morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-28
From: Linden Motel, Greenwood Lake, NY

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Day 44 plus 1: We awoke at 6:00am. We had done some initial repacking for the trip home...tossing unneeded things and setting aside things we wanted to carry onto the plane. The rest went into our packs to be checked as luggage.We finally headed out at 6:40am with a plan to get breakfast at the Village Buzz Caf© when it opened at 7am. However, on our way there we saw that The Grill was already open and serving breakfast...so that's where we stopped.After a hearty breakfast, we walked the additional 6 blocks to the bus stop and waited for the NJ Transit bus that would take us to New York City. The bus arrived almost on schedule and we boarded it to begin our journey home. It turns out on Saturday's there are no express buses, so this was a "milk run".]..but that was okay. It gave us a chance to see a part of New Jersey we hadn't seen from the trail.About 2 hours later, we arrived at the Port Authority Terminal in downtown New York City...what a difference from the forests of the AT!! We asked at the transit information booth about getting to Newark Airport and were told we could catch an express bus just outside the terminal. Once outside we spotted the bus and boarded it. Ironically, the relatively short trip to the airport cost us more than the long bus ride through the countryside.We finally arrived at Newark Airport at 11:30am. We had used our United points to book first-class tickets, so the check-in and security went quickly. Once in the terminal, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant, then found seats to wait for our 5:15pm flight.Fortunately our flight left on time and we enjoyed the luxury of first-class. The attached picture shows Spider stretched out and enjoying an in-flight movie.We landed in San Francisco at ~8:40pm. Our packs had preceded us on an earlier plane, so they were waiting for us when we got to baggage claim. A short walk to BART and we were on our way to home. ET's sister, Sally, picked us up at the BART station and drove us the 3 miles to our house...arriving at ~10:30pm...Trains, Planes and Automobiles (and Buses) to travel ~3000 miles in ~16 hours. It took us 6 weeks to travel 500 miles by foot..What a difference!!It was sure nice to get into my own bed for the night!!
Date: 2014-06-29
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Day 44 plus 2: We arose early (ET at 4am and Spider at 5am). It's going to take a while to get back to West Coast time.We had a bunch of tasks to do today to wind down the hike (unpacking, laundry, cleaning gear and storing it away, etc.) and winding up our other life (pay bills, food shopping, yard work etc.).But we couldn't stop talking about this year's AT hike. We can't help but compare it to the previous 2 section hikes of the AT. This year was difficult because of the rocks...but didn't have as many steep ups and downs as the previous hikes. Stopping at the various cafes, waysides and restaurants made this hike much more enjoyable and we will likely continue that practice where possible. In previous years, we have called the hike the "AT Diet Plan" since we usually lost 10-15 lbs. But this year ET lost 6 lbs and Spider lost 8 lbs...We may have to rename it.The weather was much better than previous years..but we may have lucked out since this was a cooler spring on the East Coast than normal. However even with that, we will likely schedule our hike next year for about the same time of the year.Generally the type of hiker we met this year was different. It seemed that the trail has now weeded out the uncommitted hiker...the ones that are more interested in partying than hiking. We found most the hikers now were determined to finish and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I believe most of those who we met will finish their thru-hike.The other thing about these hikers, were their willingness to accept us into their "circle". Some had less tolerance for day-hikers and short section hikers, but seemed to acknowledge that at 500 miles, we understood a little of what they were experiencing.Overall, we were happy with our gear...although there is always room for improvement. We both want to look for ways to lighten our packs even further.So this year's hike is done. This comes with mixed emotions. We already miss the trail and the camaraderie...but it's nice to be home. Now the planning begins for next year's section hike of the AT!!
Date: 2014-02-03
To: Journal Info
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: drizzle

