morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-02-22
To: 36 days and counting
Miles today: 0.0

At last update, our basement was resembling a food bank. Well, I am happy to report that the process of sorting and packing food and supplies into maildrop boxes has now come to a satisfying end. The tall piles of tipping Ramen, beans and rice, and noodles soon became organized stacks of 14¢ cube boxes, neatly addressed and ready to ship. So complete is the process, that now the boxes sit in my sisters home almost three hours south of here. As she and her family will be our reliable shipping experts, I expect that they will soon know the local Post Master by name, before the first of June.      It is so satisfying to have that task now behind us. That may be only one hurdle, but it was a biggy. Looking ahead, we hope to find a renter for our home in the next few weeks.   We continue to be struck by the love and support that we have received as we prepare for this experience. Just today, a man from our church stopped by our house to ask if there was anything else that we might need. He would like to join us along the trail with some of the kids from the youth group that we once led. When we shared that all our food and gear was already taken care of, he offered to provide us with phone cards (a generous contribution). Later this afternoon, I will be meeting with a friend who is helping to put our journals on line once we¢re hiking. What a blessing!
Date: 2005-03-04
To: Springer Fever
Miles today: 0.0

As the hike is getting closer, we continue to do the little things that will make this a successful experience. By the way, what does a successful hike consist of? Is it walking from Georgia to Maine? Is it hiking every inch of the AT? Is it to merely give it our best shot or more simply to just enjoy ourselves? While we fully intend to hike the entirety of the Appalachian Trail, we define success as a hike where we are able to learn from others while also giving part of ourselves back to the hikers we meet. This reciprocal relationship of a community that both gives and receives so openly is one of the beautiful things we can't wait to experience along the AT.   So what have we been doing lately to prepare? Primarily, we¢re looking for a renter for our house and we¢re beginning to store things in our basement. We¢ve realized that we could be moving out in the next week and we hope to be ready if the right renter comes along. Additionally, we¢re finalizing our itinerary by getting in touch with those we may be seeing along the way. We¢re thrilled to have the opportunity to see so many friends and family members throughout the summer, but it will require planning if it¢s going to work out. Finally, we¢re trying to take time and say goodbye to some of the people we¢re going to be missing over the next six months.    Hopeful is down to two more weeks of teaching before she is done for the year. Most days she comes home from school with mixed emotions. She is anxious to begin the hike and says she¢d start tomorrow if she could, but she also really loves her students and is fully committed to teaching them well, until she leaves. To make matters more difficult, she has been very sick with the flu for over a week. We¢re praying that her body will recover quickly and that the early miles won¢t be any more challenging than they need to be.   Since my last hike, I¢ve begun to go through the winter blues. When the snow is too deep to enjoy a hike and the air is too cold to want to be outdoors, I begin to shut down. Even in years when I knew I¢d never make it out to the AT, my thoughts would always somehow end up reflecting on times along the trail. It¢s a form of torture that I put myself through, really. Well, this year, with my dreams about to become reality, the pull is nearly unbearable. Following a recent snowstorm I was left outside shoveling for over an hour, the whole time wondering, ¢Why do people live here?¢ Now, by the age of my late twenties, I¢ve exhausted the joy of snow angels and struggle to find this weather amusing. If I weren¢t married to a teacher I wouldn¢t even find excitement in school closing due to snow. Anyway, that¢s my story right now, I¢m beginning to doubt the sun¢s existence, I haven¢t felt my feet since December, and all I can think about is the AT. Now, half of you readers will think I¢m nuts or depressing. The other half of you are probably saying, ¢Right on! See you on the Trail!¢
Date: 2005-03-27
To: Greetings from Florida
Miles today: 0.0

