morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-04-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

LYME DISEASE   http://www.aldf.com/lyme.shtmlI routinely used deet spray as a tick & secondarily as needed bug repellant. Once I reached Buena Vista, VA I started spraying my clothes, shoes, socks & hat with permethrin and resprayed after 4 ¢ 6 washings per manufacturer¢s instructions. Mike brought the spray with him whenever he met me on the AT. I waited until VA to start the permethrin treatment because the incidence of lyme disease increases dramatically in areas from Northern Virginia to Southern Maine. I also checked for ticks, but only found one tick, which I immediately removed. Often Lyme disease is spread by the nymph stage (small) of a deer tick, which can make it difficult to notice. Chances of contracting Lyme disease are greatly reduced if you remove a tick within the first 48 hours. Early diagnosis of Lyme disease makes the disease much more responsive to treatment so it is important to be alert.
Date: 2012-04-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

APPALACHIAN TRAIL GEAR LISTPACK & SHELTER- Granite Gear Vapor Trail Backpack- Sea to Summit Pack Liner & Rain cover- LightHeart Awning Tent (stakes, awning pole)- Black Plastic tent footprint- Small black plastic sheet for placing in front of tentSLEEPING- Thermarest neoair & repair kit- Sleeping bag liner- Down Western Mountaineering backpacking pillow- Western Mountaineering Alpinlite 20 degree Sleeping Bag (After Graysons Highlands SP, VA switch to Montbell SS Hugger 40 summer bag) CLOTHING WORN- Montrail Sabino Trail runners- Darn Tough socks- Patagonia synthetic underwear- Sports bra- EMS Hiking Pants (switch to shorts in summer)- Long Sleeve Synthetic Shirt- Montbell thermawrap vest- Bandana- Casio Watch- Leki Graphite Trekking PolesCLOTHING PACKED- 1 pair Patagonia synthetic underwear- 1 Sports bra- 1 pair Darn Tough socks (switch to lo cut darn tough socks in summer)- 1 Bandana- Rain pants (switch to UL rain kilt in summer)- OR Revel Rain Shell w/Event Mittens in pocket- Crocs- Fleece Gloves- Montbell Thermawrap Jacket- Northface fleece hat (OR cap with lid in summer)- Icebreaker 260 wool Tights (switch for running shorts in summer)- Icebreaker LS wool shirt (switch for sleeveless synthetic shirt in summer)- Synthetic SS shirtHYDRATION- Aqua Mirra- 1-liter Gatorade bottle- 2 liter platypus water bag with tube- 2 liter Platypus water carrier- Zpack cuben fiber water bottle carrier attached to Backpack strapsCOOKING- Snow Peak Giga Power Stove- Fuel Canister- Snowpeak Pot w/lid- Plastic Cup- Chamois Hotpad- Spork- 1 Bic lighter- Food easy to reach for the day- Food packed away- Laurel Designs Bear Bag/z-pack carabineer, rock bag, 50 ft. Z-line- Gallon zip bag for trashHYGIENE- Toothbrush, paste, floss- Chapstick- Hand sanitizer- Comb- TP - Tissue capsules- Nail clippersNAVIGATION/LUXURY- Petzl Tikka LED headlamp with red light option- The A.T. Guide (loose leaf sheets)- Swiss Army Knife (miniature)- Cell Phone and charger- IPod Nano/headphones, charger- Pentax Optio W90 Camera w/charger & extra battery & disc - Wallet w/credit & ATM card, ID & health insurance card- Reading Glasses w/case- Small Notebook & penFIRST AID& MEDS- Medicine-Vitamins- Antibiotic ointment- Blister Rx &Moleskin- Band-Aids (8)- 4¢ x 4¢ Gauze bandages (3 each)- Imodium- Advil- Benadryl- Needle- Duct tape- Hydropel- Deet spray- Antibiotics
Date: 2011-02-24
To: (1) Welcome and Navigation
Miles today: 0.0

