morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-09-04
To: The Bigelows
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

We did a two-day hike out in the Bigelows on August 20th and 21st to test out some of our gear and get a feel for the trail life. We were only out on the trail for 2 days and one night, but although our time was short, it was definitely helpful in figuring some logistics out. It was hard with our work schedules to get more than a couple of days off, so we made do with what we had!For months, I've been reading about the trail, but doing it is a whole different story. We drove about 2 hours and 45 minutes west from Bucksport to where the AT intersects with Route 27 just a couple of miles outside of Stratton. I had driven this route almost my entire life when we would go up to Sugarloaf to ski in the winter, but I had never driven past the access road. Little did I realize that the trail was just up the road and actually crosses over two of the mountains I ski every winter. The first day we hiked 9.3 miles in about 7.5 hours from Route 27. We hiked to Avery Peak and then back to the Myron Avery tentsite in the Bigelow Col. It was definitely not an easy hike, but I think we did pretty well. We were sore and tired that night, but it was well worth the views. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Sunny and in the low 70s.We ate lunch at Horn's Pond which was a beautiful pond set right in the range. It wasn't until here that I realized how quiet it is out here. I was standing on the pond and I couldn't hear a single noise, not even a bird singing. It was pretty amazing because honestly I don't even remember a time where I've witnessed absolute and complete silence.What I've learned so far: That if I survived the day out in the Bigelows, that I can handle the hiking on the AT. I know it will be different once I'm really out there hiking everyday, but I'm confident in my abilities to handle the trail. I think I'll get homesick, but that's something I've conquered before and I know I can do it again.We passed quite a few hikers out on the trail, some thru-hikers, section hikers, and a few people like us out for a night or two. We ran into two older women from Florida and Tennessee. They're thru-hiking NOBO and I imagine they are done by now; they had about 180 miles to go when we left them. Everyone we ran into was really nice, so that's encouraging for the rest of the trip.Keeping everything organized is a huge deal. I can already tell. And having things in the right compartments and what's on top, etc. I love to organize, so I'm excited to plan everything. We're just trying to learn how to do everything as efficiently as possible. Even though coming out for a few nights would have been better for us, one night is better than none. We better get ready, because this is what life's going to be like for the next 5 months or so starting next March.
Date: 2012-09-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

A little over 6 months until our departure! We got our hostel reservation confirmed, plane tickets are purchased, and we're continuing to buy gear on sale as much as possible. I started a spreadsheet of all of my gear with how much each item weighs. It's definitely going to take a lot of work to get my weight down, because I'm above where I want to be with my base weight at the moment. Thankfully, I've got plenty of time work that out. Saving weight appears to equal spending more money. I definitely don't want to skimp on the quality of my gear, but I also don't have an endless amount of dough to spend on top notch gear, so in the meantime, I'm trying to find that happy medium.
Date: 2013-01-02
To: 2013 is here!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy New Years to all! The year of our thru-hike is finally here and I couldn't be more excited! We hit the trail in 10 weeks time and it's all we can think about.We are both grateful to our families for their help in making some gear purchases post-Christmas. I've made the final push towards getting all of my gear and will now be able to focus on the little details and logistics of our hike. We also got a lot of snow in Maine at the end of December, so it was the perfect time to break out the snowshoes. I used my snowshoes more times in the past week than I did at all last winter. Last year was a terrible winter for all winter activities up here, so I was pretty excited when we got 18 inches of powder last week. We're lucky to have access to some beautiful trails out behind where I grew up and since I don't run as much in the winter, snowshoeing is the perfect way to stay in shape and a good switch-up from the gym routine.Last summer, Miles and I had decided that we wanted to do mail drops for the majority of our food along the trail. In the fall, I was going to begin planning out our mail drops. But after doing more research and thinking about the whole idea, we decided against our original plan. Now we plan on just doing 3 or 4 mail drops at crucial points along the trail. And since Monson is less than two hours from my parent's house, they will plan on meeting us there before the 100 mile wilderness to drop off food and any other supplies we'll need. In the end, the hassle of several mail drops and the uncertainty of our how our appetites will change along the way made us realize that it was not the right option for us.While we're still in planning mode up here in Maine, we are both ready to head down to Georgia!
Date: 2013-01-19
To: Where is March?!
Miles today: 0.0

