morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-12-18
To: Wendy & Start Date Plans
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I¢ve barely mentioned my truly better half, my wonderful wife Wendy. We¢ve been married for 43 years. We met three years before that early in our freshman year at Millikin University in Decatur, IL.We have two great children who are married and out on their own. She has to get most of the credit for them turning out so well. As well as so many ways she has been a supporter of mine through the years. She is strong and can be independent; plus our son Andrew is close by to assist her, if needed. Now I ask her to support me again as I head out for a potential six month absence. When we¢re out and people ask her how she feels about me being gone for 6 months, she simply says: ¢If that¢s what he wants to do¢. That is typical of our many years together. We do not always have the same ideas, tastes, etc. But, we always support each other. This time obviously is a stretch.Wendy will be in charge of mailing supply boxes to my mail drops. Really haven¢t decided what they will include yet. Obviously I need to get my prescriptions sent periodically. One thing we¢ve talked about that is still undecided is dehydrated fruits/vegetables. I know they will be helpful to get the nutrients they provide and normally lacking out on the trail. But, I¢ve read some others who say how boring they can become. So, yet to decide but probably will do it. We do not have a dehydrator yet. Probably will be getting one soon to start experimenting.HARD TO BELIEVE: exactly three months from today I plan on being on the AT Approach Trail ¢ March 18, 2014. Here is the plan. On Monday, 3/17 Wendy and I will drive to Amicalola Falls State Park, which is about 4 hours from home. We¢ll check into the Lodge for the night. During that afternoon I¢ll visit the welcome center and check in as a thru-hiker and hike back up to the Lodge (1.2 miles, 604 wooden steps) for the night (with full backpack). On Tuesday morning 3/18, we¢ll have breakfast at the Lodge looking over the beautiful north Georgia Mountains. Then we¢ll say our good byes as Wendy leaves to drive back home and I start hiking north. I plan on spending the first night at Black Gap shelter (6.1 miles), which is about 1.5 miles short of the top of Springer Mountain.   Then on Wednesday morning, 3/19, I¢ll hike to the beginning of the AT and officially start my thru-hike. WOW, can it be true?I know many people skip the Approach Trail and get a ride to near the AT terminus. A term used on the trail is HYOH (hike your own hike). For me it¢s not so much about the miles or destination or how fast I can hike.   It is about enjoying the experience. I intend to be a ¢purist¢. That means for me to hike by every white blaze along the way (i.e. no shortcuts) and no slack packing (i.e. where you hike without your backpack and someone drives your gear to meet up with you). And I also want to be able to say I did the Approach Trail as well.
Date: 2013-12-19
To: Good Day and Frustrating Day
Miles today: 0.0

Today was both satisfying and frustrating.On the positive side I went on an approximate 5 mile hike with a 30 pound backpack. And all was well with that. I could have easily gone further on a beautiful (50 degree and sunny) hiking day. But, I did not want to get too tired out because of my Body Combat class early tomorrow morning.My hike was in Hitchcock Woods that I am so glad to live only about a mile away from it here in Aiken, SC. Hitchcock Woods is a 2,100 acre forest within the city limits of Aiken. It is among the largest urban forests in the US and contains 70 miles of trails. Hikers/walkers and equestrians use it. It is very common to see walkers, dogs and horse riders (and occasional deer). On a few occasions I¢ve suddenly been surrounded by hunting dogs and shortly later their associated horse back riders. It is a good place for practice hikes except for the lack of mountains. It does have some hilly areas and climbing up them is made a little more strenuous due to the sandy soil, similar to walking in the soft sand at the beach. The picture at left is typical of many of the trails.The frustrating part of my day was before the hike. I¢ve been accumulating gear and proper clothing for some time. Today was the first time I tried to put everything in my backpack and simulate the real thing. It did not fit¢¦..by a long shot. I ended up attaching my tent to the bottom outside of my pack and still could not fit everything else inside. I've been afraid I¢ll be needing a bigger back and now I know I do. So, I guess I¢ll be making another trip to REI shortly after the holidays. As of today, exactly 3 months until I do my first day on the AT.