Greetings from not so sunny southern Florida. As a Christmas gift from my parents, Hopeful and I have been provided plane tickets to Venice, FL. where my parents spend their winters. We have been blessed all around as we've enjoyed warm, sunny (until today) weather and great hospitality. Our personal tour guides continue to feed us and drive us everywhere to give us the full experience. Once we're back home, we plan on adding a picture to this entry which will show Hopeful's superior fishing skills. No doubt, we will need to fish at least once more while down here, I can't allow myself to be outfished in the way that I was on Sunday. In the meantime, we'll keep making up for all those missed hiking opportunities due to winter weather. Florida, it seems, has a real advantage over northern Michigan in this way.    In the weeks before a wedding, everyone it seems, has advice for the bride and groom. One pearl of wisdom that I seem to remember, became so true throughout the wedding day. I was told not to worry about the wedding day itself because with proper planning, I should be able to wake up and just follow the script already set, as if hitting the play button on the stereo and allowing music to do it's thing. As true as it was on our wedding day, it seems to also be true with the trail. Last week we found a renter for our house and the rental agreement was signed on Thurs. night. On Friday, Marie taught her last day of school before her leave of absence. It was a great day for her as she was able to express her appreciation to all of her co-workers and students as well as feel appreciated by them. That evening we drove to my sisters house only to fly to Florida early the next morning. We return home late Saturday to be back in northern Michigan for Easter and then drive south that Monday and Tuesday for a Wednesday (March 30) start date on Springer. It seems that the play button has been pressed and the wheels are in motion. What needs to be planned is hopefully planned and what has not been planned will not have any further chances to be planned. In a way, that is freeing. It takes weight off our shoulders knowing that from here on out we're left with our preparations, each other, and our faith in God and we're now free to look ahead and enjoy.
Date: 2005-03-30
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: clear sky

Red Wing:   Well, it has started! We have been blessed with the perfect day with temps in the 60's and the sun shining down. The trail in this southernmost section is beautiful, with streams and springs pouring out of every rock. We stopped early today (around 4 PM, intimidated by the thought of another 7.5 miles to the next shelter.    Already we have met hikers from all over the U.S... Strider, Brewmaster, Bear Bag, Roy and about 6 others have joined us for the night. Where else can you have such beauty followed by hours of great conversation? I can't imagine a better day for beginning.    We want to say thank you to Hopeful's parents who drove all the way from Northern Michigan to get us here and see us off. They hiked to the top of Springer with us, and then drove around and met us one more time at Long Creek Falls before the final good byes. Their love and support has been a real encouragement. We know we'll be missing all our friends and family while we're out here. We'll be thinking of you along the way!
Date: 2005-03-31
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Woody Gap / Hiker's Hostel
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Red Wing:    Today began early. After going to bed around 8 PM last night (everyone heads that way as the sun sets!), we woke up at 1:30 AM to lightning and thunder getting closer. We put on our head lamps, packed up the tent and moved into the shelter in time to avoid the rain which came and lasted until early afternoon. The day was filled with thunder, lightning and heavy winds blowing the rain... quite a contrast from the sun burns we got the day before!   Around 3 PM we reached Woody Gap where we could hike down the mountain (several miles) to the hostel. Just about then Simeron (an 82 year old hiker/trail angel) came by in his VW van full of hikers and gave us a ride here. The hostel is a beautiful log cabin full tonight with approximately 20 hikers. We're on the floor because beds are full, but glad to be dry! There's also internet access and a shuttle to town for Italian food (not so bad for the 2nd night out!)      Tomorrow's forecast includes 12 hours of "severe thunderstorms" with 3 inches of rain. We're left tonight trying to decide how far we'll go tomorrow.
Date: 2005-04-01
From: Wood Gap / Hiker's Hostel

