morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-02-09
To: Starting Sooner
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Well, I have made a slight change in my hiking plans. I will be starting on March 26th instead of April 2nd. I feel good about moving the date up by a week. I am excited to get this adventure started.I have been working on my checklist of things to get done before starting the hike. It is a much shorter list now. My taxes are done. My budget is put together and finalized. I haven't worked much on my drop boxes, but there is still plenty of time for that. I also have a couple of small items to purchase, but nothing critical.Sometime about a month before my hike starts, I plan on laying out all of my gear and listing it on here. I am also going to weigh everything individually with my food scale so that I can find out how much I will be carrying on my back. It won't include food and water though, because that will vary depending on where I am at.Back to marking days off of the calendar and working out every evening.
Date: 2011-02-16
To: How time's fun when you are having flies.
Miles today: 0.0

While sitting here in my nice warm apartment, I was just thinking about being out on the trail at the end of March and whether or not it will be really cold outside. It is easy to dream about hiking the trail when sitting at home in front of the computer. You can imagine yourself sitting at the top of a mountain on a cool Summer evening, looking over a beautiful vista, drinking a cup of coffee that miraculously brewed itself over your campfire. And while you are sitting there, you are day dreaming about how lucky you are to be there instead of sitting at home doing the same routine that you used to do every day. Thinking about not having to go to ¢work¢ in the morning, or having anybody depend on you for something.When you are done dreaming about this spectacular slice of life, reality comes back to you and you realize that the trail is not like that at all. Sure, there are great views sometimes. You can even make arrangements to brew yourself some coffee. But the reality is that you will have to deal with terrible weather, aching feet, and freezing hands. You will also get to experience all of the new friends that you will make and the interesting people that you will meet.Something that I have noticed about the journals that hikers have posted is that there are a couple of topics that get covered a lot more than others. The weather and the people that you meet. These are the experiences that I am most looking forward to. If I just wanted a pretty vista to look at, I would drive to the mountains and park at a scenic overlook.38 days to go. I can¢t wait.
Date: 2011-02-19
To: Overcoming the Unexpected
Miles today: 0.0

I am finding out that you never know what is going to come your way while you are trying to plan an expedition like hiking the A.T. Two days ago, I ended up in the emergency room with very sharp pains in my right side. After hours of worry, the doctor determined that I am suffering from an inflammed gall bladder. Thank goodness there are no gall stones present and it will most likely get better on its own. I am following up with my family doctor just to make sure. What is strange about the entire event is that I was not worried for my health as much as I was concerned that I might miss out on my hike. Maybe I am obsessing a bit much about my upcoming adventure. I am just excited to get started that it consumes a lot of my attention every day.On another note, I have finally gotten the official approval from my job for taking the time off of work. I already had verbal approval for a long time and I have been planning based on that, but it is nice to know that everything is now locked in and the word is GO!My co-workers have asked me many interesting questions about what my hike will be like. The most common questions are 1)Are you going to carry a gun to protect yourself? 2)Are you going by yourself or with a group? 3)Will you be carrying a laptop with you? 4)Are you crazy? My answers to these questions are No gun, by myself, a laptop is way to heavy, and of course I'm crazy, are you just now figuring that out?So, with everything coming together quite quickly now, I need to start listing my gear and mail drops here. I am hoping that my sister-in-law Audra will send homemade cookies to one of my drop box locations.
Date: 2011-02-24
To: A Note about Fundraising
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

As I have mentioned in earlier journal entries, I am doing some fundraising for Breast Cancer Awareness/Research for the Susan G. Komen foundation with this hike. I won't mention fundraising again after this post, but if you would like to make a donation, please go to this link and read about their foundation and make your donation their. None of the money goes to me. If you are one of my co-workers and you want to donate cash, I will submit the donation on the web site for you.I also wanted to mention that any donations made on the Susan G. Komen are tax deductible.http://centralva.info-komen.org/site/TR/Events/RIC_CentralVirginiaAffiliate?pxfid=153295&fr_id=2107&pg=fund
Date: 2011-02-27
To: Bear Creek Soups
Miles today: 0.0