Date: 2013-12-20
To: Gear Choices
Miles today: 0.0

So, where do I stand on gear?Back in 2007 I had the opportunity to go backpacking with my daughter and son-in-law (Tracey & Jason) down into the Grand Canyon. We spent three days hiking and two nights camping. Our trip was in early June and it was hot (see photo). Still a wonderful experience with tremendous views.Anyway, in preparation for that trip I bought some of the basic equipment that I still use. What I bought then included: a two person tent, 25 degree sleeping bag, backpack, heavy boots, hiking socks, inflatable sleeping pad, water bottles, water bladder and hiking poles. There was no need for specialized clothing on that trip. Cotton shorts and shirts were no problem with such high temps and such low humidity. Since then I¢ve added proper hiking clothing (wicking polyester shirts, fleece pullover, bubble jacket, polyester underwear, convertible hiking pants, hats, gloves, hiking shoes, crocs, rain shell, rain pants, wool under layer top and bottom, etc). I¢ve also added a hiking stove/fuel canister, Teflon cook set, a SteriPen water purifier, a headlamp, backpack rain cover, closed cell sleeping pad, IPhone5C and food bag/cord.      I think all I still need to get are: a good camera, possibly gaiters, a multiTool and decide on First Aid supplies. After all my reading and practice hiking I made some decisions that I hope work out week:        1. Will use my 2 person tent even though it is a bit on the heavy side. I want the extra room and the ability to have by backpack inside the tent with me.        2. Switching from Hiking Boots to Hiking Shoes. I had lots of blister problems with the heavier boots and they do not fit anymore anyway. (I found my feet expanded quite a bit after I started walked a lot). I know I give up some ankle support with the shoes; but, I never had any problems with that and hope it works out okay.        3. I still need to get a larger backpack. I like my original; but, it is unable to hold everything. And I do not want to have to have my tent hanging off the bottom like it needs to be now.   So, that¢s where I stand. I still will be doing some practice hikes. So, things could change.
Date: 2013-12-24
To: Christmas Eve Greetings
Miles today: 0.0

Actually I was testing of how to cut & paste from an Email in my Iphone....unsuccessfully. So now I'm editing to add some content. Will need to go back to a learning mode to see how to do it.On this 2013 Christmas Eve, I wish all my potential 2014 fellow thru-hikers a Merry Christmas. Hope to see you on the trail next year.The picture at left is from a few weeks ago after one of my colder early morning neighborhood walks. It was in the low 20's. Today I did an early 5 miles in about 40 degrees; but, very damp and with a little breeze. I was not dressed warm enough and thus cut back on my planned 8 miles for the warmth of getting home. Later in the day I did another 5 miles to make up for it.
Date: 2013-12-31
To: Finishing up 2013 Walks
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Not really much news. Finished up the last 4 days of 2013 with 4 daily walks. They were of distances of 5,5,8 and 8 miles. All were just around the neighborhoods, except for the first which was in nearby Hitchcock Woods. What made that memorable was that is was with my wife, son, four grandkids and my niece visiting from PA. Happy New Year to everyone!!!   And to my fellow 2014 AT hikers, may we all do well.