To: Cowrock Mountain 
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Red Wing:    Early in the morning the crew woke up and each hiker decided their goal for the day. Hopeful and I, along with Strider, decided we'd go as far as the weather would allow us, fully expecting the storms to be bad.   It turns out the rains didn't come all day. After 11 miles of hiking through misty fog, and over the top of Blood Mountain (the highest point on the trail in Georgia), we hiked into Walasi-Yi Center (an outfitter right on the trail) for some small gear modifications. These included earplugs to wear when we sleep in the shelters. We feared it would be the mice, but really it's the snoring that seems to be the biggest threat to a good night's sleep!   The first hiker we met on the day we left from Springer Mountain was Strider. So far we've been traveling together as a three-some. Strider is a 42 year old Civil engineer from New Hampshire who is a fan of Lord of the Rings. We've enjoyed his company throughout the days and hope to be able to hike together for at least a little while longer.   Just after we've set up camp tonight along a low lying ridge line, the rains have finally come, and the winds are quite gusty. Hopeful and I are snug and dry in our tent. Our legs are sore and we have some aches and pains on this day #3 of hiking. Each new day brings new experiences, new people and new trials to overcome. There is no place I'd rather be and nobody I'd rather experience this with.
Date: 2005-04-02
From: Cowrock Mountain 

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: light rain

Red Wing:    Of all my days of the AT, this one has to be the worst. We woke up this morning after wind and rain pelted us all night. With most of our gear wet, and even iced over, we packed up and hiked out. Within minutes of getting out, it began to snow quite hard. Within 6 miles (at about noon) we were too cold to continue on and decided to jump in a shelter and get in our sleeping bags. The problem is that everyone out on the trail was caught in the poorly predicted storm and we crawled into a crowded corner and sat for hours trying to warm up! We got out only to cook dinner and take bathroom breaks... there are 11 of us sleeping inside for the night, including some small children out section hiking with their dad, and tons of tents and hammocks in the somewhat sheltered gap area. The snow is now stopping and we're tucked in for a cold night. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Date: 2005-04-03
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

Red Wing:    Today should complete this Georgia weather sampler that we've been experiencing. After sun, rain, thounder, lightning, ice, wind, fog and snow, today we walked through 2-6 inches of snow with drifts up to 18 inches.   Unfortunately, it reminded us too much of the weather that we thought we left behind in Michigan. The local section hikers out this weekend promise that this is unusual for Georgia in April! While it was a little rough at times, it may be our best hike yet.   We're sitting tonight atop Tray Mountain and watching a spectacular sunset... what a way to end a day! "From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is to be praised... and I will praise His name!"
Date: 2005-04-04
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Hiawassee, GA / Holiday Inn Express
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Red Wing:   Today we reached our first big goal, and our first mail drop. We met several new people last night and today... Steve, Frank and Ryan at the shelter, and Crazy Horse, Drumstick and some others on the trail. We hiked down into Dick's Creek Gap where the trail meets the road to Hiawassee with quite a bit of knee pain. We pray that we can wisely deal with it. It's hard to know what is expected aches and pains and what requires extra special rest and attention. Either way, we look forward to a zero day tomorrow to rest and spend time with Hopeful's sister and brother-in-law, Julie and Nick. We are spending the night with Julie and Nick at the Holiday Inn Express to catch the NCAA Final (still sad that Michigan State didn't quite make it all the way!). We had dinner at a great Mexican restaurant, along with another thru-hiker named Clearwater. It probably spoils us to be in nice beds and to hang out with family, but we're enjoying it!
Date: 2005-04-05
From: Holiday Inn Express

