morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2021-09-14
From: ME Route 15

To: Wilson Valley Lean-to
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at the break of dawn at Shaw's Hiker Hostel in Monson ME. I got dressed and went to the dining area where I drank coffee while completing my day three trail journal entry. About 30 hikers met across three dining room tables to have their breakfast, which consisted of eggs bacon, hash browns, pancakes and orange juice. It cost $9 for breakfast and worth every bite.I somehow managed to pack 6 days worth of food into my bear vault and fit that into my pack. Now I'm just waiting for the shuttle to depart and take us to the trailhead. Words cannot describe how excited I am to be finishing up the northern half of the Appalachian Trail.The hostel had a 15 person passenger van that we filled up. The driver, who's trail name was Poet, drove us to the trailhead in a few minutes. As we unloaded our gear he told us some inspirational words of wisdom and some things to look out for on the first day. He then took a group photo in case someone didn't come back he would know from the photo who was missing.I let all the nearly all the hikers pass past me because they were younger and faster than I was. I had most of the trail to myself once again. It was was very peaceful and exciting to be there. The sky was blue and temps were around 60 degrees, just perfect for hiking. The first shelter was about 3 miles in. I stopped to have a breakfast snack. At 6 miles in I came across the tallest waterfall on the Appalachian Trail. It was beautiful. I hiked another 4 and 1/2 mi to the second shelter which I opted to stay at. I arrived there at 2:45 p.m. Normally I would hike till 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon. However the next shelter was about 5 mi north and I knew it would be full of the hikers that I came with. I didn't want to sleep in a tent and wake up soaking wet in the rain. There were two other hikers sharing the shelter and we stayed 6 feet apart.Today's hike was short only about 10.4 mi. However it was rather stressful. The 10 lb of food in my pack pushed the to toyal weight over 32 lbs. The shoulder straps were digging into my shoulders more than I thought they would. I'm looking forward to eating some of the food and making the pack lighter as the days goes by. The forecast is rain tonight starting after midnight and thunderstorms starting in the morning. I plan on getting a good night's sleep and starting out early. Good day and good night!Ascent: 1942', Descent: 2201'
Date: 2021-09-15
To: Chairback Gap Lean-to
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 5:30 and was pleased to see that it hadn't rained or thunderstorm last night. It took me an hour to make breakfast and pack. I hiked 4.6 miles to the next shelter and arrived just in time. Within a few minutes it started thundering and raining. I was hiking close to two young ladies and I hope they had adequate rain cover. The last half mile of this section was through a rocky gorge with scenes reminiscent of the movie deliverance. I feel fortunate that I hadn't come across any shotgun carrying rednecks. It's good to have 5 miles completed before it by 9:00 a.m. I should easily be able to hike another 10 miles today to make up for yesterday. Such was the plan.When I left the shelter it started pouring rain. Fortunately I had my trail umbrella with me to keep me mostly dry. I should have brought a pack cover because everything inside my pack that wasn't in a ziplock bag got soaked. My windbreaker and hand towel also got soaked which added to my pack weight. It was raining on and off all day and the train was very strenuous on me. In summary it was probably the hardest day backpacking for me. I arrived at the shelter at around 5:00 p.m. It looked full. But it wasn't. There was enough space left for one more person. They made room for me. I got into the shelter and changed into some dry clothes to avoid hypothermia. I waited about an hour to let them finish cooking their dinners before I started cooking mine. It felt so good to get some warm rice into my body after such a long gruelling day. At around 7:00 p.m. we we all retired. I had to take some pain medication so that I could sleep. My legs were very sore from going up and down some that steep terrain in the sometimes pouring rains. I ended up doing 15 miles for the day. The people in the shelter were very nice however most of the men snored especially the one right next to me. It must have been about 50 decibels, which is pretty loud. Fortunately I had some earbuds and I was able to listen to some relaxing music to help me get to sleep. The next day should be much better as the rain should subside overnight and it should dry out for the next couple of days. I'm at a mile 26 now which isn't as far as I was hoped to be at this time. All things considered, I'm satisfied with my effort. Good night.Ascent: 4386', Descent: 3376'
Date: 2021-09-19
From: Nahmakanta Steam Lean-to

