morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-10-13
From: US 19

To: Ash Gap
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

Today we were trail celebrities. Pleasant temperatures and peak fall colors enticed out many a day hiker on this, Columbus Day. They¢d see our packs and know we were different.¢Where are you coming from?¢ they¢d ask.¢Highway 19 this morning and Maine before that.¢¢You walked all the way here from Maine!¢Then an entourage of questions.They were so excited to see us - like we were some kind of rare sighting. Our thru-hiker status landed us in 3 photographs and 1 home video. It was fun to talk with them, and I secretly hoped our encounter encouraged them to embrace their own inner adventurist.Anyways, we were just the side show. The main attraction was Roan Mountain, its surrounding balds, and the breath-taking 360 degree views.
Date: 2008-10-14
From: Ash Gap

To: Nolichucky River
Miles today: 30.1

It started here. A camp¢s three day trek placed the idea of a thru-hike in a fifteen year old Hank. An idea he¢d mention casually to me three years later over candlelight and eggplant parmesan. He reminisced all day: This is the first shelter I ever saw. This is the hill when I decided I needed better hiking gear. This is the ill-fated field where I lost my orange towel. What took them three days, we did in one. The time passed quickly with all of Hank¢s stories and all the distractions of bright fall foliage. We sat under twisty pines and felt lucky that his crazy adolescent thought to hike the Appalachian Trail was our reality.
Date: 2008-10-15
From: Nolichucky River

To: Whistling Gap
Miles today: 13.5

This afternoon we encountered a trail maintainer. He was painting/refreshing the white blazes of his section. God bless him! He said he realized today that there were substantially more blazes for the Northbounders. Having hiked the trail Southward for some time now, this was a fact that Hank and I knew well, but it felt good to hear a non-southbounder say it, especially one with a paint brush in his hand and the power to even the score!
Date: 2008-10-17
From: below Camp Creek Bald

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Our second attempt at an all-night hike failed ¢ this time due to poor weather. Before the mist and rain forced us into our tent, the thought that moved us forward was the possibility of breakfast in town the next morning, especially waffles.Hunger already had a hold on us. We¢d order from the imagenary menu in our heads. ¢I¢ll order orange juice, coffee, waffles, sausage and grits¢ I¢d say.Hank would revise, ¢OJ, coffee, eggs, bacon, waffles and a stack of pancakes.I¢d continue, ¢Or, waffles, an omelet, toast and jam.¢ Always included was the waffles. We so badly wanted a waffle.So, you can imagine our disappointment this morning when we woke up to cold, soggy, made-3-months-ago granola. Again granola. When we started this trip I disliked granola; now, I loathe granola.The mist and rain continued on til morning. Morale was low as we plodded along into the wet and cold. Wet and cold. Wet and cold.Then¢¦trail magic! That¢s what the sign said: ¢Trail magic.¢ And underneath that, the very next word I saw was the great and glorious ¢waffles.¢An excited exchange between us later, we were welcomed into a beautiful home, fed unbelievable goodies, and entertained with intelligent, thoughtful conversation. The opener was a huge, delicious, crispy, golden, hot-of-the-griddle waffle. Oh it was glorious. Hank mused, ¢Ask and thou saw receive¢¦waffles!¢It may have rained the rest of the day, but for me it was all sunshine!
Date: 2008-10-18
From: NC 1182

