morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-11-28
To: Walking in the Rain
Miles today: 0.0

WALKING IN THE RAINMy world has become much smaller today; more closed in, as it were. I'm accompanied by solitude -- the solitude which only a rainy day can give. A heavy curtain has been draped over me, muting all sounds. Even my footfalls emit only hushed whispers; as if it's the sacred thing to offer on such holy ground. Lost in my own thoughts I plod along; head down, water dripping from the bill of my cap. No great discoveries today. No affirming 'Aha's!' The direction of my life will not be altered today -- it would seem. Content am I simply to be; to be here; to be now. No views are mine today. The climbs are all made without external reward. During the night distant vistas were mystically erased; all color stolen; leaving all nature enshrouded in grayish despair. I devote myself to the contemplation of more immediate things -- closer things. Aching joints speak to me from deep within. Nagging doubts climb to the surface of my consciousness. My stomach growls. How long has it been since breakfast? The omnipresent stillness is disturbed by the sloshing of a remaining sip of water in my bottle. How far to the next stream? I'm tired. I'm hungry. I'm lonely. There is no dry place to rest; no escape from the incessant drip, drip, dripping. I am wet. I am happy! What a great day to be walking in the woods!
Date: 2014-11-29
To: Another One!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I know that I added to my journal just yesterday and I intended to wait a while before posting another entry, but I just had to share this one. As you can see -- I caught another leaf today, the second this week in as many walks. Wow! I'm on a roll. And NO -- to all your skeptics out there -- I didn't just pick it up off the ground. Actually, this one hit me in the face and I was able to trap it against my chest before it fell to the ground. But a legitimate catch nonetheless.Anywho -- while I'm logged in, I think I'll go ahead and share a third installment of my prose poetry. I know that prose poetry -- at least to some -- will sound like an oxymoron. I prefer to agree with Louis Jenkins who labeled it the poor man's poetry. "It's for those of us who are too lazy to try and make it rhyme." In any event, it gives me something to do while I'm walking -- arranging thoughts, juggling vocabulary, sorting through mentally-catalogued-images. It a way to entertain this old hiker as I wait for Spring. Anyway -- enjoy!I'M NOT LOST!I knew where I was this morning. How is it that now, only a few short hours later, I'm not so sure? Did I pass this way before? Doesn't that tree look vaguely familiar? Well now, let's see -- the sun rises in the east and it sets in the west. And I want to be headed north, so-o-o, where is that blasted sun anyway? Okay, okay, don't panic -- moss grows on the north side of trees, right? That should help. Huh! Where is all that moss when you need it? I can't remember the last time I saw a trail marker -- but since the same icon is used to mark the trail both northward and southward, spotting one, in itself, would help me little. I suppose I could just sit down here for a while and wait for someone to come along. How embarrassing! But perhaps I could meet their puzzled questions by saying that I loved this particular section so much that I had decided to hike it twice over. Oh, this is so humiliating! I'm a man, for goodness sake, and while a man may not always know where he is -- he is never lost. Okay -- that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I haven't a clue where I am -- but I'M NOT LOST!
Date: 2014-12-16
To: The Countdown Continues
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I dug this older photo of my granddaughters prior to my 2013 attempt. It want be long now before they dig out that map once again in order to trace my progress northward. GORP and I are having to move up our start date a bit. We are now shooting for a March 26th start, hoping to stay in Dahlonega the night of the 25th. So, we're hoping for decent weather for those first few days at least. Picked up another key piece of gear today -- some legging used by cyclist. I already had the arm sleeves. Both of these items are light and warm. They do a good job of blocking both wind and cold. With them I can easily hike in shorts (which I prefer). Gives me the option of starting out with them on chilly mornings but easily remove them later after the sun warms things up. Their addition will greatly reduce the weight of a good bit of winter clothing. Also had to replace my iPhone this week. This new one seems faster and is supposed to have a much improved battery. Anyway, looks as if I'm almost ready. On the physical front, I seem to have developed a slight problem with my right foot. It may be a mild case of plantar fasciitis. I'm doing the stretching exercises and have cut way back on my walking -- trying to give it some time to heal. I'll pick up again after the turn of the year. Okay, take care everyone!