I'm ready for March to be here already! This weekend, I'm finally going to start figuring out how I'm going to pack all of my gear into my pack. Tomorrow's schedule will consist of yoga, driving home to my parent's, getting all of my gear into one place, and then watching the Pats game!I finally made a list of all of the things I have to do before I leave for the trail. So far, it's not looking too daunting with the exception of moving all of my stuff home. Among other things, I'll have to put my gym membership on hold, get my hair cut, put my loan payments on auto-pay, and of course say goodbye to all of my friends and family Miles and I will be heading down to REI in Massachusetts in a couple of weeks to make our last gear purchases along with celebrating our 8 year anniversary! 8 years of dating however, not marriage. I was not a teenage bride Still, it makes me feel old. We're both excited for the awesome year that we hope 2013 will be for us.
Date: 2013-01-26
To: Getting Through the Winter
Miles today: 0.0

We've had a week of temperatures up here in Maine in the teens and dropping to zero and below. This makes it tough to get outside. My best friend and I had decided that we would sign up for classes at hot yoga studio downtown. It's been a great way to stay in shape, work on strength before hitting the trail, and sweating...A LOT. I've been 3 times this week, which with a couple of visits to the gym per week plus 2 nights of soccer has helped me stay in shape during the winter when I usually get out of shape very quickly after running a marathon in the fall.Apart from physical prep, I finally got all of my gear together and was able to start figuring out how I'm going to arrange all of my gear in my pack. I'm still missing a couple of things, but my first attempt went better than I thought. I think I've finally figured out a good way to split up the shared gear between Miles and I. I'm trying to make it as even as possible, but I think one of us may be carrying a pound or so more than the other.The trail gets closer and closer everyday. I grow more anxious by the day. Ready to get to Springer!
Date: 2013-01-29
To: Packin' Up
Miles today: 0.0

I spent the weekend getting all of my gear in order and figuring out the best way to efficiently fit everything into my pack. The good news is that all of my gear is going to fit The bad news is well, it's not really bad, but that I'm still working on the best way to arrange everything in my pack. At this point it looks like my base weight is going to be around 20 lbs. I probably won't have an exact number for a few more weeks as I make small adjustments here and there. I wish it could be lighter, but don't we all. I'm pretty close to where I wanted be weight-wise however. I'm really trying to sit down and see if there is anything I can do without. And an update from my last post regarding our shared gear; I've figured out a more balanced way to split up our gear. It may change once slightly, but somehow the weight evened out exactly ounce for ounce. Miles' pack is 5 liters larger than mine, so he may get to carry a little more than me I'll be posting my gear list soon. One of the last pieces of gear I need to buy is a stuff sack for my food. I'm looking at getting a 13 liter bag. If any thru-hikers out there have any advice on what brand and size food bag I should get, that would be greatly appreciated!The picture you see at the top is the front of my pack. Born and raised in Maine, it only felt right to carry a small Maine flag with me on my journey as we walk home. Our state motto is "Dirigo," a Latin word that translates to "I lead." It is very fitting for our hike and we consider ourselves to be Dirigo Bound! Us Mainers are proud of where we're from and I hope that we endure the trail and are able to hike the last part of our journey in our beautiful home state.
Date: 2013-02-03
To: Back to Work
Miles today: 0.0

With just over a month before we depart for Georgia, this entire endeavor just seems so surreal. As I sit here in my room, I'm surrounded by all of the comforts of the modern world. A computer, a bed, more than enough clothes, and a glass of clean tap water. Just thinking that next month my life will be completely different, it almost doesn't seem real. This hike that I've been planning for almost a year should seem more real than ever, but now I think that it's so close that I'm starting to pack my life into boxes, move my stuff home, pay off my credit cards, etc. that my mind is freaking out a little. Don't get me wrong, I am super excited and am not having any doubts about our thru-hike; however, I only mean to say that we're about to do something HUGE, so I think I'm finally starting to realize that this hike isn't a distant dream months down the road. It's almost here and we better be ready. I've noticed in the past week that my stress levels have increased and I've had a couple of nights where I lay in bed not able to sleep because my mind is racing about our hike and everything I have to do before I leave. Filing taxes, getting my car serviced, moving all of my stuff out of my room, and saying goodbye to a really awesome life that I've had here the past two years in Portland. I went out with some friends on Friday night and everyone I talk to is just super excited for us and can't wait to follow our journey. The excitement I hear from other people only reaffirms my decision to thru-hike. And as much as I will miss my friends, my family, and my life here in Portland, I try to remember that it will all be here waiting for me when I return. I will miss out on a lot of things here at home, but I know that it won't compare to the experiences that we'll have together on the trail. I guess I'm just getting nervous, but I just have to try and harness that energy into preparing for our hike and spending as much time as possible with my family and friends before I leave.But hike prep has taken a back seat the past few days as I try to focus on finishing up a few video editing projects and photo shoots before we leave. It's been great to have some work before I leave since winter can be a slow time for my sister and I's photography studio. But we've managed to book a couple of newborn sessions and the video editing takes up a good chunk of my time. I think it's a good way to harness my nervous energy and provide a hiatus from hike prep. And hey, a little more money for our hike doesn't hurt either
Date: 2013-02-08
To: Nemo
Miles today: 0.0