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel, Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Red Wing:    We'll be spending the night at Blueberry Patch Hostel with Gary and Lennie Poteat, along with several other hikers.   Today has been our first zero day. We're excited to rest and recouperate these sore knees. We're even more excited to spend the day with Hopeful's sister Julie and her husband Nick. They graciously drove us around to do errands and we laughed a lot as we explored and caught up with one another.   I thought I might just comment today about one of the many thoughts I've had along the way. In past months I've been seeing more of the love story that the Bible is meant to be.   "In the beginning" God walked this very Earth with man. Because of our sinfulness we were no longer able to have a relationship with God in that way. Following this separation, God established through Moses the Levitical Law of the Old Testament. This helped the Jews to know God and experience Him in some ways, but not completely. Then the time of Christ came when Jesus accepted the role of the sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament worship and died once for the forgivenes of all sins. This sacrifice allowed us to reunite with God the Father without the barier of sin holding us back. One day, we will spend eternity with Him and the perfect community of the garden of Eden will once again be restored.    That's the Bible in sum... a love story of God and man living together, being separated, and then God's continuous steps to re-establish the love relationship that once was.   A few weeks ago, as I was sipping coffee on my warm, dry, couch in northen Michigan, I came across 2 Samuel 14:14, "But God does not take away life; instead He devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him". That single Old Testament verse, buried in the history of King David's reign, sums up God's love for us in so many ways. I, for one, need God's creativity in devising a way to overcome the separation from Him that sin causes in my life. That's some food for thought... whether for a day's hike or a morning's commute.
Date: 2005-04-06
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel, Hiawassee

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Red Wing:    This morning we were fortunate enought to spend at the Blueberry Patch Hostel. Gary and Lennie Poteat run the hostel as a ministry and began our day with an incredible breakfast which included a humble prayer of thanks beforehand and blueberry syrup... yum!   On the trail before 9 AM, we finished our day by 4 PM.   We enjoyed the hike, which was beautiful, and we crossed our first state line. Hopefully North Carolina's weather will be kinder than Georgia's was. Tonight's shelter is full with 6 in the shelter itself, and nearly 20 in tents, like us. We've really enjoyed the company of Hazy Sonic, Firefly, Mike, Dorothy, Stats, Beta, Leaky, Ski Bum, Sun Flower, Free Radical and several others.   Hopeful's knee is doing much better today. Dorthy and Stats, who are vets, did an examination back at the hostel... Dorthy used her knowledge of horse knees, and Stats threw in his expertise on dog knees. We're not sure how accurate it all was, but basically, she's probably OK to go as long as she can deal with the pain. There sems to be nothing torn or really serious, it's just getting overworked!
Date: 2005-04-07
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: moderate rain

Red Wing:    Another day of dreary rain. Rain came at 11:30 PM last night. Stuff is still moist and the test is soaked. The shelter is full tonight, most of last night's thru-hikers are here with us again. With 11 in all, squeezed in together, there's a lot of laughing-- we're trying to think of trail names for Dorthy who doesn't have one yet. Maybe Mud Pumpkin? The crew is fun and we'll most assuredly talk a couple more hours before sleeping. Hazy Sonic is playing his backpacking guitar while we settle in for the night. Wandering Bull poked his head in for a few minutes, he's staying at the old shelter across the Trail.
Date: 2005-04-08
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

Red Wing:  What a perfect day! We got out early and played leap frog with the other hikers all day. So far these North Carolina trails are so much more gentle than the Georgia climbs. We've been following switch backs and old fire roads for the past two days.   Just before noon we came to a sign for trail magic and heard a generator running. When we checked it out, we met Fishin' Fred from Calava, MI, and Gatorade sitting by a huge campfire with beans, corn, rice and fresh salsa.. not to mention hot coffee... for all. After a couple of helpings and a Coke (for me, at least!) we decided to move on. In the 1/2 hour stop it rained the only time all day, and we were warm and dry under their big tarp.    The climb after our unexpected lunch was our first steep rock scramble of the AT (Albert Mountain). Since it was just a 1/4 mile, we found it to be really fun! At the top was a rock face and an old fire tower, which gave us a 360 degree view. We stood back and took it all in before returning to the more gradual type trail of the past few days. The sun is even trying to peak through the clouds-- one of our best days yet. With dry weather and stronger muscles, we look forward to what's ahead. And to top it off, we crossed the 100 mile mark this afternoon!
Date: 2005-04-09
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Campsite near Wayah Bald
Miles today: 14.3