I have been trying out a few new foods to pack for my hike. Things like noodles, breads, granola, and others. I just found something that is going to be wonderful to bring for a couple of meals per week. Bear Creek Soup mix.They cost about $3.00 for each pack that is good for 8 cups of soup. I tried out the Navy Bean soup and just fell in love with it. One pack makes 4 meals and it was quite filling and tasted great. I have also picked up Creamy Potato, and Vegetable Beef. I highly recommend them. Just boil up 2 cups of water, add the soup mix, and let it steep for 8 to 10 minutes. I tried it with my Jetboil and it was great.Anyway, back to packing my drop boxes. Only 27 days to go! YEAH!
Date: 2011-03-09
To: Time is Running Short
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Only 17 days to go. Oh my gosh.I thought that I was pretty much ready, but all of the little details are piling up on me. Making sure all the bills are set up for auto-payment, finishing up my drop boxes, last minute purchases for the hike, wrapping up the projects that I am on at work, packing, and on and on and on. Heck, it just occurred to me that I almost forgot to stock up on mole-skin. Time to add it to the shopping list.I am getting a little nervous about starting the hike, but I think it is just the final anticipation of starting an adventure that I have been dreaming of for a long time. Kind of like when you are a kid and you have trouble getting to sleep the night before getting to go to an amusement park.Many of my friends and family think that I am crazy for not taking something to defend myself from wildlife, like a gun or pepper spray. Just to ease everybody's concerns, I have decided to take a very lethal weapon with me. A plastic toothpick. Now I know that you are thinking, "What good is a toothpick for defending yourself?", well I will tell you....None. At best, it will be available for the bear that is eating me to get those little chunks of hiking boot out from between its teeth. But, it is pointy, it can draw blood if used correctly, and it is the lightest weapon I could think of. Probably 0.00002 ounces. I may cut it in half to reduce the weight.
Date: 2011-03-19
To: Packing For The Trip
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I just thought I would post a picture of the things that I am taking with me on this adventure. My clothing and food are not shown here. I ran out of space in the picture.My time is getting very close. I am going to send my first mail drop this coming Weds. That should be 8 days before I get there. It is getting pretty exciting now that my start time is approaching. I sure am ready to get going though.I have posted all of my Mail Drops. You can find them on one of the buttons to the left. Wish me luck. In 7 days I will be on the trail!!!!!
Date: 2011-03-20
To: Everything is DONE!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Finally, Everything is packed up and ready to go. My final base pack weight is 26.4 lbs. Not to bad considering all of the little extras that I am bringing with me. This of course does not include food and water, but everything else is in that weight. I have my clothes ready that I am going to be wearing when I start out, all of my mail drops are ready, my pack is stuffed and ready.All I have to do now is mail out my first two drop boxes before I leave. My second box is actually going to Mishawaka, Indiana. My brother is going to be joining me somewhere near Fontana Dam, so he is going to bring that mail drop with him so that I don't have to mess with the post office.I am looking forward to my brother Mike and his family coming to pick me up from the trail on April 7th. We will stay at a hotel that night and then we will get dropped of back on the trail and hike from there into the Smokey Mountains. They have threatened to put me on the roof if I smell to bad when they pick me up.I am also looking forward to spending some time on the trail with my friend White Water. He is going to join me for the first 10 days or so on the trail.All of this planning has been an adventure all in itself, but it is all worth it because I am completely ready to head out on the trail with no worries at all. I can't wait for it to begin. 6 days to go.
Date: 2011-03-26
From: Springer Mountain

To: Stove Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: clear sky

First Day on the TrailWow what a start to this adventure. We did not get to the parking for Springer until a little after 2pm. It has rained non-stop since we got out of the car.I thought it might be a little miserable, but it has been great. My friend Cowboy was wrong about skipping up Springer. I skipped all the way down. We walked .9 miles to the start and took pictures. Then we hiked back down and went another 1.8 mile to the second hut. We are sleeping in the hut tonight because of the rain.Life is good. It's about 4:30pm and we are just relaxing for the night.
Date: 2011-03-27
From: Stove Creek Shelter

To: somewhere in the mist
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Gorilla's in the Mist What a lightening storm we had last night. It was flashing and crashing all around us. The shelter was packed, but I got a good spot in the loft. Good thing too because the people on the bottom got all wet from the rain.I was expecting rain all day today, but it held off. It was all cloudy, misty, and quiet. The weather was perfect for hiking. White Water and I hiked with a man named Roger. He is 67 years old and lives in Midlothian, VA. He doesn't have a trail name yet.We decided to stop around 4pm and pitch camp. My calves are sore, but I and feeling good. This is a picture of our camp in the mist.Note to self..walk quietly. We heard a lot of gunshots in the distance.
Date: 2011-03-28
From: somewhere in the mist

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 10.3

The FogWhat wonderful weather we are having. Where should I start? Last night was another lightening storm and heavy rains. It was the first real test of my tent and it did just fine. I stayed very dry. Most others did not do as well. All day I heard stories about flooded tents and soaked food and packs.The fog and mist continued all day. At best, you could see 75 yards at any time. This makes for quiet hiking which is kind of nice, but is is also humid and makes you sweat a lot.Today's walking was very tough. Two real tough mountains and a lot of small ones. My hips are pretty sore, but overall I feel good. The attached picture is an example of the fog we are in. The forecast is for 5 more days of fog.Hey Art. Did you get your time entered properly for Monday in PWA?
Date: 2011-03-29
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.3