Date: 2014-12-17
To: Gear Update
Miles today: 0.0

I mentioned yesterday my purchase of the leg warmers that cyclist use. I had several write me asking about them. The brand name is Nishiki. I already had the arm sleeves and love them. I've used them out on very cold and windy days on training walks and they work great, allowing me to remain in short sleeve shirts. So, when I found a set of sleeves for the legs for only $9, I snapped them up. BTW, the arm sleeves were only $6. Anyway, I hate hiking in bulky clothing and prefer hiking in shorts and short sleeve shirts. So these make that possible, even on chilly mornings. I love the way I can put them on and take them off with little trouble. Also, I've had experiences on the trail on cool, windy days, when you are cold on one side of the ridge but then pop over on the sheltered side and you're burning up. With these on, I can just roll them down or pull them back up. Anyway, I'm not recommending them to anyone. I'm just reporting a find that I'm excited about.Merry Christmas to all!
Date: 2014-12-18
To: The Last Light of Day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Thought I'd post another stab at my prose poetry. Enjoy!THE LAST LIGHT OF DAYMy steps are shorter now, at the end of the day, almost softer. It's as if my feet have decided, on their own, to prolong the moment. The sun is sinking low in the sky, winking at me between the pines. I wish to savor the remaining light. Too soon it will be gone. Oh, if it were possible to bottle up this final glimmering! Shadows, keeping me company, now stretch out their long fingers as to give some fleeting touch to something unseen. Ever so slowly their reach is extended until a silent tap is placed upon some fleeting object. I love this moment -- a brief instance when worlds collide and time loses its importance. The thinness of the veil which does separate me from Eternity is exposed and my ties to my earthly existence takes on a looseness which is both frightening and exhilarating. Objects which seemed so substantial, just mere moments ago, now assume a hazy fuzziness, making all things uncertain; the path I tread is painted over imperceptibly with deeper shades of doubt. It is a bit disconcerting, and yet, silently I whisper my thanks to the God who chose to bless this day with such beauty as this moment contains. There's a weariness upon me, but softened with contented joy. Soundly will I sleep tonight, wrapped in darkness under a star-filled sky of deep azure, listening to the night song of two branches, high above me, rubbing together, squeaking out a lullaby for this wanderer far from home.
Date: 2014-12-25
To: PF Treatments
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

First, let me extend to all a most Blessed and Merry Christmas; and for all in the Class of 2015, a wonder-filled hiking season to come. My own struggle with Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot continues, but good progress is being made. The pain has decreased and the stretching exercises seem to be helping. I've also begun using this nighttime sleeping splint to prevent the foot from falling forward. That too is helping. So, I should be on target to resume walking in another week. I'm sure I've lost a lot of conditioning over the past two months of relative inactivity. But I've still three months to walk back into shape before GORP and I hit the trail on March 26. Ordered my copy of AWOL's Guide for the hike. Also have reserved my bunk space at the Dahlonega Hostel for the 25th. So all is falling into place. A Joyful New Year to all!
Date: 2014-12-26
To: Starting the New Year Right
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Happy New Year, Class of 2015!This is OUR YEAR!The Mrs and I are bringing in the year right -- staying at our cabin up in the NC mtns. It's been great. The evening have been cold. I think it reached 21 last night. Cold enough to make our fire feel good. Took this picture of the Rhododendrons on our property this morning before the sun hit them. I live the way the leaves roll up in tight cigar-shaped cylinders when it's cold. The tighter the roll, the colder the temps. Okay , let's get ready everyone. Springer Mtn awaits.
