~ what a great sign of spring. Today we drove the scenic route thru the Shenandoah mountains. Wow- they are so amazing! Perfect day to see them, you could see for miles. The AT actually crosses them a good part of the way. Kind of cool to drive thru the mountains that I will be hiking. After 10 miles of driving we finally made it to Hiawassee, GA. This is where I will start my thru hike. I will hike 70 miles to Springer mt. (the southernmost portion of the AT). The plan is to hike GA southbound, spend a couple of days with my Aunt and Uncle in Douglassville, GA. Then get a ride back up to Hiawassee and head north to Maine. Getting very excited - I begin tomorrow!
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Neels Gap

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

4/8/13 Hiked over Blood mt today. It was really steep and rocky but, not as bad as what everyone was complaining about. The top was super awesome too. Great view. The top is 4461 feet in elevation. Blood mt shelter is at the top. It was built in 1936 and was one of the first shelters on the trail. Made of stone. Even has a fireplace inside, but was blocked up because the locals were trashing it. Really awesome place though. Hiked 7 miles from Neels gap to Lance creek. The leg feeling a little better today, but Im still hiking slow. Almost a crawl. Lance creek is cool. The creek is right next to where I'm camping. Hopefully I can make some miles tomorrow.
Date: 2013-04-09
From: Lance Creek

To: Sassafras Mt.
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

4/9/13 Hiked 13 miles today, Lance creek to Sassafras mt. It¢s the most we¢ve hiked so far. Bloody hot day, 80 to 85 degrees. Huge difference from Maine weather and even more of a shock from Tuesdays. I¢ll take this weather, thank you. There are no leaves on the trees either so that means no shade. Flicka took the weather like a trooper. Just Kept her hydrated and she was fine. I really enjoy hiking with Flicka. She always finds ways to make me laugh. Plus helps pull me up the hills. Great hiking partner and a best friend. So thankful to have her. Anyway, today was rough because we had to conserve our water. There is a stretch of 7 miles without a water source. I believe we are still 3 miles away from one and it's too dark to go anymore tonight. Only have two bottles left. One for me and one for Flicka. No cooking tonight, just a granola bar. We will wake up early tomorrow and hike before it gets too hot. Funny thing I saw today. A few boys I passed on the trail. All had smiles on their faces, but you could tell they were miserable. They were tired and low on water as well. One was literally dragging is pack. He got two sticks and put them in a triangular shape. Then put his pack on top and dragged the stick on one end and held the other end. Reminded me of the Native Americans, when they would use horses and drag long poles with gear on top. Anyway, I thought that was pretty clever of the boy but also funny. I got a chuckle out of it. Only 11 more miles to Springer. Yeehaw! Got woken up last night by an awful animal noise. ¢ Rooaake¢¦Rooaake!! Scared me. Not sure what type of animal ¢ my guess- a large bird. Owl maybe?? It was close though. Really glad Flicka was with me
Date: 2013-04-10
From: Sassafras Mt.

To: Black Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

4/10/13 Woke up pretty early and was on the trail before 8am. I needed water so I didn¢t waste any time. I passed a few guys that morning. A few min later I realized something ¢ No Way ¢ I forgot to put on a bra this morning. The girls were free. I never even noticed. How embarrassing! How could I have forgotten that and with a backpack it made it even more noticeable. It seems like the only hikers on the trail were guys and they all came at once. Now how am I supposed to put one on? I eventually found a gap and was able to quickly throw one on. Lol. Around noon I made it to Duncan ridge trail, which leads to long creek falls. There is a beautiful waterfall there. Flicka and I chilled and ate a big lunch while we gauzed at the waterfall. I really enjoyed it, especially since today was another 80 degree day with sun. We then hiked another 5.5 miles to the top of springer mt. Hurray! It was great to be at the top of the southern most section on the Appalachian trail. Seventy miles of GA done. We then hiked down the approach trail and spent the night at black gap shelter.
Date: 2013-04-11
From: Black Gap Shelter

To: Amicalola Falls
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: broken clouds

4/11/13 Finished hiking the approach trail. A total of 8.8 miles. Woke up super early and was hiking at first light. Perfect time to hike nice and brisk out and we saw more wild life too. Two white tail deer on the trail and didn¢t see a single hiker for 2 hr. Finally made it to Amicalola Falls and climbed down the 604 steps that are right next to a magnificent waterfall. So beautiful and breathtaking. I was then picked up by my Aunt and cousin Josh. It was so amazing to see them. Going to take a few days off with them. Then they¢ll give me a right back up to Hiawassee, where I¢ll begin my hike Northbound to Maine.
Date: 2013-04-15
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Just got done spending three zero days with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin in GA. It was great! Had AMAZING home cooking meals, a warm bed and shower. Which equals AWESOME!! Had a great time visiting with family. They gave me a ride back up to Hiawassee and I started heading north.
Date: 2013-04-20
From: Franklin, NC

