morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-01-20
To: Gear
Miles today: 0.0

Now that things are gearing up and I'm approaching the home stretch, I thought I'd talk a bit about the gear that I am taking. This seems to be a topic that comes up frequently when talking about the trail with both hikers and non-hikers.Shelter:I decided on an MSR Hubba tent. I have taken this tent on a couple of trips now and I really like it. It's a very lightweight, small tent and it's incredibly easy to set up. I really like the size; I feel like I am in my own (tiny) room. Pack:I have a ULA Catalyst pack. I researched for a long time before purchasing this pack and thud far I am very happy with it. It's a large pack and I am still learning the best way to arrange my gear inside, but I am happy with this purchase. I really like the plethora of pockets on the outside of the pack; it really helps with organization and keeping things you need frequently at hand. Sleeping Bag:I am taking a North Face Chrysalis 15 degree bag. The bag weighs about 3 lbs; I realize there are more lightweight bags, but I found a great deal on this bag and it is extremely comfortable. The plan is to keep this bag the whole trip and not trade out, even when the weather warms up. We'll see how that goes.Stove:MSR Pocket Rocket. Again, not the most lightweight option, but it is a great stove. It's extremely fast and easy to use. I honestly really didn't want to mess with an alcohol stove. I have a titanium cook pot that I'll use with this. Clothing:My plan is to layer. In colder weather, I'll wear a pear of midweight long underwear under shorts. I have a merino wool t-shirt, a long sleeved merino wool midweight baselayer over that. I have been hiking with a fleece over that, but I won't always need it. I also invested in a down jacket, which may be the best purchase I've made so far. I love it! It's incredibly lightweight and warm. At camp I'll wear either fleece pants and a different baselayer top or heavy weight long underwear; I'm still debating. I also have a turtle fur hat and turtle fur turtle neck, which have proved to be key temperature regulation pieces. In summer I'll just wear shorts and a t-shirt. Smartwool hiking socks of course. Shoes:I have a pair of Keen Targhees that I love so far. Nearly no breaking in time and extremely comfortable and seemingly durable. If I like them on the trail, I'll probably continue to use them and just order them online and have them sent to the next town.Obviously I'm not striving to be ultra lightweight. My primary goal is comfort and while lightening the load on my back is a part of that, I'm not willing to sacrifice gear that will make my trip more enjoyable.
Date: 2010-02-03
To: 2 months!
Miles today: 0.0

I can't believe there are less than two months to go before I start my hike. I also can't believe that anyone is starting their thru hike any time soon. TN just got several inches of snow, which for this area, is huge. 5 inches of snow spurred a declaration of "state emergency." Yes northerners, laugh away. All of the bread and milk was gone at the grocery store two days before the snow was supposed to hit. This really plagues me as I don't quite understand why bread and milk are the two necessary food items when you're preparing for bad weather.Anyway, I'm digressing. So there are two months left to wait. Some days this feels like a long time (usually when work is terrible) and other days this feels like way too soon. I'm ready to go, but as I anticipated, the closer the time comes, the more anxious I become. It hit me the other day that what I am about to attempt is kind of crazy. Not in a negative way, but the truth is, in this day and age, most people have no desire to leave their lives behind to hang out in the woods for any significant period of time. But I suppose all true adventures seem a bit crazy on the surface. There is not a single doubt in my mind that this journey will be one of the most important time periods of my entire life. Sometimes you have to do something a little crazy to make life worth living.
Date: 2010-02-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I drove to Boone, NC from Nashville this weekend to see my sister and passed right by the AT. I saw a couple of signs for the trail and it was really exciting to look around at the surrounding mountains and know that I will soon climb some of them. I also found some great deals on gear in Boone and have nearly completed my collection of trail clothing. I got a pair of fleece pants for camp while it's cold and bought a Smartwool mid-weight base layer top. I didn't think I'd be able to afford any Smartwool, but the sale price was what I would pay for a lesser quality brand, so I went for it. So as far as clothes go, I am pretty much finished! I need a pair of camp shoes and that's about it! MY parents also gave me a camera as an early birthday present, so I am in good shape gear wise.I have a little more than two weeks of work left. This sounds like nothing, but since I've resigned, they've increased my workload to a near impossible level and every day is a struggle to get through. I guess they're going to bleed me dry before I leave. I just have to keep reminding myself that it's the homestretch and I have to push through it. It's hard to keep things in perspective when you're working 9 plus hours straight without a break, but I don't have a choice. It'll all be over soon enough. Good luck to everyone getting ready to start! Only 6 weeks to go!!!
Date: 2010-02-16
To: Gear Update
Miles today: 0.0

