morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-02-14
To: Gear, gear and more gear
Miles today: 0.0

First order of business: we have finally cemented our "getting there" plans. Liz is going home to Mass. in early March. I will continue to work, go to the dentist, and spend spring break week snowboarding with friends. Liz and I will then fly (her from Mass., me from Denver) to Atlanta the last week of March. So we have our tickets! The day I bought mine was very exciting! I guess it made it more official. I don't think I've been that excited since Christmas morning, circa 1986. We are still working out plans to get from the airport to the trailhead (either friends or Hiker Hostel).Second order: I have updated the gear list once again. Today I panicked a little and almost started cutting straps and excess material off my old Osprey pack to cut weight down and use because I started feeling doubts about my Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone pack. I am slightly concerned about the durability of the pack but I'm going to go with it. Gear updates:- ordered more supportive shoes to start with: Vasque breeze low hikers- ordered Darn Tough socks - they're the best according to several TJ's- ordered maps but think I may have done something wrong in the ordering process- recieved pack cover, liner, Thermarest pillow stuff sack, hiking poles- ordered a Montbell thermawrap vest to replace the Patagonia R2 fleece. The fleece is very nice, it's just to bulky and my Melanzana microfleece + the vest will be sufficient.I have a wishlist of things that I will not get unless my REI dividend is huge or I somehow have significantly more money at start than planned. They include:- Icebreaker tech tee- audiobooks to download to Ipod- extra 1 gb memory card for camera- Melanzana microfleece hiking skirt- Montbell ultralight down jacket (to replace my heavy down jacket)I've packed and re-packed my bag several times now and have a pretty good idea of how it's all going to fit and feel. So my initial weight estimate is now 35 lbs with 3 days food and 3 liters of water. A little more than I'd like.Next to do: plan mail drops and gather things I might want sent to meI think I'll be updating more frequently from now on...
Date: 2010-02-22
To: Testing...
Miles today: 0.0

So here I am, on the slow drive home from snowboarding this weekend. In case you were wondering, I'm not operating the vehicle. I thought I'd give updating my TJ a shot from my phone since I plan on using it. I wish I could add photos from my phone though. Is there some trick I'm missing? If all else fails, I'll email photos to Erik and have him add them. I've started figuring out my maildrops and have a newfound respect for those who purchase/make all of their food ahead of time and have a large # of drops. I would've liked to have dehydrated a ton of good vegetarian food (like Loon 09) but I would probably break my ankle on day 2 and have all this food left! At least it would be good, right? So my plan is to send things that will be tough to get on the trail and maybe some dehydrated stuff (just had a friend offer to let me borrow her dehydrator - thanks AnneMarie, I'll probably take you up on that!).Well, can't wait to get home tonight and go to bed. It was a great weekend of snowboarding. There 's a ton of snow here in Colorado right now. I hope I get some warmer weather before I leave, I still need to seam seal my tent!
Date: 2010-02-24
To: SNAFU!
Miles today: 0.0

I had 2 (temporary) crowns put on last week and have been experiencing some pretty rough pain, especially at night. I think they aren't fitting correctly. My dentist is out of town until Friday and I'm trying to wait until then to see him. Advil wasn't helping too much so I had some pain meds prescribed. Well, I should know better by now that prescription pain meds and my stomach don't like each other. I've been holed up at home all day with severe dizziness and nausea. It's pretty much been hard to do anything except lay on my side until now. So all this has foiled my training this week. Bummer. However, early on in the week I was able to derive an estimate on my number and location of mail drops. I think I'll have about 6-8 which will contain maps, extra supplies, and food that I know I can't get on the trail. What a project and I don't even have that many! Well at least I feel like I know the trail and towns a little better now.Well, I look forward to feeling better, having pain-free teeth and jumping back into my routine. Today is 1 month to go! Feeling a little nervous and very excited!FYI - the photo added to this post is from a camping trip at one of my favorite spots: Turquoise Lake in Leadville, CO. I thought I'd save you from seeing a photo of my pale-white, dizzy self.
Date: 2010-02-27
To: SNAFU update...
Miles today: 0.0