Welcome! My name is Alan Downs, and I will be hiking all 2181 miles of the Appalachian Trail starting in Georgia on March 31st 2011. I plan on writing nightly journals of the day's events, and will hopefully add them to this site at least once a week while on the trail, so keep checking! I look forward to sharing my adventure with all of you. Feel free to write back to me in the guest book (located on the left). The guest book sends your comments to my phone, so I will be able to respond to them while hiking!I would now like to formally introduce this site to my friends and family, especially those who are less tech-savvy. Trailjournals is a place where hikers can post their hiking journals online for others to read. I have chosen trailjournals as the hub of my communications because it is a public website of relatively simple navigation. On the left hand side you will find the contents of my journal highlighted in blue, such as my journal entries by "list" or "date", the "gear" that I am taking, "photos", "about", and more. You will also see a section on the left titled the guest book, with the words "sign" and "view" underneath. Click the "sign" button if you would like to write to me while I am on the trail, and the "view" button to see what others have written to me. I will be able to view your responses through my phone while on the trail (after plugging into an energy source first).Last, you can click the blue lettered links below this journal entry such as "next" or "previous" to shuffle through my journals in the order that I have entered them. So, go ahead and click "Next¢ and we'll begin my journey from the start.
Date: 2011-02-25
To: (2) Graduating and the Future
Miles today: 0.0

And so you are wondering: why has he decided to hike the Appalachian Trail, a 2181 mile long footpath from Georgia to Maine?The idea was originally put into my head in 2006, the same day that I received my Eagle Scout. I had just finished my board of review, and was standing outside the scout hall talking to my scoutmaster, Keith, while we awaited the board's recommendation of me. It was during this waiting that my scoutmaster told me about a friend of his who had hiked the AT and had taken pictures and made a binder that documented his entire trip. I went home that night and read online about people thru hiking the AT. I was fascinated by the idea, and like my scoutmaster, hoped that I could someday hike it as well.At the time it was nothing but a pipe dream; a fun possibility that would never happen. I was on my way to college, and after that, into the workforce! I was sure to have my commitments, and would never actually get to hike. Little did I know that my opportunity would soon arise. I graduated with honors from Shippensburg University on May 8th, 2010. I was already in the hiring process for several Criminal Justice agencies, had been in a relationship for nearly a year, and was looking for a job to help pay the rent while I awaited my career. I had no time for hiking the Appalachian Trial, nor did it ever cross my mind.
Date: 2011-02-26
To: (3) Deciding to Hike
Miles today: 0.0

So what happened? Slowly but surely everything fell apart. I started working for the Office Depot warehouse in Newville, PA two days after graduating. It was my first full time job and I started off with a bang; ten hour days sometimes 7 days a week. It was a different world than college, but it grew on me. I made a lot of friends and was soon a familiar face on the receiving team. My team was a hardworking and fun bunch of different ages and from various countries. I learned a lot from them. Several months after being hired, the relationship I was in ended. While tough at first, I soon found myself cherishing single life and the return of my old self. I had more time to run, and in November completed my fifth 50 mile ultra marathon. It was around this time that I learned that after 9 months of hiring, I had been out-qualified for the # of vacancies in my desired agency. This meant that I would have to reapply, and wait another 9 months for what might possibly be the same outcome. I did not reapply. Instead I decided to set my sights towards joining a less competitive agency, the military. In this way I would be working in my field while simultaneously building my resume, related job experience, contacts, and working towards a savings plan. However, I did not jump into action right away. Afraid that I would react rashly to the sudden change in my future, I opted to wait a month or two and allow myself time to think before applying anywhere. And so I did.It was during this thinking that I finally realized something: I could do anything! In a matter of months I had dropped all of my baggage. I had zero commitments, minimum payments, and money saved up. My freedom shocked me. What a rare and exciting opportunity! Naturally, my first instinct was to see the world. I contemplated getting a job on a cruise ship, or even taking a seasonal job. Then I remembered my old dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail. Of all the places and people and things...the great adventure! I started reading about it yet again, and the more I learned the more I wanted to do it. But should I do it? In the end, I knew that my current situation was probably the only chance I would ever have, so rather than live with my regrets, I started planning.
Date: 2011-02-27
To: (4) Leaving Office Depot
Miles today: 0.0