Red Wing:    Out by 7:30 AM, we had our earliest start yet. We weren't sorry to say good bye to the shelter mice. The first 4 miles were mostly downhill and we were thankful for Beta's company to Winding Stair Gap. There we met the rest of the crew from the past few days and said good bye as they headed into Franklin for a break.    We kept going and passed Siler Bald where some south bound hikers told us that there was trail magic at the next gap. So, we hurried, almost ran, to Wayah Gap where we met Craig and Susie Miles of AT Servants, a Christian ministry to Thru-hikers. We first heard of the Miles by finding their webpage and contacting one another by phone a few months ago. It was great to finally meet the people who we've been praying for and we know have been praying for us. Plus, they helped us restock our snack bag and our toilet paper!    After food and drinks, we bid farewell until next time. I'm sure we'll see them again at Trail Days in Damascus, VA. As we crossed the road through the gap, we saw a sign telling of more trail magic at the top of Wayah Bald. So, 4 miles later, we had a burger, more Coke, fresh fruit and lots of chocolate with a crew of South Carolina Trail Angels.    Very thankful, and full, we came to Wayah Bald, with panoramic views from a fire tower. The hike from there to our campsite wasn't even a 1/2 mile, and now we sit on the side of a mountain, listening to "Prairie Home Companion" on Navigator's radio. Conversation has been interesting and diverse, spanning from theology, to relationships, to Navigator and Hopeful talking to one another in Spanish. We praise God for this day. It's just another example of how the AT continues to be full of variety and adventure.
Date: 2005-04-10
From: Campsite near Wayah Bald

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

Red Wing:    16.7 miles! This has been our biggest day yet. Again today, we had incredible views, as we climbed the tower on top of Wesser Bald. From our bird's eye view we were able to see just how close we are to the Smoky Mountain National Park.   North Carolina, this time of year, has few leaves on the trees at upper elevations, which allows us to see out from the ridges that will be covered with green in a few more weeks. We've been waking up to owls and drumming grouse the past few days, water seems to pour out of every rock, and the locals are having fun with me and my Michigan State hat (North Carolina just knocked MSU out of the NCAA basketball finals).   Tonight we've settled into a tiny bunkroom with no luxuries to speak of. We had burgers for dinner at the NOC restaurant and we're able to do our laundry. Well, there was no soap, so actually we merely rinsed our clothes. We figure we're two days out from Fontana Dam, so we'll get a more thorough cleaning then.   We've been between groups of hikers (only seeing Navigator and Crazy Horse on the trail) but seem to have caught up to a new a group tonight. Wiggy, Eastie, Beantown, Morel, Mud Hen, Patch and Jersey Fresh are all staying here, along with Sparkplug & Snowman (another married couple) and some others. We look forward to knowing them better as we travel on to Fontana.
Date: 2005-04-11
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)

To: Brown Fork Gap
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: few clouds

Hopeful:    Hopeful gets to write the entry today! We did another of our longer hikes so far, and it was at tough one! However, I had a MUCH better attitude than I did the day before. Red Wing was nice enough not to mention how dehydrated and cranky I got toward the end yesterday. Instead, today I chose to try new strategies-- more "catch your breath breaks" (especially on steep uphills), more water intake, and putting my pack off and my feet up whenever we had a snack. It helped! And I am very proud of the climbs we did--the first being 7 miles up from the NOC at a 1,740 feet elevation to Cheoah Bald at 5,062 feet! Then, even harder, are the climbs at the end of the day, and we had a significant one of those, too. We met Noonin' on a break at the roadside picnic table in Stecoah Gap. He's a great guy who, when you hear him talk, is clearly a southerner!   The shelter was packed when we arrived, so we cooked our with everyone and chatted awhile... they even had a fire tonight. We met the Jersey girls, Muleskinner & Woodrose with their yellow lab named Bella, and several others. But we moved on 2/10 mile to camp in a better spot. A guy finishing his southbound hike (yes, he was out all winter!) pulled in after dark to tent near us. Dude insisted on a "pow wow" before bed. He was great to talk to before we try to fall asleep on the slightly slanted slope we found for setting up our tent!