So I went to the dentist on Friday and was sent home with painkillers and antibiotics and told to come back on Monday for.......A ROOT CANAL!!! Not what I wanted to hear! I was not prepared to endure the weekend with tooth pain. This foiled our snowboarding weekend plans so I'm at home trying to knockout the majority of the things on my AT-to do list. BTW - I have not touched the prescription pain meds yet. I do not want another episode of dizziness and vomiting! Vitamin I for me.This leads me to the photo. I shall preface with - I am not an ultra-light backpacker (and I think the sheer reason I will never be is because I will always have to take contact solution and glasses and I get cold easily...okay and I like to be comfortable) although I strive somewhat to keep the weight reasonable. I decided to cut the tags from my clothes so I don't find later that they are going to rub and irritate me. So I got cut-happy and just decided to cut all of the tags off all of my gear to see how much extra weight they actually add. Drumroll please...with the toothbrush handle and minus my sleeping bag tags (because I forgot) they weigh 0.6 oz. Of course thats weighing with a cheap postal scale with divisions in half ounces.The other things I hope to accomplish today or this weekend:- load pack again, verify my happiness with gear choices- seam seal tent- boil my ceramic water filter cartridge- finalize mail drops/separate maps- load ipod nano with selected musicOkay that's a lot. I hope to get it all done and move on to other things so I can ease a little stress. My goal is to have nearly everything completed by the week before I leave so I can enjoy that time with family and friends.
Date: 2010-03-04
To: Maps, maildrops and a sore mouth
Miles today: 0.0

I know you all are waiting on bated breath to hear about Monday's root canal. Well, pure evil (in pre-abscess form) was purged from my tooth like the exorcist in a 2.5 hour procedure. Now I wait to see if my other tooth also needs one. In the mean time, I have a headache, sore gums, sore teeth, a sore cheek and quite a sore spot under the tongue from that plastic bit they put behind your teeth for x-rays. I can eat solid food now, but it still has to be soft. Unfortunately, I've lost some strength over the last week due to a diet consisting of V8 and Ensure. I hope to get back to the gym for a bit before I leave but I'm not betting on it. My last day of work is next Friday and I'm trying to do as much as I can in the next week and a half and wrap it up. In general, I have fallen into somewhat of a panic mode with thoughts like: - Whoa, this is becomming all too real so fast! - Am I going to get everything done before I leave?- $#!% how am I going to handle saying "see ya later" to Erik?- There certainly is a lot of snow this year, what's it going to be like when I start?- Will I have any more dental emergencies? And for that matter, will I really be all fixed up before I leave???Okay, I'm really not outwardly panicking that much, but this is the place for my thoughts, right?In good, fun, happy news, I've planned all my drops (I'll post them soon). I'll have 9 total (or less). I chose them mostly based on lack of resupply options and they are somewhat evenly spaced to hold map bundles (pictured, minus drop #9) and AT Guide book pages. I intend to put food in them that I don't think I'll normally be able to get on the trail. I got a tremendous deal on some good vegetarian dehydrated food at Whole Foods to add to them. The drops still need preparing and packing which is the fun part, right?I wanted to say thanks again to those of you who have taken the time to sign my guestbook. I've been trying to respond but the latest dental happenings have set me back a bit. Thank you!!!!!
Date: 2010-03-11
To: Ode to Liz
Miles today: 0.0

Liz left Leadville, CO to make her way to Massachusetts to get in some family time before our journey. On her way she stopped by and we were able to have a bit of 'trail talk.' It's good to know that we are on the same page and both very excited. We talked about food, gear, weather, conditions, etc. We were both thankful that we ended up pushing our start date back for other reasons, but it has ended up being very beneficial as neither of us are interested in serious backpacking in chest-high snow. We also talked about trail names. While we have come up with several potential names for each other, we look forward to having our true trail names present themselves to us on the trail. Seeing Liz drive away, I was thinking about how the next time we see each other it will be in Atlanta! On a side note, I'm not sure if I mentioned it yet but Blueberrie the dog will not be joining us. While she is a seasoned hiker, her Huskey fir will be no match for the midsummer heat. In other news, my permanent crowns are on and feeling good so far. At least I have another couple of weeks to feel them out. I was officially accepted to grad school today! Woo-hoo! I start in spring 2011 and I'll be conducting research in forest health through the graduate degree progrom in ecology. I'm sure glad that got taken care of before I left.It's been a busy week. 2 more days of work! I can't wait to relax a bit next week and get in my last week of snowboarding with friends!
Date: 2010-03-21
To: Ending and Beginning
Miles today: 0.0