To: Rainbow Spring Campsite
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke at 5:45 a.m. at the break of dawn to a peaceful breeze besides a quiet lazy river. It took me the normal 75 minutes to have breakfast and pack up. The first mile of trail was along the same river which I was getting tired of by now. It then cut through a mountain pass to a beautiful lake along which I've been hiking for the past two and a half or three miles. There's some elevation coming up in the remaining 13 miles of today's hike and then tomorrow promises to be mostly flat. Time for a breakfast break along this beautiful Sandy Beach. I then hiked about 7 mi to a bridge. Along that stretch was a small mountain. Nevertheless it felt somewhat difficult to climb up 800 ft after spending 2 days on relatively flat terrain. The views from the summit were awesome! I could see Mount Kathadin and several other ridges in Baxter State Park, a mere 40 miles away.I was hiking on and off with a fella I met two days earlier named Chuck. Chuck was with from Raleigh, North Carolina, and had a goal to summit Katahdin about the same time I do. We're both section hikers and both hike at about the same pace. Nevertheless we keep a distance of at least a few hundred feet between us at all times so that we can enjoy the peace and solitude the trail has to offer. After filtering water and eating my lunch neck I got back on the trail just about 6.mi till the campsite that I'm staying at. I hope it is somewhat pleasant and my shoulder doesn't give me any problems along the way. After 2 mi and 300 ft of elevation we made it to rainbow springs lean to. Time for a well-deserved 10 minute break. Less than 4 miles to go to the rainbow spring campsite. I hope the campsite is as nice as the name sounds. Most of this past 2 miles was hiking right along a babbling brook which is extremely soothing and relaxing to listen to I felt no shoulder or back pain along that stretch.Two and a half miles later we arrived at the campsite. It was extremely nice and hidden from the shores of the lake that we had to ourselves. The water was warm enough to swim in but it was cool that evening so we opted not to swim. After a nice dinner and conversation we retired. Tomorrow be very interesting day. Just 12 more miles left in the 100 Mile Wilderness! Then I find out the details of when I can climb Mt. Katahdin Good night.Ascent: 2441', Descent: 1886'
Date: 2021-04-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