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 20.6

Hank and I do not always hike alone. The company makes the miles disappear more quickly, often too quickly considering the pleasure of good company!New friends join us for killer climbs, like Ozone¢s tackling the Priest. Family, like my uncle, share childhood stories as we stroll in their old stomping grounds. We learn life stories of fellow Southbounders, like Spoonful and ET. Bless his heart, my brother kept up pace with two seasoned thru-hikers as he joined us for four days in the Highlands. Today, Hank¢s whole crew joined us for a misty morning on Max Patch. Brother, mother, and father. We got so into conversations that we missed a turn, a mistake we don¢t often make. They loved the rhododendron tunnels and yellow sugar maples; we adored the chance to share these things with them.I¢ve often been curious what goes through the head of our temporary expedition members as they join us on our journey. This evening I was privileged to such information when Hank¢s father, who hiked with us for the entire day, related the story to Hank¢s brother and mother.¢After lunch, when you two left, Andrea and Hank looked at their map and said, ¢Alright, 18 miles and six hours¢ and I thought, ¢Oh, God.¢Then, Hank takes off running down the hill. Andrea says, ¢Oh don¢t worry, we only run on the down hills.¢I said, ¢Isn¢t it all down hill to Hot Springs?¢ and she says, ¢Yeah.¢ I think, ¢Oh God!¢¢
Date: 2008-10-20
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Want a shocker to the system?Spend the morning, walking through the intense, therapeutic aroma of red spruce and Fraser firs. Take lunch on a sunny rocky slide and overlook mountains that fade into the sky eleven layers deep.   Drink deep of the sparkling, cold waters of gentle springs. Then, immediately douse yourself into some place magnificently gaudy. Keep your mouth agape as you stare at your brother¢s window at giant tires, circus mini-golfs in 3-D, and Hollywood wax museums. Wonder why in the world a town requires such a high density of pancake houses. Want to shock your system? Hike the Appalachian Trail; then go to Gatlinburg.
Date: 2008-10-21
From: Newfound Gap

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: few clouds

Up on Clingsmans Dome, 6,643 feet above sea level, the tallest peak on the trail, we were rewarded with a grand, glorious view¢¦of white. The same view we enjoyed from Mount Washington (6288 ft), Mount Madison (5363 ft), and Max Patch (4629 ft). C¢est la vie. Even without a view, the Smoky Mountain crowds rivaled the clouds for thickness. Hank, Michael, ET and I watched them as we ate our meager lunches. We regarded each other with similar curiosity. A few were bold enough if we were one of those ¢Appalachian hiker people;¢ most just shyly eyed us from afar. They smelled sweet, like soap and lotion. Two ladies walked from the paved path down the short dirt path by which we were eating. At the brown sign indicating the direction of the trail, they paused. Below the engraved mileages of the approaching shelters was a faded posting announcing that the Russell Field Shelter nineteen miles away was closed due to aggressive bear activity. Upon reading this, one friend abruptly turned back. She announced to her friend that hiking was not really her thing, and she especially was going to go walking a mile in woods with angry bears.This was strange to me. Then, I realized just how different my outlook, my thoughts, my relationship with the outdoors has become when compared with those of the mainstream. I am accustomed to the woods. I do not worry about a hungry bear twenty miles away. Instead, I worry about my re-entry into real life.
Date: 2008-10-22
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: flat spot in the woods
Miles today: 24.9

Four months and 2000 miles of hiking - and my body knows it. Sharp terrible pains in the knees. My bones ache. My joints scream. I am always hungry. Always. I don¢t get full so much as I just stop eating. And I am tired. Oh so tired. Exhausted such that I know, if I were given the chance, I could sleep a whole day through. My body is ready to be done with the trail.My heart, on the other hand¢¦My heart loves it here as much as ever. No, more than ever. Just today the orange sun on the golden beech leaves framing distant views of the gentle mountain tops peaking above soft clouds made me what to stay forever in these woods. As did the grouse that sounded deep in the rhododendron thicket. My heart wishes to hike on.Time is indifferent to my heart and my body. In seven days time the adventure comes to a closes ¢ that¢s just the way of things.
Date: 2008-10-23
From: flat spot in the woods

To: Nantahala River
Miles today: 26.8

In German, ¢to eat¢ is translated ¢essen.¢Example: I eat granola = Ich esse M14sli.But rarely do I simply ¢eat¢ on the trail anymore. More often, I devour food, shovel it into my mouth, grabbing it with grubby fingers, and picking up crumbs from the ground.I mean, we ate jello mix today. Cherry. Added a bit of water to make a sort of terrible, tart, grainy smoothie. We needed the calories, and we¢d eaten the rest of our supplies.We eat like animals. Eat is not the right word; I don¢t know the right word in English, and so I go to the German: Wir fressen, which translates roughly to ¢we eat like beasts.¢Example: Today, the Natahalah Outdoors Center restaurant, after the appetizer, before the sundae dessert, we ordered two massive sherpas (charger sized platters of chili over rice)¢¦and then a large pepperoni pizza as a side dish.The neighboring table laughed at our bonus pizza or perhaps at our fressening. But we were hungry! Of course we were ¢ we¢d hiked 27 miles up and over giant mountains. For 10 hours we sloshed through ankle deep leaves. We climbed over fallen trees and balanced our way through boulder fields.We earned our right to fressen!
Date: 2008-10-24
From: Nantahala River