As my snowboarding vacation with family and friends nears the end, I am slowly transitioning back into "trail mode." I still have quite the list of things to do before I leave and I sure hope it all gets done. At least I have 2 full days devoted to doing nothing but that.This week was amazing! I had so much fun snowboarding with everyone. We even had a warm enough and sunny day to hike a bit. My last day of the ski season was yesterday and it was fabulous. Blue skies and lots of powder at Vail, topped off with a home-made Mexican feast and brownies with 4 different types of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. My goal this week was not to injure myself while riding! I mostly succeeded but did slightly overdo it. I think it's all just soreness and will go away with time. I did, however, receive a bit of frost nip on my nose in the same place I have before. This is somewhat concerning so I think I may be adding some extra face protection to my gear. While I haven't had time to progress on my planning, I have been able to keep up with other's TJ's. I've been trying to keep an eye out for the conditions in the Smokeys. It still seems like not to many have made it through due to the deep snow. But, a lot of hikers have started and hopefully will make it through and pack down the trail (wishful thinking?). Looks like we'll have great weather for the day we fly in to Atlanta and the next few days after. This is nice because it is encouraging to start out in plesant weather!I will post more in the next couple of days before I leave. I will also have my gear list finalized (a few things have changed).
Date: 2010-03-22
To: Gear
Miles today: 0.0

I have (mostly) finalized my gear list. It is now updated and will only be slightly tweaked from here on out. I was feeling pretty good about most of my things until I went snowboarding this past week on a cold and windy day. I realized I had better add a few more things for those wet, cold and windy days. So on went another hat (water resistant with a brim) for hiking, a balaclava (even though I had planned on using the Buff for such purposes) and waterproof overmitts. Three different types of gloves may be a little extreme but at least I'll be prepared. I'm sure I'll end up sending a few things home, but I suppose it's better to start with the things you think you'll need and find out you don't need them. I wish I would've had some time for a shakedown trip but I imagine the first few days into Neel's Gap will do that for me.Here's to hoping the pack weight remains under 40 lbs. I will pack the bag again tomorrow. Then I will attack the remaining, daunting tasks that I need to accomplish before I leave.
Date: 2010-03-23
To: SNOW!!!
Miles today: 0.0