Date: 2014-01-09
To: Training & Testing
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Just a few notes about the last few days. Even down South we experienced the Polar Vortex. So, I thought it would be another good opportunity to test my cold weather sleeping gear. So, here is a summary of the last few days:Sunday -went for an early morning 9 mile walk. Temp in the 30's.Monday - (btw, my 64th birthday), went for another early morning walk of 9 miles again. Then in the afternoon I pitched my tent in the backyard. That evening I slept out. Started out at about 24 degrees and strong winds. At 4 am I was cold and went inside. It was 14 degrees at that point. Boy did that bed feel good and warm.Tuesday - The overnight low this time was 17 degrees and I made it through the whole night, coming in at 6 am.Wednesday - went to my evening Body Combat class and afterward slept out again. Much warmer, coming inside at about 6 am again at about 30 degrees. Had breakfast and went for a 7 mile walk.Results/Comments:On Monday night I found out that I needed to wear more clothes inside my sleeping bag(wool socks, Smartwool base layer top and bottom, wool hat and a jacket). So on Tuesday night I added hiking pants and fleece top over the Smartwool. Much better. I now think I could cover about a 10 degree night comfortably. I have had trouble sleeping most times I sleep out. I tried using a pillow (couch throw pillow) and it worked out much better. So, i'll be investigating getting a small, light pillow for the AT. Think the improved comfort and sleep will be well worth it. I had used a small inflatable pillow before without success.
Date: 2014-01-19
To: Weekly Update
Miles today: 0.0

Everyday I peruse updates to the other Trail Journals of 2014 AT hikers. Sometimes they are amusing, sometimes informative and often strike a cord with me as to preparations still needed, concerns, handling the anticipation, etc. I can't wait to meet up with some of my fellow hikers. And the time is getting close...exactly two months from today is my first day on the AT. The picture left is from Amicalola Falls taken several years ago.This past week has been typical for me of physical preparation. Three neighborhood walks for a total of 25 miles (9,9 & 7). Also 3 sessions of Body Combat classes at my local Golds Gym and one session there as well of using weight machines. Sure didn't have a good week of healthy eating and remain about 5 pounds above where I was before the Christmas holidays. But, still down 25 pounds from where I was this time last year.With the realization that time is getting shorter, I think I'll soon be doing more hiking with a full backpack in Hitchcock Woods. On one hand my daily neighborhood walks are somewhat easy since they are on mostly flat streets and without a backpack. But then again, think about how I usually do them without any stops at all and before breakfast most days. The usual 9 miles covered is about what I plan on trying for in the initial weeks of my AT adventure. So where is the trade off? Doing the same miles over the whole day verses doing them with a backpack and up and down mountains? Still I plan on stepping up physical training over the next 8 weeks and losing about 10 to 15 more pounds.One thing I accomplished this week is a plan for mail drops. I had been delaying doing that until I received my copy of AWOL's AT Guide. When I first set down to make it up, I was overwhelmed with the list of possibilities and factors to consider. But, once I got started and comprehended some of my reading materials it was not that bad. Knowing that all types of things will change as the hike progresses, any plan now is just that and may need to be modified. However, I came up with 12 planned mail drops. I believe I covered the most important sites and for the most part locations where Post Offices are easy to get to. As I get some free time, I'll be adding them to this site.So, for this coming week, I begin some local hikes with my backpack. Also planned is what I think will be my last trip to REI. Have made the two and a half hour trip more times than I probably needed to already. As mentioned previously a new backpack and some other odds and ends should finish off my non-perishable items.
Date: 2014-01-26
To: Lifelike practice hike, training changes
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Had a milestone today, a short practice hike with what will likely be very close to my AT beginning pack configuration. This was the result of buying an Osprey Aether 70 this week from REI. Now I can assemble all my chosen gear in a pack that can handle it (my old Osprey Atmos 50 just couldn't do it). Went into nearby Hitchcock Woods for about 2 hours, approximately 4 miles. The total pack weight was 39 pounds including 2 bottles of water and an approximate 3-4 days of food. Although just a short hike, all was well. Will be going for longer, full weight hikes this coming week.....only missing the mountains for realism. I'd still like my pack weight to be a little lower, in the 35-37 pound range. Will still be looking at options there.In conjunction with the above, I'm changing my training efforts over the remaining 7 weeks. I feel like I need to concentrate on strength: legs, back and core. Thus, I will be eliminating the neighborhood street walks and replacing them with weight bearing walks in the woods. Also will be hitting the gym more often and combining weight machines and steep angle treadmill work. Still continuing my three a week Body Combat classes.Time is really flying by. Exactly 7 weeks from tomorrow the wife and I will be leaving for Amicalola Falls SP. And between now and then we'll be involved in a 1 to 2 week trip to Colorado to visit our soon to be born new Grandson. So, training time is really getting short. I know I won't be fully where I'd like to be; but, also realize that I'll be taking it slow and easy on the AT in the early stages. Also slept out in the backyard again one night this week. Had another cold snap (unusual for us here in the south) and I wanted to test out my new sleeping bag liner (Thermolite Reactor). It got down to 18 degrees and I was comfortable with less clothing than my previous tests using a 55 degree sleeping bag as a liner (and it saves 1.3 pounds).As time gets near, I'm thinking about the hike more and more. A range of emotions from "absolutely can't wait" to "am I going to be ready", to "what am I getting myself into". Sure helps reading the Trail Journals of other 2014 AT hikers and seeing that I'm so much like so many others. All in all, I say "Lets Do It".