Date: 2015-01-04
To: My First Car
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

MY FIRST CARJust seeing that rusted out rattletrap brought back a flood of memories. A ¢53 Chevrolet ¢ mint green ¢ my first car! Oh, it was a real bucket of bolts, a hunk of junk, for sure ¢ but it was mine and I loved her. For twenty-five dollars ownership was transferred from a man moving across country to California. I suspected that he knew the car would never make the trip. So, for just a handful of bills and a smile, I drove away with my first car. Ah, the freedom! I could go anywhere I chose to go, as long as I didn¢t care to get there fast. It didn¢t matter that the gears would lock up on occasion. How I recall the night I had to drive home on a date -- twenty miles -- in first gear! And who cared that she drank a quart of oil a day ¢ I kept a case of the black elixir in the trunk just to cover her habit. The wipers ¢ another curiosity -- worked on some sort of strange vacuum system, the blades edging their way across the windshield in direct correlation to the vehicle¢s speed. In town I just learned to discern objects through the obscurity of a rain-drenched window while the wipers sat idly by over on the side ¢ resting. Oh, the good times my friends and I had in that car! I was the envy of them all who still had to ask their fathers for the loan of the family car on Friday nights. Each day, even with the last bell still ringing in our ears, we¢d all rush from school, out to the parking lot, and crowd in. There was always room for a few more in that cavernous beauty. Then off we¢d race to the local drug store for cokes and sundaes, laughing off the strain of another boring day. We all mourned the day she purred her last. Several tear-stained faces gathered to help push her into the field behind my house where she sat, enduring the scrutiny and shame of passers-by who would sneak back over after dark to pilfer parts off of her. Each morning would reveal another missing piece -- a mirror or the hubcaps or a tail light. Slowly my beloved mint green ride diminished, bit by bit, until all that was left was a rusted out shell of what she had been in her former glory ¢ just like the car before me now. Hey, where did I put my checkbook?
Date: 2015-01-13
To: Finalizing Trail Strategy
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Received my new copy of AWOL's AT Guide and have been going over the information. The last version I had was 2011, so you can imagine there have been many changes. Many of my mileage figures were off in my tentative schedule. It has been necessary, therefore, to rethink my plan and, in a few cases, determine different camping targets. Many have asked me about whether or not I planned to sleep in the shelters. In most instances I do not. For one thing I hate the mice. For another I don't end up sleeping well crammed in together with other snoring hikers. I guess I just like my tent. I like the idea of having a covering, a protective wrap, if you will, although I understand that a thin sheet of nylon isn't much protection. Anyway even when stopping in the vicinity of a shelter I normally pitch my nylon castle. After a while, once I get my legs, I hope to settle into a daily pattern of walking all day until an hour or so before dark and then begin to look for a flat spot whether I'm near a shelter or not.Leaving on the 26th of March as I plan I figure to be well beyond Damascus come Trail Days. Since I've been to Trail Days a few times already I don't imagine I'll be tempted to try and hitch back for it. I'll just keep going and enjoy the solitude on the trail for a few days. The Mrs is working on a pair of down booties for me. My toes get cold on frigid nights, even in my bag. So these ought to help resolve that problem in those early weeks and make for shiver free slumber. I figure they will only weigh about 2-3 ounces and should ball up into a golf ball sized lump. So there's really no question carrying them. I'll try to post a pic once they're finished. All the best to all members of our 2015 Class as you get ready. My foot continues to improve and I'm back to nearly pain free walking again. Take care!