I spent hours, literally hours, at REI on Sunday. But it paid off and aside from a couple of small odds and ends like tyvek to make a ground cloth and a trash compactor bag for a pack liner, I have all of my gear! I also purchased a splurge item; a hiking skirt! It's extremely comfortable and I'm hoping it will remind me and everyone else that I am a lady. I imagine it's going to be difficult to retain much femininity on the trail, so this is my attempt to maintain a little bit. Plus it will be breezy and allow me to pee easier. See why I might need a slight reminder that I am a lady? (;Now that all of my gear is in place, I am ready to go! Only one slight hiccup. It looks like the friend I was planning on starting the trail with is likely not going to be able to hike with me. So it's looking like I'm starting solo. This slightly increases my anxiety level, but I'm going to roll with it and try to make the best of it. Perhaps this will allow me to meet people I wouldn't have otherwise met that I can continue to hike with, who knows.Less than 2 weeks of work left!
Date: 2010-03-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I have officially been unemployed for a week now and it feels quite nice. It still hasn't really sunk in that I'm not returning to work as I went to visit my parents and then my in-laws immediately after my last day, so I just feel like I'm on vacation. Today, however, is the first day that I am back at home on a weekday and everyone else is at work and I'm still free, so I imagine it might start to sink in. I haven't been jobless and/or out of school for more than a week since I was in my teens. I'm now almost 29, so this is a strange feeling. I can't say it's a bad one though! My mom did comment on how relaxed I seemed. I am getting so excited about the trail. I am now 95% sure that I will be starting alone, but I think it will be for the best. I have bouts of nervousness, but overall I'm just ready to get started. I'm ready to see what the trail has in store for me. I'm ready for the good and the bad, the rain and the sunshine. I'm going on one final shake down hike this weekend. One of my friends is coming out at least twice to hike with me for a week or so at a time and she just bought all of her gear, so we're going to try it out. I haven't been camping since the summer, so I figure it's probably a good idea to do that again before I start the AT.I will report back in a few days regarding what it feels like to be a bum and any shakedown trip stories.
Date: 2010-03-22
To: Final Countdown
Miles today: 0.0

It's been awhile since I've written an entry; time has been flying by and my start date has crept up quickly. A few noteworthy events have occurred in the last week or so. I cut all of my hair off, turned 29 and had my going away party. Though I'm now in the last year of my 20s, I now look like a 15 year old with short hair. Oh well. It feels quite nice and will be practical on the trail. The going away party was really fun; I have some great friends. Some friends came in from out of town and it was a really nice night with everyone. Now that it's over however, I'm starting to get nervous again. I woke up this morning and realized that I am leaving Nashville in a few days and starting the trail in less than a week. It's given me a lot to think about. I'm feeling a strange mix of anxiety and excitement and I'm not really sure what to do with myself. I have to seam seal my tent, which I plan to do today and this morning I packed my food bag for the first leg of the trail to Neel's Gap. So other than some house cleaning and trying to spend some time with my friends and family, I am ready to go. While I'm getting a bit nervous, I'm really ready to start the trail and see what's in store for me. I've been planning for years, I've had time to decompress since leaving my job and now there's nothing left to do but do this!Thursday my husband and I are leaving to go to a friend's mountain house that's close to the trail. Our families are joining us on Friday and Sunday I start the trail. Here goes nothing...
Date: 2010-03-27
To: Forecast
Miles today: 0.0

