morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Boiling Springs

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

Even though we had already spent a day and a half in Boiling Springs, PA we didn't leave until noon. We still had the very important task of finding a new pack for me. So we walked down to a coffee shop for breakfast and researched. We eventually decided to gut the LA Circuit, which is one of the most popular packs on the trail right now (and LA is based out of Utah). Before we could actually order the pack though we had to walk back up the street to the Appalachian Trail Concervancy (ATC) to find a guide and figure out where to send the pack (my dad had lost our guide). We settled on sending it to Port Clinton, PA. After we decided that we went yet again to the coffee shop to use their wifi and order the pack. So we got a late start but we had 13 miles flat terrain. At the beginning we walked through mulberry trees, but they weren't quite ripe yet. For most of the day we walked through farmland and passed by cows. As much as I looked forward to all of that flat, my legs hurt from the narrow-cut paths in the fields and just the same movement all day long. Going up and down actually helps alleviate the pressure I think in your joints as you walk. At the very end of the day we had about one mile uphill, which I looked forward to. Just before reaching the hill we walked by a river and we saw two groups of civilians led by police officers. One of them came up to us with his hand on his gun and asked us if he had seen a man as he held up a photo of the man. At first I thought a murderer was on the lose but it turned out he was missing. He has gone hiking with friends and then he decided to keep on going when everyone else turned back home. I don't know if they ever found him but we received a business card from the polices officer we talked to. I enjoyed the climb and almost immediately could feel the pain leaving my joints as the muscles stretched and the endorphins kicked in. About three-quarters of the way up there was a beautiful overlook with a stone bench. I stopped and took pictures while dad caught up. By this time he was pretty tired. I was itching to keep moving so he let me go ahead. At the shelter were a group of high school kids who hike up for the night. We also met Calamity Jane, Blazer, Finder, Triple-Six, and Hooker.
Date: 2013-03-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I couldn't sleep so I figured I'd take a crack at a post. You know...get to know the ins and outs of this thing. Been a hot minute since I've done much blogging. I do admit to having one in high school; one that I can never tear down because of an e-mail long gone and a password I don't recall. But if you're interested in looking it up...I'll never tell.Anyway Dan and I have a lot left to do before leaving. Or so it feels. I'm getting antsy. It's been difficult to accomplish a whole lot working the way we've been, but it's also difficult to acquire the money needed for a 6 month hike with a whole lot of time off.We've made the decision to earn our trail names on the trail, something we debated for quite some time. I initially wanted to be "Seagle" which is what I say my poorly planned tattoo is of. I am aware that seagull is spelled as the latter however my tattoo is half seagull and half eagle and as such demanded recognition for the breeding patterns of his ancestors. I've included a photograph of the little guy, which Dan has named Stephen Seagall.Anyhow, Dan was having some troubles thinking of a trail name suited to him, and I began feeling guilty going against the tradition for simple fear of getting some awful name like "poopy pants" or something. Thus we are officially blank slates...aside from our legal names...but who cares for the system and its technicalities? As a final note on the matter I did also consider my latest nickname, given to me by an awesome co-worker named Benjamin (or Ben Diesel as we like to refer to him) which is Stephaluffagus (like my counterpart on Sesame Street - Snuffaluffagus). This hands down has to be the best nickname I have ever been given, and I must admit the resemblance between myself and the fellow is quite uncanny. However, I once again decided to stick with the tradition and hope that I get a name I like as much as this.So my dear future hiking companions, that is all for now. Get ready to get creative and give us some names with some...gusto. Over and out.
Date: 2013-03-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Now that our day is approaching I'm feeling a jumble of emotions. I'm just as excited as I am nervous about this huge feat that I am about to face. I'm sad to leave the new friends we've made here in Wake Forest, as well as my parents who have been beyond amazing for hosting us so that we could save the money we've needed, but I'm also eager to meet all the new ones we will bond with on our adventure.It appears that we will reach our financial goals, which is awesome as I had my doubts around Christmas time when our bank accounts were looking dismal. But thanks to the massive amounts of hours we've been getting due to the grand opening of Buffalo Brothers in Wake Forest we're gonna make it - and with style.As of right now I think I need to find some chow...more posts to come later...we intend to get some pics of our gear up as well as a post with some of the FAQs we've been hearing from friends and family...so stay tuned.Over and out.
Date: 2013-03-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So now that our final days in Raleigh are numbered, we have a plethora of ideas about how we should spend them. We want to be rested since we've been working so much, we need to accomplish all sorts of things for the trip so we have to be productive, and of course we want to take advantage of opportunities to spend time with the people we love here.So last Saturday we finally took the opportunity to go up to Big Boss Brewery with my parents. They go every second Saturday as they have a special featuring dollar beers and free brewery tours. It was a good time; we got to play some darts and hang out. We attempted a brewery tour, but snuck away as it was unable to hold our attention - particularly when beer & darts were the alternative.Be sure to check out the few other pics under our photos in the left sidebar, and stay tuned for updates, as we are still compiling a FAQ list Over and out.
Date: 2013-03-17
To: Springer Mt
Miles today: 0.0