Sometime later I had finished my research on the trail, purchased a plane ticket, and had picked all of my gear. I knew it was time to say goodbye to my last worldly commitment and with deep regret I gave a one month notice to office depot. I finished my last month of work like I would a race: strong. Our manager, Ryan, had begun telling us how we rated against other Office Depot receiving teams in terms of accuracy. This in turn caused all of us to pick up our game to see how high we could score. We climbed to the top, and were ranked #1 in the country for the week before I left. I was very proud.My co-workers were all sad to see me go. On my last day they made me a card (as well as a man purse) and I was very touched. I wished them the best of luck with their futures, and I know that I will carry memories of them into my future.(I had always wondered what the last thing I would ever scan at the warehouse would be, because I knew that it would be a moment forever burned in my memory. The last box I ever scanned was a no scan, meaning the barcode didn't work and it had to be researched. The irony is killing me.)
Date: 2011-02-28
To: (5) Free Time
Miles today: 0.0

I am now spending my days preparing for the Appalachian Trail until I leave for Georgia on the 31st of March. I run 8 miles a day, and am planning on doing a 20 miler next weekend. I have already done some camping, and have practiced setting up my hammock in the woods behind my brother¢s apartment.Soon I will be doing a 3 day practice hike on the trail starting at Pine Grove Furnace near Newville PA, and I hope that everything goes well (will write a follow up journal when I return). My pack is a ULA Ohm, which is on the smaller side for packs, but I managed to fit or tie everything onto it, so I should be fine. My winter base weight is 16lbs. In addition to exercise and practice hikes, I have been spending a lot of time with friends, which I really enjoy after ten months of 3rd shift and not seeing them. I am still living in my room in the fraternity house with my brothers (kappa delta phi) and am paying off the remainder of my rent before I go.I can¢t help but laugh when I look at my situation: I am unemployed and soon to be homeless.
Date: 2011-03-08
To: (6) Practice Hike Day 1
Miles today: 8.0

(The following three entries are from my trail journal during my practice hike at Pine Grove Furnace)1. An icy start.Today was the first day of my practice hike to get ready for my upcoming nobo thru hike of the AT. I started off at Pine Grove State Park, where I registered my hike and my car at the visitor's center. Pine Grove Furnace seemed like a neat place, but the trail shop and AT museum were closed due to the lack of visitors this time of year. The trail felt strange to me at first as I compared the months of research I had done to the real thing, but after a while I felt at home in the woods. It was much colder in the mountains, and as soon as I had begun to gain elevation I found that the trail was covered in snow, to the point where I couldn't even tell where the trail was. I only saw one other person on the trail, and though I politely said "hello" in our passing, she ignored me. Overall, the hike was a breeze, which I attribute to my already being in shape, and very light pack weight.Once in camp, I set up my hammock with ease, but was having trouble with my alcohol stove because my lighter was out of fuel (my bad). I ended up using matches and a lit candle to get the thing going, but not after spilling some fuel and lighting part of a picnic table on fire (my bad again). I am now low on fuel.As far as gear is concerned, I like my pack, the ULA Ohm a lot. It is very comfy despite being an ultra light pack, and I now find it to be plenty large. Hiking poles, on the other hand, have not won my respect. During my hike I got sick of poking around with them and ended up tying them to my pack. I honestly don't see how they help.Oh well, sleep time.
Date: 2011-03-09
To: (7) Practice Hike Day 2
Miles today: 11.0

(Practice hike continued...)2.Practice hike = rain and snow.It has not been the best of weather, but I am having fun despite this. Today I hiked back to Pine Grove Furnace in half of the time that it took me yesterday. I attribute this to my discovery of how to use poles. After wearing myself out on an especially challenging slope, I decided to give my hiking poles another try and found myself leaning on them for support. While yesterday the poles had lost out to my strength, today they were a welcome crutch. It wasn't long before I was walking like I had four legs, pushing on the poles with my arms to propel myself forward. The poles are certainly not a necessity, but I appreciate the boost in speed. I continued hiking south past Pine Grove towards Tom's Run Shelter. It started to rain while I was hiking, but I was able to stay dry in my rain gear. The trail became a lot rougher on the southern end, sometimes spiraling up a steep mountain or plowing straight through a stream. I stopped to eat lunch on a rock in the rain. Because it was raining, I didn¢t think I would have much luck lighting my stove, so I ate a pack of stuffing (that's right, dry stuffing), which was very similar to eating salad croutons. After 11 miles of hiking, I arrived at the shelter with ample daylight to spare. So I explored the nearby stream and filtered myself some drinking water. I spent my remaining time in the sunlight cooking and reading the shelter log book. The entries by other hikers were hilarious; several people reported completing the half gallon challenge at Pine Grove only to throw up a mile down the trail. I think I'll skip that one! (Pine Grove has a challenge for passing hikers where if you can eat a half gallon of ice cream within the allotted time, you don't have to pay. It is a thru hiker rite of passage).I have made up my mind that tonight I will sleep inside the shelter to get a taste of what it is like, though I am sure it won't compare to the comfort of my hammock.
Date: 2011-03-10
To: (8) Practice Hike Day 3
Miles today: 4.0