Snow is falling here in Portland and set to get worse tonight as we prepare for Nemo and the heavy snow and wind coming our way. When I woke up this morning to snow coating the street, yards, and rooftops I couldn't help but smile. We haven't had a decent snowfall in awhile and with the possibility of up to 2 feet of snow, I'm ready to break out the snowshoes again. Well, only after the shoveling has been finished.Yesterday, Miles let me know that he thinks he has plantar fasciitis. NOT GOOD! He's not sure exactly why he got it all of a sudden, but he does have flat feet and a lot of his shoes are old and worn down. So I think those two reasons combined with being on his feet all day teaching and coaching is a recipe for plantar fasciitis disaster. Hopefully his foot improves before we start our hike, otherwise I'm not sure how things will fair for him out there on the trail. The basketball team just had their last game yesterday, so not coaching at the varsity and JV practices everyday should allow him to rest his foot more in the coming weeks.Hike prep is going well. Taxes are filed, car service and hair cut are scheduled, I've been to the dentist and the doctor, and getting other things wrapped up before we leave. My dental hygienist was really excited about our hike and he was kind enough to give me a little waterproof bag, travel toothpastes, extra floss, and an extra toothbrush. I also saw my track coach from high school yesterday and he was very excited about our trip as well. It seems that everyone I talk to is genuinely excited. And when I tell them of our hopes to reach Katahdin, they always say, "you'll definitely make it!" It's so nice to hear encouraging words from everyone!
Date: 2013-02-15
To: Spring Air
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning, as I took my sister's dogs on a walk, there was that distinct smell in the air. No, not dog poop...but the smell of spring. Spring is still over a month away, but it's an uncommonly warm day here in Maine. It's a hard smell to describe, but it's really about the feelings that it evokes. If you know that smell of spring, then you know what I mean. It's invigorating, fresh, clean, and the promise for warmer weather. When I first noticed it, I stopped for a moment and it made me remember all of the reasons why I am doing this hike.
Date: 2013-02-25
To: Closer and Closer
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I had the day off today so I decided to buy my food for the first few days on the trail. I spent quite a bit of time scanning weight, calories, protein, carbs, and prices of all of the food I purchased. Hopefully I made the right choices, but I suppose I will see once we're out there!We decided that instead of dealing with our bags on the airline that we would ship our gear to the hostel. The price is about the same for both and I figured if we had one less thing to deal with during our flight, then that's just fine with me. It does mean however that I need to have all of my gear and food ready a bit earlier. Even though it should only take a few days for the box to get down to Georgia from Maine, I'm probably going to send it out a week ahead of time just to make sure. Obviously I'm having pre-hike anxiety about everything. I just imagine everything that could go wrong before we leave and I've noticed a change in my sleep this past week. More restlessness at night and tiredness during the day = a product of STRESS! I am so ready to do this thing, but am trying my best to channel my anxiety into trail prep.I'm excited to have the chance to go in to my old high school and talk to a couple of English classes about our trip. Miles has been subbing and coaching there for 2 years and we are still close with a lot of our teachers that we had in high school that are still teaching at BHS. Our English teacher who has been teaching there since the 70s and takes kids on hiking trips all over the country is going to have his "Man vs. Nature" focused classes follow our journey. Clout is an amazing teacher and we were both lucky enough to go on Outing Club trips with him to Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Grand Canyon National Parks and Miles also went hiking Big Bend. We're going to talk to them about thru-hiking, gear, and give them a map to help them keep track of us on our hike. I'm glad that we'll be able to connect with them and maybe we'll inspire a future thru-hiker or two!I'm moving out next week and I think once I do that and send off my gear to Georgia, if this hike doesn't seem real to me now, it will in a week.
Date: 2013-03-03
To: 11 Days
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