Blood Sweat and TearsThis was my best day yet. I got started at 9:30 and almost immediately my right hip started hurting. After about 20 minutes I stopped and took some ibuprofin and kept going. After the pain went away, I really got on a roll and knocked out 5.6 miles be 12:30pm.That is where I ran into Steve and Foghorn Leghorn. They both started the day before I did and they were coming off of a zero day. We hiked together for the rest of the day and finished at Neels Gap.The reason that I titled this the way I did is because of the mountain that I had to climb. It's name is Blood Mountain. It was an 800 feet ascent over 0.9 miles. Surprisingly, the climb up was easier than the climb down. Coming down the North slope was a constant rock scramble for two miles. The picture here shows an example of what it was like.Tomorrow's forecast, lots of pouring rain. It should be interesting.
Date: 2011-03-30
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

Day of the DeadI want to start by saying that this has been a very tough day. It rained a lot today and it was very cold. My pinky toe on my right foot is one big blister and my motivation and energy levels are low. I felt like the living dead all day. Camp tonight has been great though. We have Eagle Scouts here that were able to get a good fire going and there are about 15 people.Tomorrow White Water, Steve, and Foghorn Leghorn and I are going to hike 8.6 miles to Unicoi Gap where we will catch a lift to Helen, GA and stay at a motel for the night to rest up for some upcomming mountains the next day.I am posting a picture of myself this time. Does anyone see a difference yet?
Date: 2011-03-31
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: clear sky

Comeback KidTalk about a turn around from yesterday. I felt great and hiked fast. The day started cold and foggy and I didn't get on the trail until 9:30am. The first hour was at a slower pace while I got warmed up. I was hiking with White Water, Foghorn Leghorn, and Two Steps Back. After our first long uphill, I got a burst of energy and took off ahead of the pack and just kept trucking. I made it to Unicoi Gap by 3pm and felt wonderful.We had decided to catch a shuttle to town and stay at a hotel, so White Water and I caught our ride and I left a note for the others to call me when they got to town. We wanted to get a good rest before tackling Rocky Mountain and Tray Mountain tomorrow. Tray will be our second mountain above 4000 feet and we will be doing it in the rain.Here is a shot of the guys at the hotel. White Water on the left, Foghorn Leghorn in the middle, and Two Steps Backward on the right. Life is good.
Date: 2011-04-01
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Stealth campsite
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Hiking FoolToday was my first day of hiking in the sun. It is amazing how motivating that is. I hiked with Foghorn Leghorn. White Water got off the trail this morning to go home and Two Steps Back took a zero day to let his ankle rest.We got to see some great views on Rocky and Tray Mountains. The first views of the trip.We also got a treat from a boy scout troop that fed us hamburgers and hotdogs. It was a great pick me up.This evening we found a great camp site and had a fire.Today's picture is of the meal tent that was set up by the boy scout troup
Date: 2011-04-02
From: Stealth campsite

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: broken clouds

My MariaIt was a sunny day today with lots of cold winds. The goal was to reach Dicks Creek Gap and call for a shuttle into Hiawassee to get a hotel room for two nights. It is time for my first 0 mile day so that I can rest up and let my legs and feet repair and refresh. Foghorn Leghorn and I got started about 9am and just kept a steady pace most of the day. The winds were very strong from the southwest and quite chilly. We were both really low on water so we were going to stop at the next water source to filter enough to get through the day. I got there first and went down the steep side trail to get to the water, but Foghorn never showed up. I caught back up with him about an hour later to discover that he had missed the sign for water and had kept going.When we got to Dicks Creek Gap, the fun began. There were two girls that we had run into earlier that were trying to hitch a ride to town because they couldn't get a cell signal. Of course we couldn't, either. We sat there for about an hour watching the girls try to come up with ways to get somebody to stop. First one of them hiked up her pant leg and tried flashing her leg for a ride. When that didn't work, she wrapped her leg in a bandage and hobbled around like she was injured to try and get a sympathy stop. No luck. I had just started walking up the next hill to try for a cell signal when a nice lady named Marie stopped and gave us all a ride in her truck. It was great trail magic. Thank you Marie. The ride was greatly appreciated.Today's picture is a vista view from Powell Mountain.\I am now resting at the Holiday Inn Express and I am looking forward to soaking in the hot tub for a while.
Date: 2011-04-03
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Holiday Inn Express
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Trail ReflectionsToday is my first day off from the trail, so I thought it would be a good time to talk about some of the things that I have learned so far.1. If you are training for a thru hike of the A.T. you should use a stair stepper or walk up and down stairs with a pack on your back. Walking a treadmill alone will not build the correct muscles for the ups and downs of the trail.2. If it is not spelled 'socks,' you should not bring two of them with you.3. Take care of hot spots on your feet immediately. Do not wait for lunch time or the next shelter. Stop where you are and do it.4. Take full advantage of God Rocks. God Rocks are boulders that God has placed along the trail for weary hikers to sit down on and rest.5. Take your time letting the trail break you in. Slow uphills and downhills are ok. You will make it over that mountain no matter what speed you are going.6. Don't forget and leave your boots outside of your tent overnight. If you do, it will of course rain and get them all wet.I hope these tips help any of you that are thinking about doing a long distance hike on the A.T.I would like to wish my wonderful father a happy birthday today. Dad, you are an inspiration to me and I love you very much. Have a perfect day today.Today's picture is not from this trip. It is a picture of the best dad that anybody could ever have.
Date: 2011-04-04
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Stealth campsite still in GA
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The Calm Before the StormI got a late start out of Hiawassee this morning. We didn't get to the trail until about 10:30 am. Foghorn and Two Steps Back hiked with me out of Dicks Creek Gap and we immediately had a bunch of uphill to do. It took a bit to get warmed up after the zero day, but it didn't take too long before my trail legs came back to me.My little toe on my right foot still hurt some today, so when we got to the first shelter I put some more moleskin on it and that helped a lot.There are severe thunderstorm warnings for tonight so most of the other hikers that we saw were getting to the shelters early and staying there. We decided to go on and camp in the woods and hope for the best.We are now holed up and the storm is coming in. I hope it isn't too bad.Today's picture is of some nice flowers that we passed today. We haven't seen many yet, but there are a lot of buds coming up.
Date: 2011-04-05
From: Steath campsit still in GA