Tomorrow is the big day. I have a strange unsettled feeling that I can't quite explain. It doesn't exactly help that thunderstorms are forecast for the entire day and tomorrow night. I guess I'm jumping in feet first! My family was asking if I want to postpone my start date until Monday as the rest of the week is supposed to be nice, but I figure I have to get used to hiking in poor weather, so I might at well go for it. I've been able to spend some good time with my family this weekend, which has distracted me from feeling too anxious. Attached is a picture of me and my sister since I cut all of my hair off. Yes, I know I look 15. I've also added photos to past journals, so check them out if you so desire. I will provide my first official entry from the trail tomorrow. We'll see how excited I am after hiking in thunderstorms all day. I'm up for the challenge. BRING IT!
Date: 2010-03-28
From: Amicalola State Park Visitors Center

To: Stover's Creek Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Nothing reminds you that you're doing something crazy better than waking up in cotton pajamas in a king sized bed just to put on a 40 lb pack and hike up a mountain in rain and wind. Despite a really rainy and cold morning, I'd consider day one a success. It was really sad to say goodbye to my family and husband this morning, but we had a great weekend in Big Canoe. I pretty much had the approach trail to myself on the way up to Springer Mountain. It was a pretty difficult trail, with a few inclines I thought would never end, but I finished feeling strong. I will say that after hiking the approach trail in the rain, the top of Springer Mtn and the official start of the AT was a bit anti-climactic. The top of the mountain was really small and the plaque signifying the start of the trail was underwhelming. It didnt help that I really just wanted to stop hiking in the rain. I signed in with Many Sleeps, who hangs out at the top of the mountain and logs thru hikers, then I made my way to the shelter at Springer. I planned on staying there for the night, but I didn't plan on getting there so early. I finished the approach trail in about 4 hrs & got to the shelter around 1 pm. I ate a tortilla with peanut butter, changed into dry clothes and talked to some section hikers for awhile. The weather started to clear and there was a ton of day left, so I decided to push on to the next shelter 2.8 miles away. It ended up being a really nice afternoon and I'm glad I pushed on. Stover Creek is a nice shelter and there are a few people here. I still haven't met any thru hikers yet - I think most started at Springer and went to Hawk Mountain. I should run into some tomorrow. It's about 4:30 now and I'm going to set up, cook some dinner and settle in for the evening. Not a bad first day everything considered. We'll see how sleeping tonight goes though...Until tomorrow!
Date: 2010-03-29
From: Stover Gap shelter

To: Gooch Gap shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night turned into a pretty nice night. A couple of thru hikers, Puma and Abby came in late and several of us stayed up & talked until it got dark. The moon was full and bright and though it was cold, I stayed cozy in my sleeping bag in the shelter loft. I wish I had slept better, but I expected that I wouldn't.I was a little sad this morning when I set off, but the trail was pretty and the rain had stopped, which was nice. The day was still a bit overcast and chilly, but my spirits were better after walking for a little while. I hiked about 5 miles to Hawk Mountain shelter and had some lunch & talked to Kent (my husband- yes, his first name is my last name, no he didn't consider taking my name) and my dad, which was nice. After lunch I ended up meeting a group of thru hikers- Kristina, Chad, Stephen, Fin, and Sam. i hiked with them for the rest of the day and now we're all in the shelter at Gooch Gap. We wanted to tent but by the time we got here, all of the tent sites were taken. The hiking was really nice today. We climbed Sassafrass Mountain and a couple other smaller mountains. Sassafrass was a little tough, but I enjoyed it. The weather cleared a little and the sun almost came out. Maybe tomorrow. I hope I can stay with this group for awhile - they're really nice. My knees are a bit tired after pulling two longish days, but otherwise I'm feeling good. I'm a full day ahead of schedule but the group I'm with seems to be on the same page pace-wise. Hope I sleep better tonight!
Date: 2010-03-30
From: Gooch Gap shelter