Here are some tips on getting around in this journal, and an explanation of how it will be maintained. I will try and post a journal page for every day that I¢m on the trail, usually with a few days lag time. The LIST button on the left shows a link to every entry, and will highlight the ones you¢ve already read.The next journal entry gives an overview and has a short glossary of hiking terms. I will try to add a picture to every entry, but the pictures will come later than the text. The PHOTOS button will show every picture that¢s been uploaded. I¢ll upload more pictures than are shown on the journal pages.I'll write my entries in an email and send them to my brother Rick who will act as editor. After writing an entry, I have to wait until I get cell phone reception before it gets sent. Rick will copy the email into Trail Journals. I¢m taking photos and then mailing in the SD cards.I¢d like to hear from you! Send me an email and let me know if there is anything about the trail you would like to know about. You can also use the Guest Book on the left to send a quick note.
Date: 2014-02-03
To: Trail Info
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

The Appalachian Trail (AT) is 2185 miles long, running from the top of Springer Mountain in Georgia, to the top of Mount Katahdin in Maine.Thru-hike is to hike the entire length of the trail in a single season.Approximately 2500 backpackers attempt to become AT thru-hikers every year, typically taking about six months, starting in March or April and finishing in September or October. Only about 15% of the thru-hikers will finish. Remember I'll just be section hiking from Georgia to Virginia.Some hiker terms:Trail Name - An alias that nearly every hiker uses on the trail. If a hiker doesn't have one, he is sure to be given one by other hikers.Northbounder (NOBO) ¢ Thru-hiker headed north from Georgia, the conventional way to go.Southbounder (SOBO) ¢ Thru-hiker starting in Maine and going south. Only about 300 hikers a year try it in this direction.Shelter ¢ A three-sided structure with a roof built along the AT for hikers to sleep in. They usually have room for 6 to 20 hikers and at least that many mice. They are irregularly spaced, but on average would be about 8 miles apart. Many thru-hikers prefer to sleep in their own small tents.White Blaze ¢ The trail is marked by white ¢blazes¢ on trees about head high. The blazes are 6¢ tall and 2¢ wide.Blue Blaze ¢ A similar paint stripe colored blue that marks most side trails that intersect the AT. A side trail may lead to a shelter or a spring, or could be a scenic path going many miles.Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH) ¢ The only hard and fast rule of the trail. Do your hike the way you want and let others hike the way they wish.PUDs ¢ Pointless Ups and Downs. Hiker pejorative for the trailmaker's habit of taking the trail up and down every peak in sight. Also known as FPUDs.Slackpacking - Hiking a day-long section of trail with vehicle support so you can carry minimal supplies or even no pack.Section Hiker ¢ Any overnight hiker on the AT that is not a thru-hiker. Some people do the entire length of the trail by piecing together sections over a number of years.Day Hiker ¢ Someone walking a little bit of the trail but not overnighting.Trail Magic ¢ Unexpected good fortune on the trail. Examples might be finding a hiking stick or getting a hitch into town when you need a break.Trail Angel ¢ Friends of hikers or ex-hikers who meet hikers at road intersections and help them out, usually with food, drinks or rides. Some TAs set up a grill and cook for whatever hikers come along. This is called doing ¢Trail Magic¢.AYCE ¢ All you can eat. By now you may have noticed an obsession with food. Thru-hikers are in perpetual calorie deficit; so all hiking guides will point out towns near the trail with AYCE restaurants.Zero Day ¢ Taking a day off, zero miles walked.
Date: 2014-02-03
To: In the Beginning
Miles today: 0.0

I don¢t know when the seed got planted or where it came from, but at some point I decided I wanted to hike the Appalachian Trial (AT). I¢m planning on just doing a section hike this year and we¢ll see how that goes. The plan right now is to start at Springer Mountain in Georgia and hike to Damascus, VA. The distance from Springer to Damascus is about 467 miles. I expect it to take me over 37 days of hiking, not counting zero days. I¢m spending a lot of time trying to get into shape and only time will tell if it was enough. It probably won¢t be, but I hope it will get me off to a good start and I can continue to build from there.
Date: 2014-02-24
To: Training
Miles today: 0.0