A little over a month ago I was in communication with my hiking buddy from the PCT, MoJoe, about selecting a new pack. I was planning a few Sierra hikes this summer and wanted to try a lighter, smaller pack, possibly for doing the Arizona Trail next year.  MoJoe was planning on doing the AT this year, and he invited me to join him on this new adventure. So after thinking about it and getting my Pfizer vaccine, I threw my hat in with MoJoe and began my conditioning hikes around Marin County. MoJoe is a great experienced hiking buddy, and I'm very excited about starting on another long distance hike. I realize this will not be 'like' the PCT and that completing one long distance hike does not guarantee success on another, but I'm looking forward to the experience.
Date: 2021-04-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Besides doing training hikes in Marin County, which is full of steep fire roads and trails around Mt. Tamalpais, what better way than to do training hikes than in Joshua Tree National Park. My daughter lives in Joshua Tree, and we visited her for a few days last month to see a few sights in the Park. There are lots of old gold mines and mine artifacts to see and plenty of Joshua Trees and chollas. Chollas were singled out as the most deadly hiker plant while I was on the PCT in Southern California. I also got a chance to try my hand at beekeeping and slack lines, but that's another story.Tallest Joshua Tree
Date: 2021-04-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I was satisfied with most of the gear that I used for the PCT but wanted to go a little lighter for the AT. I purchased a Gossamer Gear Mariposa pack which is two pounds lighter than my Gregory pack. However, I can tell that the Gossamer pack strains my shoulders a little more when the pack reaches 30 lbs. I figure I will not need traction devices, ice axe, or lots of water carry on the AT, so it is something I can live with. The Gregory pack was comfortable up to 40 lbs. I also found that things don't fit as well in the Gossamer pack, so I bush fixed in loops at the pack bottom to strap my tent (Copper Spur UL 1 HV). This gives me more flexibility to stuff things on the outside of the pack (I also added shock cord to the outside).Last year, I also switched to a quilt as there were only one or two times that I was a little cold in my 17 degree mummy bag on the PCT. I got a 15 degree Zpack Solo long quilt with a foot box. I will continue to use my Therm-A-Rest X therm, which performed really well on the cold ground. I am also skipping a mid layer long sleeve warm layer to save on weight. If the weather is colder than expected further north, I'll send for my Patagonia mid layer. For rain, I added an ULA rain skirt and a hoodie pack cover. I wanted to leave my rain pants behind, but the kilt is see-thru, so that won't work on my laundry days. I also re-water proofed my tent fly and tent bottom. We'll see if the tent survives another year. I bent a pole last year in Desolation Wilderness during an overnight wind storm.I am bringing an MSR pocket rocket stove, and new for this year, an Ursack. I'm as worried about mice and raccoons as I am bears, and rather than doing a bear hang, I think the Ursack will work, and it also fits much better in my pack than a bear canister. We will see how all of this gear works out on the trail. I've got my CNOC bag, a platypus, Sawyer bag and a couple of Smart water bottles. I'll start off with 6 liters of water capacity, but only expect to use half of that. Of course I've got a battery pack, InReach and other electronics, plus repair and personal hygiene/first aid supplies. For shoes, I'll start off in Altra Lone Peaks for about two 450 mile stretches and then switch to Merrell Moabs, maybe for as much as 700 miles, then we'll see. All gear and equipment starting trail weight, except food, water and trekking poles (and minimal hiking clothes that I wear) is 21 lbs.
Date: 2021-04-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

It was strange going to the airport on an early Saturday morning. I couldn¢t remember the last time I flew on an airplane and the roads had very little traffic, even going through San Francisco. At the airport, all of the passengers were masked and seemed quiet.Flying over the Sierras was concerning because there was very little snow, and California has already announced we are in a drought. I could pick out lakes that I had hiked to in the Hoover Wilderness and see rings around the shoreline already. I clicked on the in-flight tracker and the distance to Atlanta was almost the same as the entire AT.  What did I get for a snack, nuts and a Cliff Bar; I took that as a good sign.My good friend, Chris, who lives in Atlanta, picked me up at the airport and drove me to his beautiful home, but not before stopping along the way at REI so that I could buy fuel canisters for MoJoe and me. We had a beautiful evening together that I will never forget with his lovely wife, mother-in-law (visiting from Argentina) and his daughter. We had lots of laughs between the glasses of wine and port that Chris picked up just for me. I got a taste of thunderstorms as one rolled through as we BBQ¢d. This is the calm before the storm. Thank you Chris and Yamila for being my first trail angels.
Date: 2021-04-26
From: Amicalcola Falls State Park GA