So close. So close to starting our thru-hike! I'm getting more emotional by the day. And by emotional I mean a mix of all emotions. I still have fear and nerves, but I'm also super excited to hike and meet my fellow thru-hikers in less than two weeks!I've had a cold for the past few days which is just fine with me since I'll get it out of the way before we start hiking. I've been pretty tired as well, which could be a symptom of my cold or maybe it's the fact that I lay in bed at night thinking about thru-hiking. We made a last minute decision to take our gear on the plane with us as checked baggage. I had an army duffel bag that I had used on a previous camping trip, so we decided to just deal with the airlines. Plus, it doesn't hurt that United Airlines dropped their baggage fees from $50 to $25. Now, it will actually be cheaper for us to check our bags rather than ship them down to Georgia. Plus, it will give us an extra week to make sure we've got everything we need and will allow us to ditch anything we may not need. Also, we'll be able to bring in our gear to show the students at the high school during our talk with them next week. At this point, we pretty much have everything we need to start. Just a few odds and ends and put our first aid kit together. Only 4 more days left in Portland before I move my stuff back to my parent's house. I'm going to spend my last few days here spending time with my nephew who just turned 4 months old last week, with my family, and my friends.
Date: 2013-03-12
To: Just About There
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Wow. It's hard to believe after a year of planning, that our hike is almost upon us. We've got everything ready to go and will be flying to Atlanta tomorrow morning. Gear is all packed up, food drop to Neels Gap is in the mail, bounce box is ready, and now all we have left to do is hike!The outpouring of positive support I've received on Trail Journals has been amazing. It's been so encouraging to hear from people from all over the country. I have been keeping a journal here and have been doing a blog on Wordpress. I struggled in trying to decide as to whether I should abandon one or the other and I really don't think I can. I'm going to provide a link to my blog here and I know it's sounds crazy to try and keep up with this and my blog, but my dad has offered to help me out. It's easier for me to update my blog from my phone, so I will be doing that part. I couldn't abandon trail journals though, so I will do my best to keep up with my journal via my dad. Thanks dad!Here's my blog address: http://www.dirigobound.wordpress.comReady to hit the trail and hike in the beauty of the south! Dirigo Bound!
Date: 2013-03-14
From: Amicalola Falls State Park

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: clear sky

Our first day couldn't have been better. After a great breakfast at the Hiker Hostel, we started the Approach Trail. My pack weighed in at 36 lbs with food and water and Miles' at 41. Mine didn't feel that heavy, but I'm sure we'll find ways to get our pack weight down. The weather was perfect and we met a lot of hikers along the way. We camped by ourselves on top of Springer a bit of a ways down from the shelter. It was a cold night, but we're excited to be on the trail at last! It was a great feeling to finally step foot on the trail.
Date: 2013-03-16
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

We hiked over Sassafras and Justus Mountains this morning. Another beautiful day. The climbs weren't bad at all and we enjoyed the views today. The Justus Creek area was also another great area. My first time to Georgia and I have to say, what a beautiful place. I'm glad we pushed to Gooch Gap because we were immediately greeted with a beer by a group of past thru-hikers. We hung out for awhile and had hot dogs later. We also hung out with another group and played Viking Chess. A pretty sweet game. Later we had chicken soup from a church group that was camping near us too. So much trail magic! It was the first day we encountered it and boy did we get our fair share. The thru-hiking community is pretty awesome.
Date: 2013-03-22
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We got a later start today because we were burrowed in our sleeping bags and couldn¢t see that the sun had come up. We were the last ones to leave around 10:30. We would like to start earlier, but when you don¢t set an alarm, you just have to rely on the sun or the rustling of other hikers getting ready. We climbed Powell Mountain and then had a long descent into Dicks Creek Gap. We also had a long, steady climb up Buzzard Knob. We didn¢t see many people on the trail today. We have heard that some people have dropped out, but I think also a lot of people are taking a couple of days off in Hiawassee because of the cold. About 30% of hikers who started at Springer Mountain have dropped out by now. It¢s sad to hear about people you know getting off the trail, but that¢s how it goes. Today was a big day. We crossed our first state line and we are officially in North Carolina! I still can¢t believe we have made it this far. We hiked 78.5 miles in Georgia, not including the 8.8 miles of the approach trail. One state down. Thirteen to go. I know that we¢re the ones doing this thing, but it all still seems surreal to me. We just hiked into another state. What?! Georgia was absolutely beautiful and I¢d recommend hiking there to anyone. Both of us have a few blisters, but nothing major. My knees have been bothering me on the descents, but I can blame genetics for that, right dad? I don¢t think the I¢ve got my trail legs yet, but I do think I¢m getting there. I must have lost a couple of pounds already too because I¢ve already had to tighten up my hip belt. As my dad reminded me, it¢s important to eat enough protein so that I can continue to hike. Losing too much weight or muscle in my case would not be good. We¢ve had a couple of long days. We hiked 13.1 miles yesterday and 12.6 today. We¢re still loving it out here and meeting so many different people. We¢re preparing for rain tomorrow, so we can only hope that it¢s not too cold and windy out as well. We smell bad, we¢re dirty, and we¢re hungry all the time, but we¢re going to keep on truckin¢! We¢re ready to conquer a new state along the AT.