We've been reading trailjournals.com for quite some time now. There are many helpful tips and tricks. I don't know if it because our leaving date is only 5 days away or what, but I feel like I am reading more and more injury stories. After playing hockey for 13 years and only having 1 injury during that time which I can recall (still gives me back pain from time to time) I hadn't really worried much about getting injured along our journey. Minus the obvious blisters, ankles, and other normal pains.    Steph and I both have a lot of built up excitement about leaving, along with some nervous energy. Making sure our packs aren't too heavy while also taking the things we feel we need is a constant struggle. Another trip to REI the other day spending outrageous amounts of money on lighter bags and liners. We are both happy with our choice of dry down bags rated for around 17 degrees. They say the liner adds another 10, we were more worried about keeping the bags somewhat clean. The new bags make me comfortable with the weather we will innevitably face. I'm excited to try the bags out in the snow. I say this before having to sleep in it of course. As of now weather.com says high of 51, low of 40 with a few showers for Friday. I guess we'll see how it goes! Until then, I look forward to preparing for the trail, and keeping up with our fellow hikers updates. -Some like it hot-
Date: 2013-03-18
From: Springer Mt

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So when we bring up that we're going to hike the AT there are a handful of questions that have become exhaustingly repetitive. We've decided to answer several of these on here in order to avoid reciting them a time or two, and I've finally gotten around to it.One of the first questions that people always ask is, "What will you eat?"They wonder if we plan to rely on our surroundings, resorting to hunting and gathering. My first thought on this is that there are laws regarding where and when you can kill animals, alongside all sorts of other restrictions on other factors of which I am quite ignorant. On the subject of gathering, I feel it takes a great deal of practice to determine edible plants from poisonous ones and neither of us is educated enough to distinguish one from the other.Regardless of the above matters, the fact remains that hunting and gathering is pretty unreliable. This makes it a silly risk to take when we'll be passing through towns about once a week. That being said, we'll be carrying about a weeks worth of food with us at a time. We'll resupply at local grocers in the towns we'll be passing through. Obviously we'll only be able to take certain foods with us as well. Mostly dry/dehydrated things, as well as lots of junk food as we'll be burning so many calories daily.The byproduct of all of those calories seems to be the greatest concern of the people we've spoken with. Digestion leads to a subject that stinks to talk about so frequently...quite literally. Everyone always asks where we'll poop. The answer seems obvious - there certainly isn't plumbing along the trail, so yes we will shit in the woods.This process involves digging small holes (called cat holes) and responsibly disposing of toilet paper. There are also privies: outhouses of a sort in which it's BYOTP and there are cans of leaves for you to toss on top of your duties to increase the composting rate. However, these are not always located at your convenience, so you gotta do what you gotta do.The third, and final topic - for today at least - that I will cover is where we plan to stay. Although Dan and I have decided to carry a tent, our decision is somewhat unusual for thru-hikers. It seems the most popular method is to aim for shelter space. A shelter is basically a simple wooden structure that gives you a surface between yourself and the ground, and a roof over your head. Typically they only have three walls, although they may have two levels. Most thru-hikers carry tarps instead of tents in the event that dusk is upon them and they have yet to reach the shelter, or perhaps it is already full. Trekking poles are used alongside the tarp in order to create a structure to protect them from the elements. Dan and I have decided that between the two of us the added weight of a tent is more bearable, and we're hoping we maintain our enthusiasm to pitch and take down our tent daily.Alright folks, that will be all for now, but stay tuned as we will cover more topics soon Over and out!