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: moderate rain

Climbs out of gaps with rivers are always brutal, but the cold, rainy weather made this one particularly terrible. Conditions were out right dangerous. My mind kept fixating on thoughts of hypothermia, when the body¢s temperature drops too low to function properly. The chilling air was worrisome, but the constant wet weather was my greatest concern ¢ water steals heat more efficiently than air. I tried to distract myself from thoughts of potentially deadly hypothermia by focusing on the prettiness that surrounded me. Delicate, dangly sea-foam green lichens grew thick on the branches. It waved in the wind like Spanish moss. But I was still cold.The trail provided a more effective distraction. The violent winds flogged the trees on the mountain top. Hank was in front when we heard the terrifying crack and watched as a giant tree crashed down onto the trail. Were we but a minute faster we would have been crushed. The trees coming down were not necessarily the dead ones either. Here we were in a forest, and every tree insinuated inescapable doom.   There was nowhere to hide, nowhere safe to stop, so we hiked on. We hiked hard. Eventually, though the storm continued to tear the limbs off trees, the dropping temperature and the constant rain put hypothermia back as our main cause of concern. All our layers were soaked through. Even with our powerful hiking, our bodies were getting chilled. We had to get out of this. We looked at our map for the nearest shelter; it wasn¢t particularly close. We hiked even harder.Hank was particularly bad off. The chill was not just in his extremities, but had crept into his chest and privates. We discussed that if things advanced any further, we¢d set up the tent immediately, even with wind and trees. Surprisingly, we reached the shelter much more quickly than we had expected. Our efforts to keep warm had us hiking faster than even we knew.Hank was shivering brutally. I helped him out of his wet clothes and into his sleeping bag. I put mine over top of him and boiled water for hot chocolate. Cocoa has caffeine and so is not ideal for combating these initial symptoms of hypothermia, but we¢d drank all the jello the day before. I tried to work quickly before the chill crept into me as well, but my fingers were too cold to function and it slowed me down.   While Hank warmed, I did all the camp chores and felt my own temperature drop. Even after I ate supper in my dry clothes and cloaked in my sleeping bag, I was still shaking violently. I climbed in with Hank so that our body temperatures could work to warm each other. In time this worked to cease my shivering, and I quit fretting about the cold. But I slept more soundly knowing that, if conditions were to worsen, we were sharing the shelter with weekenders with a car less than a mile away.
Date: 2008-10-25
From: Wayah Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 26.9
Weather: clear sky

Lovely though they may be, the gilded, lavish baroque depictions of the Pearly Gates may be mistaken, for this evening I have glimpsed it. The entrance to Heaven is path covered in the soft needles of pine and the lined with the ornate twisting branches of trees. The golden sun warms a pink sky that dissolves into mountains so blue, so gentle, so rolly they can only be found in Southern Appalachia. And if Saint Peter stands before golden gates, it is only because it is autumn, and the beech trees are changing color.
Date: 2008-10-26
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Addis Gap
Miles today: 29.6

Today¢s forecast. Bitter cold. Sky: partially cloudy, becoming sunny in the afternoon. Highs: friends and achievements. Lows in the 20s. Last night good friends met us at Carter Gap Shelter. At least, I hope they are still our friends. I do not know what deceptive things Hank told them in his invitation, but I¢m pretty sure it wasn¢t ¢Hi! Come join us for an evening on the trail. We¢ll drink your wine, eat your food, and finish off your bourdon. Then, we can all try to sleep in the most brutally frigid night on the trail so far.¢Last night was cold. Terrible cold. I slept in all my clothes, including raingear. And the morning, still cold! Our friend announced that last night she was two degrees away from waking us all up to suggest we all spoon. I laughed because I had had the same idea. Today¢s camp departure took the superlative for the trip¢s latest ever, because I was dragging my feet to draw out the time spent with good company. They asked me fun questions like ¢What would I like in my oatmeal?¢ While I sat enjoying my hot mug of dried fruit, crushed nuts, and sweet brown sugar enhanced oats, Hank and his old college roommate joked and bantered, just as they did years ago. Eventually, we hiked on. I continued wearing every item of clothing possible. The sky was bright. The forest boasted its fall browns and oranges. The air was wicked cold. Then, a surprise friends attack! Our incredibly generous hosts from Harpers Ferry were out for a section hike. How awesomely, incredibly cool! They shared stories ¢ like their close encounter with a beating grouse. I wished I had remembered the delay tactics I had employed this morning, for too soon we parted ways.We continued on into the chilly day and through the beautiful woods. How lucky we are to have such beautiful woods almost continuously from Maine to Georgia. Georgia. Georgia! Today we reached Georgia! For hours we played the ¢Remember that time¢¦¢ game. We recounted memories as the sunset and the temperature dropped even further. We could see our breath by the light of our headlamps. I wondered if it wondered if it would crystallize the moment it left our mouth. I did not worry about the weather. Our hearts pulsed warm with pride for hiking through thirteen states... Plus, our friends gifted us their fleece blanket¢¦And if things get really cold, I can always crawl into Hank¢s sleeping bag with him. Good thing we are so small!
Date: 2008-10-27
From: Addis Gap