I have been spending a lot of time hiking and training trying to get reading for this hike. I had joined the Sierra Club and did a couple of weekend hikes in Arkansas and the Big Bend in Texas. Through the help of a good friend (aka LookinUp) I was introduced to the Eagle Rock Loop trail in the Ouachita National Forest in the southwestern area of Arkansas. We started off doing the 26.8 mile Eagle Rock Loop on two different trips. I realized I needed to push myself more so I focused my hiking to the west side of the loop where all of the mountains are. I've done an out and back twice now on the west side and hope to get a couple more hikes before I take off for Georgia. I've also been hiking locally in the parks with a heavy pack on just to get some miles on my legs and strengthen my back. I've been carrying an extra 8-10 pounds above what I think I'll be carrying in my AT pack to help build up my back muscles. I have also been doing an exercise program at home on the days I don't hike or walk. The routine included squats, lunges, pushups, crunches and so on. I've also worked with some weights to help build up my upper body strength. And at the end of the routine I get on the Stairmaster and work my legs some more and get in some cardio.
Date: 2014-03-15
To: Last training session in Arkansas
Miles today: 0.0

I just finished my last training session in Arkansas this week. I spent two days going back and forth over the eight mountains on the west side of the Eagle Rock Loop. I started at Big Tom at the southwest trailhead and ended up climbing Missouri mountain before I turned around and started back. By the afternoon of the second day I was going back over Big Tom again and was back at the SW trailhead. With still plenty of daylight left, I drove over and hiked the Buckeye trail with LookinUp. This ended up being a really long day and I was worn out at the end. But it gave me more insight as to how the long days on the AT will be. We stopped at Katy Falls and camped at a nice site by the creek. We hiked out the next day via the Caney Creek trail which helped stretch out the tired muscles from the day before. That was on Friday 3/14 which only leaves me two weeks to go before I head off for Florida for a week at SNF and then up to Georgia to start the AT hike to Damascus.
Date: 2014-04-05
From: In the Beginning

To: Springer Mtn.
Miles today: 2.8

April 5 - Quick update. Due to a scheduling conflict that the shuttle driver had, I was forced to move my arrival/departure to/from Ashville to Saturday the 5th. Arrived Springer Saturday afternoon . I've been to the top and I'm heading down to the parking area and then will probably camp a couple of miles past the parking area.Camping at Stover Creek.Day 1 update: I arrived early at the shelter and there was the only one hiker here. I decided to tent. We ended up with about 15 total hikers. Four stayed in the shelter and the rest tented.
Date: 2014-04-07
From: Hawk Mtn. Shelter

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

It did rain all night and it was still raining this morning so it turned out to be a good idea to stay in the shelter. The rain slowed by the time I got on the trail. I did my first 2 mountains today. Sassafras and Justus. The rain continued on and off all day. I stopped at Gooch Mtn. Shelter but it had already filled up so I moved on to Gooch Gap. There were about 8 hikers waiting to go to a hostel so instead of putting my tent up in the rain I joined them at the hostel. It's warm and dry. They will shuttle us all back to the trail in the morning. It was a good day.
Date: 2014-04-08
From: Gooch Gap

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: broken clouds

The day started off cloudy, cold and windy. They were shuttling us from the hostel to Gooch Gap in the back of a pickup truck. It wasn't long before the sun started shining through and it turned into a beautiful day. There were two mountains to get over today, Ramrock and Big Cedar. With the clouds finally gone, there were some great scenic views. I stopped at Lance Creek early and set up the tent. With the clouds clearing they are calling for a cold night. Blood Mountain tomorrow.
Date: 2014-04-09
From: Lance Creek

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

It was windy and cold at Lance Creek last night. I decided that I don't need to set an alarm to get up in the morning. There always seems to be someone getting up early and breaking camp and banging gear around. So I got an early start this morning. It was another two mountain day and the second of those was Blood Mountain. The profile on the map made it look worse than it was. I was very thankful for all the training I had put in by the time I made it to the top. There were some fantastic views I was not expecting. The back side of the mountain was pretty steep going down and my knees were sore by the time I got to Neel Gap. I'm staying the night at Blood Mountain cabins and taking my first zero day tomorrow. I'm feeling good and my feet and knees are doing OK. Still no blisters. I got some good pictures today, but It will still be a few days before I can mail them to Rick and he can put them in the photo section on the left side of this page.
Date: 2014-04-10
From: Neel Gap