Date: 2013-03-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today Dan and I decided we were going to take a tablet with us on the trail. After long debate the blog factor made it seem to be a good decision. After considering the weight we figured it wasn't much more than my sketchbook and pencil wrap so it was worth the investment. Neither of us has been certain how most hikers make their updates on here and would appreciate feedback on what everyone else is using. For now we'll just be enjoying our fun new gadget Over and out.
Date: 2013-03-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So I've decided to try and wrap up some of these FAQs for the folks around with all the questions. Just a load off my mind as we are really approaching our deadline now. So I am just going to quickly go over a couple quick topics...First off for today is hygienePeople are terrified of the idea of us not showering. Yeah, I get it, in modern society no one wants to be the smelly kid; for obvious reasons. It's socially unacceptable, but maybe it makes it my niche since it doesn't seem to bother me too badly. At least when I'm the stinky one.Anyhow, we'll only be able to shower when we're in towns or staying with some of those folks along the trail that offer up their homes to help out hikers. This means we're going to smell awful. This also means it's quite unhygienic to shave, and yes Dan will have a monster beard and I'll have European armpits. At this many people point out that I could shave when given the opportunity in a town etc...well let's be honest...why am I going to waste the time that it takes to shave a weeks worth of fur on one of the few days I'll take to relax from climbing mountains with a heavy pack on my back? It's temporary. Deal with it.One of my favorite questions involves trail safety. Everyone thinks we should be carrying a gun. More so for bears I suspect than people, but I'm sure that varies from person to person. First of all, guns are expensive, and heavy. Second of all you need a license to even carry one, and they're heavy. Third of all they TERRIFY me.Once upon a time I was dying to learn how to shoot a gun, so a super awesome boyfriend of mine [Dan] took me shooting for my birthday [this past one]. He had to fire off my rounds, the idea that I was holding a lethal weapon frightened me, especially since I am so clumsy and lord knows if anyone could accidentally set off a fire arm in a bad direction it's me. Too much power. I am a pacifist for a reason, and I guess that makes me the first to go in a zombie apocalypse. Anyway as a final note the trail has a reputation of being an incredibly safe place. Crime happens far more in inner cities than in mountains. And also according to my research and scientific studies my period doesn't actually attract bears. Don't believe me? Click Here. So that's that, I feel safer knowing that I won't get mauled by a bear just for being on the rag. Hopefully that calms some of you concerned patrons as well.I suppose that's that for now. I'll sleep well with those facts, and them's the facts.Over and out.
Date: 2013-03-20
From: home

To: work
Miles today: 0.0

Steph and I are cleaning and packing everything up for our 6 months away from home today. We also sprayed down all our clothes with permethrin. We heard a lot of lime disease stories last year, maybe we're paranoid. We know it's not a large factor this early in the season, but better safe than sorry. Spraying all our clothes made me think we may be over packing. Even though we only have one pair of clothes for the trail and one for town, it seems like a lot still. I guess you could say last minute jitters are in full effect. Everything we pick up seems too heavy or impractical to take on the trail. Our final time filling our packs will be tomorrow afternoon, I guess we'll find out then. -Dont worry, be happy
Date: 2013-03-20
To: chick fil a
Miles today: 0.0