Date: 2015-01-24
To: Nearing Two Months
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

WOW! These days of preparation are flying by. Can hardly believe I'm down to just two months away from my hike -- only six weeks away from leaving our home here in Mississippi and heading up to our North Carolina mountain cabin which will be my staging and jump-off location. I've nearly everything ready -- I THINK! My gear is ready. Just today cut out a groundsheet for my tent out of 2ml plastic I bought at WalMart. Also, the Mrs has been working on this pair of down booties which will keep my toes nice and toasty in my bag on any of those cold nights in late March in the north Georgia hills.I've got my one drop box of food ready to ship to the NOC in Wesser. It will contain six days of supplies to get me from the NOC to Gatlinburg, half way through the Smokies. I'll wait until we are up in NC to mail it.Haven't yet decided just when I'll mess with getting the permit for the Smokies. I may wait until I reach the NOC. I'm told that I can access a computer there and print out the permit. That would be the easiest thing to do. I'm more than mildly upset with the discussion I hear to charge hikers for other sections of the trail as well. I'd like to think those folk at the ATC in Harpers Ferry would get off their duffs and fight this. But they probably won't. I feel it is a betrayal of all the donations and volunteer labor individuals and clubs have given over the years to turn this beloved trail into a pay-to-hike fleecing scheme by a government that can never seem to get enough of our money. Oh well!Still wrestling with the idea of going ahead and purchasing a second pair of hiking shoes and having them here ready to be shipped by the Mrs. when needed. I'd hate to have trouble along the way getting the replacements I need in the size and width I want. Perhaps the wise thing to do is go ahead now and purchase them. The nagging doubt I have is that my feet will change and I can't predict now precisely what I will need. I'll have to keep mulling over that option.My foot continues to improve. I'm back to walking but taking it easy. I feel sure I'll be ready come March 26.Okay, take care everyone. Looking forward to seeing many of you out there.
Date: 2015-01-26
To: Thoughts on the Lower AT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I've been asked about the largest challenges to be encountered along the lower section of the AT. Well, to begin, I'd say the biggest challenge has little to do with the ups and downs of the trail itself but rather the emotional turmoil within the hiker. It's an adjustment for many of us simply to being outdoors 24/7 every day. Most aren't used to that. Sleeping on the ground is another adjustment, as is hearing different sounds and noises throughout the night. Then there's the absence of loved ones, a spouse for instance, while suddenly surrounded by strangers. All of these changes make those early days and weeks a challenge. Having to cook your own meals is another -- and the cleanup. Many of the men I run into are relatively ill prepared for these most basic activities. They can sound glamorous while at home but can turn into a drudgery out there on the trail at the end of a tiring day. Also being cold and dirty and stinky or covered with bug bites -- or learning to relieve yourself in the woods, squatting behind a tree or suffering the indignity of using one of the shelter latrines which has only a raised seat surrounded by NO WALLS! Imagine that! Anyway, there are many many little things like this that take their toll on us. I think these mental and emotional challenges cause more hikers to abandon their hike than do injuries. But those early sections of the trail itself are not to be underestimated. The climbs may not be as severe as those which come along later, still those N Georgia and Carolina hills are demanding enough. Personally, I think the first tough pull one faces is the climb up out of Tesnatee Gap. It isn't long but it gets the heart thumping for sure. The more severe first trail challenge is the long descent from Blue Mtn into Unicoi Gap. It's a rocky step down of a 1,000 feet or so and taxing on the knees. Most injuries on the AT occur on the downhill sections. Besides these I'd mention Kelly Knob, Courthouse Bald (just past Bly Gap), the last push up Mt Albert, and the long descent into the NOC off of Wesser Bald. These are the most difficult parts for me. Oh, and let me not fail to mention Jacob's Ladder -- the straight up climb out of Stevoah Gap. It's brutal!Well, lest anyone should get discouraged, let me add something about my love for this lower part of the trail. It is incredibly beautiful. I love the way the stillness of the woods slowly begins to seep into you over the early weeks and you become one with your new environment. Slowly the things that bothered you early on cease to be noticed and the strangers become good friends. Hitching rides into nearby towns gets easier and sleeping on the ground becomes normal. Before long, changing clothes in a shelter or using a latrine with no walls become routine matters. Today, I am 60 days out from my start date. I can't wait!
Date: 2015-02-02
To: Happy GroundHog Day!