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

Day 6 - Zero day #1 - The Blood Mountain cabins were a nice treat. They did a load of laundry for me which was included with the cabin. I've moved over to the hostel for tonight. There's not much to do here. The only thing here is the outfitter and the hostel. I've spent most of the day relaxing and stretching. Lots of hikers coming through. The path of the AT travels right through the outfitter's building. The hikers normally stop to grab a few supplies or get rid of some extra gear they don't need. I met another hiker wearing a Red Sox cap and another from Richardson, TX. Interesting how many people are hiking with dogs. Tomorrow starts with a hard climb up to Bull Gap and then over Levelland Mountain on the way to Low Gap Shelter.
Date: 2014-04-11
From: Neel Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 7 - I got an early start today and left Mountain Crossing hostel at 7:45. This was going to be my first double digit day doing 11.5 miles to Low Gap Shelter. With the zero day yesterday my legs felt fresh for the uphill that came right out of the gate. There were five mountains today. I think Wildcat Mountain was the hardest climb I've done since I started. It's hard to believe it's been a week already. Trail names are becoming more common. I'm staying at Low Gap Shelter with six other hikers: Train Wreck, Pig Pen, Birdie, Butterscotch and Neon. Tomorrow is a 15.4 mile day.
Date: 2014-04-12
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 8 - It was a tough hike today with a total of 15.4 miles. I have never hiked that far before in one day. I left Low Gap this morning at 8 O'Clock and didn't get to Tray Mountain Shelter until after 6. There were three mountains to climb today: Blue, Rocky and Tray. The climb down Blue was really tough. About half way down I would have sold my pack real cheap. But things changed at the bottom of Unicoi Gap. One of the local churches had set up a tent and was serving trail magic (free food for hikers). That's the best cheeseburger I've had in a long time. I also had a bowl of chili, some cookies and a cup of coffee. It was great and boosted my spirits. I still had 6 miles to go and two mountains. It started getting warm but I just kept it slow and steady going up and down. Right now the downs have been harder on me than the climbs. I'm tenting tonight and hope to get a real early start in the morning. I should sleep good. Supposed to be a cold night.
Date: 2014-04-13
From: Tray Mountin Shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap - Top of Georgia Hostel
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

DAY 9 - The cold temps never really showed, but the winds were gusting all night. I had an 11 mile day ahead of me and I wanted to get an early start this morning so I set the alarm for 5:00. I skipped breakfast and coffee and loaded the pack and I was on the trail by 5:45. This was my first attempt at hiking while it was still dark. I used the headlamp until about 6:30 and then I was able to go on without it. It was nice to hike in the cool morning temps. Yesterday's 15 mile day really zapped my energy level. Fortunatley, I only had one major elevation to go up today and I got up and over Kelly's Knob before 10:00. I got to Dick's Creek Gap by 12:30. My feet were tired and sore, but still no blisters. I had to walk another half mile to get to the Top of Geogia hostel. My re-supply and bounce box were waiting for me. It's a zero day tomorrow.
Date: 2014-04-15
From: Dick's Creek Gap - Top of Georgia Hostel

To: Dick's Creek Gap - Top of Georgia Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 11 - The weather took a turn towards cold today and is forecast to be in the 20's and teens at the shelters tonight. It was still raining this morning and so I decided to take another zero day. I don't mind being cold and I don't mind being wet, I just don't like being cold and wet. It's still going to be cold tomorrow, but the rain should have moved on. The rest of the week is looking good through the weekend so I hope to be moving north.
Date: 2014-04-16
From: Dick's Creek Gap - Top of Georgia Hostel

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

The Temp was 31 degrees this morning at the hostel and 27 in the mountains at the shelter! The hostel shuttle dropped us off at Dick's Greek Gap and I was back on the trail. Even with the low temps the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day to hike.   After hiking 8.9 miles I crossed the GA/NC state line and was out of Georgia. Another mile or so and I had to go over a steep mountain called Courthouse Bald. After an 11.8 mile day I ended up tenting at Muskrat Creek Shelter.
Date: 2014-04-17
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