While I seemed to have skirted starting the trail in bad weather, I may have some weather-related issues for my flight out. NOAA is predicting 10-16 inches of snow overnight in Denver before my 7am flight. Hmmmm... Bad weather + flying don't usually go over too well for me. Let's hope the forcast is as wrong as it was about Keystone ski resort last week (predicted 8-12 inches, only received 1 inch). Well, I will keep an eye out and go from there, that's all I can do, right?At least we (Erik and I) made it safely to the first leg of the journey. We drove about 30 miles per hour for about 2.5 hours to get to Denver from Fort Collins. This should normally take only about 1 hour. The roads were horrible! When we got to Erik's parents house, we almost didn't make it into the driveway. It seems like there's already about 10 inches on the ground. We spend the last 45 minutes shoveling so we could get out of the driveway. I've been furiously trying to check my flight status but no delays are noted yet. If it is still on time, we have to leave the house at about 4:30 in the morning. Not much sleep for me tonight!
Date: 2010-03-24
To: Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a roller coaster ride of emotions. After waking up from 3 hours of sleep, Erik and I ventured out into the nasty snow storm to make our way to the airport. Thankfully the car made it out of the neighborhood and we arrived safely at the Denver airport. Then came the tough part :-( Erik and I said our goodbyes and I was on my way.Since there were so many delays throughout the night the lines were excesively long. I like to think I'm a sharp girl, but I somehow managed to wait in the wrong line for about 20 minutes while checking in. I eventually made it to the gate and waited some more. We didn't start boarding until it was time for the plane to take off and then we were sitting on the runway for 2 hours waiting for the plane to get de-iced. I drifted in and out of sleep and eventually the cabin got so hot I was wide awake. Passengers were restless.On the flight I kept trying to make sure I remembered everything. There were a lot of people that I wanted to touch base with before I left and I'm sorry if I wasn't able to and you were one of them. The last few days were much more hectic than anticipated. I made it to Atlanta nearly 3 hours late but Leigh from the Hiker Hostel waited to pick me up! So I met Liz at the baggage claim and we headed out on the MARTA. Leigh has been so nice and understands completely, the needs of a hiker who is dazed from only getting 3 hours of sleep and traveling all day. I would highly recommend the Hiker Hostel!Liz and I had pizza for dinner and loaded our packs for tomorrow. We are sharing a room with 2 other girls. We are all looking forward to starting hitting the trail. Liz and I nixed doing the Approach Trail since we had such an exhausting day today. Next time I write, it will be a hiking entry!I don't think I've ever felt the range of emotions that I have today: scared, excited, sad and happy (sometimes at the same time!), nervous and elated! My dream is coming true. It is sureal to be doing something that I've been reading about for so long.
Date: 2010-03-25
From: Hiker Hostel

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: light rain

Josh from the Hiker Hostel drove Liz and I along with several other hikers to the parkin lot below Springer Mountain. We hiked the 0.9 miles to the top of Springer (the southern terminous of the AT), took photos, hiked back down to the parking lot and were on our way. The excitement really started to set in. Wow, my dream is coming true! My pack feels heavy but I refused to weigh it at the hostel before I left. I know for sure it's under 40 pounds. On Spinger, Liz aquired the trail name "Umbrella" because of her fantastic black umbrella with red flowers lining the outer rim. She was not fond of the name and word got out that she had a 24-pound pack so her new trail name is 24. Liz tried to get everyone to call me "Hold Hands" because she though that's something I had said to her.Now we're at Hawk Mountain shelter and we are resting comfortably in the upper loft. The shelters are 3-sided structures with a roof. There is a privy and bear cables for hanging your food. My water filter decided to stop working sometime after I checked my bag at the airport. Thankfully "Winging it" let me borrow his. I'll have to get it taken care of at Neel's Gap. I'm holding up well, my feet and back are a bit sore. Overall, the trail was pretty easy with some intense uphill close to the shelter.Hold everything!!! As I write, Liz was newly named Mary Poppins because of the umbrella. It's definitely a keeper!
Date: 2010-03-26
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

First I must write about the rain. We have been incedibly lucky not to have had to hike in the rain yet. It rained yesterday after we got to the shelter, then it cleared up. At about midnight i woke up to a torrential downpour with a bit of lightning. Today Liz, er Mary Poppins, and I awoke after a rough night in the shelter (the dueling snorers kept us up all night). We laid in our cozy sleeping bags until most everyone left. We were slightly weary from hearing people continually talk about gear and pack weight so we decided to let most everyone go before us. The morning was chilly, windy and foggy. Even though our planned mileage was less today there were some significant climbs. Sassafrass mtn was the toughest peak of the day. A tough climb to the top with a major lack of switchbacks.We arrived at Gooch Mtn shelter earlier than expected, ate dinner and have been stretching and relaxing ever since. The snorers pressed on so we look forward to a snore-free night. We have the lofty goal of making it all the way to Neel's Gap tomorrow (about 15 miles). Blood mtn stands in our way so we may just stop before instead. We feel pretty good, maybe more sore than yesterday. I'm still nursing a hot spot on the back of my right heel. I may have had "Hold Hands" stick as a trail name. LB (Last on the Bus) called me H-squared for short and people seem to be calling me that.
Date: 2010-03-27
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