To: White Oak Stamp
Miles today: 24.1

Shrinking days force us to night hike. So we enjoy the treasures of the dark. Radiant stars clutter the charcoal morning sky. Trees creak and fly squirrels squeak as we hike by. But best of all are the owls. The barred owl.Their calls echo through the hills, but they sit silently as they watch us walk. Sitting soundlessly on bare, black branches they stare with deep, dark eyes. Big, gentle, sable eyes on a round head of cocoa feathers. Guardians of the night.
Date: 2008-10-28
From: White Oak Stamp

To: beyond Horse Gap
Miles today: 29.2

We awake to chilling darkness and the roar of icy wind. Hank is first to brave cold. He disappears into the bitter black morning as I search desperately for my left glove. From outside the tent I hear; ¢It¢s snowing.¢I peek out. Indeed. A generous dusting covers the leaves. It fills the creases of our pack covers. Snow. We take quick swigs out of our half frozen water bottles and quickly break down camp. The same cold that freezes my fingers sparks my creativity, and I convert a fleece blanket into an additional hiking skirt. We hike out. Snowflakes glitter in the light of our headlamps. Ice crystals grow like towers in the soil. The frozen ground crunches under our footsteps. We reach a vista just in time for sunrise. As the sky fades pink, the flakes fall more gently until it is neither night nor snowing any longer.
Date: 2008-10-29
From: beyond Horse Gap

To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

A smile for every footstep. Two hikers with wide grins wandering in the forest. It could not be helped; the pride, the excitement, the delight, the anticipation all required this happy expression. The woods helped us celebrate. Golden sunbeams highlighted us like spotlights. We walked on an herbaceous red carpet under the confetti of flickering, falling leaves. The wind moved the trees to dance and helped the leaves to applaud this day, the last day, our day. We breathed in every moment, absorbed the beauty of trees, appreciated the soft feel of earth beneath our feet. We paused to look at mushrooms. We stopped to listen to a stream. Somehow, though our hearts endeavored to linger, our legs hiked swiftly. It was unavoidable. The abundant adrenaline pulsed and paced us down the trail such that the miles disappeared quickly, and in no time we stood by a brown sign announcing 0.9 miles to the summit. 0.9 miles to the top of Springer Mountain. 0.9 miles. We did what we always do: we hiked on. We hiked under a sapphire sky on a trail lined with icicles that sparkled like diamonds in the morning sun.   Dustings of mica glittered in the soil. Ice crystals lined our path.   Then¢¦we were there. The top of the mountain. The terminus of the trail. The incredible achieved. The odyssey complete. The expedition ended.We immediately embraced. We kissed while smiling. We laughed and laughed and laughed.
Date: 2008-04-15
To: In the Beginning...
Miles today: 0.0