To: Black Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

Here we go!After a nice breakfast with my friends, Chris gave me ride to the Marta station where I had arranged to meet up with MoJoe at the end of the line. There we met up with our ride/shuttle, Ron, ¢Yellow Blazing,¢ who used to be the ranger at Amicalcola Falls. On the way, we passed through a town that is the birthplace to NASCAR. Unfortunately, we went through so fast I missed the town¢s name.We started hiking under clear warm skies at 2 pm and made camp by 6:15 pm at Black Gap via the Hike Inn trail (1 mile longer but an easier grade than the main connector to Springer Mountain).  We saw almost no one but are camped with two other hikers. The site has a bear box.8.5 mi
Date: 2021-04-27
From: Black Gap Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We had a leisurely start this morning after a warm night (50¢s) and didn¢t start walking until 8:15. Having a privy and a picnic table was very nice.We made quick work up to Springer Mountain, and took the ceremonial photos and signed the log located on the side of a rock in a stainless steel box. The weather was very nice, but true to the AT, there were few views. We had a couple of strenuous climbs but plenty of water opportunities.We saw our first Ridge Runner powering up a grade like it was nothing. She said there were 20 people at Hawk Mountain Shelter last night. Gooch Mountain Shelter is two stories, and there are about 15 people here. There is also a nice piped spring where I was able to do a little clean up including rinsing out my shirts. I was also able to find one spot to text out a couple of messages to Donna.
Date: 2021-04-28
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Bull Gap
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a climb to the top of Blood Mountain, the highest point on the AT in Georgia at 4,461 feet. Legend has it that this was where the Creek and Cherokee tribes fought a bloody battle, thus the name. The top had a beautiful stone shelter and lots of day hikers.Before making it to the top though, I had my second find. We met two hikers that were going off trail at Jarrard Gap. Suddenly one of the hikers looks at a rip in his pants and says that he lost his knife. After they left, and short distance away, l found a knife. I wrote a note, dated it, and left a stack of rocks hoping he¢ll find it tomorrow when he gets back on the trail.We stopped at Mountain Crossing store at Neel Gap and changed our resupply plans. I actually was one dinner short of when we were going to hitch to Hiawassee. But instead, I bought three full days of food so we are going to skip getting off at Dicks Gap and instead go off at Franklin.We went through the only shingled roof on the AT today through Mountain Crossing, through an old stone building at Neel Gap, and a resupply/outfitter store. Besides walking through the alleyway, this is where people throw their shoes up into a big tree, either because they give up or have already bought new shoes.Speaking of gaps, the trail goes through a ¢gap¢ then up, followed by a ridge, then steeply over a mountain, then down, then ridge, then down, then a gap. Rinse and repeat.Today we did: Gooch Gap, Lisa Gap, Jacks Gap, Tritt Gap, Woody Gap, Augarhole Gap, Dan Gap, Miller Gap, Henry Gap, Jarrard Gap, Bird Gap, Slaughter Creek Gap, Flatrock Gap, Neel Gap, and we are camped at Bull Gap. I mention this because I already have a memory gap of where I¢ve been.
Date: 2021-04-29
From: Bull Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

As we were dropping into Hog Pen Gap, (yes another Gap)  MoJoe said he was feeling the "Trail Magic". Sure enough there were a couple of cars parked nearby. One belonged to Paul who owns a hostel. Paul dropped off a couple of hikers, and he turned to us and asked if we wanted some baked goods. Trail Magic! I got a couple of small bacon scones that I ate with cheese for lunch. We saw our second Ridge Runner today. He asked us a couple of questions, and you could tell he was checking to see if we are prepared. As soon as we mentioned something about the PCT, he didn¢t need to asked us anything else. We also passed a birder who IDed the Oven Bird we¢d been hearing.With a forecast for rain  tonight, MoJoe and I decided to try sleeping in a shelter.At 7 pm we have been joined by two others in this shelter that can sleep 7. I did find a nice knife without a sheath near the shelter that I left on the picnic table. I also got some sort of rash on my ankles. Itchy!
Date: 2021-04-30
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Moreland Gap
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

We had a little overnight rain while in the shelter last night, so we stayed dry. The trade off though was that I was on the platform with three other guys, and five minutes after one of the guys lies down, he starts to snore like rolling thunder. I had causally looked for my earplugs before lying down and didn¢t find them but thought I¢d be ok. That didn't last long,  I had to get up and start tearing through my pack to find them. MoJoe had left his earplugs in his tent pocket, so after I lay down, he got up and had to unroll his tent to get to his earplugs. After finally getting settled, I started to hear the pitter patter of mice. Oh well, the price you pay to stay dry.Lots of steep ups and downs today, especially climbing over Trey Mountain. We¢ve meet a few other hikers at Blue Mountain Shelter that we leaped frogged with all day. We keep trying to give them trail names. I think they think we are the two crazy old guys. We¢ll see if any stick. A windy but dry evening. I think the ankle rash might be poison ivy from wearing flip flops around camp. The forest is carpeted with poison ivy.
Date: 2021-05-01
From: Moreland Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Today we left Georgia and entered North Carolina. Right away we had a steep climb out of Bly Gap. At Bly Gap we saw four horseback riders that came in from a side trail. We also met another Ridge Runner.Seeing the Ridge Runner made us think about going off trail to Franklin, and we tried to make reservations at a recommended hostel. They were full, but we were able to find another that includes a shuttle ride from Winding Gap. The back and forth with the hostel was a little strange, so we¢ll see what we bought. I definitely need a shower and fresh clothes. The rash continues to annoy.
Date: 2021-05-02
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: clear sky