What a day! I didn't sleep well because it was cold last night! So that wasn't a promising start to the day. I didn't have much energy while hiking and my hot spot turned into a blister (but a manageable one). Because of this we had to stop a lot today. I thought that making it all the way to Neel's wouldn't happen.After trudging up and down, dealing with blister pain, a bruise on my hip from my pack, and lack of energy, we finally made it 12 miles to the Woods Hole shelter. We thought we might stay there for the night so we cooked dinner (a giant pot of mashed potatoes for me) and chatted with the folks at the shelter. It was already full and more hikers were pouring in, so combined with the cold and rainy weather forcast we decided to press on to the hostel at Neel's Gap. It was still sunny with clear skies so I thought that would be a good time to hike over Blood Mountain ( the highest point on the AT in GA).We called the hostel to make sure there were still bunks left. There were 3 so Liz decided to take the shorter trail around the mtn to reserve the bunks for us. Me, being somewhat of a purest so far, went over the mtn. Let me tell you, I think those mashed potatoes had some magic power because I powered to the top without stopping. The trail was quite creepy! Apparently there was a battle at the top involving Native Americans and so much blood was shed that the rivers ran red, hence Blood mtn. The were thick creepy tunnels of mountain laurel everywhere and a big stone shelter at the top that you couldn't pay me to sleep in! I tried to head down as fast as possible and I ran into a guy who said he was a police officer (just on a hike) and he told me he was armed and that if I needed anything to blow my whistle. He said he always carries a gun up there now after what happened 2 years ago. I was thinking, what happened 2 years ago? But I didn't really want to know yet so I didn't ask. I finally made it to the hostel safely. Later I found out that the incident 2 years ago was the one involving Meredeth Emerson. Miss Janet runs the hostel and fed us agreat dinner ( yes I had 2 dinners). I showered, called Erik, and now I'm lying in a bunk bed in a room full of other hikers. It totally smells like hiker funk but I think I'll sleep well tonight!
Date: 2010-03-28
From: Neel's Gap

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

How can days be so eventful when all you are doing is supposed to be hiking? Last night was the least restful night of my life. ManBearPig (which I shall refer to him as) slept across from us and snored like you wouldn't believe! There were snorts, grunts and noises I didn't know a man could make! My earplugs vibrated from the high-decible sound. Liz tried to sleep on the floor in the other room and I tried listening to my iPod. I finally fell asleep sometime between 4 or 5 am. The weather was cold, foggy, and rainy so many people decided to take a 'zero' day today. Our plans were to get the things we needed at the outfitter and move on because we couldn't take another night of snoring! First I got fitted for a new pair of shoes and got some insoles. They are size 7's! (I usually wear 6's!) Next I had my water filter repaired. Then I verified that my pack was fitting correctly (it was) and the convinced me to do a pack shakedown (they go through your gear and help you get rid of things you don't need). I reached into my pack and started pulling things out and managed to slice my finger on my knife! It bled quite a bit but it was manageable so I taped it up and went about removing the items from my bag. I ended up only sending home a couple of items along with my shoes. As we were still in the store resupplying, a couple from Florida that we had met on ou first day were trying to get beds at the already full hostel. I offered to go in on a cabin with them (split 4 ways it's the same price as the hostel - &15). So we did and ended up taking an impromptu zero day.The cabin was amazing! It had a nice view, kitchen, satelite TV, our own bathroom, and best of all, no ManBearPig!!! So we had a very nice day relaxing. Liz played Scrabble with the Florida couple on their homemade superlight game board. We are off to bed early and are looking forward to nice weather for the next few days.
Date: 2010-03-29
From: Neel's Gap

To: Blue Mountain shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Whoa! What a day! It was wet, misting, and foggy but we felt good. I'd say that the terrain was relatively flat which helped us make it so far today. It's stll pretty cold right now, damp and windy. So this will be a short one. We left the comforts of our cabin this morning and hit the trail at 10:15. I think I lost my sunglasses. We thought we'd only make it 12 miles to low gap shelter but we got there so fast! So we cooked dinner and moved on.The shelter we made it to is notorious for cold north winds blowing up the mtn side. It'll probably be a cold night but we are tenting so no snorers!The rest of the week should be sunny and warm.