To: on top of a mountain
Miles today: 12.0

Ready to hit the trail again. Finally got to hitch hike in the back of a Truck with some other thru hikers. Thats been a goal of mine actually. There were 4 of us in the back of the guys truck, plus Flicka and all our gear. Pretty drive back to the trail. Nice day too. Enjoyed the wind blowing in my face. ANother perfect day of hiking. Pitched my hammock on top of a mountain and star gazed that night. So peaceful.
Date: 2013-05-24
From: Fontana Hilton Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Hi everyone!! Yes, I'm still alive and hiking. Sorry its taking me some long to log my posts. Hard finding time. To busy hiking and having fun! HahaAnyways, so I've just hiked into my 4th state! Virginia greeted me with sunny blue sky. I'm at mile 466 and very excited to hit the 500 mile marker. A lot has happened. I got real sick at one point. Somehow I caught the stupid norovirus, which took me off the trail for 2 days and was real weak for about a week. But I recovered and roaring to continue my adventure. Seen a lot of deer but only one bear and thankfully only two snakes. Also have been in my share of thunder and lighting storms. Nothing is scarier then being stuck on top of a ridge with lighting. Let's just say I did a lot of praying that day! Seen my share of rain too. The state of Tennessee = lots of rain! Good thing its pretty there. Lol.My apatite had really kicked in. I'm hungry all the time. I actually hike and eat at the same time now. I'm eating all the time! While im hiking fifty percent of the time all I'm thinking about is food. The rest of the time I'm huffing up a hill, singing songs out loud or gazing at the most beautiful views. So far the smokey mountains have been my favorite part, along with roan mountain. I felt like i was truly in the wilderness and they had the best views.Really enjoyed those sunsets on top of those balds. Its truly breathtaking. The biggest highlight was picking Flicka up after the Smokies. Boy was I excited to see her. Also went to trail days last week. Had lots of fun too!! I really enjoyed catching up with hikers I've meet on the way and the speakers were great. I especially enjoyed listening to Jennifer Pharr Davis. One of her books is " Becoming Odyssa". A good read! Lastly I just want to thank all my friends and family for all your support! For those who have done all the wonderful trail magic, thank you. You all are amazing and I couldn't do this adventure without all of you! Hoping to do my first full moon hike tonight!! Take care,LadyMac and Flicka
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Damascus, VA

To: Catawba, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I'm still in VA. Mile marker 700. Boy, VA sure is a big state. After Damascus I hit Mt. Rogers and the Grayson Highlands. Loved it!! My favorite section so far. I first started my hike at night. I got to watch the sun set and then the full moon rise up over the mountain. So much beauty! Then continued my hike under the full moons bight light. Hiking at night is very peaceful but also can be a bit scary. Your mind can play tricks on you. Its super cool though. I highly recommend it.The following afternoon I hit the balds right before Mt. Rogers. That was probably my favorite view so far. What a privilege to see such beauty!Continued my hike just after night fall. Once again I watch the sun set that night as I was hiking. In a distance field I finally found the wild mini horses that everyone talks about. It was totally dark by the time I set hammock up. The only light was the moon.I woke up the next morning to the sound of hooves. Confused, I peaked out of my hammock. There no more than 15ft away was the herd of wild mini horses. I was shocked and amazed. Even Flicka didn't frighten them off.Even after I packed up camp they actually followed us. Super close too. A few even nibbled the back of my pack. Curious little things they were. Especially over Flicka. Flicka was going crazy too. The most technical climb so far is Dragons Tooth. I swear your actually rock climbing. It was super fun! However it would have been a lot less scarier if I wasn't wearing a huge pack, I wasn't attached to Flicka or if the rocks weren't wet from the thunder storm I just hiked in. It was still super cool and a great view opened up once on top.Last night I spent the night at Four Pines Hostel. I was able to set my hammock up in the owners barn. He also has the whole yard fence in, so for the first time flicka was able to run free with the other dogs. Flicka got to run free and I got to eat a big pizza. What a perfect way to end the day!
Date: 2013-07-19
From: Catawba, VA

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Its been quite some time since my last entry. I'm still on the trail and have covered a lot of distance. I'm at mile marker 1213 in Port Clinton, PA. Past the half way point, baby!A lot has happened and I have many stories. Once I have access to a computer I'll try adding some of them. For now Flicka and I got to get back to the trail. Trying to stay cool with the hot weather.I'll get back to you guys as soon as I can.
Date: 2013-01-04
To: Getting Started
Miles today: 0.0