So now that we're down to the wire Dan and I are tying up loose ends, you know doing things we've been meaning to do. Mostly buying any remaining gear we've needed but also handling the more important things...such as experiencing certain things that the south has to offer and Michigan does not. So...Dan finally got around to eating Chick Fil A for the first time. Though we don't necessarily agree with the beliefs of the company...they do have some bomb ass chicken nuggs yo!Also our awesome co-workers surprised us at work on our last night with an ice cream cake. I love them so much and will miss them terribly. It's amazing how quickly we bonded in the few months that Dan and I worked there, and I look forward to seeing these amazing people at the end of our journey.For now Dan and I are going to enjoy a beer and scope out the journals of our future friends, who we hope to build similar bonds with on the trail.Over and out!
Date: 2013-03-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Packing up today...I'm excited and nervous! For all of you I haven't discussed with, I intend to work on an art project realized by the trail. It involves photosynthetic people, so I searched for a neat way to organize my tools as well as a durable sketch pad for the trip and found my solutions as pictured here.Find these items at the links below!Pencil WrapSketch PadAlso stay tuned as I intend to post some of my drawings and inspirations on here
Date: 2013-03-23
From: approach trail

To: stover creek shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

Steph and I did not make black gap shelter on night one due to arriving at amicalola park around 4pm. We were rather disappointed to discover that our gear weighed 40 lbs and 43 lbs when registering as hikers 591 and 592. We also did not connect the description of the beginning hike with the definition of stairs. Not half log dirt hiker stairs, straight up stairs. 600 or so would be fairly accurate. Since the described "strenuous" was started so late we did not reach our destination before dark began to settle in. We chose a nice campsite atop one of the mountains on the approach trail. After gathering firewood and putting the tent up, we celebrated around the warmth of the fire. Unfortunately, sometime during tbe night it began raining. We were nervous for our first hike in the rain and even more so to load up our gear in the downpour. Fortunately there was a break in the rain and we instantly jumped into action. We set out prepared for further rain with our jackets and pack covers on. Shortly thereafter we caught up with two gentlemen talking on the trail. One was an older gentleman who had hiked through twice. He joked that he'd be kicking and screaming in jealousy when we walked away. The other we would come to know as Swamp Cat. Before we knew it we were atop Springer Mountain and on the official Appalachian Trail. Unfortunately the fog prevented any sort of view, so we didn't stop long and continued on to Stover Creek Shelter. There were about 20 hikers by the time the sun went down. We briefly got to know some of them. Even named one "That Guy". This began when we were discussing full shelters and how he would be sure to have people make room for him, stating "Yes, I'll be that guy." Dan and I instantly recognized the potential for a sweet trail name. One funny thing That Guy did was createhis own bear canister from an oversize plastic jar. He labeled it "food." I asked him what he would do if he came across a literate bear. Dan told him he should have labeled it "poo" to throw others off. Others that were there were John, Gumby, and the same Swamp Cat from earlier. It was nice to finally meet some fellow hikers about to embark on this great adventure.
Date: 2013-03-24
From: stover creek shelter

To: gooch gap shelter
Miles today: 12.0

When we all headed to bed we heard gentle drops falling on the roof of the shelter, which we dismissed and slowly trailed off to sleep. We were all woken up by boisterous thunder and great flashes of lightning. I felt the shelter rumble as the thunder struck above, and I worried for our fellow hikers camping outside.It was a relief as the storm settled, however it took me some time to fall back asleep, at which point it seemed only moments before Dan was enthusiastically waking me again. I was not in the mood for this, and was almost disappointed in the storm for passing so quickly and preventing me from further sleep. Regardless, I rose from my bag and grudgingly got ready. Once on the trail my attitude shifted, after the rain it felt as though we were wandering through the amazon, green all around and raindrops plopping from above. The gentle misting didn't bother me as we pressed on. I was not incredibly enthusiastic about the number of hikers with the same destination as us. I was hoping for shelter space however the vast number of hikers ahead of us were already crammed into the shelter like sardines. Aside from that there was a city of tents surrounding the shelter.Due to the dampness of my hair from the misting all day I wasn't prepared to hang around outside in the cold, so once we ate some I climbed into our tent and straight into my bag to pass out.
Date: 2013-03-27
From: low gap shelter