(End of Practice Hike)3. Knee deep in rain.I spent the night toasty warm in my sleeping bag. Camping on the ground is warmer than camping in a hammock, because a hammock is surrounded by air, which has a "bridges freeze first" affect on the person inside. The ground wasn't as cozy as sleeping in the air, but I slept none the less. When I looked out of the shelter, I saw that it was pouring rain, which I was actually happy about because it meant I would get to test my rain suit and other waterproofing in the worst of conditions. The night before I had put my bottle of cold water inside my sleeping bag in order to warm it up. This would make the water boil faster in the morning and would therefore save fuel (I was running desperately low). I boiled the water in no time and had mashed potatoes for breakfast. Despite having hiked 11 miles the day before and being awake part of the night (the night is too long for me to sleep end to end) I was feeling great. As a matter of fact, my thru hike was beginning to look like a piece of cake. Then nature called. Oh how the mighty have fallen. I looked out into the freezing cold and pouring rain and was seriously knocked off my high horse. Oops, never foresaw this scenario...time to go get miserable. I changed into my rain suit, grabbed my Ziploc full of TP, and headed out. I was looking for a sensible place to commit the deed, when my luck finally kicked in and I spotted an outhouse half way up the mountain. It was like discovering an oasis in the desert, and I was saved (till next time).When I finally resumed hiking (back North again), I found that the trail had become a stream. I immediately gave up all hopes of my feet staying dry, and marched right into it. My feet became numb with cold while I slipped on everything. I was soon soaked to the bone. My hiking poles kept me from falling down on several accounts, and one time I mistook a stream for the real trail and had to backtrack, but overall the day was managable and I made it back to Pine Grove. Once there I found my car, kicked my shoes off, stripped down to my shorts, cranked up the heat, and drove straight to McDonald¢s for a Big Mac.Practice hike completed
Date: 2011-03-29
To: (9) Impending Doom
Miles today: 0.0

It is my second to last night before I hike the trail.I sit in my room counting down the hours until my demise. I spent the day scrambling to try and finish all of the things I wanted to do before my hike. A history binder for my fraternity full of colorful pictures and memories, checking e-mails, renewing my internet security, seeing grandparents, and gathering the last of my gear that I had not yet prepared or rummaged out of storage (shoot I just realized I forgot toilet paper¢¦). No matter how fast I work the clock keeps ticking closer, and the feeling that it can¢t be real continues to grow. How did I get here?A month ago I was a cheerful Office Depot employee. Time always goes by too quickly when I work, so when I decided to take a month off before my hike it seemed like a reasonable amount of time to prepare myself and whine down. Little did I realize that the second I stopped working a month would become a spectacularly long time. In retrospect, I was ready to hike the trail within two weeks, easily. Instead I got twice that long, and I fear that the time has made me soft. But don¢t think that I regret the past month. If it has made me less prepared, it is because I had a blast. Practice hike aside, I spent my last month hanging out with friends every day. In all honesty, I have never been so social in my entire life. I had a ton of fun with my old college buddies and after a while I even started to make new friends! Everywhere I went people wished me luck and told me that they will be reading my trail journals. The support has been incredible, and I am touched that so many care. It was possibly the best month of my life being back in the loop, and I hope that everyone who shared that time with me realizes how much it meant, and how much I will miss them. If I had kept to myself and done my own thing, leaving to hike the AT would be an easy thing to do. Instead, it is hard, because my friends have given me so much to leave behind.And so here I am, still trying to grasp that after four years at ship my old life is over and my journey is about to start.Update:The other day I moved out of my apartment in Shippensburg and returned home to my parents, an unfortunate full circle that has landed me right where I started five years ago save for a degree and some brief work experience. I later learned from one of my roommates that I left all of my underwear in a drawer in my old room, and so I will return tomorrow (figures I spend my last day in the real world collecting undies). I am glad though, because it means I will get to see everybody one last time.
Date: 2011-03-31
From: Home and Approach Trail