I have been waiting many years to make this entry. I have followed dozens of hikers since I started reading Trail Journals back in 2004, and now it's my turn.My dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail began in High School back in the early 1970's. I had a teacher who would take groups of students on weekend hikes in the Adirondack Mountains. While I was on one of these hikes he talked about backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. I was fascinated with the idea. I would daydream about what it would be like to live so simply in the outdoors with all of my belongings on my back. I still do.Now, years later, after two enlistments in the US Navy, a lot of fun jobs in the transportation industry, and then a very rewarding 19 year career with FedEx, I am retired and ready to give my childhood dream a try.I would be remiss if I did not mention my greatest supporter in this adventure. Jenny, my lovely wife of 19 years, will be my transcriber and chief of my home support team. Her main assistants will be my two children still at home, Claire and Eric.My sister Barb will be joining me on trail for this adventure. We have enjoyed hiking together for many years, and have talked about this possibility for a while now. The AT has been a longstanding desire of hers as well, and it is serendipitous that the timing in our lives works out for us to be able to finally take this journey together. Well, I guess it is time for me to "gear up."Ray
Date: 2013-01-06
To: Preliminary List Complete
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This is a picture of Barb about to take her first step on the AT. I'm glad I remembered at the last minute to capture the significance of the event. In November 2012 we took a couple really nice day hikes near Great Barrington & Sheffield in Massachusetts. Barb also saw her first AT shelter this day - The Tom Leonard Shelter.I worked quite a while last night and have our preliminary gear list ready. Of course it will need to be tweaked :-) I would like to do a shout out to the Troverts - AT 2012. Their gear list was very detailed and extremely useful. They revisited their gear list several times and gave updates on usefulness of the items, etc.Ray
Date: 2013-01-07
To: Dreaming of the AT, awake and asleep
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

So far Jenny has been very patient while listening to me talk about gear, preparations and MANY other things about the AT. My family has seen the movie Southbounders too many times to mention. They are troopers.Today I found out something REALLY cool. Our local outfitter, Bill Jackson's in Pinellas Park, is hosting a two day Thru Hiker Clinic on February 1st & 2nd. The event is free but a reservation is required. I couldn't call fast enough! The speaker for the event is Richard Smith. He is a triple crown hiker (AT, CDT & PCT trails). I'm hoping Barb will be able to attend with me.I also worked with my gear list and assigned a purchase point to each item. I love to order things online when possible, but I know it's best to buy some items at a location where you can try them on and/or see them set up, etc.. I'm glad we have Bill Jackson's for that. It will be hard to keep from walking away with the entire store :-)Ray
Date: 2013-01-08
To: Beautiful Video
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Barb sent me this video just a few minutes ago. It is beautiful. You will enjoy the 3 minutes 45 seconds.Video by Scott Mckinley Productions, Produced for Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for Ad campaign. Licensed music by Kenny G.. This short video won Grand Prize - Best of Show at International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula Montana! The majority was shot on location in Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and The National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.Treasure Hunter
Date: 2013-01-10
To: The Myakka Challenge
Miles today: 0.0

Well, at least that's what we called it - the Myakka Challenge!This was an awesome day. We started early in the morning and parked one vehicle at a brand new park called Venice Myakka River Park. Then we headed to Myakka River State Park and paid our entrance fee and filled out the paperwork for a back country permit. We were on the river at 8:17am.I am a huge fan of Trimble Outdoors and have used their GPS programs for a few years now. I had done a freehand track before we did this kayak trip. The track came out to be about 13 miles. In reality we went about 15 miles - whew!Below is the Trimble map with the track. My phone battery gave out at 13.5 miles so that's where the track ends :-(If you click on different points on the map it will show you pictures, etc. "Trip Details" at the bottom of the map will take you to the Trimble page.This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip here instead.It took us 7.5 hours. We took our time on this trip and really enjoyed the views. We saw tons of alligators, all sorts of wild birds, turkey, deer and wild pigs. The river was low at quite a few points and we did have to portage those areas. But, that was fun too. We agreed that if we had only had another two inches of water it would have been more navigable.
Date: 2013-01-11
To: Backpack has shipped!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Back at home in Tampa.I got email notification today that my backpack has shipped. I LIKE that!I also received my spare battery for my phone via USPS. I could have used it yesterday while on the kayak trip!! Oh, well....I also fixed the situation that kept people from being able to access my journal from the journal list page. Glad we have the forums for that :-)Treasure Hunter
Date: 2013-01-21
To: Mount Katahdin!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

This is a time lapse video from a webcam located at Twin Pine Camps in Maine. The video was for yesterday, January 20th. It really shows how the weather can change dramatically in that area.The website for the 24hr webcam is http://www.neoc.com/webcam/twin-pines-webcam-camera1.php