Today was a cruising day with fewer ups and downs. We had one short very, very steep climb to get to the top of Albert Mountain, the site of a fire lookout. You can climb up the stairs of the now closed lookout and have a very beautiful 360 degree view. Our view included clouds building around us. We are going to have rain tonight and into the day tomorrow including chances of thunderstorms. Luckily for us, tomorrow is a planned resupply and hostel stay in Franklin. We are hiking in the Nantahala Wilderness. Nantahala is Cherokee for ¢land of the noonday sun¢. We also went through Monney Gap, identified as the wettest places in the eastern US with an annual average precipitation of 93.5 inches! Along the way we passed the 100 mile sticks near the top of Albert Peak.Tonight will be the second shelter night. The shelter is very small and primitive, and there are 5 of us in it. MoJoe decided to set up his tent instead, so he¢ll have a peaceful night but a wet tent in the am.We are here with two women, Peaches and Courtney, and two guys our age, Tim and Jim. Tim and Jim have hiked parts of the trail and gave us some tips for stays and resupplying down the trail. Along the trail today, I found a cardboard tube with a small watercolor and watercolor paper. I¢m leaving them at the shelter.Lastly, sadly, we came across a hiker sitting by the side of a dirt road with a badly sprained ankle. He called for a ride that was coming from Franklin, but it was taking a long time to arrive. It is probably the end of trail for him.
Date: 2021-05-03
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Franklin NC
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up this morning to heavy rain pounding the shelter¢s sheet metal roof. MoJoe was out in the rain with his tent but was able to use the shelter to stage his pack. MoJoe and I headed out and hit the trail for the 3 plus mile walk to a main road for our shuttle pick up to Gooder Grove Hostel. Note that we walked past a paved road just a 100 yards from the shelter. The two women we stayed with were being picked up at 9 am by Gooder Grove at that spot. Hmmm....Then, to add to our wet journey, I get a text that Gooder is a ¢man down¢ and the shuttle can¢t pick up, so take the public bus at 9:30. We wait with another hiker in the rain and load into the bus which turns around and goes back up the mountain we just came down, and back to the shelter to pick up 7 people there.We all end up at the Gooder Grove Hostel except for one hiker who is going to the Sapphire Motel. Gooder is just a home filled with bunks and wet hikers. MoJoe and I see our room with a huge Huskie dog in it (which is in the basement area), and I think it¢s got to be better. It also looked like one shower for all these hikers, so I look at MoJoe and whisper ¢Sapphire¢. I go upstairs and dial the Sapphire Motel and book a room. We talk to Gooder and tell him we are moving on, and out into the rain we go doing a road walk in Franklin (I even checked Uber, but there were no cars).Our room at Sapphire is ok, it¢s a motel past it¢s prime, but it¢s only $66 for the two of us, and we have our own shower. After a quick Mexican lunch across the street, (an early Cinco de Mayo), we walk to a nice laundromat in our rain clothes (me in flip flops) for a well deserved wash and dry at the Community Coin.After more chores, including a resupply at the Dollar General (Idahoan potatoes and Knorr) and finally updating this journal, we go out to dinner to enjoy beef tips, mash potatoes, and string beans (no collard greens for me) at Ms. Lois all American restaurant.Late in the day, the photo upload app stopped working (no URL found) so I can¢t upload any more photos at the moment. Maybe in 2 days I can get WiFi again. If not, it will have to be later.  Keep checking back to the earlier posts. I emailed trail journals about the issue. Perhaps the issue is on their side.