To: Lance Creek Campsite
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: few clouds

Today was beautiful. We ended up all sleeping in the shelter, which was not very comfortable and there were a couple of snorers, but we woke up to blue skies which was a pleasant change. We had some amazing views today- our first of the trip. We found an incredible lunch spot on the top of a mountain with a beautiful view of the mountain range and plenty of sun. The hiking wasn't too tough today but my knees have started bothering me a little. I think its just because I pushed a bit too hard the first couple of days so hopefully shorter days and changing my pace a little might help. We settled at a great creekside camping spot and spent a nice night by the fire. Here tonight are: Shutterbug, McGruber, Indiana, Fin, Sandman, Grumpy Tortoise, Skippy, and Boogie with her dog Marley. I believe I was given my trail name tonight- "Ups" because I'm fast on the uphills. We'll see if it sticks. I'm really excited about sleeping in my tent tonight. Just a heads up- I can only send journals when I get into a town, so they will be posted in batches every few days. Thanks to everyone for signing my guest book- the messages really mean a lot to me.
Date: 2010-03-31
From: Lance Creek Campsite

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I finally had a decent night's sleep last night which was much needed. I slept right by the stream and woke up feeling refreshed and ready to climb Blood Mountain. I tied a bandana around my knee to keep it stabalized which seemed to help some. I hiked mostly by myself today, which was nice. I set my own pace- kicked it up on the uphills and stayed really slow on the downhills. My knees still feel tired, but not as bad. I really enjoyed climbing Blood Mountain today, which is the highest point on the AT in GA. It wasn't near as steep as I thought it would be; it was nicely graded. The views from the top were incredible. I am really loving the Georgia mountains. I got into Neel's Gap mid afternoon and had a staff member at the outfitter go through my pack and try to lessen the weight. He wasn't able to get too much out, but he taught me how to pack my pack more efficiently and helped fit it to my back, which made a HUGE difference. Miss Janet took a couple of us in town to resupply for our group and now we're all back in a cabin relaxing and organizing. I got to take my first shower, which was incredible. I smelled really terrible- I felt bad for the guy that helped me with my pack. Hopefully, tomorrow morning we'll be able to wash clothes. Looking forward to a bed tonight!
Date: 2010-04-01
From: Neel's Gap

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Everyone woke up sore and tired, so we agreed to take a zero day (no hiking miles) to rest and heal. The day was very laid back and relaxing. We hung out at the outfitters for awhile because some church volunteers were grilling burgers for hikers. I had a veggie burger and made some phone calls to family and friends. Otherwise the day was spent relaxing and reading on the porch at the cabin, which is right beside a nice creek. McGruber made us all dinner, which was delicious. Tomorrow we head back out. Today was nice and I think it was important to rest our bodies, but I'm ready to start hiking again. I have to get to Franklin, NC by next Friday to meet my friend, Kristina, who's going to hike with me for a week. This means increasing my mileage a little. So far it looks like the group is going to try to stick together, which I'm happy about. One more night in a bed!
Date: 2010-04-02
From: Neel's Gap

To: Long Gap shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

I woke up today ready to hike. Aside from Fin, we were all feeling rested and our bodies felt good. Fin was still having some knee pain so he told us he may have to hang back and catch up to us in the next few days, which I was bummed about. So the rest of us started out. I left first and hiked by myself for a while. The terrain today was a lot of ups and downs and the scenery was not very pretty. Most of the trail looked like a waste land. All of the trees were bare and there were a lot of dead trees and sticks everywhere. Aside from Fin, the rest of the group caught up to me at my first break and we stayed pretty close the rest of the day. We climbed Wildcat Mountain, which was fairly challenging. The rest of the day offered a pretty constant series of alternating ups and downs. It was pretty warm today and we all ran out of water toward the end of the day. Luckily we got to the shelter shortly thereafter and replenished our water supply. My body felt good today and my knees didn't give me any trouble. I think a large part of the problem was the fact that my pack wasn't adjusted correctly. Now that it fits the way it should, hopefully I'll be able to avoid further knee pain. We started setting up camp and to everyone's surprise, here comes Fin hiking down the hill! We were all really glad to see him -- the group wouldn't be the same without him. So we're all still together. Tomorrow the goal is to hike about 13 miles and camp. Our goal is to get to Hiawassee on Monday. I'm in my tent again tonight. I'm starting to get better at sleeping out here, though I still wake up pretty frequently. I miss everyone, but I'm having an amazing time.
Date: 2010-04-03
From: Long Gap shelter