Day 13 - It was COLD this morning. Somewhere in the 30's, but no ice on my water bottles. It's hard to get out of the warm sleeping bag when it's that cold. A cup of coffee and a Pop-Tart and it's time to start walking. No BIG climbs today, but there were two long steady climbs that wore me out. 12.5 miles today put me at Carter Gap shelter where I set my tent up again. I don't seem to have much interest in staying in shelters.    Tomorrow is a big day. I'll go over the 100 mile mark. 40% chance of rain tomorrow.
Date: 2014-04-18
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 14 - It was another cold morning but it didn't get near freezing. My sleeping bag is doing a good job of keeping me warm, but I'm ready for some warmer temps at night. The cooler temps are nice for hiking, but you have to keep moving to stay warm. I hiked 12.1 miles today and it was nice hiking until I got to Albert Mountain. It was really steep and about a third of the climb was over boulders. I was wore out by the time I reached the top. Getting to the top is a big event since it's the 100 mile marker. I went past my planned stopping point and pushed on to Rock Gap Shelter. It's been raining since 4PM and it's supposed to rain all night. Since it was raining I decided to stay in the shelter tonight and not tent. Tomorrow I'll go into Franklin, NC. I'm ready for a hot shower and a meal that hasn't been dehydrated. Looks like the shelter will be full tonight. Haven't seen any mice yet, but the shelters are notorious for having them. There are special strings hanging from the ceiling that you hang your food bag from. These are supposed to stop mice from getting to the food. Having a good time.
Date: 2014-04-19
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day 15 - It rained most of the night but seemed to stop early in the morning only to pick back up a few hours later. I only had a few miles to go so I had a lazy morning. I got to Winding Stair Gap and met up with a trail angel who had a bag of Easter candy for all the hikers. After she gave out all her candy she gave me, John Doe and Bugs a ride to the motel.   I got checked into the Budget Inn in Franklin, NC. It's your basic 50's roadside motor hotel, but it's clean and they have a laundry room for the hikers. This is a common stopping point for the hikers along the AT.   They also offer a daily shuttle service to the local outfitter and Wal-Mart. The outfitter also has a microbrew Tap Room and a few of the hikers I've been hiking with tried it out after lunch. It continued to rain on and off for most of the day. It was good to be off the trail. Pizza and Scottish beer for dinner at Vito's. Tomorrow is a zero Day.
Date: 2014-04-20
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 16 - It started off as a foggy dreary day, but then the sun came out and it warmed up and turned into a nice day. It's Easter Sunday and most everything is closed so I walked to the McDonald's for a nice Easter breakfast. It was a nice lazy day to rest up and relax. I had Easter dinner while watching the Red Sox game. Leftover pizza from last night. I'm heading to Aquone Lodge tomorrow for a few days of slack packing.
Date: 2014-04-21
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayha Gap
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: clear sky

I'm getting back on the trail today. I had to take my bounce box to the post office this morning so I couldn't catch the 9:00 shuttle. The next shuttle was at 11:00 and so I was on the trail by about 11:30. I hiked from Winding Stair gap to Wayha Gap so it was a short day with only 5.9 miles. I will be staying at the Aquone Lodge for the next three nights and slack packing during the day. Tomorrow they will drop me off at Wayha Gap in the morning and pick me up 8-10 miles down the trail. This is only for three days and then it's back to real world backpacking and sleeping in a tent.
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Wayha Gap

To: Burningtown Gap
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: moderate rain

Day 18 - I'm settled into the Aquone Lodge and did my first slack pack today. The owners dropped me off at Wayah Gap and then picked me up at Burningtown Gap. It was supposed to rain today and it didn't let me down. It drizzled most of the morning and then it let up. I thought I had missed the worst, but it started coming down hard and with only my rain jacket on, my pants got soaked.   Fortunately it wasn't too cold and as long as I kept moving I stayed comfortable. It was a good 8.7 mile day.
Date: 2014-04-23
From: Burningtown Gap

To: Tellico Gap
Miles today: 4.8

Not much to report today. I did a short slack pack from Burningtown Gap to Tellico Gap. I was hiking with a fellow Texan from the San Antonio area. He is a thru hiker and is working his way to Maine. He's making good time and should be there sometime in August. I'll be heading to the NOC tomorrow and then in just a few days I'll be in the Smokies.