Miles today: 0.0

Well, the Groundhog saw its shadow this morning, I'm told. Therefore, six more weeks of winter is the prediction. Personally, I predict much more than that. I fear we are in for a cold time even into early April. So, I hope that all those hikers who elected to begin early are well prepared or well supported. Talked with a good friend who lives near the Smokies and he affirmed that it's brutal up there right now -- not fit for man or beast. I'm comfortable with my decision to start later this time around and, hopefully, avoid the worst of it.Had the time today to throw everything into my pack for the first time. Was surprised to see the weight came to 30 lbs (but that included water and six days supply of food). Oh well, I can't think of a single item of any significant weight that I would dare leave behind, so I'll just have to deal with it.Finally made a decision on resupply boxes. I will be using two boxes, after all. The first I'll send to the Top of GA Hostel at Dicks Creek Gap in Georgia and the second I'll send to the NOC at Wesser. I hope to skip Hiawassee but will plan to hit Franklin -- if for no other reason but to hitch into the Subway for a sandwich the day I reach Winding Stair Gap. Normally it is an easy hitch there on Hwy 64. So, the plan is coming together and I'm down to about 36 days before I leave Mississippi and drive up to my North Carolina cabin; just 51 days away from standing on Springer Mtn. Can't think of much else to do between now and then but keep walking as much as our weather permits, keep working on this plantar fasciitis issue, head back to my doctor around March 1 to get a shot, and that's about it -- other than WAIT! Ugh!Take care everyone!
Date: 2015-02-03
To: Less Than Forty
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Can hardly believe how fast these day are slipping by. Well, with the exception of the past few days as I've been laid up with the flu. All I keep thinking is that if I had to get sick I'm glad it was now and not later when out on the trail. Anyway, the plans still have me scaling the summit of Springer Mountain in just a little over a month from now. How well I recall that moment back in 2013. It was such a beautiful day -- a little on the cool side but nice. I'm hoping this years start will be just as spectacular. This time around I hope to do something a little different with my journal. I want to record things which may prove helpful to someone planning their own hike. So, I want to write of lessons I learn along the way, typical camp actions at the end of the day, things I notice along the way -- especially good camp sites or things worth walking a bit off the trail to see. Anyway, I aim to write something that will be of interest, so I hope many will stay in touch.
Date: 2015-02-16
To: The White Road
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Just five weeks away from Springer! Yahoo! Man, these days are flying by, aren't they? I remember thinking back in December how I anticipated January and February would drag on and on -- but not so. Now I'm really hoping the days will slow down a bit more and give Spring a chance to catch up. Tonight, even here in the Deep South, we're experiencing the coldest night of this winter thus far -- seventeen degrees. According to the forecast, the temp tonight up at my NC cabin is one degree and tomorrow night it is to be zero. That's cold! I am surely hoping it warms up a good bit before the twenty-fifth of March."I know not where the white road runs, nor what the blue hills are, but man can have the sun for friend, and for his guide a star; And there's no end of voyaging when once the voice is heard, for the river calls and the road calls, and oh, the call of a bird! . . . and come I may, but go I must, and if men ask you why, you may put the blame on the stars, and the sun, and the white road and the sky." -- [a poem by Gerald Gould]I like that poem. Somehow it speaks to me -- that voice which beckons and you must follow. I take the white road as a moonlit path wandering here and there. It's the A.T. and I must go! FIVE MORE WEEKS!The photo above is a bulletin board posted at my Church so that my friends can keep track of my progress up that long path. Of course, I'm also leaving a list of possible maildrop locations where I might intercept a package of cookies or such were they willing to ship them. We'll see.Got word from Sir Packs-a-Lot at the Top of Georgia Hostel that I can use the computer there to go on-line and secure my permit for the Smokies. That's one less matter I must deal with before I leave.Okay, you early birds (snow birds) out there -- stay safe and dry.