To: on top of Rocky Mountain
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We hit 50 miles today! Today started out very mild. The terrain in the first half of the day was really flat and easy. We flew through the morning and finished over 7 miles by lunch, so we took a long lunch break to rest, as the rest of the day was forecast to be challenging. We expected rain all day but luckily never had any. After lunch we had a very long descent, followed by an extremely challenging ascent. We gained over 1000 ft in a little over a mile, which proved to be the most difficult climb thus far, in my opinion. I put on my headphones and plowed up the mountain. There is a incredible sense of satisfaction when you finish a tough climb. Unfortunately, after most of us got to the top, I turned my phone on and received a text message from Shutterbug letting us know that she and McGruber weren't going to make it to camp tonight. She was having a tough day and after the long descent into Unicoi Gap, McGruber's knee was in bad shape and they hitched a ride to Helen for the night. We're not yet sure what their plans will be or if we'll be able to meet back up. That leaves me, Sandman, Fin, and Indiana camping on top of the mountain tonight. We had a nice night with a great fire, but it definitely felt like something was missing without the rest of the group. It also forced me to start thinking about the likely possibility that the rest of the group will disband as well. Fin has to finish the trail by the end of August, Indiana plans to take a couple of days off in NC to raft and I'm taking a day off in Gatlinburg to meet up with friends. I really like this group of people and I'd really like to stay with them, but I have to prepare myself for the likelihood of starting out alone again after Gatlinburg. It scares me a little, but it's just going to be one of many challenges I have to face during this journey. I'll get through it and keep going. But for now, I'm going to enjoy the time I have with them and learn what I can from them.
Date: 2010-04-04
From: on top of Rocky Mountain

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was the hardest day yet. We had to climb Tray Mountain first thing in the morning, which was a gradual but hefty climb. We stopped at Tray Mountain shelter for lunch but the gnats were so bad we left soon after eating. The profile in our guidebooks made it appear as though the rest of the day was going to be fairly easy until we had to climb Kelly Knob at the very end of the day's hike, but that did not turn out to be the case. The entire day was a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Right before the last big climb of the day, we took a nice long break. I got my sleep pad out of my pack and laid down in the grass for a good half hour. It felt great. Then it was time to climb Kelly Knob. The word knob sounds like a cute little hill. People should not call what we climbed at the end of the day a knob, unless they use it in the way the British do. This mountain was hellacious. There were about a million false summits. I would think, "I've been climbing for a while now, surely this is almost over," and I'd turn a corner, only to see the trail continuing upward without end. I had my headphones in which helped some, but it was still extremely tough. But promises of beer in town tomorrow pulled me up the mountain and to the shelter. There are a bunch of people camped here tonight and we were graced with some music when a couple of people played the fiddle and harmonica. We never heard back from Shutterbug and McGruber, so we're assuming they may have quit, which is really sad. But the rest of us are still going strong and we talked tonight and agreed that we all want to stay together, which is comforting. We also decided to stay in Hiawassee tomorrow night as Indiana's knee is starting to bother him some and we are all in desperate need of baths and cold beers. It is romantic to be out here in the wild, walking among the mountains all day, but I can't lie -- I smell really bad. We're filthy. I still love it though -- everything about it. I'm so blessed to have an opportunity like this. I have never been so grateful and appreciative of everything: clean water, warm clothes, shelter... toilets.... It is amazing.