Date: 2014-02-02
To: More Practice Hikes
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Another week closer to departure. But the big news this week is NOT hiking related. Wendy and I now have our 6th grandchild. Jack Walden Keeley was born Friday morning in Colorado. Jack, mother and dad are all doing very well and went home today. We'll be going out to meet him as the weather allows our drive.Earlier today I completed my longest "full pack" hike to date. Spent 4 hours in nearby Hitchcock Woods. The trails are not marked with mileage so I can only estimate. My conservative estimate is 2 mph, so at least 8 miles. On my neighborhood walks I consistently average 3.3 miles/hour. Of course I'll continue to expand over the remaining 6 weeks of remaining prep time. Physically. I think I could pull the trigger now, if needed. Not that I wouldn't struggle; but, think I could endure at least 8 miles a day which is my plans for the first several weeks. A highlight of today's hike was running into Shanna, a total stranger, out walking her dog. Seeing my large backpack she inquired as to whether I was in training for something. So a discussion about my upcoming AT hike developed. Turns out she was interested since she and her husband are planning to do Vermont's Long Trail next year. Made my day to receive such encouragement from a complete stranger. Actually, I've had a few other similar interactions on my hikes this week.   In this past week I've happily reduced my pack weight from 39 to 37 pounds(including food and water). Still have to finalize first aid items and reassess how much food gets carried. Also have another stuff sack on the way from REI that when turned inside out and stuffed with clothes will be my pillow. Only other Item I need is a new pack rain cover. Something I didn't realize I needed until today..as the result of my upgrade to a larger pack.After thinking seriously about doing this hike four over a year, time is quickly winding down. Can't wait to meet so many other hikers I've been reading about in Trail Journals. See you soon... and good luck to the ones starting out in the next week or so.
Date: 2014-02-04
To: Bigger practice hike today
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Had my biggest practice hike yet. Spent 4 hours and 45 minutes hiking in nearby Hitchcock Woods. Using my hopefully conservative estimate of 2 miles per hour that comes out to 9.5 miles. And felt pretty good afterwards after lugging around my nearly full weight pack ( around 35 pounds today). Still wonder how that will relate to doing it in the mountains....verses the mere hills around here.Discovered another equipment issue today. My old pack rain cover will need to be replaced. It will cover my new 70 liter pack itself. But will not work with my sleeping pad attached to the outside bottom of the pack.Today is another milestone, a post from my I-Phone. Thanks to my daughter-in-law Monica, I know know how to paste to Trail Journals. Been struggling with this for sometime.The photo today is from my local practice hiking grounds-Hitchcock Woods in Aiken,SC. In there you can be hiking trails and come up upon a "Show Field" for horse shows. Aiken is a significant equine town. I see horses in the woods every time I go in there
Date: 2014-02-06
To: Bushwhack, really?