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Georgia on My MindWow what a storm that was last night. Lightning, winds, rain, hail, snow, we had it all. And I slept right through it. It was very cold for most of the day, but that was mainly because of the high winds.Anyway, I crossed into NC today. YEAH! ONE STATE FINISHED!Right after I crossed the border I had to climb the toughest uphill of the trip so far. It went on forever and it was very steep. Luckily it got a lot easier after the second or third climb.We ran into a venture group of teenagers who were on a fifty mile hike. They had a fire and invited us to join them and they fed us some doughnuts. They were a great group and I am looking forward to seeing them on the trail again tomorrow.Today's picture is of me at the G/NC border on the trail.Also, Happy Birthday Grandma. I love you very much.
Date: 2011-04-06
From: Deep Gap

To: Mooney Gap
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

Fly Like The WindWhat an incredible day of hiking. Today I hiked to the highest elevation of the trip so far by climbing Standing Indian Mountain at a height of 5,498 feet. I also hiked the most miles that I have covered in a day by going 12.8 miles.I met several new people today including a man named 51/61. He got his name because he started hiking the trail this year at the age of 51 and he plans on finishing the trail by the time he turns 61.I took a stumble today that twisted my ankle a little bit, but hopefully it will be better in the morning. If not, I will just have to go a little slower until it heals.I will be taking a zero day tomorrow to rest up and meet my brother and his family in Franklin, NC. My brother is going to join me for 9 days on the trail. I am really looking forward to it.I want to let all of my friends and family know that I miss them very much.Today's picture is of a view from one of the ridge lines that I hiked this afternoon. What a beautiful day.
Date: 2011-04-07
From: Mooney Gap

To: Comfort Inn, Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The Young and The RestlessI took my zero day today so that I could rest my ankle and meet up with my brother and his family. I am not very happy just sitting in a hotel room when I could be out hiking. I get restless and want to get moving. It is probably better that I took today off of the trail though. My ankle swelled up a bit and needed to be iced down and wrapped. It is feeling better now, but it still twinges me some. Hopefully it will be totally better by morning because I am hitting the trail no matter what.Tonight when my brother gets here, I will go through all his hiking equipment and we will figure out if there is anything he can leave behind and if he is missing anything. There is a Walmart next door, so we should be able to pick up anything he is missing. Our shuttle will be picking us up at 10am to take us back to Mooney Gap in the morning.I am ready to get back on the trail.Today's picture is of my niece and nephews. It was great to see them today. I miss everybody a lot while I am out here.
Date: 2011-04-08
From: Mooney Gap

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: broken clouds

Brother MikeToday was the first day of hiking with my brother Mike. We caught a shuttle to Mooney Gap and had to immediately climb a steep mountain named Albert Mountain.It was a tough climb right into the clouds. It was a little rainy and there was not a good view, but it was a great way to break in Mike.I have been having a lot of trouble with my ankle today and I had to pretty much limp into camp tonight. I am hoping it is better in the morning. If it isn't better, I will have to go back into Franklin and try to find some sort of ankle brace that I can wear while hiking.My brother Mike already has his new trail name. It is 'Brother Mike.'When I introduced him to the hikers at the shelter I said 'This is my brother Mike' so they started calling him Brother Mike.Anyway, today's picture is of Brother Mike shining his headlamp up at his face in the dark while we were relaxing at the camp fire.