To: (10) Appraoch Trail
Miles today: 4.0

You would think that I would have had trouble falling asleep the night before a 2000+ hike through the mountains, but oddly enough, I slept like a baby. When I woke up I discovered that I was sick (sore throat and runny nose), which seemed foreboding of hard times to come, but I did my best to ignore it. After packing the last of my gear I jumped into the car with my parents and they drove me to the Baltimore airport, where I checked my bags and said goodbye. I remember when my mom and I first booked my flight to Atlanta Georgia several months before. We had been especially careful to make sure I got a window seat, because I love to look out the window while flying (seat 19F was the lucky winner). So naturally, when I boarded the plane, I was mortified to find a girl sitting in my seat. Being the nice guy I am, I decided not to say anything about it and instead took the seat beside her (I spent most of the flight glaring at her jealously and wishing the plane would crash). After a brief wait, the plane took off, and I was on my way to the start of my adventure. (To fully appreciate this, imagine an airplane lifting off while the Indiana Jones theme song plays, and then imagine a map of the east coast with a cutout plane moving down it until it reaches the deep south)When I got off the plane I grabbed my gear and took a train out of Atlanta to North Springs station, where I was to catch a shuttle to Amicalola Falls in Amicalola State Park. (I had arranged several weeks ahead to have a trail angel named Eric Pope take me down). Eric turned out to be a real interesting guy. He had thru hiked in 04', and was able to give me some tips during the ride. Now, Amicalola is not the start of the AT. The actual trail starts deeper into Baxter Park, and Amicalola falls is the beginning of an 8 mile approach trail just to get to the actual trail. After Eric and I arrived, he showed me around the visitor center and helped me weigh my pack (26 lbs fully loaded) and he commented on how light that was. By this time it was getting late, but I wanted to get some miles in before setting up camp, so I started the approach trail. I passed a tremendous waterfall the first mile, but few people. I ended up doing 4 miles before nightfall, and will have to reach the start of the AT tomorrow.
Date: 2011-04-01
From: (10) Start and Approach Trail

To: (11) Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

Last night was cold but I managed. This morning I woke up to darkness and had to wait. As soon as it became light out I left my hammock to cook and pack up. I started hiking, and four miles later reached the summit of Springer where the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail began! There were several other hikers there, and we all signed the registry book (a classy title for a notebook stuffed into a plastic bag). After signing, I got out my guidebook and decided to hike another 9 miles to Hawk Mountain shelter, where I could spend the night. The hike there was difficult yet pleasant. The terrain was steep, and sometimes the trail seemed to travel endlessly up (my ears would pop), but the view from the top was always worth it. The peaks of the mountains were still experiencing winter, and none of the trees carried leaves, but a couple thousand feet below in the valleys was just the opposite. These low areas were quite warm, very green, and full of rocky streams. Water was so plentiful that I ended up dumping my reserve 2 Liter to save weight, and used a single Gatorade bottle while I hiked. (I continue this pattern but still use my 2L bag to tote lots of water into camp)It was in one of these valleys that I started running into other thru hikers, and we would pass each other back and forth throughout the day. I also saw my shuttle driver, Eric, dropping off more hikers further down the trail, which was a pleasant surprise.I arrived at Hawk Mt around 3pm to discover a small city of campers. There must have been at least 30 tents in all, and some fellow hammockers. Most of the people I spoke to were also thru hikers.I spent around 3 hours talking to people by tent city's many camp fires. I made a lot of friends and hope to see them again at the next shelter. Some have trail names already, such as Pokie Oakie, Choco, Flyfeet, Slowpoke, Rat, Metric, and Pocahontas. There is also a guy who is trying to set the record for the most cigars smoked on a thru hike. It is a fun time.