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

From a few standpoints I'm feeling more confident lately. Equipment, training, experience. Although today was another learning experience, Was hiking in Hitchcock Woods on a trail I've never seen before. It was easy to see that it was little used. I was quite a ways into it when it suddenly went cold. Not wanting to backtrack, I chose to bushwhack up a steep hill thinking there would be houses or a road up there. Sure enough I came into the backyard of a home. So, I decided to walk on the street until the next point of entry back into the woods. I walked and walked and walked on the streets of a neighborhood I was not familiar with. Coming to a dead-end, I decided to go back to where I entered the streets. Fortunately, I saw a woman in her driveway who directed my back to a trail. All told I was street walking at least an hour before I found my way back on a trail in the woods. I've read it many times - Do Not Bushwhack.   I sure do not intend to do such on the AT. If I ever even consider it, I hope I'll remember back to today and think about how much worse it would be deep in the woods of the Appalachians.The last 3 days have afforded me to feel better about training progress. On Tuesday I did a 9.5 mile hike with a full pack. Wednesday morning I did a strenuous gym work out on weight machines and treadmill work. That was followed Wednesday evening by a Body Combat class. Then today (Thursday) I did another estimated 9.5 mile hike with a full 37 pound back again. I was struggling a little at the end; but, sure gave the old body a good workout. Then got home and had enough energy left to perform several tasks in preparation for a trip tomorrow morning.Over the next week or two my training will be difficult to get in. Driving about 1600 miles to visit my new Grandson in Colorado. However, my son-in-law, Jason emailed that he'd like to take me on a hike while there. So, I hope to get at least one Rocky Mountain high. Will also try to get some gym workouts in too.The countdown is at 41 days. So hard to believe. Other than continued physical preparations, the only tasks left are to finalize my first aid/medical supplies and to do more planning about food. And also, to decide upon contents of drop boxes that will be mailed to me and whether to use a bounce box as well.
Date: 2014-02-18
To: Getting back on track
Miles today: 0.0

Been so much bad weather in the South lately, I'm thinking the picture at left may be in North Georgia. Actually, Wendy & I been been in Colorado meeting our new grandson Jack, born on 1/31. What a wonderful visit.It was a trip we knew we'd be making when the time came; but, it sure put a restriction on my training efforts. We drove, so it was 3 days on the road each way plus 6 days bonding with Jack. The only real exercise I got was one good gym workout and a 5 mile city street walk. Got home yesterday afternoon. This morning I got in a 10 mile neighborhood walk and will try to get back on track. One snag is the terrible ice storm here while we were gone. Our neighborhood looked like a war zone when we got home with piles of tree branches piled up in the street in front of just about every house. Found out our power was out for 2 days. Good to find only damage was to a fence and a dented gutter. However, my training grounds (local Hitchcock Woods) apparently has a lot of tree damage. The city is advising people to stay out due to hazardous conditions with hanging tree limbs. That may be good advice for most but, I need to get in there and get some more conditioning hikes.I feel like time is really slipping away on me. Less than a month now. I did get my taxes done today - one task off the to do list. And I have my gear finalized. Just a lot of little odds and ends that are nagging me.
Date: 2014-02-20
To: Livin' up to the name
Miles today: 0.0

Just finished getting cleaned up after todays exercise....and feel like I lived up to my trail name today. I was struggling a little to get back home. Yes, "Achin" a little bit.Then I realized what I had done in the last 24 hours.   A wednesday morning weight lifting routine at the gym, a wednesday evening Body Combat class at the gym and todays early morning 5 mile hike with a 38 pound back pack. The 5 mile hike (on city streets) was non-stop - neither water; nor snacks. At a 3.1 mph pace.The rest of today will be dedicated to a few non-hiking chores and some hiking related organization items. I want to develop and post my complete gear listing. And think some more about food planning for the hike. This includes making a list of potential breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items to choose from each day. Then deciding on what items to pack for the first phase (until 1st resupply) of the AT approach and the AT.ONLY 25 days until I leave for Amicalola Falls SP and 26 days until I start hiking. Wow, is it really going to happen?