Did the Long Trail last summer w/ my brother (in boston hat), and currently planning to take a bite out of the Appalachian Trail. Wont have enough time to get the whole thing done, so Im dubbing this trip the Half-T. Ill be taking off from Springer and heading northbound until my awesome sherpa-ette picks up my smelly self from Harper's Ferry WV. The 1000 or so miles will be done solo, with a few mail drops between to keep me from going ravenous on any of the local wildlife. Food, gear, plans to follow.
Date: 2008-04-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Pictured is enough food to sustain me for approximately 41 days. I believe it will be enough for more than that, but we'll see. Nutrition requirements are modestly met with a daily intake of about 3500 calories (55% from carbs, 15% from protein, 30% from fat). Not included in pictures is 5 lbs of Parrano cheese which will be bought closer to the departure date. Meals:Breakfast - ~3cups of cereal (applejacks, honeycomb, or crunchberries)Snacks/Lunch - 2 powerbar performance bars, 2 balance bars, and a ton of fancified GORP*Dinner - 2 cups cooked rice, 1/3 cup crumbled bacon, 2oz of Parrano Cheese, and a bar for dessert*1 days worth of GORP includes 2oz peanuts, 2oz almonds, 2oz banana chips, 1oz dried pineapple, 2oz semi-sweet choc. chips, and 4oz dried cranberries.
Date: 2008-04-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This is my first hiking trip under the 'ultra-light' philosophy. As such, there are a few things one must sacrifice for the cause of weight savings. My shelter consists of an 8x5 silnylon poncho/tarp, 4 titanium stakes, 16 feet of EZC kelty line, and a heavy duty plastic ground liner. Sleeping at the whim of the elements will be an experience I hope to be prepared for.
Date: 2008-05-04
To: ...Hold Your Breath!!!
Miles today: 0.0

This happens to be the last PREPARATION entry for this journal. Tomorrow at 8:30AM I will be flying from IAD Virginia to ATL Georgia and hitch a ride with a good Samaritan by the name of Mike who is saving me 80 bucks on the way to Springer Mtn. by way of carpooling. It seems that I have everything in order before I leave, so for anyone interested, the logistics of this trip will be coordinated as follows:Data Distributor - MFC (Mother First Class) will be coordinating journal entries for the entirety of my trip. Any and all transcriptional errors found in this journal will solely be due to my chicken-scratch handwriting, or to the fact that Im running from something and recording my last thoughts. Supply-Chain Coordinator - GMAK (Global Manager A.K.) will be coordinating all mail drops and contents therein. Amy will conduct rigorous tasks involving any last minute supply shortage/surplus changes, and will also be responsible for making sure I dont waste away w/o my food. Do not fret, Amy has steely resolve in performing such an important and necessary job.Morale Officer(s) - Everyone mentioned above and also including family, friends, and anyone else reading these journal entries. Without the support from these persons, this trip would not be possible!****NOTE FOR ANYONE WISHING TO SEND ANYTHING DURING MY TRIP****Some general guidelines are listed for any persons wishing to deliver anything while I am on this trip.1. Refer to the Mail Drops section to determine when and where I will be (estimated) arriving. This section may change without any notice. 2. While referring to the Mail Drops section, any packages or letters must be addressed with the line "HOLD FOR AT HIKER, ETA XX/XX/08". 3. Please do not ship anything that may be cumbersome or heavy. Food will gladly be accepted as long as I can eat it quickly and without much space taken. 4. IF and WHEN something crazy happens in the great US of A, please relay any information that may change my worldview to yours truly. These are my last words before I embark on this amazing trip from Springer Mtn. Georgia to Harpers Ferry West Virginia. I hope to have a safe and exciting journey through the Appalachians and hope to convey these experiences for the masses through this journal. Entries will be made approximately 2 days after my ETA for each Mail Drop. THIS IS APHEX, BEGINNING RADIO SILENCE...
Date: 2008-05-05
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: clear sky

Start-Springer MountainFinish- Hawk Mountain ShelterDistance- 7.8 milesNot a bad start today. After an hour carpool ride from Atlanta Airport, one Italian BMT from Subway and another hour ride in the back of a suburban, I finally launched ground on the AT. The nice people from hiker hostel dropped me off .9 miles from mountain top at Springer. Had to back track the .9 miles to "officially" start from the beginning of the AT. Ran into some other through hikers, passed a pretty waterfall and Long Creek Falls and wound up here. Quite a few people staying at the shelter including a father/son/puppy trio. Woke up this morning with a slight chill and sore throat which is killing my appetite right now. I am sure my body will get used to the exercise and tell my brain that I must eat. Tomorrow will be the first long day of my expeditiion. Lets hope all goes well. The southern part of the AT is quite spectacular and I can't wait to see the rest.