To: budget inn, hiawassee
Miles today: 10.0

Oh my Zeus so much has happened. I just wanted to make a quick update...we're in Hiawassee GA right now, decided to share a cheap motel room with a couple friends we made on the trail. We've already been through enough to make it seem like we've been out here for so much longer. Today has been a pretty easy day...the sun came out for the first time since we've been out here. We also came across two instances of trail magic...someone put out some easter eggs filled with candy, and someone else lined up beer, gatorade and water bottles for hikers. Unfortunately we missed out on the beers...but we did get candy and gatorade.We took a shuttle into town and ate at an all you can eat buffet with delicious southern fried foods - including fried chicken livers- and had a couple beers. We plan on slack packing 17 miles tomorrow, and staying another night in town. For those who don't know what slack packing is, it's leaving your heavy pack somewhere safe and hiking some trail to pick up at later with your pack. The inn we're staying at offers a shuttle from two different points on the trail which allows us all to do this.So for now...it's way past hiker midnight...and I must sleep. But I am over excited to share everything we've been through so far...which hopefully I'll have the opportunity to do soon. I have posted some pics so check it out in the sidebar to the left!Over and out!
Date: 2013-03-28
From: unicoi gap

To: dick's creek gap
Miles today: 17.0

I cannot lie, I somehow thought slack packing would make hiking 17 miles effortless after carrying my pack up and down the mountains, but that isn't entirely so. Our day started with a quick trip to subway, where we'd decided to pick up breakfast and lunch for the trail. Dan, Mason and I all stuffed 6 inch subs down our faces to give us some calories for the day, but Jonah elected not to in order to stick to his budget. On a time constraint we dusted the crumbs from our faces and hurried to the shuttle. When the shuttle pulled into Unicoi Gap we all noticed a group of people huddled under tarps. It quickly became apparent to us that while we had just stuffed our faces with subs, these kind folks had been setting up to grill burgers for hikers as trail magic. I tried some homemade chilli, and coffee, but had no more room for a burger or chilli dog. Somehow Mason and Dan found room to stuff down a burger, and of course Jonah was thrilled.The setup was nice but hanging around put us a little behind on our hike. Regardless I was optimistic when we got going as I didn't have my pack weighing me down. I felt so free cruising up the hills, and literally running down the slopes. Eventually however, it didn't matter how free I felt because our timelimit was pressing. The joy of weightlessness could only last so long knowing we needed to be to our destination in a timely manner in order to catch a shuttle.Poor Mason was being pressured to speed up, as we ran through possible trail names, One Speed and Little Engine before settling on Caboose. And by the end of the hike, at the final mountain we were all ready to be done. I have to admit I am happy to have had the opportunity to do this without a pack as it was such a difficult hike. I was praying there would be more trail magic gatorade at the end, and as we approached the road a cooler was in sight, we popped it open, and inside was full of empty gatorade bottles. I was so disappointed.As we approached the parking area our shuttle pulled in almost immediately, and to my joy there were more gatorade bottles - this time full ones waiting for us in the parking lot. I guzzled down a bottle in seconds, exhausted but satisfied with the completion of the hike.We waited for a few other hikers to stroll up in order to head out in the shuttle. It was a good feeling to have climbed such elevations and gone such miles, but I was ready for a meal a beer.There would be more excitement to come...but I'll touch on that later.Over and out.